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7 Frictions with virtually no truth about Featured Posts.

By
Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

B'Liz wrote a recently featured post in which they exposed 7 Truths and Fictions about Featured Posts.

The subject of featured posts is one of those that gets the Active Rain membership all hot and bothered.  Some are thrilled to tiny-little-pieces "Hey!  I done got me one of them stars!", and others fret relentlessly that their beautifully crafted posts have gone unreasonably unnoticed, in favour of some favourite bloggers who always, always, always get the stars.... did I mention they were teacher's pets?

Let's see if we can follow along with a similar post, and perhaps a counter-point.

1) Not every featured post actually deserved to get featured.  We have all seen posts that  can barely speak English, let alone carry a coherent thought throughout entire post.  This is likely an indication that Bob Stewart, Kerrie, or whomever was at the God-panel that evening, was probably choosing featured posts whilst driving through the Taco-Bell drive-through.

2) Just because there ain't no comments yet, don't mean that the post ain't just bee-yoo-tee-ful, and worthy of a gold star.  After all, who knows what joke will appear funny whilst driving through the Taco-Bell drive-through? Besides, once it's featured, the comments will fill-up thereby proving the feature-fairy correct.  It's a self-fulfilling prophesy.

3) Now B'Liz tells us that there is no magic number of posts that entitles you to a feature, but we both know the s/he's wrong about that.  Let's dissect that, shall we?  As of today, including their current post, they have written 2,474 posts... and of those posts 453 of them have been featured (egads, that's a respectable amount of features!)   That means that they get a feature for just about about 18% of their posts.   As Debbie Gartner points out in comment #6, that's about 1 in 5 posts. Now, in fairness, not all of us can write as eloquently as B'Liz so we shouldn't expect the same results... so how about a feature for every 10 posts... yeah, that sounds about right... every 10 posts.

4) Monkey Business.  Features do increase monkey business.  The more features you get the more comments you'll garner, and the more comments you garner, the more likely you are to attain shenanigans.  And we all know that monkey business and shenanigans result in additional business.

5) If you're not getting featured, don't blame it on the Ambassadors.  Blame it on the Feature Fairy... I'm thinkin' these days that's gotta be Bob Stewart... I'll give you his cell phone so you can call him and ask him why you haven't been featured this week.  Dial 1-800-hey-you!

6) Most featured posts don't make much sense.  After all, Ben Kinney doesn't really want any competition, so he's going to make sure that the featured posts don't have any relevance at all to real estate, particularly if you're anywhere near the Pacific Northwest.

7) Reputation.  We, as members of the illustrious Active Brain, have a reputation for foolishness, and the Feature Fairies are going to make sure that we maintain that reputation by featuring the silliest posts they can find.  I mean, one day they even featured a shopping list, (go figure).  And the more familiar they become with your reputation, the less likely they're going to be to feature you, let alone read your blog.

8) B'Liz didn't write an eighth point, so I've got nuthin'.  Let's just be careful out there, alright?

Posted by

 ALAN MAY, Realtor®   
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, 2934 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Office: 847.869.7300      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate
Licensed in Illinois

   

Comments (23)

Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Alan - There certainly doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to what posts get featured, or at least I can't figure it out.

Jul 14, 2015 11:04 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Larry - I've seen students eatin' cheesy double beef burritos.

Troy - there ain't any rhyme, nor reason when you see "any" of my posts gettin' featured.

Jul 14, 2015 11:06 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

LOL.  You may want to check your math...453/2474 = 18% (not 1 out of 18).  That's close to 1 out of 5.

Jul 14, 2015 11:11 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Debbie - LOL... clearly math is not my strong suit.    I'll amend that.  Thanks for catching that.

Jul 14, 2015 11:20 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

I was led to believe that the same algorithm that allows Z to do home estimates its the same one that allows for features.  Very simple, NO?

Jul 14, 2015 11:30 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Well, I do not see any change in the gold star hand outs...it is just what the mood is.

Jul 14, 2015 12:05 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Ed - the post-zimate??

William - it's true... not much has changed.

Jul 14, 2015 12:11 PM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

I've pretty much figured out that featuring blogs isn't a precise science.  I've written what I thought were mediocre pieces that became featured, while some I had labored over went unnoticed. 

While content is usually key, I also think a lot of it has to do with how the stars are aligned!  And, that's OK!

There is also an unrevealed rule I have found about featuring.  It's kind of like business when you are ready to go on vacation.  Have you ever noticed how it always seems to pick up.  While you are getting ready to leave town for your nice little getaway, you write a blog on the way out the door.  And, Bammo - Whammo, it will get featured, so you then worry about were you are going to get the time to respond appropriately to the comments!

It's happened to me at least twice!

Jul 14, 2015 12:21 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Myrl - I've had the same thing... sometimes you spend hours and hours on a post, only to have it ignored.  And then you fire one off as an afterthought... just as you're heading out for a full day of showings, and boom, it's featured!

Jul 14, 2015 12:29 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

wait, Google doesn't feature posts?  welllll da-umn! (in my sweetest southern accent). Now I'm going to get myself a tall glass of sweet tea and ponder this.

Jul 14, 2015 12:31 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Tammy - well bless your heart!

Jul 14, 2015 12:34 PM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

Alan May - what do you know about "bless your heart"? 

Tammy Lankford - we need to share some sweet tea real soon, now!

Alan, an 18% feature ratio is pretty darn good. Heck, I think we would all settle for 10%! Thanks for making me laugh. 

Jul 14, 2015 01:27 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Okay Alan exactly which way do you mean that.  There's the sweet way and um, the not so sweet way.  Don't make me stop this car.

Jul 14, 2015 01:34 PM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

Tammy Lankford - I bet Alan doesn't know the "other" meaning!

Jul 14, 2015 01:57 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Pat Starnes I've talked to him on the phone, I'd take that bet.  I am pretty sure he knows.

Jul 14, 2015 02:03 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Pat & Tammy - In this case I mean it on its face value... but I reckon I know all the ways, an' I'm fixin' to tell you why... just because I don't have a southern accent don't mean I don't speak fluent southern.  I was married for 35 years to a Nashville girl ('till it went all cattywampus), and her folks were from Savannah.  So I know all the ways, y'see?


Just 'cause I'm a northern-boy, don't mean I'm dumber than a bag of rocks, y'all

Jul 14, 2015 10:43 PM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Hmmmm, I'm not certain if I should report this for altered plagiarism or call Bob and tell him to Feature it??

Jul 14, 2015 11:50 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

B'Liz - maybe featured plagiarism??   A whole new category of post-shaming?

Jul 15, 2015 12:09 AM
Chris and Dick Dovorany
Homes for Sale in Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida - Naples, FL
Broker/Associate at Premiere Plus Realty

I've had 25 and every time I was surprised and wondered why.  Quite impressed with the Spears however.

Jul 15, 2015 12:15 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Chris & Dick - the Spears are a juggernaut of featurelisciousness.

Jul 15, 2015 12:49 AM