Special offer

Staging Your Blog

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

 (With apologies to the professional stagers out there.  I will never be a threat to staging anything better than you!)

 

Not long ago Matt Heaton left a comment on Merton and Ambrose's blog after Jay asked how he might get a gold star.  Matt's reply is worth taking a look at, but this sentence stuck in my mind:

"I will admit how a post looks and whether it is free from spelling mistakes can make a huge difference".

Then today, janeAnne Narrin posed a question on her blog about how people are finding images to illustrate their blogs.  A good question, and I have seen lots of approaches to the answer.

Many people have mastered staging their blogs with pretty pictures.  Kristal Kraft happens to be a very good photographer, so she often hits the pavement and goes out and takes the pictures she needs.  I can't think of a better way to get photos for local content than to take them yourself. Kristal also buys images when she does not have something in her own archives.

Which brings me to my point.  There are lots of sources for free or cheap images on the net.  Google image search is NOT necessarily one of them because you are not licensed to use the images you find there, just like you cannot republish an entire article from Inman news.

I've used many of the resources that Rory Siems directed us to for sources of photos, and Rory's links have lead me on to discover other free image sites as well.   His list is worth a visit.

Go forth and create a pretty blog.  You might just catch Matt's eye, or, even better, you might catch a consumer's attention.

Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

KK, Actually I would love to spend the day touring Denver with you.  Alas I have to list a house in an hour. 

MM I agree. The photos come when you feel ready for them. Last night I was looking for inspiration for a blog and I searched random photos first.  A backwards approach for me as usually I have the idea, write the blog and then I find the photo.  But yesterday I found a couple of photos that gave me ideas for future blogs.  It was kind of fun.

I'm going to try to get some local pics today too, if I can.  We have blue skys so rarely that for a long time I was keeping my camera in my car so that I could be ready to dash out at take some pics when the sky was cooperating. 

 

Nov 11, 2006 11:57 PM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

We did that, writing a story from a photo when I was in grade school... it was a creativity exercise but with writing about a location it can be pretty easy way to add valuable info to a blog.

I know sometimes with my other blog I feel like I am juggling to get an entry put in... here it is so much easier so there is no excuse why I don't use images...

Nov 12, 2006 12:07 AM
Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022
MF ~ go list your house.  Today it looks like Denver will have winter.  It's cold and gray and flat out.  Maybe the animals at the zoo will like it...penguin, polar bear...
Nov 12, 2006 12:10 AM
Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022
MM ~ photos are good, but RESEARCH is much better.  I believe you have a calling....stick to what you know!  ;)
Nov 12, 2006 12:13 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

KK: some on Active Rain make fine blogs with out RESEARCH or PHOTOS... just pull it out of their ... 

personal experiences

Nov 12, 2006 12:19 AM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
yup, we all have our own THING.  That is what keeps it interesting.
Nov 12, 2006 12:22 AM
Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

MM ~ LOL, that's true blogs come from everywhere. One shouldn't hold back for lack of photos or research.  Sharing a good...personal experience is worthy.

Cheers,

kk

Nov 12, 2006 12:22 AM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
KK, 7 listings in 5 days.  I am tired.
Nov 12, 2006 12:22 AM
Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022
MF ~ nice work, 7 is a lot....now what do you  need to do to get them SOLD?  That's the secret.
Nov 12, 2006 12:24 AM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
Oh so right.  I need it to rain buyers this week.
Nov 12, 2006 12:26 AM
Boomer Jack Boardman & Carl McIntyre, the Codgers
Noted Curmudgeons - Saint Paul, MN

I’m gonna jump on this one—we’re the proud recipients of, let me count—TWO stars so far (no whine here, we ARE proud of 'em)—and one very lovely 3D star from you (that we treasure most of all)—but expect many more. You were our first regular reader, we believe and have made a few very helpful comments with your bits of constructive criticism. Aside from you “Teacher” Maureen (yep, ya gotta nickname now), many of the commenters above have influenced the way in which we present out posts. For a coupla old fellers we still like to learn new stuff.

 

Jay Merton

Nov 12, 2006 02:12 AM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

Jay,

I always look forward to posts from my two favorite old axes, errrr plow shares.    Thanks for the nick.    Your banners are impressive.  I don't have the photo editing skills that a lot of people around here have.

Nov 12, 2006 04:23 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
I am a believer in pictures, photos and graphics. Comes from my years as a schoolteacher, maybe. Just seems to work..especially in this medium.  I'm always on the lookout for relevant graphics..ones that make me smile, and underscore the point I'm attempting to make. THANKS for the heads-up, Maureen!
Nov 12, 2006 06:48 AM
Angela Allen
WickedWriter.com - Danville, KY
Marketing Specialist

Great post. It has inspired me to consider the "staging" of my own blogs with a bit more attention to detail. Being a "word" person means I've not taken the time to get my own graphics up to speed.

I needed the nudge! ;o) 

Thanks!

Nov 13, 2006 01:18 PM
Maureen Francis
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel
Angela, I am a word person too (but not professionally, like you).  But I am having lots of fun with the visuals.  They can inspire the words.
Nov 14, 2006 12:18 AM
Barb & Jennifer White
Re/Max Xecutex - Centreville, VA

Thank you for sharing the points on how to stage blog,  I am very new to it and trying to read all i can on Blogging,

THANKS!

Yasir 

Nov 14, 2006 03:47 AM
Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

A picture is worth a thousand words...that's why I love them so.  I run out of words....

kk

Nov 16, 2006 02:49 PM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Funny that I should find this post (coming from BB's 2-year recap) today, the day of the copyrighting R.A.I.N. Radio talk show!  Amazing how far we've come with images/staging our blogs!

Debe in Charlotte 

Nov 13, 2008 12:05 PM
William Collins
ERA Queen City Realty - Scotch Plains, NJ
Property and Asset Management

Maureen,

Thanks for the post. Some times the essence of a post can be captured by the right image. Having an endless supply eliminates obstacles to creating the post.

Nov 13, 2008 11:12 PM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Maureen~

Here it is about 2 years since you gave us this post, and it's still percolating here at AR! Thanks for the mention way back then..

Since then I have been taking the route of finding one of JT's or my photos that attract me, and using that photo as inspiration...the jumping off point for sharing one of my adventures in real estate.

Nov 14, 2008 12:59 AM