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Old Men & Coffee Shops: Blatant Trolling for Comments or Active Rain Blog Marketing ?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Noted Curmudgeons

Cyber Café with CommentI didn’t linger long on my back porch this morning as the boys were assembling early at the café today for our daily meeting. It seems they actually read our posts, and have some concerns about the blog.

“What is all this?” asked Harold the retired barber as I sat down at my usual place at out table, the one by the front plate-glass window, where during the summer months we might look out and comment on passers by.

“What’s all what?” I replied, answering his question with a question.

“This!” added Carl, the retired army sergeant-major, pointing at the screen of Med’s lap top computer.

“That’s our post from Wednesday,” I replied.

“Not the post,” added Fred, curiously not reading his still folded and unopened morning Pioneer Press newspaper, “the comment you’ve added below the picture!” (See banner above)

“Looks like you guys are asking directly for comments,” Harold said as he picked up his (china, not stoneware) mug of organically & shade grown, fair trade, French roast coffee.

“Isn’t that a bit too obvious?” asked Carl.

“Aren’t you just trolling for comments?” Fred asked, unfolding his newspaper.

“Yes, we are,” Medford said, “I prefer to call it marketing.”

“Marketing?” Harold asked, then continued, “you guys aren’t in business anymore, why would you need to market?”

“Blog marketing,” I said, “for our purposes, our ‘sales’ territory is the Active Rain cyber community.”

“We provide two places,” Med added, “Jay’s back porch & this coffee shop, where the AR cyber community can stop for a few minutes, linger over our fine selection of coffees & other refreshments.”

“But, we can’t ‘see them’ unless they comment,” I continued, “sometimes a conversation will begin with our topic, and then wander off in a new direction.”

“Just like here at the café,” Med continued, “where our conversations will wander all over the place.”

“So, those comment boxes are our attempt at marketing.” I said.

“Maybe you two blog-coots should just write better posts!” exclaimed Harold, “then the comments would just happen.”

Maybe.

Jay & Medford
Scott Daniels Florida Real Estate 2.0. Agents Earn 100% Commission.
Florida List For Less Realty, Inc. Broker/Owner. - Cooper City, FL

 

 M&M,

Trolling is always good... I think many here haven`t a clue about you two! Which is sad....

 

Dec 14, 2006 09:56 PM
Chris Griffith
Downing-Frye Realty, Bonita Springs, FL - Bonita Springs, FL
Bonita Springs Listing Specialist - Agent
Did you pick your vacation spot yet?
Dec 14, 2006 10:20 PM
Linda Davis
RE/MAX Home Team - Gales Ferry, CT
Doesn't everybody troll for comments?  Serious trolling is when you end the post with a question.  Don't you agree?
Dec 14, 2006 10:42 PM
Boomer Jack Boardman & Carl McIntyre, the Codgers
Noted Curmudgeons - Saint Paul, MN

No. Most of the responses came from Florida (big surprise there). So Florida wins the poll. We have some research to do yet.

Jay

Dec 14, 2006 10:44 PM
Boomer Jack Boardman & Carl McIntyre, the Codgers
Noted Curmudgeons - Saint Paul, MN

Nice job Linda! And you are correct. I'm going out for a time, so I'll not be replying to comments for a while.

Jay

Dec 14, 2006 10:48 PM
Bryant Tutas
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL
Selling Florida one home at a time
Good morning, Trolling for comments is a good thing. hey, if we spend time writing it's good to know people are reading. Have you ever read Phillip Gulley? He writes the Home to Harmony series. Every time I read your post I am reminded of his books. If you haven't read him, check him out. Easy, enjoyable read.  
Dec 15, 2006 12:01 AM
Monika McGillicuddy
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty - Hampstead, NH
Southern NH & the Seacoast Area

Trolling for comments?? I think it's just nice to know you're not talking to yourself...what better way to know that than by reading a comment.

Monika 

 

Dec 15, 2006 12:40 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

I think you are carrying on a conversation with your audience rather than trolling... I did not feel trolled yesterday.   I don't know that I noticed it.. "the comment you've added below the picture!" (See banner above)" but I responded... because I often converse with you.  

 

Dec 15, 2006 12:46 AM
Boomer Jack Boardman & Carl McIntyre, the Codgers
Noted Curmudgeons - Saint Paul, MN

Everyone: Thank you all for stopping by. I’ve been away most of the day—and my desktop computer is not terribly portable, so I’ve not been able to reply until now. We are marketing (by trolling, I suppose) in order to build our little, off-the-wall niche here in the AR market.

Jay Merton

Dec 15, 2006 06:24 AM
Craig Schiller
Trempealeau, WI

Hmmm... what about FISHING for comments using catchy words like "trolling" in your title?

Fun post as always...

Me

Dec 15, 2006 06:31 AM
Boomer Jack Boardman & Carl McIntyre, the Codgers
Noted Curmudgeons - Saint Paul, MN

Craig: High praise indeed from one of such fame in AR World! Thank you.

Jay Merton

Dec 15, 2006 07:11 AM