Home : Blogs : Kristal Kraft ~Denver Real Estate~303-589-2022 : Denver Real Estate & Relocation

So you want to be a blogger?

Now that you have signed up , it's time to blog.

Before jumping in with your original post, read what others are saying. Contribute to the conversation by leaving comments on other blogs. Say something that adds value, don't just say, "nice blog" or something short and meaningless. If you have nothing to add, don't worry, it's ok to be silent!

What topic can you write about?

pose a question and answer it
discuss a real estate situation
talk about issues in the industry
share your knowledge
share a new found techie toy, software
share your notes from a great real estate or tech conference
relate a funny experience
talk about your market
point out a trend
the ideas are endless...be original

Your First Post

A good way to start is by introducing yourself to the Rainers. Be sure to include the fact that it is your first time, that way you may get more attention and comments. We all like to know who you are and what makes you tick.

Branding yourself

Standing out in a crowd is difficult, but very possible. Be patient and consistent. Don't expect to post a blog or two and take down the house. Most of the bloggers here started with very simple blogs, graduating to larger more thought provoking blogs. Like everything else in life, blogging is a learning process. You win some, you lose some. Just keep blogging and letting your personality and talents show through. Next thing you know...you are branded!

Blogging Faux Pas

Don't pitch yourself or sell things (unless you do it in the ad section)
Be nasty to others, if there is controversy adding your 2 cents is just that
Copy content from newspapers or other sources (bloggers read other stuff too...)
fail to use the "spell check "
Constantly bitch, moan and complain (occasionally it's ok, refrain from a steady diet)
Remember blogging is NOT blatant advertising.

Comments on Your Blog

After you publish your blog, people may leave you comments. Consider the comments as if these people stopped by your office or your home, welcome them. You don't need to respond 1 for 1, you can do a multiple response if you like. Responding to comments creates conversation. Conversation is good, we are after all a community. Let's talk!

Blogging has a long shelf life

There's good news and bad news;

Bad news: What you say goes out on the Internet. Be careful with your blogs and comments, you don't want them to come back to haunt you.

Good news: What you say pays dividends, you blog about current events, solve issues for people you don't even know. Sometimes they call you for additional help.

Getting Noticed

Ahhh! The Million Dollar Question...how do you as a new blogger get noticed? Write good, interesting blogs. Ask for feedback. I get personal emails asking me to "review this blog and post if I'm so inclined". Wow, now that's networking the network! Take the initiative to make friends. Don't give up, Keep bloggin'.

Additional Resources for you to check out:

Hope you find this helpful!

Posted by Kristal Kraft ~Denver Real Estate~303-589-2022 on 10/04/2006 11:30 PM

Comments (53)

blogging, blogs, denver, colorado

Originally posted at: Denver Real Estate & Relocation: So you want to be a blogger?

This post has been included in Colorado Information

53 Comments on So you want to be a blogger?

OCT

2006

So where was this when I started... NOW you tell me... 70 something posts later... after I publicly shared my udders...

Moo

Nice blog!

Rich Jacobson, www.KitsapLife.com

Just kidding! I couldn't refuse. I agree with MooMan, where the HECK was this post when I first started, huh? Fine, let me make all the classic phopahs and blunders; let me blog blindly in the Rain.

Rich Jacobson, www.KitsapLife.com

Well put together. Heaton & Co should provide this to all new bloggers on AR.

And then Kristal should get a bunch of extra points!

OCT

2006

AR is a good training & practice ground Moo.

I've learned more about blogging here in the past month than everywhere else put together.

Thanks guys, I couldn't do it without your profound guidance and fow paws.

Jim, The new year is coming are you giving out your calendar this year...I can't wait to get mine.

I love that you are doing this. I hope that our Welcome Wagon will add this to their blogwarming package for new rainers.

Absolutely Kristal,

The 2007 Hooters Calendar is shaping up to the best one yet.

I'm sure all the guys would love one.

It should be available soon; I'll make sure plenty are available for everyone that wants one.

They make great Christmas gifts.

Hopefully there won't be as many complaints this year as in the past over the content but you never know.

Great Blog, Like everybody else is saying where was this blog when I was new

Kristal,

Thanks for another good blog. I think it should be mandatory reading for bloggers.

Kristal, I make it a point to read your posts every day, and this one is right up there!! Thanks so much for the great guidelines in your post.......blogging is still new and fresh to me, and I find it exciting at times. Your tips will make it even more so for me when I get ready to debut a new blog at some point, and for future blog posts here, too. ;-)

Many thanks for ALL you continually share with us!!

Ann Cummings
www.AnnCummings.com

Thanks for the advice Kristal, I will implement this in my own bloggings and remain silent in others if I do not have anything to add.

I agree that somebody needs to find a way to give advice like this to newbies so we learn to contribute, not just reply for points and such.

Kristal,

This is a good blog. It helps those as myself that are new to this. And I agree, in regards to the short comments.... "nice blog" "good job".... hey, it's nice to have comments, but I bet most of those people are just writing a quick comment because they are trying to rack up points. It's semi sad....

If you can send me some information on how to get your blog noticed more..... and about "tag words" and how to use them. I would appreciate that.

jbelonger@e-americanmortgage.com

Again, nice job and thanks.

jeff

MF aka Maureen Francis, Yes, we ARE the Welcome wagon! This is just one item in our "digital basket of goodies."

Jim, Now you've gone and done it! Starting to promote the 2007 Hooters Calender this early will certainly ensure there won't be enough to go around!

Tyler, Thanks for the compliment, now you can bookmark it and pass it on to Friends that join.

Susan, Mandatory sounds so "not optional" to me! :) I like it though...more readers, more bloggers!

Ann, Thanks Ann, it's nice to know someone IS reading my bloggings. I do enjoy sharing, there is so much being shared here on AR. Together we are a huge brain!

Robert, Contributing IS fun. It's even better when the mind starts to work...

Jeff, Nice comment! :) I know (and have been guilty of) short comments. It's not so much for points, as it is to be "part of a conversation."
Thanks for the tip on the next blog topic. Just remember when blogging, ALWAYS put "Colorado" in your tags! It's a good omen... :)

Thank you to everyone that commented. I really appreciate hearing from you and I do welcome suggestions...What did I miss??

I am late in discovering and offering kudos for this blog--but have bookmarked it for future sharing. Great job, Kristal. And sometimes those short comments say it all.

Thanks for the tips & links - bookmark feature helps since I still haven't figured out how to search by keywords (not sure it's an AR feature yet).

Thanks Roberta, true sometimes short and sweet is more succinct!

Linda, AR doesn't have a search feature.....yet!

Kristal, where were you when I started a couple of weeks ago....this is fantastic!!!

(I still don't get how to post. pulic, private, cosumer, real estate agents......)

ines, www.YourPropertyPros.com

You know you are giving me so much information for my talk in November! Thanks so much!!!! Wonder when they are going to put Instruction Manual and just link posts like this...

Thisis an awesome outline. Kudos to you Kristal.

You are always SO GOOD!

Now if the rainers would just pay attention to the Faux Pas's of posting ads and Cut & Paste, it would be so much easier to actually read the interesting blogs! The 'buy me', 'use me' blogs just don't cut it and belong in the ad section. OK, now that was me bitchin'. I'll stop now. ;-)

Wonderful blog…. I am new to Active Rain… Invited by my office mates… Have never blogged… I am somewhat intimidated about the process. I will study all the info that you made available before I take on any blogging endeavor. Thanks so mcuh… Karen Gorski

Ines, I was here when you started, you didn't ask me!!! :)

Colleen, Your talk is going to be awesome and November is far away...it'll get easier everyday!

Elaine, bitchin' is ok in the comments! :)

Karen Welcome to the Rain. I will look for your blog and stop by..send me an email when you post it, so I don't miss your work!

Man, 24 comments. There oughta be a limit! Geesh!

Rich, is that your $.02? :)

I realized I could ask questions with this blog Associates and Associations?? , and also noticed how helpful you were with the answers. You were the first one to make me feel welcome, so I thank you profusely!

Ines

Miami Shores Real Estate, www.YourPropertyPros.com

This is an excellent post Kristal(as always). I especially like the part about branding. That is exactly what I have been trying to do. You have quite the maunual on blogging now with this and the other posts you have done. Very good. Thanks

Thanks Kristal... I have been trying for a few weeks and starting to feel a bit like an uninvited guest at a coctail party waiting for someone to talk to me! I think I imagined this as a journal type portal now I am seeing it is more about networking and offering ideas/ thoughts on RE market and the aspects of making our business the best it can be. I am certain that I have learned from others and hope to be able to contribute something of value to someone at some point! I now vow not allow myself to get discouraged if no one replies and to hang in there a little longer and learn how to mingle a little better!

Just starting out on AR and WOW, I've already committed 1 faux pas! What am I going to do now? I will dust myself off and I will promise to do better next time! Thank for the info -- very informative and yes, very helpful!

Great blog. Definitely wish I had this as a training manual when I first started my blogs!

OCT

2006

Thanks Kristal - I just started and I apppreciate what you have said. I tried a few exciting posts - just to get a reaction and I had to delete them because well, maybe they were too thought provoking or perhaps just not true!

Ines, You are welcome. Now I see you are a familiar face around here!

Bryant, branded is definitely what you are. You have achieved your goal..

Michele, by all means hang in there. Usually the best was to get noticed is to be there and be available. Helping the new folks coming on is a good way to get to know others.

Joyce, Faux pas? nahhhh! Jump in and chat. Sometimes nonsense works too...

Kelly, Thank you. It's nice to know it's appreciated!

Catherine, finding your voice sometimes takes awhile. Keep trying, you will find it and the confidence to just let it roll...no one hits a home run every time. (except Bryant, of course!)

OCT

2006

See, where was this blog when I joined?????

It should have been included as a link in my introduction e-mail.

It should be pinned on the front page of AR.

Kristal should get another 100,000 points for this.

I searched 'blogs' 'blogging' when I signed up but SO MANY posts came up (many of them useless) I got dumped in junk. I DID try to do my due dilligence; search for information on how to blog, something to show me the ropes. But so many people are tagging falsly (including myself!) that it's just like Kristals pumkin picture now. Oh, woe is me! This would have saved me so much hassle. Now I'm going back to edit my tags....

NOV

2006

Jessica, Glad you found it. I beleive you are not alone in your feelings I must figure some way to be able to welcome people with these tips. It's just I have to go find them each time.

Hummmm maybe I will build this info into my bio, then tell newbies to go there.

Glad you are here with us in The Rain. Hope you enter one of your blogs in the Carnival...

Today is the deadline!

NOV

2006

Thank you for helping us first time bloggers. Keep the info coming.

You are welcome anonymous commenter! Thanks for stopping by, your comments are fuel for my blog fodder. :)

NOV

2006

Kristal - Will you be willing to join our Newbie Info Group? Or, at least add this post to this group? It is so informative...!

Mariana ~ sure, I have several newbie type blogs. I sorta wrote the manual

DEC

2006

Kristal, Thanks for the pointers on blogging etiquette. I now know that I have, a few loose items to tidy up.

DEC

2006

Hi William ~ we all have those problems! It's nice to have you on board. Hope to hear from you more often...

Kristal,

Thanks for putting this all in one place in the Newbie Group.

Hopefully whenever someone signs into AR, they will come to this group and read. All these posts will prepare them for the World of AR. (Wish this was here when I joined)

Karen,

I think we all struggled to find our way in the beginning. There still aren't any "instructions" and the way we learned, by watching others is gone. New people joining now must find it very confusing when it comes to points, etc.

Hopefully the newbie section will be helpful.

FEB

2007

Thank you for writing this post. It is very helpful.

Judi Barrett

MAR

2007

Just found this, thanks for the info. I have only been on active rain for a week now. Great site.

APR

2007

Kristal, Help! I'm really confused. I thought if we found an article from a news source, not a blog, that we thought would be interesting to the group or the public, it would be OK to copy from it but give the source and author credit. My blog on Iowa City being ranked 5th...........Was that a big no-no? I think I need to learn how to link. Your comments will be appreciated as I'm new and want to get along and make friends not enemies!

Dee Miller

Gee, this one sure has staying power! Still getting comments 6 months later. I would call that enduring interest.

Dee ~ typically you should "link" to an article rather than copy it. You can copy it with permission. I see a lot of bloggers copying articles verbatim and saying nothing else. This really is bad blogging form.

I would suggest you write a paragraph or two relating to the article, then link to it. That would be proper blogging form.

Crediting the article and the source is very important. You certainly don't want people giving you credit for writing something you didn't write.

Good luck!

MF ~ you are so right. Just when you think a blog is dead and buried, it proves to be relevant to someone. Guess our hard work will continue to be noticed... to some extent!

SEP

2007

Hi Kristal,

Thanks for the great article! Although I love to write, the thought of sharing ideas and thoughts with such a large audience of peers is somewhat intimidating. I especially love your advice regarding writing about things you feel passionate about and having fun with it!

Thanks to your great introduction which gives all of us "newbys" the courage to get started...I've just left my first "blog response"!

Angela

Kristal - Yep, mandatory reading. I'm bookmarking this one. Thanks!

Jackie

Kristal: You are wagging your long, long tail.

NOV

2007

Hi Kristal,

Thanks for your posts they are very relevant and helpful. I have subscribed to your blog so I guess you have a new fan. I had trouble trying to figure out why my pictures were so big. I found the answer on how to resized and align on one of your blog entries. Now I am reading the rest of your blogs. Thanks again and keep on blogging......blogger!!!!!!!!!!

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