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Local Posts- Keep 'em Coming!

By
Home Stager

Local Posts- Keep ‘em coming!

On occasion, I have read posts and comments questioning why we shouldLocal blogs be writing posts about local events, places or people.  ( Don’t go there…. this is not an invitation to tell me why you don’t want to write or read about local posts.  I respect your opinion but write your own post about it!)

One of the first challenges I remember taking courtesy of Bob Stewart was to write posts about events happening in our local area.   Ok… I was on board for that.  One of the reasons was that it provided a blog topic for me.

I started by picking on asking friends for my first local posts.  The hardest thing I had to do was explain to them what the heck a blog was and what was an ActiveRain.

Flash forward to this weekend.  I was attending a wedding and ran into a friend whose restaurant, the Cannoli Kitchen, was the subject of one of my posts.

“I just wanted to thank you again for writing about us.  I’m still getting calls from people who found us from the post.  I had no idea what it could do.”

I wrote that post almost 5 years ago.

These posts are some of the easiest you’ll ever write.  The information is already there.  All you have to do is take some good photos and be informative.

~ Once you’ve written the post, be sure to get it out on Facebook, Google+ and any other social media you would use that would be seen by locals.

~ Email the post to the owner/manager of the business.

~ Take them a framed copy of your post!

My friend has opened up another restaurant, and has plans for another, so expect more posts soon!

 

 

 

Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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Comments (52)

Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Barbara Jo- and, if you look at the expense ( very little), you can't get advertising for less. 

Patty- And you too!!!

Tom- yes and you never know who's reading them. 

Jill- I remember speaking to a lady who was calling about a deli and as we spoke, I ended up giving her the name of an agent.  She was in town to put her mother's condo on the market. 

Carla- you're very welcome! Have a good day. 

Apr 30, 2014 04:16 AM
Debbie Cook
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc - Silver Spring, MD
Silver Spring and Takoma Park Maryland Real Estate

I don't like writing or reading them BUT .... I know these posts are "most attractive" and like gold for the people that live in the particular subdivision or neighborhood.

Apr 30, 2014 04:25 AM
Bruce Kunz
C21 Solid Gold Realty, Brick, NJ, 732-920-2100 - Howell, NJ
REALTOR®, Brick & Howell NJ Homes for Sale

Hi Kathy. Local posts are interesting and provide good information. I have attended a number of events after reading about them.

Your idea of sharing a framed copy is fantastic - I'd not thought of doing that.
Thanks for sharing,
Bruce

 

Apr 30, 2014 04:51 AM
Whitney Watson
First Heritage Mortgage - Henrico, VA

Great advice, Kathy! I love to highlight local businesses and activities. Knowing what kind of impact it can have is really helpful.

Apr 30, 2014 05:59 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Totally agree, Kathy.  Although my local posts garner few comments or attention here on AR ... they do so elsewhere for me in big numbers.  Long after they are first written too.  They introduce me to many of my locals ... and provide creditibility too.  I'm a fan of writing these posts because of those reasons ...

Gene

Apr 30, 2014 06:08 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Kathy

Love this post. Some of the most fruitful posts are local posts, at least for me. I get calls all the time from folks who are researching the area (mixed in with locals who just happen to find the post and are calling about a reservation, an order, direction,s hours, etc. LOL!). They draw traffic but also demonstrate you are knowledgeable about the community. And they are timelss (at least places that do not close down, and even those still get traffic).

Jeff

Apr 30, 2014 06:20 AM
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

I think you do one of the best jobs on local posts and sure leave me wanting to attend most of them. I love local posts and need to post more of them. They do a great job on reaching local people. 

Apr 30, 2014 06:35 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Debbie- it's a personal choice but they can be fun to do. 

Bruce- I even love reading of local events in other areas!

Whitney- you know, you never know who's reading your post!

Gene- agreed!  And, they're fun to write. 

Jeff- absolutely.  I have to chuckle at some of the calls I've received - can I bring by dog to the orchid show?  Has my scented candle arrived?

Scott- and, if you're getting out there to gather the information or take photos...even better. 

Apr 30, 2014 06:43 AM
Marshall Enterprises
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Antiques, Lawn Care, and Trashouts

Boy, I need to do more of these.  I have only ever gotten one call.  But, we live in a far more rural area, too.

Apr 30, 2014 07:06 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Kathy,

I absolutely agree with you, and it is a lovely way to make friends...A

Apr 30, 2014 07:14 AM
Kathy Smiley
Rodeo Realty ~ Fine Estates Westlake Village - Newbury Park, CA
"Real Estate results that make YOU smile!"
Kathy -it's a great idea to promote your local community and businesses in your blog. And if those businesses are owned by your friends or clients, blogging about their businesses can result in new contacts and possibly great referrals!
Apr 30, 2014 07:55 AM
Joanna Cohlan
Fresh Eyes For Your Home - Chappaqua, NY
Designing, Decorating & Staging Westchester Homes

Kathy, writing local posts is a great way to promote your community which then promotes your business as well.  And, I love learning about what is going on around the country thru all these local posts-I get ideas for places to travel to. BTW, how do we do a strike out on words in our posts-you struck out "picking on" and I have no idea how you were able to make that happen.

Apr 30, 2014 09:38 AM
Jack O'Neal
HomeSmart Elite Group - Gilbert, AZ

Kathy, I absolutley think that writing and posting local blogs are a great way to meet other realtors in your community and let them know about what's going on.  This is one way to keep up to date about what's happening around you.

Apr 30, 2014 10:30 AM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

Kathy, one of the reasons people move to Franklin TN is because of our historic, dowtown. The local events that take place there really tell a lot about our fair city.

Apr 30, 2014 10:57 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

I am one of those people who is a strong believer in local posts.  Afterall, it is those folks living in our midst that are most likely to become our clientele!

Apr 30, 2014 11:59 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I love writing local posts.  I would like to have some informatiion on how to optimize our Journey on Active rain.

Apr 30, 2014 12:44 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Ron- keep on writing them, you'll never know who's reading them. 

Alexandra- absolutely!   Look at what you did for Nepresso.  They should give you coffee for life!

Kathy- I love writing them for a business who's given us great service!

Joanna- I too love "visiting" all of the places that members share with us.  I write my posts in Google Drive first, so that's how I did the strikethrough!

Jack- When you ask a business owner for a photo you can use in your blog, and ask them questions, then you've made an instant new friend. 

Tammie- and where else can people go to find out about the events?!  Your blog!

Myrl- to quote Lenn Harley "bingo!"  

Joan- I think there's a webinar on it tomorrow!

Apr 30, 2014 12:58 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Morning Kathy Okay i won't go there.  Sooooo how has your day been?  

Apr 30, 2014 07:15 PM
Conrad Allen
Re/Max Professional Associates - Webster, MA
Webster, Ma, Realtor

It is amazing how long people remember when you write about them.

Apr 30, 2014 08:20 PM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Active Rain is set up in such a way that one can see the quantity of activity on any individual post. Surprise, surprise. My local posts receive the most activity.

Apr 30, 2014 09:17 PM