As I was reading through some Active Rain blog posts, I started looking at where the writers were submitting their posts. Specifically, what AR groups.
Several posts submitted articles to groups that didn't seem to fit what the post was about. Seeing that, I decided to look through some blogs and noticed that in a lot of cases, the blog owner submitted the majority of their posts to relatively the same groups, more or less, no matter what topic they were talking about.
After that, I re-read through several of my old posts and yep, I did it, too.
See, I've 'joined' a bunch of groups, but I usually only submit my posts to a select few. Why? I have no real reason, except that I seem to "connect" in some way with those groups.
That said, I also don't review my groups near enough. I did this too, and found that several groups are essentially "dead" as it seems no one is manning them and it's harder to find a blog post related to what the group is about than it is not.
So, I'm looking for groups. Which ones have you joined and why? Is it active? Helpful?
Currently, I'm definitely favoring Almost Anything Goes, LATE NIGHT - EARLY MORNING AT ACTIVERAIN, "Whacked", and especially, Club Chaos.
Hadn't found any groups to join or don't know what they are yet? Check them out. Do you even use groups?
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi - Lodi, CA
The Nines Team in Lodi
Roger - I just started using "groups" ... well to be more precise I just started to be Active on AR in June ... so I'm still feeling my way around. If the post I'm doing, doesn't seem to fit with the groups I've joined, I just skip groups altogether.
Sep 11, 2010 02:34 PM
Don Sabinske, Sabinske & Associates Inc. - Zimmerman, MN
Sabinske & Associates Inc.
Oh, I use the groups. I think I'm in about thirty. And, I try to stay in the most active ones so I get more exposure. You can check that out, too. By just clicking on most active. I can't list them all here but some get more responses than others. And, don't post to groups whose main goal doesn't include what you've posted about, it just makes them gloss over you next time.
Sep 11, 2010 02:46 PM
eXp Realty LLC - Santa Fe, NM
Broker | Realtor | Serving Santa Fe & Northern NM
I think Active Rain has at least 2 groups for everyone. I am learning and checking them out by reading posts and getting a sense of like minds and interests. With the extraordinary number of them I am sometimes grouped challenged!
Sep 11, 2010 03:58 PM
Mortgage Finders Canada Inc., Mortgage Brokerage, Lic# 11118 - Toronto, ON
Principal Broker / Mortgage Broker, AMP
I lost interest in the groups feature after I figured out that only 10 pages of posts are in each group. Older posts cannot be accessed via the group feature.
Sep 11, 2010 04:33 PM
Hickory, NC
Thanks, Jack.
Don, what do you consider "active?" I ask because I know of several groups that have lots of members and lots of posts, but there is no one managing the group anymore. Does that still classify it as active? Thanks.
Emily, there are way more groups than there needs to be, in my opinion. Many, many of the groups we now have are basically DOA, so I can fully understand why you may be "grouped challenged" when looking.
Why did that make you lost interest? Each page has some 15 or so posts, so that's 150 of the most current posts on the subject (supposedly). Is that not enough?
Sep 12, 2010 08:38 AM
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Rancho Bernardo, CA
Your Agent for Change
Roger, my peeve with Groups is they're not easy to find, and the search function doesn't seem to work that great. I use a few related just to California if it's location specific info. I'm in Realtors, Diary of a Realtor, Realtor Life, It's All About Them, Speechless Sundays, but a couple of the ones you listed above. An interesting exercise, look at which groups you posted in when you were features. I saw a pattern to mine.
Sep 12, 2010 03:22 PM
Los Angeles & Ventura Counties in CA - Simi Valley, CA
CalState Realty Services
Roger - As a CA mortgage gal, I post my hyper-local posts to CA groups like Southern California Real Estate Forum, Everything California, California Short Sales, REO's, and Foreclosures and mortgage groups like Consumer Mortgage Tips, Mortgages, "Real" Mortgage Experts Networking Group and True Mortgage Professionals.
I alwo work with a lot of first timers so, of course, I post to those groups: 1st Time Buyers, Advice for Buyers, Buyer Information - What Buyers Need to Know in Today's Market and First Time Homebuyer. Then there are the off the wall posts that go to Addicted to Active Rain, Almost Anything Goes, Blogs Happen..., Blogs That Really Suck, Dedicated Bloggers, The Lounge at Active Rain and, of course, "Whacked"!!!.
Lastly, the picture posts I put on a variety of picture groups. The animal post go to the animal groups and the joke posts go to the joke groups.
Sep 12, 2010 03:41 PM
Hickory, NC
Karen, I too think that the Groups function could be better...and much easier to find. Interesting about the featured thing. I may have to check that out. Thanks.
Thanks, Donne. I have several local area Groups as well. Thanks for listing the others. Definitely have some to check out.
Sep 13, 2010 01:02 AM
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