The line above comes from Steve Martin's character Navin Johnson in the 1979 classic comedy "The Jerk", 
which is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it pretty well sums up my own feelings when the latest issue of Texas Realtor magazine arrived at my office.
If you're not familiar with this scene, Navin gets really excited when the new phone books arrive as the gas station where he works:
Navin R. Johnson : The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!
Harry Hartounian : Boy, I wish I could get that excited about nothing.
Navin R. Johnson : Nothing? Are you kidding? Page 73 - Johnson, Navin R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now.
And now, I am following in Navin's footsteps, having had an article of mine appear in "Texas Realtor" magazine this month. Hopefully, I will not be attacked by a sniper, as he was. :)
Last month, I was approached by the director of content for the Texas Association of Realtors to write a piece about why someone should start blogging. He had been reading my AR blog for awhile, which led to this very cool opportunity.
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Here is the article reproduced in its entirety:
Six Reasons to Start Blogging
Why You Should Share Your Insights and Expertise With the Online World
So, you're thinking about jumping into the world of blogging, but you aren't totally sold on the idea? Here are some reasons to take the plunge:
Expand your sphere. Having an interesting real estate blog will help you forge new friendships and increase your business contact base; they are really one and the same in real estate. When you blog effectively and consistently, you have the opportunity to build an online audience of people who pay attention to you and your opinions. This attention results in referrals from real estate professionals, and consumers feel like they know and trust you before you've actually met.
Exert influence. You have an opportunity to affect the news and conversations going on in and about the real estate industry. The media likes to focus on the negative stuff for the most part. Got something positive to say? Let your voice be heard.
Improve yourself. I guarantee your communication skills will improve. Even if you're already a good writer, you'll get better. Additionally, the more time you spend reading other blogs, the more knowledgeable you'll become. This translates into real-world expertise with clients.
Get noticed on the Web. Google, Yahoo, and other search engines love blogs. One of the easiest ways to increase your visibility online is to generate new, relevant blog entries on a consistent basis. Blogging will improve your search engine rankings and help potential clients find you more easily.
Become the authority. Position yourself as the specialist on a topic. If you have a tight niche that you are looking to maximize, blogging will enable you to become the known expert. There are blogs that focus exclusively on downtown condos, waterfront luxury homes, and short sales. In the potential client's mind, you can become the only person worth contacting.
Build trust. People feel more comfortable working with someone they have already "connected" with one some level. Frankly, most of the clients I get from my blog have already decided to use me as their agent before they initiate contact. With that in mind, you'll save a lot of effort at the beginning of the sales process, because you don't have to spend extra time convincing the client to choose you.
Jason Crouch is the broker/owner of Austin Texas Homes and has been selling homes in Austin for over 12 years. He is a well-known blogger and is available to teach or speak throughout Texas on the topic of blogging and other social media marketing tools. Visit his blog at AustinsCoolestBlog.com. Contact him at jason@austintexashomes.com.
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