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First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

Last week something new began to be seen in the great hallowed halls of Active Rain. Beautiful blog masterpieces started to appear. Active Rain gave to us all another great new improvement to help us all better differentiate and further brand ourselves through our blogs. We now all have the access to a FREE tool, the ActiveRain Customizer, that allows us to easily create a visual masterpiece of our own blogs.

I have scoured Active Rain's walls to find 15 fine examples of blogs that have a new and improved branded" look. I encourage you to click and open the examples below, to see in detail what others have already done. You will notice that some blogs have a look that is simpler, for they have been designed by "beginners," while others look more complex, because they have been created by seasoned designers. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!!! It is quick, easy and fun to create a great first impression blog. If you need some basic instruction to get you started? Here are links to four blogs that will guide you along...

Brad Carroll (who created the ActiveRain Customizer) first wrote this post: ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com
Margaret Woda put a great deal of time to author this excellent and informative post: Dumb Real Estate Agent Finally Gets It
Jeff Turner, that techy guru and zen master, also chimed in with this post: Editing Images For Your Customized ActiveRain Blog

AND these Instructions are from Brad's blog outside of Active Rain. These are GREAT instructions too. How to Redesign Your Active Rain Blog!

Again, this is just a small sample of all the creativty taking place, if you have created your own masterpiece... please post a link to it in a comment below. I am sure others will love to see all the fresh new looks being shown in the Rain.

Finally, I have to say that these visual changes all call to mind the stager's mantra... "First impressions matter!" Funny thing is that what my fellow stagers and I have been saying now doesn't only apply to how a property looks when it is selling in the marketplace. First impressions now also matter when you are presenting/selling yourself in your blog.

So go and tap into your inner Monet... and enjoy yourself as you create a Impressionistic Blog Masterpiece.

Posted by Craig Schiller on 04/14/2008 11:05 AM

Comments (58)

home staging, activerain, blogging, marketing, effective marketing, first impressions

Originally posted at: Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog: First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

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58 Comments on First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

APR

2008

So Craig...are you starting your own Blog art gallery now? How much for the pretty blue one? :)

+Nice post I followed the instructions but my logo is not appearing in the header. Not sure what I am doing wrong

Well Craig, I decided last week to give that a try...let me know what you think? Myrtle Beach Blog

Craig - I have been having so much fun looking at all these. It is amazing that they are all so different and unique. It is so hard to choose the nicest ones!!! Thanks for including me in your hall of fame.

Hi Craig, thanks for the great works of art. This has inspired us to do ours.

Patty & Scott Carroll - RE/MAX Equity Group Vancouver WA

HI there and thanks for the links. I am going to work on it today, and send a link back . . .

Craig-Thanks for the mention and I love the new customization! Your blog looks red hot and the pic is awesome! I really appreciate the mention and feel very flattered! :) Now the only problem is...I am such a woman and you know how we change our minds...so many choices...and so little time but I love the fact we can now do this.

Thanks! I just chose to customize ours a little! I love it!

I got going with it last week and think it is great. I haven't had time to go back and tweak, but here is what it looks like for today.

http://activerain.com/blogs/lesleyjl

Craig...

Whoa. I am a little surprised that my "Crap-A-Rama" Blog made it to this list. I mean please...It's Crap :)

Anyway...You put a lot of work into all of this and I'm honored to see myself framed in gold. Makes me feel somewhat special :)

Now...I can't take credit for the designing of my Blog only the idea. I had help from someone who knows me very well. All I really did was tell a "Big Dog" I wanted it to read "The Lovely Wife's Crap-A-Rama Blog". From there he just read my mind :)

I am loving the new look and feel of Active Rain. One of the Lovelies named her Blog Real Estate Chatter. I found that to be especially creative on her part. She does chatter, so the branding works well for her.

Thanks for sharing this with all of us. Now I can romp around and check out all the creative minds around here :)

I'm going to keep the box checked so I will be able to keep up. Monday's are kind of a busy day for me. Be back soon :)

TLW...ROAR! (aka Misty...Just for you)

Craig - Your background image inspired me to do the same in my color scheme.

Yes, I copied you but I did give you credit. (it's hidden)

http://activerain.com/blogs/mikemueller

Thank again Craig, this is just what I need. Will have to get back to "fixing" mine and adding to after todays job. I really appreciate all of the time that you take to make this happen for all of us!

Thanks for keeping us updated.

I was wondering what was going on!! Thanks!

Mike my background is NOT my idea.

I "borrowed" it too. But I like how it frames the page.

Yours looks great too.

Oh no!

Who should I be giving credit to then?

(did you find the hidden credit?)

I guess I'll just have to leave it like it is. You should see the royalty checks start coming in any time now. LOL

Craig, I ve been playing around with mine -as far as trying to match the colors of my logo!

Craig~ Thanks so much for the mention, I'm flattered as well. But like Midori, I will seeking even "purttier" tweaks to it! Yours is the best!

Craig. Thanks for all of the good information. Keith..

Thank you for the mention, Craig - for both my post and my custom blog design. As you can see, I like the simple look for my own, but I'm intrigued by all the fancy designs. It's so much fun to watch the unfolding of this on ActiveRain. Thanks for subscribing to my blog - I'm a big fan of yours, and I always refer my clients to your 16 pages of before and after photos.

By the way, when you first look at some of these, the blog content sometimes runs out of the frame over onto the left background. All you have to do is click on refresh one time, and it appears the way it's supposed to forever after that. I read that on someone else's post, and it has worked for me when I've run across that problem.

Craig: With Margaret as my inspiration, and with a knee injury keeping me away from a day on the lake, I am the proud new owner of a snazzy blog. A Sunday project that was well worth it. Colors are Califronia inspired.

Check it out here

Aloha Craig,

I enjoyed your blog especially the first-impressionist bit and the frames frame it all in rather nicely. Since you have invited us to share our work here's my link. Mahalo,

Peace,

Craig... nice to be included in your gallery! Thanks. Now, if the blog window didn't changes sizes from main to post view, designs like yours would maintain their great look!

You missed me! :) But that's okay...you have plenty of fine examples. http://activerain.com/blogs/niknik

Craig - Thanks for hanging my "Gone Coastal" blog in your gallery! Many thanks also to Brad for a little inside technical help. Special kudos go to NikNik for being one of the early rebels adopters. :>)

Hey Craig,

Thanks for featuring my cup of coffee in your gallery. Lets get it on canvas and make millions.

Hiya Craig,

Maureen's blog was the first one I saw with some new bling last week. I followed suit and staged mine with her help. I am enjoying checking out all the new "masterpieces"! Have a peek at mine here.

I've been having a ball with the customizer... I think I am going to sit down and set up a half dozen header images and then I'll be able to flip them in and out at will...

Thanks to Maureen Henry - my header is no longer a picture of a ceiling.

I really like the shadow in the background image. How did you (and Mike) do that?

Kathy

Love this! The minute I saw Jackson's blog this weekend I emailed him and asked how to do it and now I am up and running with it. Love the creative people of the Rain. Kym

This gallery will keep on growing and growing for sure. Always something new and creative.

APR

2008

Thank you for the tutoring Craig! I love it. If I can figure it out everyone else will too! I have a lot of cleaning up to do with my profile but this is helping to make it fun! Later in the rain~Deb

http://activerain.com/blogs/lakelivingston

Some of the new blogs that are customized are very nice. Congratulations to all that have done it.

Jackson and Kathy and the rest of you - you know who you are. I have not received the checks. Please send cash ASAP.

Very cool. Geeze, if only I could have my blog framed in a gold frame like everyone else :(

Craig~ Nice touch. It is nice to have all this information attached to one site to begin to work through the process.

So that's why I saw your pretty face over at my blogsite. Well, it's not what I would like to have it look like but it's better than nothing...glad to see your face in the rain again.

Thanks for the great info. I will be looking into these, this is all new to me, but very interesting.

Thanks

Kevin

White Plains, NY

I loved all the examples. I can't believe how maniy people have jumped on the band wagon already. I'll have to follow soon. It looks so much better. The only downside is some take a long time to load.

APR

2008

I am honored to have made the masterpiece list! For those afraid to jump in and try, the instructions are very easy to follow!! And I just kept trying until I got it right.

Good Morning Craig and thanks for the instructions. I fixed Linda up with a purdy puddle last night and I have to say I am pretty puddly pleased with the outcome. Can't wait to purdy my puddle. Thanks a ton for pointing me to the "how to's".

Hey Craig,

Love your post.

Where do you get your great graphics/clip art?

Patty & Scott Carroll - RE/MAX Equity Group Vancouver WA

Hi Patty & Scott.

Glad it helped. As for my art... I eather make it myself. Which I seem to be doing more and more these days. OR I scour the web looking for it. You just need to be careful about copy rights. But if you look hard enough you can find stuff.

But mostly now I make my own things.

APR

2008

Craig, after seeing all the great things everyone has been doing with their AR site, I finally went in and tried my wee hand at it.

Tell me what you think... Sacramento with Gena Riede any suggestions, Mr. Frame Man?

There are some great looking sites out there, yours being one.

OK pal, I got both Linda's and mine done, Tah na look and let me know if I've done you proud?

Craig, all your themes seems to be good. Let me give it a try.

Best - Sash

PS: FREE blog traffic strategy video...click here

APR

2008

Craig and all of the featured bloggers here....they all look GREAT! Now if I only had time to figure out how to do it to mine!

Okay, I love, love, love these works of art! How cool to see so many that I've not yet visited. A great addition to our Active Rain wall! ;-) Mine is located here: The Lady In Red - Teri Ellis

Wow! there are some really great looking blogs out there in the Rain. Now I'm embarrassed...I need to hunker down and get past having to log back in constantly.

Thanks for the frustration motivation!

MAY

2008

Thanks for the links, it was really quick and easy. I've only added basic colors and it's already a big difference! Your so right, especially as Stagers, presentation is key.

It is so much fun to check out all these other blogs! Here is mine: Sharon Tara's Blog

MAY

2008

Nice one Craig,

Providing this post has given us all the opportunity to customise our blogs and present ourselves to the market in a completely new light. Having the links to the 'instruction manuals' also makes life that little easier for the more technically changed! I think that the AR Gods should be thanked for making the technology available to us.

I have completed my page and it can be found right here

Cheers

Adam

MAY

2008

Love the branding idea and puts a little spice in the blogs, it's fun to see how people perceive themselves and we are all selling something after all...Thanks for the illustrated posts.

MAY

2008

Craig,

Now if AR would help us with our profile and home pages. I've always admired your fantastic home page. So far all I've accomplished is pasting before and after photos without any cool shading/shadowing, boarders, fonts or graphics. Being a one-woman show, I find it difficult to find time to learn new things like how to use HTML code etc.

Thank god for pre-made templates!

Jodi

JUN

2008

Why is it that all of the stagers seem to have the most creative blogs? Nice post and love your header!

JUL

2008

I've been playing a bit too http://activerain.com/blogsview/591204/Is-Real-Estate-Shows

It's fun to try the different widgets. The music came off after one day because I found it annoying . I'm a late night surfer and forget to turn off my speakers and nearly jumped out of my chair.

Playing around with my signature too and have been able to post in color.

NOV

2008

Thanks Craig,

Great info.

Debbie

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