Okay, so you've decided to jump into the Wide Wonderful World of Blogging. I bet about now you're probably feeling the 'Agony of Defeat' a bit more than you are the 'Thrill of Victory!' Am I right?

Well, don't get discouraged, Spanky. There's a learning curve here on ActiveRain, and we all go through it.

Allow me, if I may, to give you just a brief bit of advice on how to make your blogging experience more enjoyable and effective. My suggestions won't improve your SEO or Google page rank. Unlike the marjority of members on ActiveRain, I don't claim to be an SEO expert.

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Today's Blog Tip for Rain Drips is entitled, "How to Sabotage Your Own Blog."

Now, you may be thinking, "Why would someone want to deliberately sabotage their own blog?" But you'd be surprised how many people do this, unknowingly and unintentionally. So many times people approach blogging like they do other forms of Internet marketing or even like they do more traditional print advertising. They feel it necessary to brand everything they create. Every blog post is crammed packed full of 'website' links, and 'contact' banners. There's so much self-promotional clutter squeezed into the article, there's little or no room left for any meaningful consumer content!

And why in the world would you put a link button in your post, disguised with some cool eye-grabbing graphic, that steals your poor, innocent reader away from your blog, and forces them to jump through a series of 'Fill-in-the-Blank' hoops, just so they can receive one of your canned articles on "10 Tips to Sell Your House?" 

I've got a better idea: Why not write a really exceptional consumer-oriented article yourself - one that conveys your own unique personality, your experienced, professional perspective, and your personal passion - then publish it to your blog. Insert some nice, relevant graphics that support the topic, but don't embed them with hijacking links.

When consumers access your blog, they don't want to be kidnapped or bombarded with every conceivable means of promoting your company & services. That's why ActiveRain has furnished you with a 'Profile."

Consumers want you to educate and inform them. They want you to 'engage' them in meaningful conversation. They want to get to know YOU.

I guess, that in some respects, a good quality blog article is like a well-staged home. There's no distracting clutter! 

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com