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Sometimes the fear of....

Yesterday the weekly Carnival was up at Hotpads.com and The Lovely Wife has elected me to post the winnings here each week - which I accepted and would love to do it. She is in charge of trophies and I the posting. Its a good team I think. Plus, she likes to shop alot more than I do.

Ok - So let me get to my post. Almost everyday Mary McKnight gives VALUABLE information away. Gives it away. It is free. She is teaching all the people here and everywhere how to not only blog with quality - but how to get it noticed. I mean, what good is a blog that is fantastic and no one has seen it - or read it? That would be like TLW getting a gift card and NEVER using it. OMG. - OK OK, I joke.. But...

Seriously, here is what I want to know. I know that alot of the Active Rainers blog here and do very well. Meaning you get responses from your "peers", "associates" and "friends", I know that I have read some great posts here. Some of the bloggers on AR even have their own blogs - (like I do). We work on this, we think about what we want to say. We come up with topics trying to be different than the others. We might disagree on someones post and do a post about that. Whatever it is - you are blogging for a reason. I think in the long run we are at some point trying to gain exposure. We do want to be read and we do want to be seen. So here is my question, if you produce a good post are you submitting them into the Carnival? If not, why?

Submitting your articles and posts to other various vehicles like the Carnival - will boost your exposure.

**Active Rain is down for hosting the December 11, 2006 Carnival**

Posted by Christine Forgione - Associate Broker on 10/24/2006 01:41 PM

Comments (17)

mary mcknight, hot pads, tlw, carnival

Post is included in group: Outside Blog Reading -
Post is included in group: The Carnival

17 Comments on Sometimes the fear of....

OCT

2006

I for one never thought of it... What exactly is Carnival? I`m curious now.

What is a Blog Carnival? A Blog Carnival is a weekly summary of the best blogging posts on a given subject that appeared in someone’s blog during the previous week. A different blog hosts the carnival each week, so it brings bloggers writing on a given subject together. Blog Carnivals are often referred to as another form of viral marketing because it provides participants another way to increase traffic and gain links to their blog

Good point. Will take a look.

Hi Christine, I enter every week. It really is amazing when I do a Google search to see how many different blogs have picked up my posts directly from the Carnival. It is an awesome way to get exposure. And the price is right. FREE!! I have also started exploring blog world out side of AR and spend time commenting on those blogs as well. The whole purpose of blogging for me is to share info and to get my name out there.

I visited a great blog the other day at http://nyhouses4sale.typepad.com/ the writer is very intelligent and really good looking. Has a little bit of a NY attitude but that's a good thing:)

LOL Bryant.. (I think I am blushing)..

I DO see you out "there" commenting. You are doing a great job - I am waiting to see when your site will launch.. I know you have alot on your plate right now - but I think that you should bump that up to a MUST do. Not that I am knocking AR - Not in the least - It will act as a draw to AR - not away from. I happen to get alot of hits from AR. I just wish that I knew my "hits on here. ( ie: how many come to AR from my site, on an average day - how oftem my hits are. I know the profile hits but not the actual hit and no comments on a post...) That is a suggestion that someone might wanna throw out there. But - You are doing great..

Wow Christine - you have opened some new doors for me, thank you!

ines

OCT

2006

Christine... my fear of Carnivals goes way back.... to last spring? Didn't Zillow start the Carnivals of real estate blogs? I realize Zillow did not start the idea of blog carnivals, just introduced carnivals to the real estate community.

B4 the first Zillow Carnival of Blogs... a blogger friend got an email about the Carnival. Some of us made a pact to not compete because it would promote Zillow. I am not 100% sure who I made this pact with... I used to have a group of friends on RT blogs that we emailed WWBD questions... that was pre- AR. I have got out of the habit of checking "what would bloggers do" questions with them. I keep wondering if any of us have changed our mind about participating...but since I am not really sure who all of us were I don't know if any are participating.

On a comment on Rudy of Sellsius Blog's Active Rain Blog there was a thread about those who link or promote Zillow are ..... paraphrase 'traitors?' We are going to end up working in call centers because of the REALTORS® who conspire with Zillow... I am paraphrasing... When Zillow first came out a lot of people I know would not write "Zillow" because it would promote them...

I am conflicted about Carnivals because of all this, so I have just ignored them. Maureen F brought up the topic with me yesterday...

"My New Chick"

This is cracks me up. The thought of a NY Chick that doesn't shop...OMG...Ya' all have the best stores! Shall I name them, I know them by heart!

I think members of AR should get more involved in The Carnivals and hey I don't mind shopping for trophies. It's fun, I try to match the the trophies to the winner's personality. It is a blast! I am starting to think...Gift cards and Trophies, that would be a little twist in the Rain. If someone doesn't want their gift card they could give it back to me...I'll take it, I want it, I need it and I WILL USE IT!

Thank you for agreeing to take on The Carnivals and keeping us up to speed in relation to the different places we can Blog and learn more about it. What we would do without our NY Chick, who better to keep us posted on Global Blogging than a Chick from The Big Apple.

BTW While Broker Bryant is busy commenting I am busy bringing folks forward in Active Rain. Ya' all are posting faster than I can keep up. That whole full plate thing!

Another BTW, Broker Bryant has a serious crush on you. He has intents on his forehead from me thumping him for staring at your picture! Hunnee...wipe that drool off the side of your mouth...Thump...Ouch!

TLW "The Lovely Wife"...Kum La Ka Lakka...ROAR!

Maureen - I can completly understand where you are coming from. But - let me take you to the flip side...

I will go on record stating that I am not one for Zillow - I dont know what they can give to sellers or buyers and I am not sure what the threat of them actually is, because everyone knows now that the estimating that they do - is just that an estimate. They are not the final word. Does it make my job harder? In some ways no and maybe some ways yes. I have not been directly affected by it yet. I do know that some of my sellers have said to me that they used Zillow and could not pull up a value for thier house. So no matter how hard I try to ignore them - or not to promote them - I am indirectly ignoring myself and not promoting myself. Do I feel that Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia or any other searching venue will put realtors out of business - perhaps - But, I have learned one thing - I dont work on perhaps. But also Maureen - Do you really think that buyers or sellers will stop using Realtors all together? I don't. I can honestly say that I don't think so. Am I simple minded? Maybe. But I know what I know and I know that I am a great Real Estate Agent - I know that my time in Real Estate will be served good and I know by me participating in any Carnival that is promoting me is nothing but good. Hey - I can pull the plug anytime I want. I can take all my listings off of Realtor.com anytime I want - I can end my Broker Reciprocity because without my permission to show my listings - then they are infringing on copyrights and the privacy of my clients. Maureen, I never can see into the future. I worry about the now - and my now is to get exposure. Gain linkage to my site - which leads my customers or clients to me. So, I can't tell you what the future will bring - but for now - this exposure is doing me good - and I am on the bandwagon. Call it self-dealing or whatever - but there are enough people out there that are doing it - and I am not going to miss out because a few think that I am a traitor. I was never on team A or Team B - I can not like someone or something and work with them -

TLW - I love to shop.. Online. I hate the stores and lines and I just can't hack it. So I do it from online (even my foodshopping) - Fresh Direct is awesome. Anyhow - you just know everyones personality and you can really personalize it MUCH better than I.

I am laughing at your BB Comment - you are tooooo funny. You crack me up!!!

Christine, thanks for the shout out and kudos. I too am blushing. I love the carnival. It seems to get better every week. With more entries, comes better quality. I learn somuch from reading those posts. It is a great tool for people to drive traffic back to their blog and itnroduce new folks to your writings. In real terms the RE blog carnival traffic increased my site traffic over the past 3 days by 16%. I recommend it too!

Thank you Mary - I was going to ask if you saw an increase on your blog? But you beat me to the punch.. So with increased traffic to your site - I am sure SOME if not most have discovered a new blog and you will be a regular stop for them. THAT is important. BTW - I loved yoiur post too...

With more and more people joining in - the quality has been raised already..

Anyone know where I could find a good debate going on. I'm bored!

Laughing like you wouldn't believe. Time to Blog Romp and mouth off. Yipee!

Christine, I agree with your response to Maureen about zillow. There are somethings we just have no control over and zillow is one of them. But who cares? The fact of the matter is sellers and buyers like zillow. I see it as an opportunity to attract customers to me. And that is what it's all about. Hey, I'm even thinking about placing "zestimates' on my website. And under it I will put something like 'try this it really is fun, then be sure to call me so I can come by and tell you what you house is really worth" And you know? It IS fun! I've zillowed all my properties and have them saved in my favorite places. I say embrace it and manipulate to your advantage.

OCT

2006

Bryant I agree with Christine's response to me too! Look at how Real Living is using Zillow to snag consumers. Active Rainer Joel of Future of Real Estate Marketing wrote a blog about how smart it was. Which is good because I did not know what to think of it... when they announced it internally to us. There is an article about using Zillow on the AM Inman about putting it on your site.

Active Rainer Leanne Paynter was nice enough to fill me in on who I had made the pact with...

Thanks Christine, good comments!

P.S. I blog about Zillow a lot on Columbus Best Blog and the traffic always rises. Real Living has been a Zillow advertiser since day one...

Thank You Maureen.. :>

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