There is a well-known phrase that was coined a long time ago that describes The Shot Heard Round The World.  Most sports fans will associate this phrase with Bobby Thomson's walk-off home run that clinched the 1951 National League Pennant for the New York Giants.  Fans of Ralph Waldo Emerson may recognize this phrase as the opening stanza of Emerson's Concord Hymn (written in 1837).

A few weeks ago, Bill Gassett, wrote a post entitled Who's.amung.us ~ Free statistic tracking for your Blog.  This is one of the easiest widgets to install on your blog.  Operating unnoticed behind the scenes, WhosAmongUs lets you know who is on your blog and where they came from in real time.  One of the best features of this helpful tool is a map that shows you exactly where your readers are coming from.

When I first added this to my blog, I didn't really think much about it.  Recently, I clicked on the map function of WhosAmongUs, and I was astonished to find out that my blog was being read in 25 countries.  Of course, I knew that it was being read in the United States, and suspected that it was also being read in Canada, but I never would have expected most of the other countries to have anyone reading my blog.

If you haven't added this incredible tool to your blog yet, I would strongly suggest doing so.  It's fascinating to see just how far-reaching your blog can be, but more importantly, it should heighten your awareness of the potential business that you can develop by blogging. 

Think about how powerful this information can be on a listing appointment.  When I tell homeowners that I will be marketing their home aggressively on the Internet, I can show factual evidence that their home is being advertised in 25 countries (and growing).  In addition to the 24 foreign countries, my blog is also being read all across the United States. 

What do you think is more impressive to a homeowner - placing a static newspaper ad that generates virtually no phone calls, or advertising their home via your blog that is read all over the world?  Below is a screen shot which shows all of the places where my blog is being read.

We tend to think in very granular, local terms when we talk about our market area.  While it's true that each of us only covers certain geographic locations when selling homes, the truth of the matter is that we are potentially marketing to the entire world.  Even if we never speak directly to the consumer by exchanging dialog on our blogs, it's important to note that many of our readers live well beyond our chosen market areas.

At this time, I would like to thank all of the consumers that read my blog, both in the United States, and around the world.  Each one of you has contributed to making my blog more than I ever thought it would be when I joined Active Rain.

I appreciate your continued support, and would be more than happy to hear from any one of you, either in the comments section of my posts, or via direct contact.  Should you be interested in contacting me directly, please use the contact information listed below.