Several months ago, I received an email from Carolyn Nelson, offering to help me get started with blogging. Her timing was perfect, following within days the warnings from my son, Steve, that I would be left in the real estate dust if I didn't start blogging. (Moment of motherly pride here: He is the founder of a very successful online business, buySAFE.com, and he knows a lot about consumer expectations.)
So I accepted Carolyn's offer, and she immediately set up an account for me with Blogger. I will always be eternally grateful to Carolyn for giving me a headstart on this - I might never have gotten around to it. For weeks, even months, I diligently posted nearly every Sunday morning, even though I had no idea if anyone ever read it. It did give me a certain amount of pleasure to receive a google alert every Monday, and my son's email saying that he approved of my most recent blog. At least he saw it and knew I wasn't left in the dust any more!
When Carolyn set up my Blogger account, she must have invited me to ActiveRain and I must have accepted - honestly, I don't remember that at all. But somewhere along the way I realized I had an ActiveRain account , set up a profile and wrote a short blog posting to refer people to my Blogger account. That was the end of that for many weeks... until I got an email contact form from ActiveRain.
A consumer saw my posting on ActiveRain and wanted to list her house with me! I thought it must be a joke. But no, I got the listing! That was it. I was hooked! And the rest, as they say, is history. I love ActiveRain!
I never knew if anyone ever saw my Blogger postings, other than my family. Yes, there was an occasional comment - when I emailed a friend and asked her to please comment. On ActiveRain, I know my postings ARE being read because people actually comment on them. And THAT, my friend, is the value of the point system. Readers are rewarded for commenting, so they take the time to do it. Brilliant!
Not only that, but ActiveRain encourages community-building - and I have renewed old friendships, like the one with Lenn Harley, had excuses to get in touch with long lost friends, such as Katie Landon, met experts I might never have known, such as Jim Crawford, made a successful referral to Eric Anderson, and made so many new friends that I can't begin to list. I enjoy participating in ActiveRain, and literally have to force myself to make time for my weekly Blogger posting - usually a cut and paste from something I've already written for ActiveRain. Did I mention Localism? Yet another benefit of ActiveRain participation - Advertising for ourselves and our listings plus an opportunity to interact with consumers through the Q&A section.
As far as I'm concerned - it's no contest! ActiveRain wins this competition, hands down!
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I had a call yesterday from a buyer that found me by reading my blog.... a first.