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Do Active Rain and Localism Bring You Business? If Not, Get BLOGGING!

By
Real Estate Agent with Dockside Realty VA 0225142975

Do ActiveRain and Localism bring you business?  If not, get BLOGGING!  Are you getting business from your time here on ActiveRain.com and Localism.com?  If not, is it because you are not writing the type of posts that consumers are looking for?  Is it because you are not posting often enough?  Not only is it important to write about topics that are of interest to consumers, it is also important that you do it often. Don't be discouraged if business doesn't come your way overnight.  It may take time but it is well worth it.

Today, while reading my new emails I opened one that said:

"I was just reading your write up on the properties at Waters at Lake Anna. I am interested in getting more information regarding the sales."

When you read an email that says, "I Read Your Blog on Such & Such" excite you? It sure does me.

The post the writer was referring to was about The Waters at Lake Anna, one of more than 120 communities that we have around the lake.  I had written this along with some for other subdivisions around the lake and posted them on Localism.  What do I need to do now?  I need to write about many of the other communities.  Will I?  You better believe it!

What does this teach me once again?  Well, simply that Active Rain and Localism.com are vital to my career.  What about you?  Are you making the most of the opportunity that is here for the taking? 

The saying is that all politics are local.  I guess we can say the same thing about real estate. Write about your local area, show that you know what's going on locally, and when a prospective buyer is looking for someone to help them purchase a home it is very likely you will be the one to be contacted.

By the way, I wrote my post on The Waters last April.  Isn't it wonderful that something I did eight months ago is bringing me business today.  Knowing the power of AR and the Internet I wouldn't be surprised if I get traction from this post years from now.

Will you write a blog today that will bring you business eight months of now?  I certainly hope so.

Posted by

 ©Copyright Kate Elim 2015

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GET MOVING WITH KATE!

540-226-1964 cell

lakeanna.kate@gmail.com

For easy property searches check out my web sites: katesellslakeanna.com

or

lakeannacountry.com

Comments (44)

Stephen P. Panczak, Ph.D.
Keller Williams Coastal Partners - Palm Beach, FL
Real Estate Agent & Business Coach, (561) 254-8098

Hyperlocal ads do work - great way to communicate special events in certain local areas.

Dec 14, 2010 11:39 AM
Angelina Clarke
Builder Services Realty, LLC - Tampa Palms, FL

After reading your blog...I decided to post one community event per day :)  

Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Dec 14, 2010 11:44 AM
Cheryl Ritchie
RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com - Huntingtown, MD
Southern Maryland 301-980-7566

Wow, that length of time for a reaction sure is inspirational. Keep on plugging is what I get out of your post!

Dec 14, 2010 12:05 PM
Kristi DeFazio
RE/MAX Advantage - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Rea lEstate 719-459-5468

I am also trying to do more hyperlocal posts. I know they work-I have a client coming next month to work with me because of one.

Dec 14, 2010 12:19 PM
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Kate....that's a lot of life for a blog....I think it's incredible....and congratulations on the feature....it's well deserved.

Dec 14, 2010 12:30 PM
MeLisa Minter, Realtor
Minter Real Estate Services - Taylor Lake Village, TX
Bay Area Houston Real Estate Agent

Active Rain does work.  I remember for Halloween, I received a call about an annual trick or treating event that I blogged about.  The person was new in town and had heard about it and decided to research it online.  That's where she found my localism post.

Dec 14, 2010 12:48 PM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

Blogging is like a gift that keeps on giving.

Dec 14, 2010 01:14 PM
Ryan Case
SCA Real Estate - Anaheim, CA
877-828-0710

Hyper local blog posts are very important, google juice loves them!

Dec 14, 2010 01:16 PM
Leslie Ebersole
Swanepoel T3 Group - Saint Charles, IL
I help brokers build businesses they love.

Tom from SCA brings up a related point -- you better be giving juice to your overall internet presence. The AR blogs rank well, but given that the AR blog itself is difficult to search, it isn't very consumer friendly. It's too bad it doesn't have even rudimentary menu system that people could set up (other than categories -- most consumers don't understand categories).

If your AR blog is part of an overall internet strategy, it seems like you can create a more powerful whole.

I hope we can have realistic discussion in the coming year about the role the AR site can play -- it probably just isn't fair or realistic to tell people that it's all they need...important yes....everything, no.

Dec 14, 2010 02:08 PM
Keith Jeppson - Salt Lake City Real Estate
Everest Realty Group - Holladay, UT

Thanks for the encouragement. I stepped out of the rain for over a year and just returned. It's nice to hear the effort brings some biz to someone.

Dec 14, 2010 02:38 PM
Chris Olsen
Olsen Ziegler Realty - Cleveland, OH
Broker Owner Cleveland Ohio Real Estate

Hi Kate  -- I had 2 buyers find me off localism this year and one off AR.

Dec 14, 2010 04:21 PM
FN LN
Toronto, ON

Hi Kate - Another great ActiveRain blogging success story.  Blogging works well if done right.

Dec 14, 2010 04:42 PM
Charita Cadenhead
eXp Realty - Birmingham, AL
Serving Jefferson and Shelby Counties (Alabama)
Kate my post yesterday confessed that I am a bead, bad hyper localist. I have got to do better.
Dec 14, 2010 04:59 PM
Dawn Maloney
RE/MAX Trinity Northeast Ohio Real Estate Specialist - Hudson, OH
330-990-4236 Hudson & Northeastern Ohio

I still don't do as much with Localism as I should, so I could probably use some coaching on that. I have done very well on AR overall, just no one has ever pointed to Localism.

Dec 14, 2010 06:23 PM
Renée Montgomery
Century 21 New Millennium - Warrenton, VA
Northern Virginia Real Estate

I love that when we blog about something in our local market, it can Always be found!

Dec 14, 2010 08:57 PM
David O'Doherty
Clayton, NC
Clayton NC Homes, Raleigh, NC

Kate , I got a call last night asking if I was the new high school!! I have been working on my overall presence and my goal for the new year is to really fine tune what I'm doing.

Dec 14, 2010 10:20 PM
Michael J. Perry
KW Elite - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

It's a big part of our 2011 Business Plan ! Localism is the new Real Estate Farming .

Dec 14, 2010 11:34 PM
Irene Kennedy Realtor® in Northwestern NJ
Weichert - Lopatcong, NJ

Kate,

I've got buyers now Under Contract who called me from posts I did in 2009 for a hyper-local contest. And yesterday, I made an appointment with a potential seller who found me from my blog.  You're right that the local posts pay off in RainChecks!

Dec 14, 2010 11:52 PM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

Kate, I love reading these posts. It just reminds me and motivates me to keep at it. On of my goals for 2011 is to sharpen my skills and make the posts better reads and more informative. Have a great day!

Dec 15, 2010 01:08 AM
Adrian Willanger
206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA
Profit from my two decades of experience

Kate~I love your tag line, thanks for sharing your story, I'm a huge fan of the Localism section. Best.

Feb 04, 2011 12:34 PM