Real Estate Blog - LOCALISM.COM - WHERE WE GET TO STRUT OUR STUFF

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LOCALISM.COM - WHERE WE GET TO STRUT OUR STUFF - DO YOU HAVE LOCALISM MOJO??

WHAT DOES ACTIVE RAIN DO FOR US AND WHAT DOES LOCALISM DO FOR US???

Articles about "Hard Core Real Estate" are gratifying to write and post. Such articles are certainly my speciality.
However, many of these articles are not necessarily what we want the public to read and many are posted to
MEMBERS ONLY. The public never views these posts. MEMBERS ONLY posts are "the inside story of ActiveRain".

WE ARE A REAL ESTATE NETWORK AND A SOCIAL NETWORK. Many posts to ActiveRain are more social in nature than real estate related. The ongoing debate of whether ActiveRain is a real estate network of blogs or a social network of blogs makes little difference when posting. We post what we wish to post based on our need for expression. Many posts to ActiveRain could be on an Internet network of blogs that had nothing to do with real estate.

Sure, you can write about real estate services in general, mortgage services in general, title services in general and home inspections in general. However, so much of these are written as though they are conversations between two real estate practitioners or a mortgage loan officer to a real estate agent, or by a title company to industry folks in general. Of course, our articles are always well thought out, well researched and well presented. We are, after all, pros, after.

However, posting to each other on a daily or weekly basis, it sometimes seems as though we are at a real estate seminar where someone with experience is presenting information for training purposes or, continuing education
purposes (we wish). Yes, I do believe that some of the posts or ActiveRain are of a level of quality to qualify for training purposes. I have sent many posts to agents in my sphere and they are grateful for the shared information.

LOCALISM.COM, WHERE ACTIVE RAIN MEMBERS GET TO STRUT OUR STUFF, TO THE CONSUMER

      LOCALISM.COM, The face of ActiveRain on the Internet
And. . . . .
      Enter the consumer,  researching real estate in your area.
      Enter the consumer, looking for mortgage loan information.
      Enter the consumer, in need of a title company, home inspector.
      Enter the consumer,  seelomg mortgage information.

These consumers are on Google and you can be right there in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for their search term.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POSTED DECEMBER 22, 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Real Estate Blog - LOUDOUN COUNTY HOMES IN INVENTORY AND READY FOR ...

LOVETTSVILLE NEW HOMESREADY FOR QUICK OCCUPANCYLOVETTSVILLE NewHome ready for quick occupancy - $640000LEESBURG New Home ready in 3 weeks - $860900ROUND ...
activerain.com/blogsview/315221/LOUDOUN-COUNTY-HOMES-IN - 57k -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT LOCALISM.COM
Fact: Google crawls Localism articles every day.
Fact: You can post an article about your area on Localism.com and it will be indexed and searchable on Google in a matter of an hour or two. It is difficult to get that result from a new web page.
Fact: The real estate consumer is using the Internet to get real estate help.
Fact: YOU determine the search terms by which you wish to be found.
Fact: Localism.com is so easy to use, all you have to do is post and article to ActiveRain and you have
produced a "mini-web page".
Fact: Posting to ActiveRain and Localism.com requires no special SEO or web design training or skills. It
just requires a bit of common sense.
Fact: Localism.com articles, unlike our personal web pages, do not have to be "seasoned" or have domain names, meta tags or other requirements of productive web pages.

LOCALISM.COM IS A SENSIBLE PLAN FOR PROMOTING YOURSELF ON THE INTERNET IN 2008. IT'S FREE * Localism.com is easy and it will bring real estate consumers to you.

* Make a resolution to post to Localism.com on a regular basis for your market area.

* Take your digital camera with you where ever you go. Take photos of local areas and save them.

* Pick an area in your market, write a few paragraphs about the Points of Interest and add a few local photos.

* Be sure to add to the state/county/city for the location of your article.

* Make sure you have the same state/county/city names in your Localism.com article. Google is good but they can't read your mind, yet.
LOCALISM IS THE ULTIMATE IN "PULL ADVERTISING". Strut your stuff and the consumer will find you.
LOCALISM.COM IS EASY AND IT WILL BRING REAL ESTATE CONSUMERS TO YOU.

Posted by Lenn Harley, Real Estate Broker, Maryland & Virginia on 12/24/2007 02:21 PM

Comments (58)

localism, active rain

Post is included in group: Realtors®

58 Comments on LOCALISM.COM - WHERE WE GET TO STRUT OUR STUFF - DO YOU HAVE LOCALISM MOJO??

DEC

2007

My post usually show up within the hour on google. I did one last nite on a condo assocaition that I do a lot of business in. Its just an update that answers a lot of questions that people ask me. You figure that most people will ask the same questions. it makes it on page one of a small but important search.

Real Estate Blog - New Orleans Warehouse District- Cotton Mill Condos

I sell a lot of Condos in the New Orleans Market but the Cotton Mill Condos has been the the place I have sold the most. A couple of reasons is that they ...
activerain.com/blogsview/316242/New-Orleans-Warehouse-District - 32k - 19 hours ago - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Lenn, not only is Localism.com a sensible plan for promoting yourself on the internet in 2008 -- it is one of the best plans out there and the cost is right!

Hey Eric. You have Localism MOJO. Good for you. I love it.

My plan for next year is to post a LOT more to Localism and less to general ActiveRain.

Brian. You are so right. The synergism is fantastic. I have fun with Localism and I have a huge collection of images to use. The market reports are really unique to this system. Works for me too.

Lenn, it really is easy and suprising how quickly posts show up on Google. It seems that they drop off rather quickly though....I'm keeping an eye on that because I haven't been around that long (on localism) to really say.

Happy Holidays!

Colleen

Lenn,

You know how I feel about localims but I did find out something...if I look i can find members only blogs that are viewable so I'm sure that is true about members only posts not able to be seen...maybe on a limited basis.

Lenn - Localism is the best part of AR for me anyways. I love featuring businesses in my market as well as homes, and market reports. I blog for business :) Of course as a reader of yours I know that is one of your passions.

This is so true, Lenn, We are trying to focus on Localism and find that the more local it is, the higher it comes up in the searches. We are also becoming better photographers, you HAVE to. Thanks for the post, it is a great reminder that while it is fun to smooze with the agents, it is the clients who pay the bills.

Colleen, I see some of mine on Yahoo that are months old. its easy to write a new blog on a good search idea. Blogs should be a little more updated and timely. I think that is why they show quickly and tend to fall off after a while. Some do stay for a why. Keep the local blogs in localism only and they tend to stay longer.

Lenn--I cannot believe that members do not understand the power of localism! As much as I like to network and leave comments for people, it is the most important aspect of AR and why I blog here! Have a wonderful Christmas. :)

Colleen. Just keep posting. Watch your tags and titles and you'll still get good SERP on Google.

Search Google for LEESBURG REAL ESTATE, NEW HOME IN LEESBURG and on page one is:

See: http://activerain.com/blogs/lennharley/tags/loudoun%20county%20new%20homes

=====================================================

THAT is the power of Localism and every post links to my major web site(s). It's very powerful.

Neal. I have searched for Members Only blogs and they didn't produce. I'm sure it can be done. I post so few to members only, it makes little to no difference. They're supposed to have "no follow" tags.

Bill. Localism is an art form and the folks in the gallery are the consumer. Blogging for business is the way to go. Of course, an occassional rant feels good too.

Bonnie. Right you are. The consumer searches for photos of homes and local information. It works.

Eric. I'm not sure that the Localisms "fall off" per se, but are rather replaced with higher ranking material.

Teri. Absolutely. Localisms are money in the bank.

So true Lenn and it is no secret that I need to utilize this great tool more. Not just for me, but to help consumers who may come across it. This is one of my main objectives here in 2008, to have a stronger presence on Localism. Happy Holidays you Hard-Core Real Estate Practitioner:-)

Jason. Thanks. Yes. I have found that I can trace these new home buyers in Loudoun County directly to AR. The "hard core" stuff is for you.

Lenn- Localism is one of my very best friends! It is an amazing way to reach the consumer very fast. I even had a seller call me as he was reading my localism post to list his house as he saw me as the expert and he liked what I wrote, he was an absentee owner and we did it all over email and phone. What better success can you ever ask for! Much faster than someone finding your website. Merry Christmas. Katerina

Katerina. Isn't it the truth?

I have a friend with a listing in Silver Spring. He got the listing in the MLS, I put up a post about it. An hour later I told him to go to Google and search "Silver Spring rambler".

There is was, and still is, #1 on Google. What more could anyone ask???

ActiveRain rocks!!

THanks Lenn, a great new years resolution More Localism posts are coming

Lenn,

Looks like I have my first New Year's resolution!!! Thanks, Fran

DEC

2007

Thanks for the advice Lenn, I was here reading up on how to start posting to Localism. I have already gotten in the habit of carring a camera with me, and I plan on adding this to my '08' marketing. Judging by the comments above, it is proven to work. Happy Holidays!

Michael. Indeed. Just keep working it.

Fran. Good idea. Me too. More, more.

Larry. Localisms are good Google juice. That's a good thing.

Lenn,

It is true how fast posts to Localism are indexed in Google. I have posted there several times in the short while I have been a member of AR. Both my AR and Localism posts show up on Google sometime higher then my web site.

PS: I really enjoy your posts an insights. I have been reading your posts on RealTalk for years since receiving my e-PRO and prior to you moving to AR.

Lenn-- YOU ROCK! Thanks for all the time you put in to the rain. I appreciate it that you share your "MOJO" and have learned more here in AR over the past few months than I have in my years of being in the real estate undustry. (I'm taking yours and many others advice on the localism front.)

T H A N K Y O U !

It is amazing how quickly Google does pick up your posts! Thanks again for all the info you provide Lenn.

Lenn,

This is by far the best information I've found about Localism on AR... I'm sure others have written great posts, but probably before my time to join. Anyway, I have been a bit discouraged when I "input" a search for my area... and it shows no articles or outdated ones sometimes. I now realize that it is my responsibility to post information about my area, my county, my hometown. If I want to see quality articles on Localism for our area, then I need to be one of the first to write them. I will make it a priority for 2008.

Just a side note, I realize a lot of folks are not on AR today or yesterday (I've been cooking since 6:30 am, and just sat down for a little break while everything is baking in the oven!), and your post is too good to be missed by those who are away for the holidays. Could you repost maybe after the first or second week of the new year so that everyone will benefit? I think this post is that important for Localism.

Happy New Year!!

That's right Lenn! I know I have benefit greatly from my Localism posts....just the leads ...led me to work harder and finally in contract DIRECTLY from an ActiveRain post....can't get any better than that!

Dear Josh Ross.

Please read.

ACTIVE RAIN GUIDELINE #1.

Do not advertise yourself or your services in the comment section of another members blog post.

Lenn, Excellent Post... Localism is such a great tool! Buyers are looking online and I want them to find me, Localism is PRICELESS!

Guilty, guilty, guilty. Spending so much time commenting and writing, but it is all Members Only, and though it is something that was needed for so long, but it is time to get to business.

I guess this is my New Year Resolution.

Thanks for reminding

DEC

2007

I just did a two week series and that was focused at the local level only. These posts where of Christmas lights around the area and the stats for those neighborhoods. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of calls I got off this series, when it really was more for families enjoyment, but it seems the public ended un enjoying it also.

Not to mention what it did for my Google MoJo, but it was nice!

Todd. You've got the mojo.

Jon. A lot of the posts for Members Only could easily be public. Unless we're doing real "inside" stuff, most can be public.

Debbie. Me too. It's very helpful to our businesses.

Sally. You are right. When someone contacts me and says, "I saw your blog", I know what they mean.

Jan. The way to get posts noticed is for members who read them to "flag" them. If I repost, I lose all of the comments and I wouldn't want to do that to the folks who posted.

Scott. Thanks for dropping by. Yes, I participated in RealTalk and e-PROTalk for about 10 years. But, I got no Google juice from it. ActiveRain brings Google directly to your blog. It's magic!!

Amanda. Do it. It will bring you business and give you a deeper knowledge base for your market area.

Great post, and very informative. You are correct as usual! It isn't about social real estate blogging, it is about the dollars generated from buyers and sellers looking for information on the Internet!

Jim. Agreed.

Lenn, I would like to promote myself on Localism more, and I do pot there, but it seems one needs to be an agent to get featured posts, even all the staging posts are written by agents only. It is something I will continue to work for in 2008. thanks for the insight and encouragement.

DEC

2007

Posting to localism has been one of my main reasons for joining. I just need to wait for some more breaks in the rain to get some good shots for posting...I guess I could take a picture of the rain and talk about how the rain really isn't that bad in Oregon...I feel a post coming on...

Julianna. Localisms have little to nothing to do with points. Localism are all about Google juice. Localisms are about the consumer.

Melina. Store some photos and draw on them when needed. I started storing photos a almost a year ago and I have as many as I will ever need. See: http://www.atlanticlights.com

I have another 1000 or so on my hard drive just waiting until I need them. Some of the images I use many times.

Lenn - Your posts should give CE credits--they are superb.

hello Lenn, I am a newbee to Active rain but not new to the awesome business of realestate. I just posted my first a few days ago, no MO JO yet. I am up to it though and i realized i need some LOCALISM in my mix. Thanks... Talk more soon. I am located in Columbia SC, the world famous Hilton Head state.

DEC

2007

Yeah, I know Len, I would like to reach the consumer too ;-)

Hi Lenn...Nice post well done. Very informative.

Cheers, have a great year in 2008!

Norma. What a nice thing to say. Thanks.

Lori. You're in an area that still has a viable market. Good luck. Stick with ActiveRain and it will bring some of that retirement business to you.

Julianna. I don't know if the consumer is the target of stagers, but it can't hurt.

Fred. Thanks. 2008 will be interesting to watch.

Thanks for all of that info! I will keep it in mind while blogging!

Thanks yo for reminding me how powerful Localisim really is! I will put in my schedule to post to more often.

Thanks for this post. I need to make more effort on Localism in 2008. Thank you for the reminder.

I just had a potential seller contact from a blog post that was on localism. It sure does work!

DEC

2007

Lenn..2008 is a buying opportunity in real estate, Evan Donald Trump is telling his followers to buy real estate in 2008 and says the market will bottom in the next six months.

Cheers

You inspired me to try to post to localism. I'm afraid I didn't get the right way of doing it. It seemed just like any other blog. Did I do wrong somewhere? Also do localisms also get points?
Thanks!

Barbara. You did it right. See:http://localism.com/real-estate/AR/White%20County/Judsonia

Yes, Localims indeed get points. In fact, if a post is good enough, you can have it featured in Localism and get a lot of points.

Fred. I don't know about 6 months. Sellers will be brought to reasonable prices kicking and screaming around here. We have another 20% down to go. But, in time. . . . .

Vanessa. YES. It does work.

Loreena. Localims are my routine job three times a week, or four, or five. Eash one is like a mini-web site.

Emily. Do it. It works.

Tina. Good for you. Don't forget

DEC

2007

Lenn~ localism does work. I got a phone call and a great compliment about a recent post I made. Good feelings all around. I KNOW you will have an incredibly successful 2008!

Lisa. Good for you. I get calls daily from my posts. It works.

Have a great new year.

JAN

2008

i am going to make this work for me in 2008. I have put it off long enough. thanks for the boost.

Sharon. If you need inspiration, I posted an article about Aquia Harbour in Stafford County at 10:10 a.m.

last week and had a call from a buyer before Noon. We're showing her homes on Saturday.

That is Google Juice.

JAN

2008

Lenn, I like this post. It's a good reminder to me that I need to focus more on the consumer and on my market. Thanks for sharing. It's very good and I'm on it.

I got my mojo working!

JAN

2008

Lenn -- One component of my business plan this year is to post consisitently to localism. . .I am so excited about the power of localism and the avenue it offers to reach the consumer.

Teri. Posting to Localism should be as routine as looking at the "Expired List" for listing agents.

Georgina. Work it. Work it.

Lori. It's really important and it's FREE

Right on target - not sure why everyone doesn't use localism. It certainly works in the google rankings & the best part is that it's free.

JAN

2008

Cindy. BINGO!!

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