Real Estate Blog - Effectively Utilize Localism

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Effectively Utilize Localism

Now that ActiveRain has starting focusing all local content posts on the Localism platform it is important for all of to utilize the power and potential authority of the site for our search engine benefit. If you are blogging on ActiveRain and posting local content to Localism that you already see the value in using these systems but what maybe troubling is how to get content all over localism effectively.

What do I mean by effectively? I mean that you want to create synergies between current online strategies to increase the level of importance associated with the local content post. How can this be done? Here is what I do to make it all happen effectively and some will probably not like me for sharing this secret but as we all know most people won't do it anyways. But if you want to get the most out of your online market then follow Toby's five marketing phase tricks.

Neighborhood Orientated Pages
Uploading Images
Marketing Reports
Listing
Events and News

Neighborhood Orientated Pages - This is the most comprehensive portion and requires more effort than all others combined.

First: Take an afternoon to go out and take pictures of the neighborhoods (start with one), drive around the neighborhood noticing features and attributes that make it distinctive while thinking of items to write about.

Second: After taking the desired number of pictures drive directly to a computer. It will assist in keeping everything fresh in the memory.

Third: (If you have a website you can edit) Create a brand new webpage for the neighborhood on your website. To illustrate this here is what I do, The Marysville homepage is the hub for all new local information and the neighborhood pages are neatly categorized under the main body. These pages aren't to complex and simple in design but highly targeted to my keywords and include many pictures.

*Tech Tip - make sure all the links to the page work correctly

Fourth: Login into ActiveRain and post a synopsis of the page created on your website with links that point to the page on the website anchoring the link with the name of the neighborhood, view Rock Creek blog example. Also post at least one image but not all, save those for the website. After spell and grammar checking the post submit it to the city and neighborhood that it belongs too.

*Tech Tip - if the neighborhood isn't already added go ahead and add it while gaining a few points

Uploading Images

After completing the four steps above go to over to Localism and find the neighborhood that was just added or posted about. Upload all the images for that neighborhood and provide keyword rich descriptions, Cedarcrest South image on Localism (link removed since image was deleted by staff).

*Tech Tip - avoid keyword stuffing
*Tech Tip - images can't be uploaded to a neighborhood until their is written content for that neighborhood

Market Reports

These are easy to do and the information is even easier to obtain. Login to your local MLS and they should have some reports there for you to see. It is easy just to copy the information straight over and post a bunch of numbers so using your professional skills may inferences on what direction is going from the data provided. These types of reports have a lot more value associated with them because they require more thought (I should take my own advice here).

Blogged Listings

In my opinion this is the most overlooked feature on ActiveRain because there are no points associated with listings. Points are not the objective, well placed blogs on search engines is. An example is a Marysville two story we have listed, currently STI, is #1 on Google for Marysville two story and our website is #3 (links from the blogged listing to our website), view results. Utilizing these keywords is the goal and using listings is a great way to get more keywords. If you don't have listings of your own you might want to advertise someone else's listing.

*Tech Tip - check with the local MLS with regards to advertising someone else's listing

The listing by numbers group has a lot of useful information on how to list on ActiveRain/Localism but the only I don't like is using the address as the title. Why? Because they are not the most effective search terms. Who do you know that is searching by address? Not to me...To get the best results use a short descriptive titles with no characters.

Events and News

This category is more fun to post to than all the others in my opinion. Why? Because usually these activities are fun and easier to talk about than just real estate, real estate and more real estate. Yesterday I did a fun post on Marysville's adult softball league that has registration information and how much fun it would be to participate in. It is nothing flashy for lengthy but it has all the pertinent information along with the documents to download (I called the city and they faxed them over then they were scanned as jpegs and hosted on my website).

News is something else that can get great search results. A post about a new Senate Bill about new construction warranties is a great way to get some extra traffic. News post are more difficult to rank high on search engines because a blogger has to compete with the very large news sites out there. But every few clicks helps.

Conclusion

Taking all these steps to blanket ActiveRain and Localism a blogger will gain tons of free traffic from the web while improving the in-coming links to their own website. All it takes is a time investment but the long-term payouts are enormous.

*Tech Tip - the more work that is put into a particular city on Localism the longer it will stay on the homepage under the US map, notice Marysville, WA.

Posted by Toby Barnett on 03/08/2007 04:38 PM

Comments (215)

localism, seo, blogging

Post is included in group: Blogging & SEO
Post is included in group: Localism Brainstorming

215 Comments on Effectively Utilize Localism

MAR

2007

As we get closer and closer to the official launch of Localism.com, it's imperative that our greater membership takes full advantage of the added exposure Localism can offer you and your business. Toby provides some helpful ways of better organizing your time and energies there. Thanks, Toby!

- Rich Jacobson -

Toby,

I think this is excellent advice. LOCALISM is where our customers get to see us. This will be a very useful post for anyone wanting to generate more business. Thank you and congratulations on the star!!!

Outstanding information.. Thanks Toby..

Very good info Toby, I'm fortunate that so far I am the only one in my market on Localism. That gives me the freedom to set it up the way I want. I just hope I don't get to much biz from it. I hate turning folks away. I guess that's a good problem to have though.

Very nice presentation, well thought out and an excellent example of how to write a good post. aa

Wow Toby, I will have to read this again and again to grasp it all and I hope I can!

Hi, Toby! You REALLY get this!!! EXCELLENT post and thanks for sharing your tips with the rest of us. I'm going to have to follow your plan myself ... !

Toby, good post. I am actively shaping Localism to my marketing plan. I especially liked point 1.

Thank you thank you thank you. Sometimes I get overwhelmed at the potential of Localism that it really helps to have someone put it into black and white.

Thank you Toby. This was very informative and helpful. I appreciate your taking the time to outline how to use localism effectively.

Rich, thanks for the update on the official launch. I thought Localism had already launched because the site was now public.

Kelli, new business is the key. I got a call from a couple in Grand Rapids MI this weekend from finding me on the net. I referred them off to our broker and then flew in today and Mickie is currently showing them around Snohomish County. It works if we work it :)

Eric, thanks buddy.

Bryant, I'll take all the business I can get since there is an office full of people to feed here :) If you get over whelmed just send them to Washington. We have water and Sun, two months out of the year.

Colleen, thank you.

George, I am glad you found it use full and it gives you great results.

Sarah, it is a plan that has been working for me. Good thing no one in Marysville is actively participating in AR.

Chris, Always add content to your own website before any other website which makes point 1 so critical. Most people forget about their website when getting involved in a dynamic platform such as AR. My website is the bread and butter for all our marketing so it esential it keeps getting influxes of new information.

Elena, it is easy to get over whelmed but it just take some time to get the hang of it then it comes really easy and starts to flow.

Joan, no problem :)

My routine is very simple simple.

1. Add a few lines to Homefinders.com.
2. Comment on a few blogs on AR.
3. Update some market info on Homefinders.com
4. Write a report for AR.
5. Go to Google and search for keyword phrases for market area, see AR or Localism link
6. Feel good all over.

I am working on my website to build the neighborhood pages you mention. I am using google maps to locate the neighborhoods and I really like it. I have just started with taking pictures to add to my pages. I also plan to upload thes to localism and create articles linking to my website.

You can see how I am integrating google maps here -- Sanford NC Neighborhood Information

Rita

I love point #6 Lenn :)

Rita, wow that is pretty cool...takes a moment to load but very unique and creative use of Google Maps.

Like you, I love going out to visit neighborhoods in our area. It seems that I always find something interesting, and-unexpected. Yesterday, while photographing a lovely neighborhood not 5 minutes from downtown Asheville, and just across from the world famous Grove Park Inn for the Localism.com effort, I happened on 20 wild turkeys sauntering down the sidewalk! I am not sure how I am going to explain THAT one...Wild turkeys live in this sustainable neighborhood?

Thanks Toby LOTS of great information and new ideas. I have been posting to Localism but you have given me more to do! Thanks

I don't know when the official release of Localism is. I sent an email to Jonathan a day or so ago to ask if it had already been released because for the last couple of days this is on page one of Google, for many major keyword searches, in position #9, and it makes me feel good all over.

Localism: Long Beach, CA Real Estate Info - California - 11 visits - 2:15am

Further information on Downtown Long Beach Condo's and other Long Beach ... Carmela Etgar (Main Street Realtors): Real Estate Agent in Long Beach, Los ...
localism.com/real-estate/CA/Los%20Angeles%20County/Long%20Beach - 62k - Cached - Similar pages

Oh, did I forget to mention, the leads are pouring in, and that gave me 5 separate positions on page one.

Excellent post and a reminder to make full use of localism. Localism is going to be such a good tool to connect with the public.

This is helpful information of developing a full-fledged on-line campaign to get information out to interested consumers, and as a side benefit improve the search engine rankings. The great thing is once it's done, you only have to modify it from time to time, The basic content probably won't change much s there are new developments built or other relevant changes. The other good thing is that focusing on developing content for different communities encourages you to become an expert on the area. Good job, Toby.

Jeff

Nice update on Localism......a most beneficial site to all of us. It sure will be interesting to see how it evolves in the future.

Thanks for the tips. As another reader said, I think I'll have to go over this several times to make it work for me.

Toby, you mention To get the best results use a short descriptive titles with no characters, isn't each letter a character?

This is truly an awesome post!! I plan to implement some of your strategies this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Don't forget, ORIGINAL CONTENT. That includes pictures as well as text. Never forget everything you put up on these sites directly reflects on you...so do you want to be an innovator or an imitator? -Charles

Toby,

Thank you for sharing your secret. It all makes sense that if we want to get our particular area noticed, we should write about it. In sharing your tips and techniques you help some of us and all of us. You also validate some things some of us might be doing through trial and error. Obviously you have tried these ideas and they work.

I am in the process of wrestling my web page from a web master so I can edit and update it whenever I want. I also find that keeping my camera in the car helps me to take advantage of having some extra time between appointments and of a special unexpected event or activity.

Great ideas...I agree with the fact that you have to be original. That is the way it works if you want to be noticed.

Today I had my first contact from a Localism article I did. The person lives a quarter mile from my home. That's a roundabout way to get a contact. Yeah!

Toby.... a very well-written post that had to take some time and thought. Thanks for sharing this.

Excellent post, I'm looking forward to helping to build the information on the Athens, GA pages. What a great resource an opportunity for us to showcase our area directly to the consumer. I'm so new to this type of marketing that I really appreciate all the great information that is shared here and look forward to reaping the benefits of being a contributor.

Toby- this is an excellent post with lots of information.. as we get closer to hitting the internet in full force, the posts on Localism will become more and more important.. This is going to be a great advertisement for all of us and we should all take advantage of the marketing opportunities that Localism will make available

MAR

2007

I had been wondering why no one in my market area had been blogging listings but i an about to start thanks for the post

Deja

Graet Post Toby, I will use this infomation

I am very much anticipating the launch of localism. Currently we are working hard just to get communities filled in for our area. Our next goal is to start filling in photos and market reports for the areas and of course, adding any listings we have in each area.

Thank you for taking the time to write this post. My broker has been saying the same thing. I guess that I may have to take some time away from somewhere to fully utilize this tool.

Toby - Thanks for putting this together. I had been thinking about next steps to populate all four areas in localism, and here is a road map!

janeAnne, 20 turkeys? do you have pictured of that?

Stephen, it is a broad concept to kepp going on and local has more uses, i just have found them yet...every time I think of something i get the "more work for me" face...but all in all it is worth it.

Phylena, glad it could be of service :)

Laurie, it looks as if you have been busier than myself on Localism.

Jennifer, I use ActiveRain and Localism as a support tool for my main website not necessarily to gnerate leads. All my marketing efforts are focused on my main site where I generate a steady stream of leads all week. But its just different strokes for different folks. No matter who the sites are used they will give results just remember to keep all efforts in line with a master plan.

Jeff, i view the same but backwards as you. The search engine benifits is what i am after and the by product is steady flow of business. But either way the goal is the same, increased business and connecting with the community. The local expert is what we all what people to think of us as and providing all this information is what achieves that goal, not just telling people "I am the local expert" in a market solgan. Using these pull strategies consumers will see us as the experts without us ever having to tell them.

Diane, Localism is evolving right now so I would hesitate to se what it becomes before charging ahead. Get in on the ground floor and the when the site booms and PageRank increases you'll have tons of high quality links pointing to your main website :)

Timothy, i did say characters but what I should have said where "symbols"...I'll edit that..thanks for pointing that out.

Kaushik, it might take more than a weekend :) it more like a on going project that won't go away.

Charles, very good of you to bring. Original content is critical!!

Eloise, wrestled that site from the webmaster...sites have to work and they can be effective. They don't have to be super fancy with cool grpahics to get business. The content is king and it is what will retain users and build trust. Like you my camera goes with me everywhere, I am tourist in my own town :)

Ryan, yep yep :)

Elaine, Mary McKnight's article about blogging local demostrates your example. We have consumers in our area, litterally in our backyard, and it is important to connext with them as well as people relocating.

Jeff, thanks buddy!

Mcikelle, good to hear you see the value in this time of pull marketing. Our office markets mostly online anymore just because it is far more effective and valuing adding.

Kaye, hit the internet full force ASAP because i would bet your competitors already are. I am fortunate that major companies in my area are not doing it and it will take them ages to catch up to me, unless that throw tons of money at it.

Deja, Blog listings, get the content first :) I am going to do a round this afternoon will the new listings in our ofice.

Pete & Rebecca, glad you liked it :)

Christina, it sounds like you have a whole team on this. That would be awesome but I am just a one lman show and it take some time for me :) I'll be the master of one city and call it good, maybe :P

Roger, a half hour to an hour day to work on your personal makreting is nothing. When ever there is down time work on marketing because it will all pay off in the long run.

Tony, this is probably only the tip of the iceburg to what localism will envolve into but ground floor stuff is where it is at :)

Good information and thank you for the article.

Patricia Aulson/SEACOAST NH & ME

CallPatricia.Com!

Thanks Toby. This was very informative.

Patricia & Kelly, your both welcome!

Toby, you've been bookmarked. I've been working to get Localism into my plans, and I think you just gave me the jump-start I needed. Great post!

Thanks Toby, I've also got you bookmarked! Excellent post!

MAR

2007

Amber & Brett, glad it was of help to you! This tib bit has helped me tremedously :)

Good post!! I need to work on what I am including on Localism. Your article made me realize how little I actually utilize the site.

Toby,

You said "*Tech Tip - images can't be uploaded to a neighborhood until their is written content for that neighborhood"

You actually can post images first - go to loaclism and search for the empty neighborhood. Once you get to the neighborhood page it will let you post photos even though the neighborhood is empty.

I am posting the images and then creating a blog with the images in it. I get the location for the image by displaying it in Localism and then right clicking on it and selecting "copy link location" and then posting that into the image dialogue window.

I am working my way through the local market creating blogs about neighborhoods that link back top my own website. I hope it provides information and eventually drives some business to me!

See http://localism.com/article/54877/Nottingham-Sanford-NC-Neighborhoods for an example of the blogs I am creating.

Rita

MAR

2007

Toby -

This was a VERY helpful post. Thank you for taking the time to help out the new kids on the block!

Toby,

Outstanding advice, I have begun to post a variety of things to Localism - a regular market report, events happening in the community, some unique aspects of the area, major initiatives of the towns I serve and it has helped me very quickly climb the google rankings. I think the primary key is frequent interesting diverse posts and second to use many of the technical tips you pointed out and linked to.

Thanks for the info - I have subscribed to your blog

MAR

2007

Toby, thanks for stringing this all together for us...a "5", and bookmarked!

I had already created a local page on my website for one of my target neighborhoods that is starting to pull in traffic, but hadn't figured out how to work it into Localism yet. Thanks for the direction. Can't wait to do that and see the effect.

MAR

2007

Thanks for the tips. I'll change the way I do things.

MAR

2007

Thanks for your honest tips on bloging and using localism

Heather, it is really effective just because it so search engine friendly. It can take post only a few days to reach the top of search engines.

Rita, to post images to a neighborhood a user must first be logged in. This can happens two ways, either upload an image to another city, it will make the neighborhoods clickable links (other wise if there is no info they can't be accessed). or login into ActiveRain then in the same browswer open up Localism, it will keep a user logged in when switching to Localism. If there is no content (from a non members point of view) the neighborhoods won't be able to be accessed. It is weird but so far that is how it happens :) Also, nice work at getting alot of information on their. It seems you already know the value and power of the site.

Debbie, no problemo...it just a trick I use to get more webpages indexed in Google while providing more content to drive business. It is a double edge sword that works in the users favor.

Tom, sounds like you got the hang of it.I need to do more market reports but I'll have to wait until the neighborhood pages are complete first...never enough time. Thanks for subscribing to my blog, makes me feel good :)

Beth, if one neighborhood page will pull traffic how about 50 :) that is my goal but only up to 14 :) Thanks for the 5 and bookmark. I didn't realize how much positive attention this blog posting would get.

Wayne, the goal of the post wasn't to change peoples way of doing things just share how I use it but if it is more effective than current methods then change is good :)

Paul, no problemo!

I'm currently waiting on a local web site company to finish my site. This will surely help me understand what they're talking about and assist in the creation of my blogs that I started a few weekes ago. Thanks for taking the time to educate us.

Best regards,

Evan Little

This Bog is very helpfull to me. Thanks for the ideas. As a LO it is a little different for me, but not much.

Wow! Thank you so much. I am new to AR and still figuring things out---soooo much information to process. BUT, I think a light bulb went off in my head when I read your piece!! I plan to put on my "Roving Reporter" hat and put it in to action and share about what makes my hometown so great. Very inspirational. Thanks, again. Rhonda Rawlins

MAR

2007

This is terrific, a step by step guide for us new to SEO. I'm a veteran PPC'er and I built community pages differently,but for my relocating clients, to see the areas before arrival. I will soon separate them, tag them and link them as you describe.

Thanks, gotta love AR.

Very insightful! I will take this advice and apply it the next time I go onto Localism. I'll make sure to have my camera ready and my eyes open to truly grasp my surroundings. Thank you for the motivation!

Tom :)

This is great info, and I'm going to pass it on to my local realtor partners ASAP. I know that I can use this in my mortgage business as well, but there is a HUGE upside for realtors adding listings in this manner.

Toby,

Great post I have bookmarked this. I will need to read it again to get it all. Localism thats where its at!!

Good day!! Have a cup of java and a smile on me :)

Thanks so much for the information Toby!

This newbie in Colorado appreciates it. =)

Evan, have fun with yoru website and as I found out they can be very addicting but it is so awesome to see business come in directly from online marketing efforts. Hope you soar to the top :)

Dave, maybe building webpages around different mortgage programs and then posting them to localism in a simliar fashion, just don't forget to point a link or two to your site :)

Rhonda, that sounds like an excellent plan and it reminds me I am due for another round of images...just about to finish my last page from the last round of images. Good Luck and have fun "Roving Reporter" :)

Terry, wow it seems that you have a complete online marketing plan. I have stayed away from PPC just because my first experience gave me minimal results which couldn't be validated. But that was long before I there was tons of content on my website.

Thomas, your welcome...glad I could help shed some light on the uses of Localism.

Chad, good thing you are in Kansas and not sharing this with people in my local market :)

Duayne, thansk for the smile and java. Us Washingtonians can't get enough of it, we're addicts :) Hope the post helps :)

Michele, Your welcome :) we were all new once and it is nice to find some good info to read that actually helps and not just toots one's own horn.

MAR

2007

I just want to say thanks for this post. I'm keeping it blog bookmarked and refer to it often.

Great information, thanks for the tips!

Thanks for sharing!

MAR

2007

Christina, David, Kristy...you all are very welcome :)

MAR

2007

Tony,

Good information! You've given me motivation to go out and start clicking pictures and researching my local neighborhoods. It will help me become a better resource to folks in my marketplace!

Thanks for the lesson. As a newbie it is very helpful. Are things like a schedule of weekly events appropriate for Localism? Our Chamber of Commerce emails one to members each week.. Would a listing like that with a brief commentary be a good or bad idea? So much to learn...

Rick, becoming a resource is the ultimate goal for online real estate marketers. Providing as much information demostrates knowledge and expertise about an area. Most people are still worried about increasing PageRank through links and forget that content is what keeps people returning to a website. Good Luck!

Diana, those topics are definetly perfect for localism. In my opinion, anything that is happening around a community is the right information. Last week I did on our Adult softball league registration. It is just good local information that someone maybe looking for. And Chamber meetings and/or city meeting that discuss rezoning...etc are perfect. LMK if you have any more questions.

Toby, thanks for the input you have spurred me on to try a post about a local happening.

It is in depth to take the time and provide all this information to the public, but I think it is very important to position ourselves as the experts

Great comments and tips, thanks!

MAR

2007

Great post Toby! I am new to Active Rain and thought this was just another networking site. I have now read two great posts and I'm hooked. I like your ideas, but due to my noob status I'm a little unclear how to add anything to Localism. I am sure I'll figure it out. Thanks for the info.

In addition to using localism and writing frequent content I have recently discovered adword campains. Interestingly almost immediately after activating a google adword campain my "organic" ranking increased without a lot of click throughs. Google lets you run a campaign for a defined date range and specific times per date.

MAR

2007

I've been doing the neighborhood blogs, but this ramps it into overdrive!!! Thanks for the great information!!!

MAR

2007

Great post! I think the area pages, although like you mentioned require the most work, do add some of the biggest bang for buck. We have tried to add area pages about the different areas and neighborhoods within Long Beach and it has really helped us get our lead count up and visitors up :)

MAR

2007

Great post! I think focusing on localism is an awesome idea!

APR

2007

Thank you for the information which will be bookmarked and used quite often. I am very excited about Localism and all of the potential that it has. Laurie Manny mentioned whether or not it has been launched already becasue I have found myself on the front page of Google on a few recent occasions because of Localism. Aloha!

Thanks for the advice. So far active rain has been a godsend to my SEO efforts!

Ralph Nudi

APR

2007

Good to hear that this post is still useful :)

I am stilling using this basic strategy to assist my main webpage and I have noticed that my indexed pages numbers have drammitically increased.

APR

2007

Wow, great post. I'm amazed at the quality of info on AR. Thanks!

Thank you Toby! I'm just starting my blog and looking for tips. This will keep me busy with productive posts for days! I particularly like the Neighborhood Pages idea. It's a great way for me to learn about different areas while informing my readers too.

APR

2007

Super information! I just started posting to Localism and already I got a lead. I love it!!! Keep up the good work.

APR

2007

Toby - Great summary - we continue to have leads generated by our efforts with Localism and Active Rain.

Toby,

Great advise and a well written article. I have startrd to do this for Huntington Beach and will continue to do so following your recommendations.

APR

2007

Toby-

Really fantastic post. I'm so glad for it because you have reinforced something I have already done on the photo tour and pointed out a negative I may be doing with keyword stuffing.

Neil Morse Tahoe City, CA

Thanks for a lot of great tips.

APR

2007

Toby - thanks for all the good advice! Did I mention that I met your Mom at a real estate class in Everett a few weeks ago?

A lot of information to digest but it looks very helpful. Thanks for giving me even more to do today.

APR

2007

http://localism.com/article/72542/Neighborhood-Snapshot-Preston-Lakes-Oak-Ridge

My boys and I went out on an area photo shoot the other day. When I got home I put together the above on Localism (OMG how excited am I about it being LAUNCHED!!!).

In any case, Toby, your post was OUTSTANDING and of real value to those of us who will follow your advise! GREAT STUFF!!! Thank you so MUCH!

Antoinette

I am bookmarking this blog for so I can more effectively utulize localism

APR

2007

Toby, localism is such a great tool. I have been wondering how to make the best use of it. This is great information. I'll be sure to use it. Thanks.

Toby, Wow you have a lot of great information. I'm new to blogging, ActiveRain & Localism so I'll be reading your post over and over, catching small bits at a time.

Thanks for your detailed information.

Mary

APR

2007

Toby great detailed information. Thanks for posting it.

I slacked off from January until March, logged back in, and whamo!! a couple of agente in my market really set a few new years resolutions and beefed their posts up.

I reccomend that all of my clients from out of town look at Localism to see the flavor of the neighborhoods. No steering involved. Just let them see what's out there without driving.

That said, I invited a new agent from my office to Activerain. She posted ONE blog and got a lead..She's pumped. She's got a lot to learn but Activerain is where she'll learn the roaps...

APR

2007

Thanks for this great post. I've been on Active Rain less than 2 weeks and saw the power of Localism, but wasn't sure how to actually use it. (I'm still trying to figure this blog stuff out, but I WILL). This is a great help. Thanks so much.

Lea Deo, Shawnee, KS realtor

www.LeaDeo.com

APR

2007

Awesome post Toby! I've been doing the Localism articles about neighborhoods but haven't done the unique webpages. I will definately add that and I bet it will help my website creep up as well!!!

BTW-in case someone hasn't mentioned it, you do get points for listings now.

APR

2007

Hi Toby ... Grea post ... I've been using neighborhood pages ... For that matter Neighborhood sites ... See www.reston-condos.com for a number of years and couldn't agree more with your advise ... Activerain and localism adds a wonderfun new dimension.

APR

2007

I just tapped into this on AR and posted my first blog but after reading your comments I don't think I took ful advantage of all that I could have been.

I need to study and look into this a bit more, thanks

Phyllis Pafumi

APR

2007

Great tips, Toby. I haven't had time to investigate how to use localism to its fullest potential, but I know that it is something I definitely have to do.

Thanks for bringing it to the foremost of my mind again.

APR

2007

I am a newbie to AR but before reading this blog I was lucky enough to realize how localism works. I try to make sure that I always have a post in one of each of the catagories. I have seen a number of hits to my website and many links to my profile and blog on google.

APR

2007

I've just recently "discovered" localism, and added my first listing. What a treasure. I think it will be a GREAT way to reach the public and add a whole new dimension to this ActiveRain network. Pictures are easy - I've just been trying to pick a few every day from photos stored in my computer files.

APR

2007

Toby,

Thanks for the post. I love Active Rain but obviously it's about getting more clients as well and your strategies are very helpful. Thanks for letting out the secret.

P.S. I used to live in Washington for 7 years and have family that live in Lake Stevens. We lived by Puyallup. I loved the area but came back to Michigan for family reasons. How's business there?

I'm new to active rain, and I've just started a website. Localism is a great concept and this is really useful info. My first bookmark!

I just emailed this to myself so I have it in my email to refer back to.

APR

2007

This is a good blog. Neighborhoods and specializing in particular sectors of town, is maximizing your knowledge and expertise. It's important to stay focused on specific places.

Toby,

Great information. I'm new to the online thing and also a technophobe. I love the idea of presenting locally, I just move my office to my home town and will start my journey from here!

there is so much to learn and how strategies can be intertwined. The biggest thing I find is people trying to re-invent the wheel and not creating synergies within in current advertising strategies. The goal, at least for me, is to create a highly trafficed main site that has the most information for our local market. It is nice to use the AR platform to get the information out but it is difficult is that the authors don't necessarily own the information.

thank you so much - I'm fairly a newbie and this is far too valuable....thank you thank you thank you....

Cheers,
Uzi Husain
Arizona Realtor, serving Goodyear & The Phoenix metropolitan area

APR

2007

Toby - thanks for the tips. How do you upload an image to your blogs?

Brian, this post has a lot of information regarding uploading and the use of images on ActiveRain. There is also info on other areas of ActiveRain as well. Hope that helps.

APR

2007

Thanks for the GREAT tips, Toby. I have to try to figure out localism and how it can fit into my marketing plany.

Any marketing plan that does not have Localism as part of it is insane. This is a great way to get seen on the web. Excelent post Toby!!!

Great Tips - Great for a beginner like me to read and know where to start!

Thanks

APR

2007

This is an excellent post and I am very thankful. I keep wanting to get started with localism and feel a little overwhelmed about where to begin. This post spells it all out for me. I am the only real estate agent on AR for my county and city, so I have a lot of work to do, but I am looking forward to it! Especially now that I have an idea of what I need to do. Thank you!

APR

2007

Thank you for the great info! :)

MAY

2007

More great information - thank you!

thanks for the great tips!

MAY

2007

This post is over 120 comments with the last one coming only a 2 days ago. Right now I am in Arizona and had some time to think about my Localism planning and strategy and have to say that this is still the most effective way to gain tons of local expertism (did i coin a phrase?). Thanks to everyone for their comments and continuing to keep this post valuable :)

MAY

2007

Great Post, This is to me one of the most powerful posts I have read. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Great post, I think the tips that you have given on here will be beneficial ! Thank you.

And much continued success to you !

MAY

2007

Thank you very much for this concise guide. I am going to be building pages for neighborhoods in my area. Nobody is even out here on localism, so I have my work cut out for me. :-)

Thanks for the ideas, I am certainly going to put them to use in my areas.

MAY

2007

I think the market reports section is a great idea, but I would like to see contributors do a better job at keeping them current. With more competition (as this site becomes more popular), I think we'll see that happen.

Thanks! Active Rain, SEO, Localism, etc., are all very new to me. I need all the insight i can get.

Thanks again for your step by step post.....definitely BOOKMARKED so I can figure out how to make a separate page on my websites for each community. Obviously takes some work, but I'm all for it. I'll just take more photos.....

MAY

2007

Outstanding post. I gave it a 5 rating and bookmarked it. Thanks for all the great localism suggestions. My camera has become as important as my computer and cell phone!

Wow - so much to learn, but I'm dedicated to learning it! I definitely see the power of Localism.

MAY

2007

Wow! This is an awesome article on how to get the most out of the active rain. I think most people overlook targeting specific areas with there posts. I needed the reminder!

Wayne - Columbus Georgia Real Estate and Homes

FYI, the link to Marysville homepage did not work for me.

'Enjoyed this posting and Lenn's comments. Thanks for your thoughts on this. I, too, think Localism.com is a GREAT resource and I've been trying to make time for posting some sales statistics and other information. It has already paid off for me, with a listing through the ActiveRain contact link.

Margaret, my server seems to be down today...it is making it difficult to work today :(

MAY

2007

This is very useful information and thank you for taking the time to educate us.

MAY

2007

Thanks for the great information. I love Localism! It is a great place for me to promote my little piece of the planet.

MAY

2007

Great Information! Thank You! I have bookmarked it so I can refer back to it often!

MAY

2007

Great post... Thank you.

JUN

2007

I've been working Localism but nothing's coming up on Google yet after 6 weeks or so. Will keep at it!

Excellent post. I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner!

Jeff, have u gotten some good links pointing to your ActiveRain blog? that will help give some authority to it and the individual blog postings.

Lisa, have fun with it. I was actually discussing this post with Matt H at the bbq. It is a solid way to build a large online presence.

Thanks for the tips and your time.

Lots to absorb and put to work- thank you

JUN

2007

Toby,
Thank you for all the great information. I have bookmarked this blog so I can revisit it as I work on your suggestions. There certainly is a lot to blogging..........so one step at a time. Although I'd like to be able to jump right in and get it done now.

JUN

2007

Thank you for all of the great localism info. I really look forward to implementing your tips - one by one.

Super post! So much to do and so little time...
Definately will put in the time though because it will be worth it.

JUN

2007

Great info, thanks for sharing.

Great tips! I've been wondering how to effectively use Localism to help me build my business. I guess I"m spending the rest of today taking photos :)

JUN

2007

What do we do if the closest "neighborhood" isn't our city and doesn't even pertain to our city?

Example: we are in Gainesville, FL (over 100,000 people) but the closest localism is Jacksonville, Fl.

JUN

2007

Aubrey, ask to have gainsville added to the localism city list by contacting support at Feedback :)

This post is a PR3 with 143 comments, that is some consistent :)

JUN

2007

My mistake! Gainesville is there! :)

Thanks for all the help!

JUL

2007

I see this post was done 3 months ago but I am grateful for the information. Thanks.

JUL

2007

Good post Toby ... your advice will also help increase the relevance of links to your site and help increase organic traffic from search engines.

thx Larry, but the only problem with it is the competition can read it :)

Toby,

Great advice.. I will be book-marking this post and using your techniques in the future.

Jeff

Orlando Florida Real Estate

JUL

2007

Hi Toby, and Happy 4th of July !

Very helpful post. BTW your " Cedarcreast South " link appears to be broken.

Still as wonderful today as the day you posted this. I have book-marked it just in case I missed something that I needed to do. This is amazing information.

JUL

2007

Great post and wonderful pointers! You get a 5 for this one!!!

JUL

2007

That was a very good post. I printed it out so I could follow along.

Is there a particular reason why we need to do the neighborhood posts on our website before we do it on localism or was that a suggestion so we don't forget to add it to our website?

Bill, happy 4th as well. I checked the Cedarcrest south link and the reason the file wasn't found is because the image was deleted from Localism by AR staff. Kind of a bummer.

Sandra, glad you liked it.

Irina, thx for the vote :)

Nestor/Katerina, it is always good to add content to your own site first. That way you get the major benefit of the original content.

JUL

2007

Toby, investigate your local IDX vendors to see if anybody can provide you pages of active listings for your neighborhoods, instead of making your visitors slog through your general search interface. Our clients find these pages highly valuable for creating relationships because the listings are being displayed to a consumer with a particular existing interest in the neighborhood. The listings automatically populate the page depending on the custom criteria the client selects.

This kind of filtering is not expensive and will help you tremendously to increase your return on the investment you've already made in your site. Here is an example of a similar page we just did for a client in Southern California: http://www.isocal.idxnetwork.com/502526w/index.php?main=filter002.

These pages do great in the search engines, too, by the way, primarily because the content changes up daily as the listings change. All the listings information is automated from the IDX database. These links are great for blogs, too.

JUL

2007

Tracey, I have seen those local listings IDX on others brokers sites and have thought about it myself. Creating that relationship you mention is solid but not sure if will work with what I am trying to accomplish, having people register for my IDX to generate leads for the office.

Outline your concerns and your goals and I'll share my thoughts.

JUL

2007

Thank you fo your direction in utilization of localism......this has been so underused by myself....and I needed this!

julia

JUL

2007

Travey, i will keep my goals secret for now, can't share everything on the internet :)

Julia, have fun as no one in primary market has yet to adopt this so my mug is being seen by all the want to know about marysville real estate.

JUL

2007

Toby, thanks for the great post. Too cloudy today for nice photos, but maybe later this week or weekend.

The weather sounds the same in Virgina as in Washington, cloudy.

AUG

2007

Hi - I wanted to stop by and say I enjoyed this post and I think it has some great ideas. I wrote a post recently about ideas for blogging and I included a link to this post. Just thought you might like to know that it was referred to in another post. If you would like to see, it is here.

167 Comments and a new link, Wahoo, keep them coming, hehehe :) Thanks for the link and the comment Angie.

GREAT tips on Localism! Thanks for such a thorough post!

AUG

2007

Your welcome Kim.

AUG

2007

Hi Toby, lots of good info here. I'm bookmarking so I can study some of the finer points. With all this STUDYING my first blog post better be a doozie of a reflection of so many of you. Thanks much

Excellent post and will be taking photos this weekend for sure!!

SEP

2007

No surprise here on why you have so many comments. This is an excellent post. Bookmarked + 5!

SEP

2007

Get down to business :) and thanks for the vote!

SEP

2007

Well, I am not so sure about your strategy... But I'll try to follow your tips to see if indeed work for me.

Great tips here. I had started adding market updates to my blog before getting any advice, and noticed I ranked very high in google for a bit. Definitely has fairly immediate results.

SEP

2007

I'm definately going to take more photos and write about our area.

SEP

2007

I post alot to Localism, I want to be known as the neighborhood and area expert. When they see my posts lined up there they will come to that conclusion and call me.