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Blog Content Idea #1: "Mine" Your Email For Articles

Although most people feel that generating ideas to finished articles is the most daunting task associated with blogging, it's the technology curve that is the real challenge, there are many strategies that will help you overcome this task.

Mining Your Email

One of the easiest ideas to generate content is mining your own email. Your goal is to find situations or stories where people can learn from your actions, benefit from advice you provided, or become aware of something of value.

Example: If you helped a first time home buyer find a great tool (mortgage calculator, school, referral) that made a difference in their experience. You could provide the valuable information and the positive results.

WARNING: Tone is Everything in the Blogosphere

The biggest, most difficult mistake to eradicated when learning to blog is the tone of your articles. The blogosphere is a place where valuable information is provided continously without strings attached. Do NOT make your blog posts advertisements or sales pitches about your listings, your services, or your business. Provide valuable information and watch what happens as your traffic will grow.

Realtors that write posts about their listings, their services, and the things that make them the best will never garner readership; this violates the most basis blogosphere rule--NO sales pitches allowed.

Posted by Dean Guadagni on 05/25/2008 01:24 PM

Comments (6)

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Post is included in group: Active Rain Newbies

6 Comments on Blog Content Idea #1: "Mine" Your Email For Articles

Good idea about mining the emails for articles. I will do that more often. I have gotten a few off of emails.

05/25/2008 01:27 PM

by Chuck Carstensen (Re/max Associates Plus/The Discovery Coach)

Sales pitches are OK - but it has to be the appropriate audience. I post about multiple topics - to get teh widest audience possible.

05/25/2008 01:39 PM

by Adam Brett - Fullerton, California Realtor (RE/MAX NOC)

Brett,

I have to agree to disagree with the idea that "Sales pitches are OK." The blogosphere's #1 Rule is writing in a tone as an information provider without bias. The biggest mistake Realtors make is thinking that they can sell themselves on their blog through articles that promote how wonderful they are as professionals.

It doesn't work and it doesn't attract readership.

dean

05/25/2008 03:03 PM

by Dean Guadagni (Inner Architect; Inner Architect Media)

Chuck,

It's amazing how many emails you may be able to find with great information, helpful tips, and stories that matter to people trying to learn more about real estate and eventually about you as a professional. Good luck.

dean

05/25/2008 03:05 PM

by Dean Guadagni (Inner Architect; Inner Architect Media)

I agree with your warning, Dean. For the first time today (been here a couple of weeks), an agent responded to my post with a large ad for her agency ... nothing else. I noticed a recent post by this agent, and it began with a one line question and then launched into the same type of ad for her company. This goes beyong tone; it's blatant.

If you are going to put something out there for colleagues to read, there should be a reason for them to read them ... otherwise you are wasting their time.

To comment on the meat of your article, emails are a great place for inspiration. Magazines are too.

05/25/2008 03:38 PM

by Marie Meyer (Light Realty LLC, Goshen, NY)

Marie,

Thank you for reading. Another fantastic idea is to remember that content can be found nearly anywhere "within" the community you serve. Consider the following subjects great topics to position your Google SEO in terms of keyword searches:

1.Schools and School Districts

2.County politics or city politics

3. Neighborhood history

4. New restaurants and entertainment

5. Political scene

6. Cafes or Coffee Houses with Free WiFi access

05/26/2008 05:52 PM

by Dean Guadagni (Inner Architect; Inner Architect Media)