Are Blogs a Thing of The Past? Some Interesting Statistics

It seems that everywhere you turn lately you are hearing buzz words like Social Media, Web 2.0, and the latest buzz word, "New Media."  You hear experts debate the best way to use twitter and facebook to increase your business.  Tweets from celebrities like Oprah & Shaq are posted all over the news and discussed by millions.  All of this buzz and hype have people seeking more information on how to use these two services to generate business.

But, one of the other types of social media and in my opinion the most effective avenue is being pushed to the wayside.  The amount of hype that you hear about writing blogs and using one for business seems to becoming a dying breed and lost art form.  That being said, I decided that it was time for me to do some research to see if blogs really were losing steam and becoming an ineffective means or if the "gurus" were just omitting an important component to any social media strategy.

The first thing I wanted to see is what is driving traffic to ActiveRain. Are search engines still what brings people to your site, or are they finding your sites through other social media means like Facebook & twitter. Over 75% of the traffic Came from search engines.  On the other hand, the two social media giants, Facebook and Twitter are only accountable for 1.65% of web traffic.  Seeing this, was a major shock to me.  I thought for sure that both would be in the top 10 and probably bring somewhere from 12-15% of our traffic. In retrospect, if you remember my post about the importance of labeling images, we learned at that time that 3.65% of our traffic comes from image searches.  That is more than double two social media giants!

Since it seems like social media is not great for directing traffic, I next decided I would see how a blog ranks in comparison to regular websites.  Whenever I ask someone if they use a blog on a regular basis, the top objection/reason they say is "they already have a web site that gives them an Internet presence.

I started doing some typical searches that a consumer would do to see which show up higher in the rankings.  My first keyword I did a search for was Austin Relocation Package.  The #1 result out of over 600,000 for that term was a blog by member Jason Crouch that he wrote in March 2008.  What was even more interesting was that Jason's website, only ranked #6.

Next, I decided to do a search for a community that Virginia Hepp, another member markets on both her blog and also on her website called Copper Bluffs in Mesquite Nevada. The Results were astounding!  Virginia's ActiveRain, Localism, and Outside Blog captured places 1-6 while her personal website showed up in the results at #8.  If you don't believe me, take a look at this search for Copper Bluffs Mesquite Nevada Real Estate. 

As I continued to do searches, this seemed to be the recurring theme.  Blogs consistently outranked personal websites on just about any and every search term I used.  This leads me to the conclusion that if someone is just using a website and has no active blog that they are updating on a regular basis that they are missing out a major chunk of potential business.

The third test that I used was to check activity from and whether it has decreased over the past few months as Twitter and Facebook have grown.  

A few months ago I wrote a post titled: 40,000 Visitors To Your Rainmaker Account in Just 25 Days!  This post shows how over a one month period of time I wrote 25 posts that garnered well over 40,000 visitors to my blog.  I also went on to share in that post how the best performance I ever had on my regular website was just over 3,000 hits.  My blog had more than 13 times the amount of traffic!  Since this was written several months ago, I decided that I would run the numbers again to see if my blog is decreasing in traffic since other social media sources are gaining such popularity.

For the last 25 posts, the total number of visits is 47,881 in comparison to the 40,699.  This averages out to a 6% increase or almost 300 more clicks per post.  This would lead me to believe that instead of my blog losing traction to other social media realms, it is actually gaining popularity over the past 5 months and becoming a stronger tool in social media arsenal.

So in closing I ask this question to you, Are blogs a technology of the past and something you should not focus on any more?  From the research I have done, I do not believe that statement to be true.  In fact, I believe the opposite.  Your blog is something that needs to be the main component to your social media strategy that you should focus on. What do you think?

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If you would like to be a part of one of my upcoming Webinars to learn how to use your blog to increase your rankings in search engines as well as writing appealing posts to consumers, click here for more information.

Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.

Also, lets connect on these great social networks:

              

How to Be Happy!

We all get so busy in our lives as Realtors that we often forget simple things in our lives which bring us happiness.  Only if we can cherish those wonderful moments, not only we will be positive and bring joy to ourselves but to our clients,friends and associates.

Hope you like this reading. We all need this over and over - until it becomes part of who we are!

1.  Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches)

2. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

3. Enjoy the simple things.

4. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

5. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

6. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

7. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,   improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

8. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

9. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity. I love you, my special friend.

10. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.

Maya Garg,Broker

Royal Lepage kingsbury realty

www.gtawesthomes.com

www.mayag.com

 

Wordless Wednesday- The Last Home, The Last Foreclosure

"Cette concession reputee en un etat d'abandon fait l'objet d'une procedure de reprise. Priere de s'adresser a la Mairie"

Signs: "This concession deemed in state of abandonment is the subject of a recovery procedure. Please contact the City Council."

Stager Wants Photo Advice

OK - I'm really sticking my neck out into a group of highly professional and talented photographers! I have been reading blogs, learning tips here and there. But, I'm a Home Stager - not a photographer - living in a small community where trained real estate photographers don't exist. I need to be able to provide professional looking shots of my work. I currently have a Kodak V570 camera and am asking all of you if you could give me your best basic photography tips. Here are a few of my shots, let me have it and help me do better! Thanks-

 

 

 

 

 

What You Oughta Know About Blog Commenting

Much has been said about blog commenting here on ActiveRain, but what about blog commenting out in the real world? I'm talking about commenting on blogs that are not on the ActiveRain platform. Do you comment on other blogs within your niche? Do you try to grab the attention of the big boys? Why would you want to? How can commenting on other blogs help you? 

 

Commenting on high profile blogs outside of A|R can have a huge impact on your publicity, your search engine results, and your overall popularity within the blogging world. Okay, so you won't get any A|R "points" for commenting outside of A|R, but there is a much larger benefit to be had.

 

Benefits Of Blog Commenting

 

• Grab The Attention Of The Blogs Readers
• Grab The Attention Of The Blogger
• Increase Your Brand Awareness
• Create More Back Links

Yes, blog commenting can do all those things, and much much more, however, there is a catch. You actually have to be a real life genuine human being when your commenting. None of this sissy, "great post thanks for sharing", stuff. You have to add value to the readers of the blog, and you have to add value to the blogger themselves.  "Add Value" is the key. 

GRAB THE ATTENTION OF THE BLOGS READERS

 

 

There are people out there that have never heard of you,  never heard of ActiveRain, and surely don't know that you are a fantastic blogger. You have to show them that what you have to offer is something they might be interested in. Besides, they are already commenting on blogs and reading information in your niche, all you have to do is prove that you're worth their time. 

 

How can I grab their attention? 

 

It works much the same outside of ActiveRain as it does here. When commenting on most blogs, you get to add a link to your website or blog, which people will click on if you add value to a conversation. Here's an example:

 

Go to Google and search for your niche, and add blogs to the search like this:

 

 

As you can see by just doing a general real estate blog search, I have over 100 million choices to choose from. Now, click on a few blogs, and check out how they do their blog commenting. Make sure that when you comment you are able to leave a link back to your blog/website. It should look something like this:

 

The box that says website is where you want to enter your web address to your blog/website. That's all there is to it. Find blogs, leave comments, add value to the conversation, leave a link back to your blog/website, and use your analytics (click that link to learn how to install analytics on your blog) to watch the new traffic come in. 

 

GRAB THE ATTENTION OF THE BLOGGER

 

When people comment on your blog, how does it make you feel? I can bet it makes you fell warm and fuzzy right?  I'm talking about those people that leave a comment that makes you click on the link to their profile, add them as an associate, and go find their blog to leave them a comment. Those comments are the comments that get blog writers attention, and in a big way. 

 

I found a blog called New Homes Blog. I started commenting on the blog, and I really enjoy reading what the writer had to say. So, I left some pretty meaty comments, and he emailed me. He asked me to be a guest blogger for his Utah section. A guest blogger! That means that he lets me write blogs on his blog, and leave a link back to my websites for Google juice.  I got his attention by commenting with some great comments to add value to his blog. 

 

The more you put in the more you will get. Start building a relationship with the blogger, and soon enough they just might start talking about you in their own blogs.

 

INCREASE YOUR BRAND AWARENESS

 

The more and more you start to show up on blogs in your niche, the more and more your brand is going to get recognized. By commenting on blogs all over th web,you're going to increase your online visibility.

The more you show up, the more people will be curious as to who you are, which will make people more likely to click on your link to learn more about you. Human curiosity!

Think about it. Who are the most popular people you know of on ActiveRain?

I bet you it's the top commenter's such as, TLW, Lenn Harley, Jason Crouch, Todd Clark, Broker Bryant, Loreena Yeo, C-Tann Star, Bill Gassett, Jeff Dowler, Missy Caulk, Rich Jacobson, Patricia Kennedy just to name a few, or the people who comment on your blog everyday.

These people comment a lot and for good reason, they are creating brand awareness. The more you see them, the more you want to know who they are, and that gives you a click through to your blog/website.

How many comments have you made today? 

 

CREATE MORE BACK LINKS

 

(If you don't know what a do-follow and no-follow link are, before reading this section, I would recommend you read this blog on no-follow and do-follow links first.) 

Just like ActiveRain, when you comment on some blogs, you get a do-follow link to your website.

Every time you make a comment on ActiveRain while logged in, you get a do-follow link pointing back to your profile.

In order to find blogs that are do-follow around the web, you will have to do some research.

So far, I have a list of 25 do-follow blogs that I am currently commenting on. I don't do it just for the link, I also add as much to the conversation as I can.

If I don't have anything to say that is going to add value, I don't say anything at all. I found these blogs by searching Google and researching real estate forums. Unfortunately, I am not going to give you my list of do-follow blogs, I want you to find your own, because it will be more beneficial to you if you do. 

What I am going to do is, give you a head start in the right direction. Finding do-follow blogs is actually pretty easy once you have the Firefox plugin as mentioned in the link above.

Start out by searching Google for do-follow blogs:

 

• Google Search: Do Follow Blogs
•  Do-follow blog search engine.
•  The Art Of Commenting On Do Follow Blogs

 

 

I use these tools and they helped me get a start in the right direction. If you're serious about ranking high for your keywords, commenting on do follow blogs can help you attain your goals. Remember, just because a blog is no follow, doesn't mean you can't get value out of it. Leaving your link is going to get people to click on it, which will bring traffic your way, and increase your brand awareness. 

 

What's It All Mean?

 

Commenting on blogs is one of the most fundamental aspects of social media. You are interacting, creating relationships, and adding value to the on-going conversations around the web. Building your awareness through blog commenting takes time and effort to be successful. But I can attest that if you do it with genuine care you soon will start to see an increase in your blogs activity. Good Luck! 

If you have any stories about how you comment, leave me a comment about it. Or better yet, write a blog about it, and leave a link in the comments so you can add value to my conversation! 

P.S. A good place to start commenting is my new Cache Valley Real Estate blog!

ActiveRain Statistics - Comments, Views, and Clicks

ActiveRain Statistics - Comments, Views, and Clicks:
Your ActiveRain Statistics page shows an overview of ALL your Blog posts and the activity they are getting.  This is a great tool to gage what is happening with each of your Blog posts in real-time. 

The first column is the Title and Link to your Blog posts, there's no definition or description needed here.

The Second column is comments.  Many members and consumers may be reading your posts but not commenting. Those that do comment are accounted for and shown as a total on your stats page.  Don't think for one second that just because you're not getting mega comments that people aren't reading your posts.  Out of the more than 1.3 plus million posts on AR, there's not a single post here has not been seen, read, or at least viewed, or clicked by somebody.

The third column is views.  This shows how many times your post was viewed in a Blogroll.  This includes any Blogroll on ActiveRain.  A Blogroll is any place on ActiveRain where a list (called Blogroll) of posts are shown. Click on the "Blogs" link at the top of any AR page to see a sample of a Blogroll.  A Blogroll includes groups, subscriptions, and even the feature board.  A view simply means that your post appeared on someones computer screen as they were scrolling through the list and looking for a title to click on and read.

The fourth column is Clicks.  This is when someone actually clicks on the title of your post, and loads it as the solo post on their computer screen to read.  Clicks are accumulated not only within ActiveRain, but outside of the network too.  Many clicks on your stats page are coming from Google searches and direct hits by consumers. The longer your post is out there, the more all of these numbers will increase.

Your comments will always be less than your clicks, and your clicks will always be less than your views.  I'll explain.  When a post first gets written, it shows up in the Blogrolls of all the groups you've added it to.  It also shows on the Main Blogroll, and the "Subscribed" Blogroll meaning those who subscribe to you will see your new post on their "Subscribers" Blogroll.  With the hundreds of posts that go up daily, in a very short time, your blog posts will roll off the end of the Blogrolls and into the B.P.C.A. (Blog Post Cyber Archives), only to be found again by someone searching through your Blog, or Google for your specific content. 

Focus on "Building Your Blog Library" with quality content.  You can always go back and send folks links to your posts. This will create more views, clicks, and comments in the future, and this activity can and will continue for as long as your posts shall live.  In the chart below, I wanted to demonstrate how over time, the views and clicks will increase. This is a 30 day graph from oldest to most recent post.

How important is your Blog Post Title?  Look at the differentiation between "views" and "clicks" to determine that.

The most important thing to remember.  Any Clicks you get on your post after the first couple weeks or so are most likely coming from consumer searches and others that are searching your Blog. Comments, Views, and Clicks stats are a really great way to determine what your readers are liking, what consumers are finding, and what other members like to comment on. 

This tool is not meant to be a replacement for a good stats widget or stats tracker, but it is an excellent way to start viewing what's going on with your Blog posts and content now.  It will also help and assist you with creating more of "what's working" content in the future.  Now don't just view it, you clicked it, so comment.  lol~  Have a great week, I hope to see you all at NAR!  :-))

Related Post~
How To Track and Monitor Blog Statistics and Traffic

                    

"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here and Get New Member Discount

Have You Ever Wondered ......

 Have you ever wondered how I got my Mama Liz signature? 

 

 

Here's how ---

1) sign your name
2) scan your name
3) save as a jpg
4) go to picknik.com   --- it is free
5) sign up for an account   --- it is free
6) upload photo
7) click on create
8) click on stickers
9) click on awareness ribbons
10) click on the breast cancer (pink) in my case
11) place it where you want it to be
12) click on save & share
13) give it a name and where you want it saved
14) you have the Mama Liz signature


This same procedure can be done with other things as well.  For example, maybe you want to show something on the First page of Google (each computer is a little different about printing a page from your computer or from Google) -- you want to be able to draw arrows and put in verbage.

 

1) print the page  --- I have a Dell Vista and this is what I have to do
    a) hit alt & print screen to copy
    b) go to Adobe photoshop elements
    c) select "blank page"
    d) paste photo
    e) save as whatever name and file you want
2) go to picnik
3) upload photo
4) crop to size you want
5) select create
6) create stickers
7) click on basic shapes
8) click on arrow
9) place the arrow where you want it
    a) you can make the arrow larger or smaller by dragging sides
    b) you can make the arrow any color you want by selecting on sticker properties
10) if you want a text box
    a) click on Text
    b) write what you want
    c) you can move the text box  around
    d) you can make the text any color you want by clicking text properties
11) click on save and share
12) give it a name and where you want it saved
13) you now have your page with the arrow and text boxes


I hope this helps.  If you have questions, please fee free to contact me.  I'm here to help.

 

 

Liz Loadholt

Broker, SC Certified Trainer, Relocation Director
Co-founder of AgentOwned Realty
Liz@AgentOwned.com
843-725-5007

The AgentOwned Realty serves your real estate needs for:

Charleston, Johns Island, James Island, Mt. Pleasant,
Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Daniel Island, North Charleston,
Summerville,Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, Santee, Manning, Sumter, Florence, & Myrtle Beach, all in South Carolina

 

 

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Loadholt, All Rights Reserved. This post may be re-blogged only with a link back to this post.*Have you Ever Wondered ....*

 

"I'm mad and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

In the movie classic Network, Howard Beal, played by Peter Finch in one of the iconic moments in movie history gives us the classic line: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" 

I'm wondering when we as Realtors and our clients as consumers are "not going to take this anymore!"

Those of you who believe that the banks/lenders who control the REO properties are going to negotiate fairly and protect your client's interest, can probably stop reading here. 

If you think, your job is to protect your client's best interest and negotiate the best possible terms for them, might want to read on.

If you haven't heard about it yet, you will. Chase Bank in a memo to its Asset Managers, announced the Chase Finance Initiative. In an attempt to capture more of the loans that are being done on their REO properties, Chase is encouraging their asset managers to promote Chase financing.  

Problem is, they are in violation of RESPA and FTC guidelines and more importantly putting your clients at a serious disadvantage in the negotiation process.  

I'm going to quote directly from RESPA Section 9 and FTC Guidelines for Antitrust Laws, so bear with me if it's a little dry. I'm also going to quote directly from the Chase memo that outlines their Chase Finance Initiative.  

RESPA Section 9 - "Section 9 prohibits home sellers from requiring home buyers to purchase their settlement services from a particular company either directly or indirectly, as a condition of sale. Buyers may sue a seller who violates this provision for an amount equal to three times for all charges made for the title insurance." "Settlement service means any serive provided in connection with a prospective or actual settlement including but not limited to any one of the following: Origination of a federally related mortgage loan...Rendering of services by a mortgage broker..."  

FTC Guide to the Antitrust Laws - "For competitive purposes, a monopolist may use forced buying, or "tie-in" sales to gain sales in other markets where it is not dominant and to make it more difficult for rivals in those markets to obtain sales. This may limit consumer choices for buyers wanting to purchase one ("tying") product by forcing them to also buy a second ("tied") product as well. Typically, the "tied product may be a less desirable one that the buyer might not purchase unless required to do so, or may prefer to get them from a different seller. If the seller offering the tied products has sufficient market power in the "tying" product, these arrangements can violate the antitrust laws."

Refusal to Deal - Sometimes the refusal to deal is with customers or supplier, with the effect of preventing them from dealing with a rival: "I refuse to deal with you if you deal with my competitor".

     Chase's plan?   "3. Sell the fact that buyers are more likely to receive seller assistance with closing costs by using Chase financing" "8. In multiple offer situations, advise the agent that the seller will generally put more weight" on an offer with Chase financing than any other offer."  

As a Realtor, you're really going to like this section from the Chase Finance initiative: "With Chase as our primary client, (asset manager name withheld) must work with Realtors who understand the importance of Chase financing on Chase owned properties and we will begin to limit our relationships to those who can adhere to these guidelines."

I'm sure there are more examples but here are three brief ones, that amplify the disadvantage your clients would have when negotiating with Chase:

1) The lender selected by your client has a more favorable interest rate than Chase, but in order to get their offer accepted, they will have to take the higher rate by using Chase.

2) Your client asks for closing costs to be paid by Chase, but in reviewing your client's financials determines your client has the ability to pay them, and Chase counters accordingly.

3) Your client makes an offer on a Chase home that is priced below the maximum amount for which they qualify. Even though your buyers are making a prudent financial decision, Chase can counter to a higher amount solely because they know your buyer can qualify for the higher price. Think your buyers might accept the higher price if they've already written 20 offers?  

This probably isn't something that can be won in a court of law, but perhaps it can be won in "the court of public opinion".

Pass the word, reblog, protest, make t-shirts, just do something. As other banks follow this lead it will be more difficult for us to best represent your client's interest.  

As Howard Beal said: "I want you to get up right now! and go to the window, open it, stick your head out and yell I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE! 

Greg Cook

First Time Home Buyer Specialist

First Time Home Buyer Network

951-265-4532

greg@homebuyerhelpnetwork.com

http://firsttimehome.us

Rate Lock Advice and Mortgage Market Update

Rate Lock Advice and Mortgage Market Update

November 12, 2009, 8:00 PT

RATE LOCK ADVISORY

Lock Advice:  FLOAT
MBS prices are down -1/32 from Tuesday's close.
Jobless Claims came in a little lower than expected.

RATE NOTES:
When MBS prices are up, Rates are down.
Lock advice changes throughout the day .
Good economic news = Bad Rate News.

National Average Fixed Rate Mortgage
Unchanged at 5.08% on Nov.11

Fannie Mae Mortgage Backed Securities
MBS Opened at 4.593% Down 0.02%.

10 Year Treasury Currently 3.480% Down -0.02%

DJI Stocks $10,277.95,  Down -13.31, -0.13%

European and Asian Markets Up 0.087%

Nymex Crude Oil Currently $78.20 Down $1.08

Take 5 minutes to watch this humorous and educational video... The big bailout banks find another way to rip off the consumer... just in a nick of time for them, but not for us. See TBWS Video

Rates 11-12-09, 8:00 AM PT
30 Year Fixed to $417,000
Rate 4.75% Point 0.625, APR 4.867%
APR Based on $350,000 Loan at 80% LTV
Above Rate can be locked for 30 days.
Call for Quotes on FHA and VA loans With Detailed Good Faith Estimates.
No Application or Credit Report required

Education is the ONLY Effective Consumer Protection

• How to Find Legitimate Rate Quotes
• What is APR
• What is Yield Spred Premium (YSP)
• Avoid Closing Day Nightmares

President signs the First Time Buyer Tax Credit Extension Read Story

Bill Introduced to Increase FHA Down Payment to 5.00% from 3.50 Read Story.

---

Bill Ladewig

800.664.7283 (SAVE)

Bill@YourFhaGuru.com

 

 

 

San Diego FHA and VA Home Loans Escondido Mortgages Escondido Localism San Diego FHA and VA Home Loans San Diego Localism San Diego UFMIP Escondido Mortgages Escondido Localism San Diego Mortgage What is APR

How to Honor Our Veterans this Veterans Day--short video

Let's honor their service of our veterans with ours. Here's a website to visit to see what you can do--www.iparticipate.org. Even if you don't have the dollars to donate, there are many different things you can do. This website outlines those things. 

According to a Clayton County Chamber of Commerce survey, Fort Gillem in the south Atlanta area is the county's third largest employer. Many of those who serve at Fort Gillem live here in Henry County. 

To all of them, I say thank you, thank you, thank you.