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"How to Sabotage Your Own Blog" - Blog Tips for Rain Drips

By
Real Estate Agent with Fathom Realty West Sound WA State 52404

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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social-media-is-a-conversation

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

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Rich Jacobson is a REALTOR® and licensed Broker with Fathom Realty. He's a Crab Hunter, Clam Digger, and Oyster Shucker, skilffuly vanquishing anything in a shell! He is the Social Media Evangelist for Life on the Kitsap Peninsula & The Western Puget Sound in scenic WA State.

Comments(146)

Ralph Nudi
Success Realtors brokered by eXp Realty - Kenosha, WI
"YOUR success IS our success"
That is great advice... especially for consumer blogs. People are smart and they don't want their intelligence insulted by going to a blog with no real content, but just a big infomercial.
Oct 25, 2007 02:31 PM
Melanie Ross
Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific - Benicia, CA
Benicia CA & Vallejo CA Real Estate, 707-319-2828
Love your staging analogy!!  It says it all!
Oct 25, 2007 02:36 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker
Ralph - you get added Brownie Points because you 'GET IT!"....
Oct 25, 2007 04:44 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker
Melanie - thanks! Gotta through analogies in there for my Stager friends!
Oct 25, 2007 04:45 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker

Natalie - I give you permission to be YOURSELF!  Allow the one and only YOU to come through in what you write. Be true to your calling and your passions!

 

Oct 25, 2007 04:47 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker

Bryan - Rich Jacobson, Windermere Real Estate/West Sound, Inc., www.KitsapLife.com, www.SoundBiteBlog.com, (360) 440-4758, rich@windermere.com

How's that?

 

Oct 25, 2007 04:49 PM
Lance Winslow
The Car Wash Guy - Malibu, CA
Excellent points Rich, these are good concepts to discuss with bloggers who do so for commercial reasons, too many blogs are completely ego-driven and that detracts from whatever it is they are doing, Lance
Jan 05, 2008 05:13 PM
Rich Jacobson
Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA
Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker
Lance - thanks for taking time to read through my posts! The days of ego-driven real estate are over. Thank Goodness!
Jan 05, 2008 05:32 PM
Lance Winslow
The Car Wash Guy - Malibu, CA

Rich,

Actually, that is very true, I want the real estate market to do well, but I also noticed that while it was going hyper-sonic, the humanity was completely depleted and the service was terrible, no one cared and the paperwork was so often botched. Hopefully there were some lessons learned there, I think so, but I also believe they were learned during the last go around 10-years the prior and so, I hate to be a cynic, but I just hope that the next go around at least some will stand up and say. Let's not make that mistake again.

Meanwhile I am very much enjoying reading your take on the enjoy blogging thing, I think I am in full agreement, the plagiarism has to stop that is a must. Also folks should remember that putting up four or five line blog posts is not really serving their purposes, because when outside internet surfers stop buy, it looks less than professional and that sheds a bad light on their public image. Thus, they are doing themselves no favors. I think this is why, I am glad to see your series of artcles on this subject and it has prompted me to put some Blogging Thoughts and observations on my Blog as well. Thanks for everything by the way, I really like this opportunity and have been meeting people from all over the country, this is a pretty cool experience and I would like to invite others to do the same at the one and only Active Rain! - Lance 

Jan 05, 2008 07:34 PM
Lindsey Hasford
Edina Realty - Elk River, MN
Bringing you home...
Thank you for the practical advice! It's always good to see through another's eyes.
Jan 06, 2008 03:26 AM
Collette Lee
Tower Realty - Riverside, CA
That was really great advice, hopefully I won't make those mistakes in the future.
Jan 10, 2008 09:49 AM
Aventura | Bal Harbour | Sunny Isles Beach | REALTOR® 786-229-7999
SIB REALTY, Llc // WaterWayRealty.com - Sunny Isles, FL

Rich~

Thanks for the enlightenment.

The secret to success!

Mott Marvin Kornicki // Real Estate In Miami // Associate | Broker

Aventura-The Waterways // Bal Harbour // Sunny Isles Beach • Florida

Jan 27, 2009 11:25 AM
Bruce & Sandy Soli
Sierra Sotheby's International Realty - Incline Village, NV
Tahoe Lifestyle Experts

Still confused as it appears that most of the 'Featured Blogs' have a ton of links to other people's blogs, other websites, etc. 

Mar 01, 2009 03:16 PM
Stageworks Home Staging & Redesign Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida
Jacksonville, FL

I am having trouble finding information regarding who can read my blog. My only options are members, associates, or draft. There is no option for public, yet the help shows "public" as an option. Should I post it to members only? Help please!!

Mar 20, 2009 05:00 AM
Everard Korthals
---Preferred Lifestyle Advisors--- - Lancaster, PA
Mountain Realty

There's nothing wrong with putting links or graphics in your post stageworks. 

Mar 21, 2009 02:33 AM
Chris Griffith
Downing-Frye Realty, Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs, FL
Bonita Springs Listing Specialist - Agent

Geeze, I hadn't been here in a while. I just noticed those little thingies under our pictures.  When did that happen? lol

Mar 21, 2009 03:21 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

The issue is always how much is too much we want some links.  I do vary my verbage some to great key words and work in links.  But the blog post are mine and the information is important.

Apr 16, 2009 05:44 AM
Marie Kletke
iNet Realty - Long Beach, CA
Broker - Long Beach Real Estate

Rich,

I just reread your post.  It serves a reminder to keep the main focus the main focus.  It gets really distracting to see so many links.  Thank YOu!

Apr 18, 2009 06:05 AM
Jessica Cox
Perfectly Polished Home - Dallas, TX
Dallas Home Staging

I couldn't agree more. My goal for the month is to write one blog each day. Hopefully during this time, I will be able to see a huge improvement between post #1 and post #31 (or 30?). There are so many fantastic resources here on how to write better, more effective and useful blogs. Glad you took the time to write this post!

 

 

Apr 26, 2009 12:11 PM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I think a good addition to this update would be a 6" signature bar at the bottom!

Jun 05, 2011 11:17 AM