So You're New to Active Rain and Want to Know How to Get Your Name Out There

So You're New to Active Rain and Want to Know How to Get Your Name Out There. It's really easy to get started in Active Rain. You just sign up, work on your profile, and then start blogging. Soon the referrals and comments will be pouring in, right? Well not so fast. New members always have questions, and I hope this will answer some of them for you.

Q: How can I get the most from my membership in the quickest amount of time?

A:Like any system in your business, getting your name out there on Active Rain takes time and effort on your part. As a new member you might want to consider joining the New AR Blogger Seeking Comments on Blogs Group. This is the latest and newest group encouraging all new members to join. There are many active moderators there to answer your questions and comment on your blogs. This group is getting a lot of buzz here in The Rain.

Q: Okay...I've joined the Newbie Group, so now what do I do?

A: After you do that...start reading blogs from other members. Leave nice and constructive comments when you have something to say. It a matter of courtesy here on AR to return a member's comment when one is left. When you get a comment, return the favor by going to that member's blog and leaving a comment. When you comment, you get 25 points for each one...up to 10 comments scored a day for a maximum daily point intake of 250 points. But don't let the point cap limit you to only 10 comments a day. Commenting is one of the best ways to form relationships on Active Rain. This is a community of people with something in common. Real estate, in one way or another, affects our lives and business. As a community, we support and encourage each other.  Remember you also get 100 points just for logging in everyday. But this blog isn't really about getting points. If you are an active member that will happen. This is about getting relationships started.

Q: I don't know what to blog about?

A: This is an easy one. You might want your first blog to be about you. That's a great place to start, but it doesn't have to be about you. Maybe you would like to talk about your community. Introduce the AR membership to the area in which you work. I live in an extremely rural area. I started blogging about The Western Slope of Colorado. There is so little information on the internet about my area. I want everyone to know how great this place is, and I spotlight local businesses as well. Do you have a question about how something works on AR...blog about it. You will get a lot of answers to your question. Did you have a great experience at work last week...blog about it. It doesn't have to be all business. Including personal stories also helps other members get to know you better, and it might help to establish some common ground.

Here's what you shouldn't do when you first start blogging...Don't ask for referrals. Most members already have established relationships with members all over the country. They will want to know more about you, before they start sending referrals your way. Asking for referrals right away is kind of a turnoff.

Just as in the real world, it takes time to form relationships in the virtual world. Don't expect results overnight. Be consistant in your blogging and commenting and the relationships will happen.

Don't forget to check out the University tab at the top of the page. There are recordings of past classes with a wealth of information on how to structure your blog and key phrases to use to get google to notice you.

I've lived on Colorado's Western Slope for over 22 years. I love this area and all it has to offer, and I enjoy sharing what I know about my home...including fishing stories. As a real estate broker, I also love to share my expertise in this area as well. If you need any real estate information for Montrose County, or Delta County, Colorado...please give me a call.