I would like to "Thank" Melissa Burden from "The Flint Journal".  Melissa asked for my input in a story about Social Networking.  It was honor to be contacted and asked.  The article is the link and the information below is the information I sent. 

http://www.mlive.com/flint/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-5/1210479674257830.xml&coll=5

On May 5, 2008, at 12:31 PM, Angie Ridley wrote:

Hello Melissa,

Thank you for the opportunity to assist with your article. In addition to the information below, I belong to many rating services also. www.MerchantCircle.com , www.Naymz.com just to name a couple.

 I have been Internet Social Networking since 2006. The social  interacting provides me with an opportunity to show the public and  peers that I am an expert in Genesee County real estate. Blogging  creates a personal relationship between me and my current as well  as future clients. I have had clients call me from my  www.AngieRidley.com blog (a www.realtownblog.com) because they see

 I like to camp or we have some thing else in common that the person calling read about. They meet me before I ever meet them. People are willing to share so much, so just have to want to learn. I learn, educated and advertise my sellers listing where I network.   www.ActiveRain.com social network has 2 values. ActiveRain is a real estate driven blogging website. To access all features a participant must become a member. No fees are involved. The education on ActiveRain is priceless. I have learned web tricks and received useful real estate information. Comments blogged on  ActiveRain can be for "Member Only" or Public. I post Flint real estate stats and listings on ActiveRain which upload to a public site called www.Localism.com . ActiveRain is a great place to generate referral business.

 Socializing on www.myspace.com assist me with communicating the younger generation. I am a Gen X, I am able to converse with Gen Y's over MySpace. It seem Gen Y's like facts and "just say what you mean quickly" responses.

 www.motorcityconnect.com is a place I can give and receive business referrals and education. This site hosts a calendar of free educational events.

 The Michigan Association of REALTORS® thought social networking was so important they created a group for Michigan Realtors on www.facebook.com Here we can discuss what is new with Michigan Real Estate.

www.LinkedIN.com is a professional business network that is based on linking to each to create higher results for the search engines,  as ActiveRain does as well. There is professional discussion,  quick tips and more...

 www.Plaxo.com keeps your systems in sync, members active, and update to with what each other is doing. If you use Outlook, Plaxo will keep your systems in sync. I have 3 systems that I sync  together with this system. If my friend Missy in Ann Arbor posts  to her blog, Plaxo alerts me.

 My next venture is www.MLive.com forums. These forums are broke down by area and category. This will create close community ties.

 I add www.youtube.com clips in my blogs so people can get a visual about me. Again, they know me before the call.

 I have a Mobile Notary that I separate from the real estate brokerage so I have a free blog in www.wordpress.com to advertise  that business with no expenses.

 I hear agents say, I don't have time to blog; I don't have time not too. I connect my www.AngieRidley.com blog to all other blogs I have, my business website www.CompleteRealtyLLC.com and my email address. I make myself very easy to find.

All the blogs I have listed are free to all!