Home > Blogs > Liz and Bill Spear > BLiz Biz: Warren County Ohio Area Real Estate

Localism and Pay It Forward Posts Are Getting Attention!

By Liz and Bill Spear

Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

December 06, 2010 10:34 PM

Localism and Pay It Forward Posts Are Getting Attention! Blogging spreads the word

Further evidence that blogging works if you insist on remaining skeptical about the effect of blogging!

After we posted our Pay It Forward post regarding the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Donor Registry, we were contacted by an organization rep. Proof that blogging combined with Google Alerts get you noticed! This is the 2nd Pay It Forward post that has gotten us contacted by the charity organization because they use Google Alerts! (And if you aren't using Google Alerts, you REALLY need to look into it!).

After we posted about our local Manna Cupcake Cafe, we got a Thank You email from one of the owners for the extra publicity!

After we posted about Lebanon's Christmas Festival, we were contacted the day before the Christmas Festival by a potential vendor wanting to get booth space! We tried to help him by reaching out to the organizers, but didn't see him there.The day before was probably just a little too late, but at least he knows we tried to help him :)

Also, the same post got about triple the views we've received for adjacent posts, so obviously the consumers were finding this post! And since we attended and got lots of photos, we're prepared for next year!

So moral of the post, blogging about organizations and Local activities WILL get response!

Give the consumer what they want to read, they ARE out there!

Keep on Blogging,
Liz & Bill aka BLiz

Re-Blog

Comments(21)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Gita Bantwal

RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA

REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for the information. I agree localism posts get attention and we can see it by the clicks .

Dec 06, 2010 11:10 PM

TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.

Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN

Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

Good morning Liz & Bill. That is so true. I need to write a few more posts about local happenings...

Dec 06, 2010 11:25 PM

Barbara Todaro

RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA

Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

I need to do more of that type of posting.....

Dec 06, 2010 11:28 PM

Randy Ostrander

Lake and Lodge Realty LLC - Big Rapids, MI

Real Estate Broker, Serving Big Rapids and West Central MI

Always good to hear when people respond to blogs. I did one this summer about a local event and had 4 or 5 emails asking about times and parking. Not exactly the calls I was looking for but it was proof I was being read.

Dec 06, 2010 11:29 PM

Anita Clark

Coldwell Banker Access Realty ~ 478.960.8055 - Warner Robins, GA

Realtor - Homes for Sale in Warner Robins GA

You're absolutely right, blogging can/will reach your local populace. These are all good examples of quality content with a purpose.

Dec 06, 2010 11:52 PM

Barbara Hensley

RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX

Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

As always, thanks for the sharing. It encourages me to read about what works for you. I am enjoying blogging, but I have to get started on the Localism posts. I am learning and this will be my focus during the coming weeks.

Dec 07, 2010 12:10 AM

Cindy Jones

Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA

Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

I think we all get crazy phone calls from folks looking for information on what we've had in our blogs. Mine come from Word Press blog as well as my AR blog. We may have to change our numbers to 4-1-1 soon!

Dec 07, 2010 12:17 AM

Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

BLiz, Localism posts I think are the most fun, and is really nice when they work! Great job!

Dec 07, 2010 12:21 AM

Deanne Olivas

eXp Realty - Gilbert, AZ

Your Home Matters

Bliz, Blogging about local events and organizations is a win-win for everyone. I love my town, Gilbert AZ, and am happy to promote the things that make it THE BEST. Blogging on a local level is an opportunity to get involved and promote some worthy causes.

Dec 07, 2010 12:22 AM

Melissa McKinney

Everything Pines Partners Fayetteville - Fayetteville, NC

Realtor, www.LivingFayetteville.com

BLIz~ Wonderful! It is nice to know that someone on the outside is reading...LOL I have gotten calls to get more information about some of the events that I have written about, make me giggle!

Dec 07, 2010 12:54 AM

Kathryn Maguire

GreatNorfolkHomes.com (757) 560-0881 - Chesapeake, VA

Serving Chesapeake, Norfolk, VA Beach

Amen! My local posts get TONS of hits. I need to work harder at them because they truly are an untapped gold mine!

Dec 07, 2010 01:39 AM

Michelle Gibson

Hansen Real Estate Group Inc. - Wellington, FL

REALTOR

Liz & Bill - Yep, blogging works and I've been contacted too from local organizations and businesses. Last year our Florida blood bank contacted me wanting an interview since I've blogged about donating blood.

Dec 07, 2010 01:52 AM

Tammy Pearce

Haute Realty 214-994-6474 - Dallas, TX

Tammy Pearce

Yahooo for you! The local posts really are more fun too. It means you've visited/enjoyed/participated in something while gathering fodder for the blog. Keep going strong - I'm way behind but still following!

Dec 07, 2010 02:12 AM

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS

Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA

South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

You would be surprised at how much attention and activity my Localism and hyper local pages have attained. I can track some of it and those numbers are astounding and have led to sales. Your numbers are equally gratifying and bless you for paying it forward!
You have a friend in Tacoma, Washington!
Paul

Dec 07, 2010 02:13 AM

Liz and Bill Spear

Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH

Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Roger, A step closer to getting the consumer business calls. We're being found :)

Gita, It really caught my eye when the surrounding posts had about 200 Views and the Festival post had over 700.

Michael, We're posting more of them than before, but we still need to take it up a level. I've got a folder of newpaper clippings of upcoming events I need to get out!

Barbara, It's a shift for us, I still need more local pictures to work into the posts.

Randy, After a few months (okay almost six months), it's great to get some affirmation that the public is finding our posts!

Anita, I'd think all your local subdivision posts should be doing great at helping customers find you!

Barbara, The member interaction here is invaluable, and lots of fun, but the local posts are the ones most likely to create business for all of us. We need to keep a good mix...we're getting better at it, but need to put in more work. Once we build a library of events, the following years will be easier to update and work.

Cindy, We haven't went Wordpress yet. Having enough challenge keeping up with everything I want to do already :)

Joan, Everything but the help me buy/sell my house! It'll come in time :)

Deanne, Same here. Our local area offers quite a bit, we've just got to help get the word out.

Melissa, It threw me when we got the request for a booth and the electrical requirements for the stand! Called the Chamber of Commerce with the request, and called the guy back with the request to let him know we tried to help. Interesting, the same guy was mentioned in Cincinnati magazine yesterday, and I've seen his business in the Cincinnati Enquirer paper before too! Too bad they couldn't get him in last minute.

Kathryn, I believe those posts are where are eventual paydays are.

Michelle, Very cool that they're reaching out to you!

Tammy, We know you got it!

Paul, It's a double blessing to promote a good cause and know it's reaching people.

Dec 07, 2010 02:32 AM

Chris Alston

Chris Alston (Keller Williams Realty, Silicon Valley, California) - Campbell, CA

Silicon Valley, California

What a great story! So many bloggers stop right before it starts to pay dividends! You have not, and the success is rolling in! let it rain!!!!!

Dec 07, 2010 03:52 AM

Liz and Bill Spear

Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH

Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Chris, That's the thing... I think if you told most agents that it would take 6 months of daily blogging to get the consumers attention, how many would be willing to wait that long? That said, if we'd started off with more localism posts, we could probably shorten the curve...however, maybe we needed the other path to refine our ability to present, to write fluidly? It all works out in the long run!

Dec 07, 2010 03:58 AM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Look up Ardell (I'll have to look up her last name, begins with a D); she wrote a post a few months ago on how to do localism (it is not for the weak of heart, she is BRUTALLY honest in this post). She talks about not just doing "events" but neighborhoods and industry news too with a local slant.

Dec 07, 2010 08:46 AM

Tish Lloyd

BlueCoast Realty Corporation - Wilmington, NC

Broker - Wilmington NC and Surrounding Beaches

Cinnamon and I were having this same discussion last week and have been trying to focus on the Local Posts in order to give our business a boost! This is a great post -- had to lean.

Dec 07, 2010 09:35 AM

Liz and Bill Spear

Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH

Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Cindy, I think I remember the post you mention. I don't know that I can do everything mentioned, but we can make a pretty good attempt. Part of the winter project is developing some neighborhood informational posts to expand just beyond events. Anita Clark provides a pretty good model for the subdivision style posts. Hits the essentials, location, price range, school district, some sample home shots.

Tish, It's nice to see the responses. Slowly but surely, the digital footprint expands, eventually it will intersect an interested consumer too :) (and thanks for the lean!)

Dec 07, 2010 09:46 AM