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Laurie Manny Challenge - 3 Posts I Think You Should Read

I will always remember Mr. Hoban, my high school English teacher. He caught my attention (at a time when that was very hard to do!), made me want to ask questions, and ultimately inspired me to change my major in college from math to English. A good blogger can have the same affect on me; albeit perhaps not as life-changing!

In this context I decided to have my own contest to determine my favorite bloggers in three different catagories and then choose their best post to share with you:

Best Individual Real Estate Blogger

Kevin Boer consistently does something that I have rarely experienced; he captures my attention almost instantaneously with a combination of extremely well written posts and his infectious wit backed up by thought-provoking insight into today's real estate industry.

His recent post, The Innovator's Dilemma In Real Estate: Beware Of That Redfin Swimming Just Below You, dares to address the ever controversial Redfin business model from a big-picture, theoretical perspective using Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen's theory that "new entrants into an industry often take advantage of a disruptive technology to enter the marketplace at the lower end". Sound's dry? That's what makes Kevin so talented...once you start reading you won't quit. And, on top of that, he will make you laugh!

Best "How To" Blogger

If you subscribe to only one how to blog, let it be copyblogger . Brain Clark writes succinct, well designed posts with invaluable information for bloggers of all levels.

His post: 5 Grammatical Errors That Make You Look Dumb and its 315 comments are so useful that I have a printed copy on my desk. Now be honest, do you really know the difference between Affect vs Effect?

Best Local Blogger

Target marketing. Who are you trying to reach with your own personal blog? Who is your target audience? Almost all of my marketing efforts are focused on newcomers and those researching the Lake Norman/Charlotte area for their future relocation.

In this context, my must read local blog is New Around Town; Your guide to the Charlotte Region written by Leigh Dyer for The Charlotte Observer. This blog was the winner of the 2006 Green Eyeshade Excellence in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Check out one of her best posts: On cartoons and the South. Read this as an example but then find a blog in your community that best addresses your own target market.

ENJOY!

Posted by Lake Norman Real Estate ~ Diane Aurit on 08/20/2007 04:42 PM

Comments (52)

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52 Comments on Laurie Manny Challenge - 3 Posts I Think You Should Read

AUG

2007

Great way to inspire me gal! I think I need to be reading outside AR a bit and finding some new juice to google me to the top! I enjoy AR but seem to get into ruts now and then, this week is a great example .

I am trying to incorporate blogging as a routine in my daily work agenda...problem is it turns into to my nite time reading as well!! ( addictive indeed!)

Nice picks and good luck to you in the contest.

thanks Diane, Ill be sue to check out those links... always looking to improve

Great entry! Thanks for entering!

Thanks Diane-I did a surfing around the copyblogger site-pretty good stuff!

AUG

2007

Great job Diane. I too enjoy Kevin's musings over at 3 Oceans, and Copyblogger is one of the best sites out there. I will check out the New Around Town Blog, have not been there yet, thanks.

New Around Town; Your guide to the Charlotte Region

On cartoons and the South.

Links not working.

Michele, That's EXACYLY what this blog is all about. I'm so glad you were inspired! Thanks!

Neal: Thanks so much...this is my first contest!

Stephen: Please do!

Colleen: Thanks...I hope it helps to inspire others to explore!

Charles: I subcribe to copyblogger since I don't have much time to surf and I find they are always a great read so you might want to subcribe too!

Laurie: These are all blogs I subscribe to because they are so consistently good. FYI, I just fixed the two links. Thanks for the heads up. There was no clear reason why they didn't work...who knows...gremlins?

AUG

2007

Thanks for the kudos, much appreciated!

AUG

2007

I'm pretty educated on the bloggers out there but Leigh Dyer had escaped my attention. With the traffic she generates she is doing something right.

Chris, I found her in the Lake Norman Section of the Charlotte Observer as she writes a column related to her blog. It's a great way to get honest, albeit heated, dialogue as she allows anonymous comments. For a community like ours where "transplants" out number natives it's really interesting, especially since I specialize in relocation clients. Thanks for reading!

AUG

2007

Diane, very nice to meet you 'In The Rain' and you write well! Copy Blogger and Pro Blogger are addictions for me, I'm not sure I could pick one over the other!

I loved reading Mr. Boer's blog thanks!

AUG

2007

Carole, I can't tell you how much I needed your kind words today. I really appreciate your comment!

Diane~

You intrigue me with your unique approach to your posts. This is an example. ..another reason why I subscribe to your BLOG. THX for the heads-up on some other interesting BLOGS, too.

janeAnne, Thank you so VERY MUCH for your support and kind words. I didn't realize I have a unique approach to posting. I'm wondering if it is because I don't look at other's posts about the same subject but write from my own personal experiences. Or perhaps it is because I honestly love to write and the words almost come out as if I need to let them out. Thank you again so much. I still want to visit with you one day in Ashville. With my Berkeley background and growing up in the '60s (I celebrated the first Earth Day by riding a horse to school!) I am very interested in your green work!

AUG

2007

In my opinion, there are quite a few excellent bloggers in AR-space. Taking nothing away from the 3 you list (they are excellent) but I would say there are probably 50+ truly excellent writers here...

Kaushik: I couldn't agree more! But I interpreted this as a challenge to look beyond ActiveRain. Otherwise I would have had a very hard time choosing from some of the top bloggers in real estate who are right here!

thank you for posting this.

Love this blog... I always need new inspiration.

Congratulations on your new hardware! You deserved it!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!

Diane, Congratulations on winning the contest! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the blogs you recommended. The first recommendation (the blog by Kevin Boer) gave me a lot of food for thought.

Congratulations, Diane, and it's nice to meet you through this contest!

Richard: Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

Christina: I am so glad my choice of blogs inspired you as they inspired me!

Chris: Thanks...this is AWESOME, I honestly never expected it. Everyone was great!

Colleen: Thank you for all of the time and thought that went in to this contest. You inspired so many, many to explore and stretch their comfort zones. What an incredible success! I'm sure it exceeded even your greatest expectations!

Lola: I'm glad you liked Kevin...his "big picture" and analytical perspective always makes me think and somehow he makes such thought-provoking subjects fun. Can you believe his little cartoon drawing of the Redfin fish:)

Carole: Thank you again for your support and warmth! I'm looking forward to meeting you in person someday. I have so many neighbors and friends from Ohio, it's just not that far away. Perhaps a blogging gathering would be in order!

Can I be honest with you? I clicked on this post because I simply had to see a picture of "The Lovely Diane Aurit" :)

And then I read this post and thought...Well gee...I need to get out of the rain more often. At least this lovely lady makes the effort :)

TLW...ROAR!

Diane:

Great stuff & everything you said about Kevin was 100% on the mark.

Hi Diane - CONGRATS on 1st place in this contest! This was great fun, and I'm going to check out Kevin's blog. I did already find Copyblogger on my journey outside AR, and I do already subscribe to the Tomato.

CONGRATS!
Ann

These are excellent reads, Diane. Thanks for your suggestions. And many congratulations on your win - well deserved.

Jeff

Congratulations, Diane! Those were some excellent posts and I appreciate the links.

Congrats on winning the challenge, Diane! This was a nice variety of blogs tied together with a great personal story. Thanks for helping us expand our blog reading with some quality sites.

I LOVE copy blogger! I read it religiously. It's full of great tips and information that anyone should learn ;)

Diane,

Thanks a lot -- I just spent an hour on Kevin's site reading his great blog! As if I am not already spending enough time reading the great blogs on AR!

--Paul

AUG

2007

I like it, especially the 5 errors....because I made one of them last week! Another blogger quickly pointed out my error!

"The Lovely Wife": You are too funny! I see that you are getting a lot of new comments on that post so does that mean I reciprocated???:)

Jessica: Thanks. I'm glad you are also a fan of Kevin Boer. I love being challenged and he always makes me think!

Ann: Thanks so much. RSS Pieces and the Tomato are right up there with Copyblogger!

Jeff: Thanks so much for your kind words of support. It's hot and humid today in NC, makes me wish I was at the beach in Carlsbad! Ah, the good old days!

Sharon: I'm glad you found the links interesting!

John: I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my post and comment!

Cindy: Another Copyblogger fan! I always need reminders about writing dos and don'ts. Thanks for your comment

Paul: Kevin is truly smart and a great writer. I'm glad you enjoy his blog as much as I do!

Al: Okay, not fair. If you are going to mention 5 errors you need to help me correct them. I'm guessing they are related to grammar but do give me a heads up so that I can correct them!

Diane...

I may very well be funny but sometimes I'm not too bright. I was so busy chuckling about what I was doing to you that I didn't even notice you won Laurie's challenge.

Congrats on that ... I'm sorry I missed it yesterday.

Now as far as reciprocating goes...We're done...The post was brought back to life as a result of other bloggers here digging on the concept of reciprocating :)

I just gave away my age didn't I? Digging? Yah. Dead give away :)

TLW...ROAR!

Congratulations -- I had been away for a few days and almost missed this. I really enjoyed looking at reading the suggestions. Lots of great information - now I just need to find the time to do a little more reading.

Thanks for turning me on to these bloggers. Checking them out right now.

The Lovely Wife: Well, at least you didn't say "neat" or "keen"...I do remember Peter, Paul and Mary: "I dig rock n roll music" so I guess that makes me old too!

Joan: Welcome back and thanks for the comment!

Rolando: I hope you enjoy them while suffering away in Breckenridge Colorado. I went to CU and used to ski in Breckenridge....it is so beautiful there in the summer too!

Good comeback :)

We're not old...We're seasoned :)

Am I driving you crazy yet? LOL.

You can call me TLW you know. I hear it's easier to type.

TLW...ROAR!

Congrats on winning the contest. As you can see with something we just did, we read every word, followed every link and got a lot out of your journey. Thanks again for taking it, and the trip was most appreciated.

TLW: I could banter back and forth all day long so keep it coming! Please tell me, why does the AARP keep sending me magazines and why is Sally Field doing ads about old bones? Shouldn't she be flying around in a nun's outfit?

Gary: I am so grateful that you took the time and enjoyed the journey!

LOL...

It's your turn to be "funny".

Did you know that no matter how many times you cancel the AARP mag they keep sending it? I think they believe we doubt whether or not we actually cancelled our subscription. Something to do with short term memory loss :)

I think it was them that told me Sally broke one of her 'fragile' wings :)

You really are fun to play with you know. LOL. Go ahead it's your turn to 'tee' something up :)

TLW...ROAR!

TLW: Well, I'm glad you cleared that up for me. Although, all she had to do was take ONE pill a month for gosh sakes. Do you think the new Farah Fawcett look will catch on? Her bangs are so groovy!

Diane - Great job and love Copyblogger myself - way to take the challenge - Congrats on your success!

AUG

2007

Diane, Congratulations on getting first place!

Cyndee: Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and kind words!

Caroline: Thanks...it is such an honor to be a part of a great group of bloggers!

AUG

2007

Congratulations !! Good job, I joined Copy Blogger after reading your post.

Diane,

Kevin Boer's blog about Redfin and other such companies is great. Excellent information from Harvard. He did his research on this. Good work.

Pat

Missy: I'm so glad you like Copyblogger. It is such a quick read that I like having come to my email. Thanks for the feedback

Pat: I agree, Kevin is very bright and brings such an interesting perspective on our industry. I'm glad you like his work as well!

FEB

2008

Great information! I think alot of this is very useful in the career that we are all in today. Thanks, Jenn

baton rouge real estate

JUL

2008

I can't believe you had 51 comments on this. Wow! you have good material.

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Lake Norman Real Estate ~ Diane Aurit

Mooresville, NC

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LKN Realty, LLC

Address: 516-D River Highway Suite 188, Mooresville, NC, 28117

Cell Phone: (704) 995-0565

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