This post is an entry into the Blogging Success Stories October Challenge being led by Aura Alex , Leanne Smith and Carol Williams . The goal is to write about how (or whether) blogging has worked for us, so here I go.
Real Estate Business
First, I have definitely had successful stories that relate to real estate. I sold a beautiful Victorian home which was one of the most fun and satisfying sales I ever had, as a result of a referral from someone who used to post on ActiveRain.
I also sold a colonial home as a result of an ActiveRain referral (that was a very challenging sale), and I recently sold a wonderful home with acreage, a pond and views - as a result of an AR referral.
I've also been blessed to have received referrals that didn't work out. For example, I received a referral for a seller who I spoke to but never wound up meeting, nor did I ever see her home before she decided she wanted an agent who was closer to her. But I was honored to be trusted with that referral.
I have also made online and "in real life" friends, received advice, learned about the industry, shared stories, attended weekly zoom calls - all because of blogging.
Non-Real Estate Related
But I'm focusing this challenge on how my blogging was a success for something that is NOT real-estate related.
On December 1, 2010 I was walking our Siberian Husky Halo. She pulled me in a direction I wasn't heading in and I fell and broke my ankle. Over the next few months, I had to deal with all new experiences. Walking with crutches. Climbing stairs. Getting a cast put on and then removed. Trying to sleep successfully. Getting coffee from one room to another. Doing therapy. Wearing a boot. Walking without crutches. All of those experiences were done without knowing what was coming next because I wasn't able to find a great source of information to answer all the questions I had. So I decided to write a series of posts about my broken ankle so that others would have the information I didn't have.
The need for the information I was sharing was evidently huge because in the next four years my posts had more than 200,000 views. Unfortunately some changes made to my website since then erased the history and I don't know how many views in total I currently have, but I do know that one of the posts last month had 35 (from my memory) views. That means the posts are still getting seen, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've reached at least 500K by now. This means the information I provided was useful to at least half a million people.
But that's not all.
I received personal phone calls from people who had broken their ankle and were at wits end. Either they were scared or lonely or angry with family members who were not being helpful. So I was able to help them when they needed it, which is why I wrote those blogs in the first place. I was there. I empathize.
I also received emails from other ankle-breakers who asked me questions that I may not have covered in the posts. And I met another local real estate agent who mentioned online her ankle was broken so I sent her a link to my blogs and we subsequently chatted. And then when she broke her ankle again years later, I drove to meet her in person and give her my boot.
Finally, I've also developed contacts in other countries with people who read my posts when they needed to. We still keep in contact now, even if it's just via social media.
Bottom Line
So do I think putting yourself out there on the Internet via a blog of some sort is worth the effort and time? Oh yes, yes I do. For many more reasons than just for business or financial purposes. If you're reading this and you've been considering starting a blog, don't wait any longer! It can be helpful in oh so many ways.
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