OK folks, it has been a long time since I took the helm and announced a blog tour, but it is time to rally the troops and start up again.  Rainers are asking all kinds of questions about outside blogs and what better way get some answers than by looking around at what your peers are doing?

I have also heard a number of people asking what blogging system is best.  Its a question every blogger has to consider. I have blogged on Expression Engine, Blogger.com, Wordpress.com, ActiveRain.com, Myspace and Wordpress.org, and RSSPieces in addition to ActiveRain.  My platform of choice is definitely wordpress.org But I invite everyone who joins to point out to us what platform they are using.  If you can, add a few sentences about it's pros and cons.

Why go on Blog Tours?

Apparently there are a number of us who not only blog on ActiveRain, but maintain other real estate blogs out there in the 'real world.'  My other blog is called miOaklandCounty.com.  miOaklandCounty.com had its second birthday in March.  In the world of real estate blogging that makes me a nearly eligible for a pension or something.  But I have often said that the first 18 or so months were pretty darn crappy.  I was blogging on blogger.com and I wasn't connecting to the other real estate bloggers out there.  My content was boring even to me.  So I was fizzling. 

Then along came ActiveRain.  Maureen McCabe invited me and I found a lot of other people talking about things I wanted to talk about.  Real estate to be specific.  Now I have a much better handle on where I want my blogging to go and how it will help me and my business.  

I've learned so much from my fellow bloggers.  Thank you for helping me to hone this skill set.  The blog tour gives me new inspiration.   I hope we will see some new members joining us.

Who goes on Blog Tours?

Everyone is welcome to read the blogs that will be on this month's blog tour.  You do not have to have an outside blog.  These blogs will inspire new ideas on everything from formatting and platforms to content and commentary.

Here are some posts you can look back on if you are curious about what has taken place in the past.  But, really, its quite simple.  The benefits to the participants are that we often give each other feedback on site issues and you create incoming links to your own site every time you leave a comment.  I also usually pick up some new ideas for future posts.

Here is how it works:

• Put a link in the comments here with your 'other' blog's URL.
  
• Tell us what platform you are using.
  
• If you have a post that you think we would particularly enjoy, use that as the landing page.  But the main page is just fine too. 
  
• Please only add one outside blog.  Save the others for next time.
  
• If you post your own blog here, I ask you to visit at least the two other blogs that sign up immediately before you.   Of course, you are welcome to visit more. 
  
• If you add your blog early in the comments, you'll want to stop back later  to check out the new  additions.
  
• When you are out visiting, leave a comment to let them know you stopped by. 
  
• Optional: You might consider adding someone to your blogroll.  If you don't have an outside blog, you could add them to your "favorites" on your blog settings or as an associate.

We are not judging or competing here.  This is just a chance to get out and see what our peers are doing.  New members, even if you don't have another blog, go take a look around. 

Join us before October 15th to take place in the fun!

If you find out anything interesting while you are out there, report back here and let the rest of us know so that we don't miss it... 

If you want to make sure you don't miss future blog tours, join blog tourists. If you are a real estate professional and you are not a member of ActiveRain, you should sign up here.  It is FREE and it will change the way you do business.

Photo by Stuck in Customs.