At times we will be refeaturing this post so new members can see it and as we add some of your excellent posts to this list of Resources!
The wonderful thing about Active Rain is the fact that members share their knowledge with each other. Several new members have asked about a help facility and we have pulled together several resources here at ActiveRain that are not easily found when you are in the need for an answer.
The answers you seek are from your fellow Active Rain members actual posts. If you see a post that should be ease email us the link to the post that should be added and the category you think it should be in. We will be updating this document on a regular basis.
In the coming months there are going to be many exciting changes here at Active Rain and we will be keeping you up to date as these changes happen.
The collage on the left of the title paragraph was created by Blanca. The photos to the right of all the posts are taken from Localism. Here are a few excellent examples of photos in Localism...
179 Comments on ActiveRain Community Resources - Updated 06/18/08
MAR
28
2007
I am SPEECHLESS! THanks for putting these resources together and this is the second time this week I have been choked up and speechless in the rain! WOW! Thanks again!
Wow! I feel so incredibly honored to be grouped with such a distinguished group of contributors. It really makes me realize how much I have grown to value and appreciate this amazing community!
This is pretty cool. It will be interesting to see this grow a little and hopefully it's very helpful to the newbies. Gee, even helpful to some of us. Thanks for putting this together...
What a great resource! It's not only helpful for newbies. I found a few I'd missed, and a few I enjoyed rereading and am now ready to do something about.
Wow, we certainly blog about blogging a lot! This is a good index that would benefit the new folks greatly. Hope you can pull it together so they can get a copy.
With chat rooms, often folks who are in the same region will EVENTUALLY get together for a party or lunch or something. I'm waiting to hear about a Silicon Valley Active Rain party. Wouldn't that be fun?
That is terrific and thank you Colleen! What an awesome amount of work! You are amazing; all of you for the way you are working together to make Active Rain so successful.
Wow, what a great resource. Thanks for mentioning one of my posts. I enjoy the community and hope to be able to give back to it by adding value to other readers. Keep up the great work in the Rain.
Guess I know what I'll be doing for the next day or two! This'll slow down any progress (used very loosely) that I MAY HAVE been making (in my own mind, right?) towards completing my new, first-ever website! As always though...
Thanks, yet again, for this "ABC's of AR Encyclopedia"! By the way, I've seen this before, but am unsure how to pull it off?!? Anybody out there tell me how to get the AR Logo onto that first-ever website of mine that I'd been working on? No rush now I suppose, since I'll be reading your newly-introduced encyclopedia for some time now. And of course, every post in there (I imagine) will inevitably link somewhere else, so once my ADD kicks in, it could be days!!!
Thanks again guys ... as always, another 5 Rating & another for the Bookmark!
I think this is a wealth of information, but have you noticed there are not a lot of references to the real estate business. If Active Rain is a Real Estate blog, how is it that there is no references to the real estate industry.
Blogging is a non-contact sport that pertains to conversations within an industry or subject. So why is all the reference to "how to blog" receiving such acclaim. Someone running across Active Rain Blogs should receive some information about real estate and the "business of real estate". If this is not true, why does Active Rain Exist. Perhaps it is only made up of those individuals that are looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
I'm going to bookmark this one...then I'm going to go up there and see if one of the links tells me how to retreive my bookmarked posts :)
I'm looking for "how do you change the name of your blog, if anyone has that answer, would appreciate it as my Blog Apprentice wants to do that. I'm sending him a link to this post as well.
Ardell-- simple go to My Home, then My settings and you can change the name there... Sounds like a really good post for someone to write -- All you ever needed to know about My Settings...
This is so great! Thanks for putting all this great information in one place. I bookmarked this blog so I can keep referring back to it! All the work you put into this is greatly appreciated.
I am overjoyed to find all these wonderful AR resources in one convenient place! As a newbie, I am just begining to understand the AR addiction, but i have no doubts this thread will help bolster my own budding infatuation with Active Rain.
This is great, and a terrific resource to have updated regularly. It might be useful to somehow HIGHLIGHT the new additions for those who are looking regularly, or note that they are UPDATES.
I have a request. I'm still having trouble figuring out an ideal Localism format.
Can someone or several someones post an article on their Top Ten Favorite Localism Posts of all time. Here I can see Featured Posts and Most Commented posts and pretty much determine the bar that has been set for regular posts. Stellar examples of Localism posts would be helpful.
Ardell - there are featured posts on localism just as there are here on AR. I periodically scan those to see the great posts over there that get featured. I think the same things that are looked at here - format, pictures, spelling, correct grammar - are what catches the moderators eyes for featuring for localism. That, and GOOD local content.
WOW! What an informative post. I don't think it should just be for newbies. It's wonderful that you have everything in one post/place. I will del.icio.us for future use. Thanks!
This is terrific, a condensed version of what it has taken me 6 months to figure out. I have a couple of suggestions:
1) When someone signs up, this should be sent to them in a thank you email.
2) At the very least if we invite a new member we should be responsible and send it to them.
This will make it so much easier for new people and as I glanced over it, I realize I had missed a few. I'm sure this took awhile to put together so I am very appreciative of all the effort.
So many things here on AR and so little time. I will have to go through some of these posts as I am sure I missed most of them. Thanks for the compilation.
Jonathan - I am constantly amazed at the energy and enthusiasm you and your staff demonstrate here. I feel absolutely blessed to be included in this dynamic cyber enclave.
Thank you for putting all these great resources in one post for ready reference. You are always thinking!
Give Sara a hug for me. Sure hope her back is feeling better.
I love Missy's idea of sending out this with a welcome to AR email...Newbies will appreciate. I do try to notice newbies and send a note with a link...Someone did this for me with my first post and I truly appreciated.
I was pleasantly surprised that one of my posts had been included. Wow! Thanks! It is an honor to be included with so many other wonderful bloggers.
FANTASTIC RESOURCE!!! I have been just bouncing around trying to find things and here it is all in one place. I am definitely going to refer back to this post for help and information.
This is a good page to start at. It should be mandatory to click an acceptance of terms and guidelines that members agree to adhere to. Otherwise... Congratulations on your ! years anniversary!
Excellent information. Sorry I did not read it at the beginning. Well, now that I have been here for 3 months I finally saw it and it is good stuff. Bookmarked for reference.
Main Entry: fan·tas·ti·cal·ly Pronunciation: fan-'tas-ti-k(&-)lE, f&n- Function: adverb 1: in a fantastic manner 2: to a fantastic degree : EXTREMELY <fantastically expensive clothes>
I just had to come back to this post and read all the comments. I can't add a word that has not been mentioned. I only say "awesome" "awesome". Thanks for the post. Oh yeah and bookmarked and will revisit.
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Facilitate Networking Exchange Blogging Ideas & Engage New Readers to participate and join in on the fun and learning that has been enjoyed by the Graduates and Enrollees of the Real Estate Tomato's Intense Blogging Course.
Jim - Nice to have your group here among the Rain! Your articles have always been an excellent resource for our members, and we appreciate your continued involvement here!
This a fantastic collection of information. This is like the sate map for ActiveRain. I was not sure how much I would ever get out of this community but I am SO glad I got involved.
What an excellent resource. Thank you for very much for this information which will take me a while to get thru as well, but well worth the time and effort.
I just got pushed to this blog again and I have to reiterate that this is a fabulous resource whether you're an experienced blogger and user of the web or not. There truly is something here to be learned by all. Again, I have to chip away at it because there is so much info. Yes, it will be for those sleepless nights and hopefully not cause any!
Thanks for all the great information. I have been blogging on ActiveRain for a while now, but I am ready to do a stand alone blog with it's own top level domain. I will utilize many of the tools and information provided here to build it and drive traffic. Thanks to all contributors for making this place such a great resource for real estate business info.
I have been a member of several blogs, real estate and otherwise, all connected with Internet Marketing, and I can assure you that very few if any have a dedicated user base who posts so much valuable information as Rain. Amazing. And the nicest thing, everyone seems to play nice together, a rare thing in a forum. Thank you. I am happy I joined.
I have been a member of several blogs, real estate and otherwise, all connected with Internet Marketing, and I can assure you that very few if any have a dedicated user base who posts so much valuable information as Rain. Amazing. And the nicest thing, everyone seems to play nice together, a rare thing in a forum. Thank you. I am happy I joined.
Very nice list of resources. I wonder if there needs to be an update to the original post as things have changed, at least a little, around ActiveRain lately. ;)
I really do like the resouces that are available if one needs to figure out what the policies are. Active Rain is such a well oiled community. Thanks for all you do
Good information, & thank you for sharing. Here's an article I wrote, which might further assist & was recently published in several trade magazines:
Expanding the Realtor Reach - Five (Free) Building Blocks to Fast Forward Future Sales
Realtors don't need to be reminded how competitive it is to gain new clients, nor do they need to be reminded how the recent economic turmoil affects local transaction activity. Instead, well-healed Realtors are better served focusing on the future and how they can progressively promote their skill sets to attract and retain new clients. Below are five free building blocks to expand the Realtor's reach and gain new clients:
Website - Okay, this may be a bit obvious, but let this be your core - your foundation for the building blocks that follow. Make sure it presents well, personifies your abilities, showcases your listings, and conveys confidence.
Blog - Consider the website your formal business card and your blog is the less formal conversation you have as you exchange business cards. Make sure you have something good to say. Chronicle a unique experience. Feature timely information about the local market that only you know best. Feel free to provide tasteful links to your listings, but don't dilute your blog with that (admittedly important) content. Instead, let that content reside on your website. If your reader likes what you share in your blog, then they will find you and your listings on your website.
Facebook - A nifty profile with lots of friends just isn't enough. Instead, create a fan page and encourage all your friends and past clients to "fan" you. Using this platform, broadcast recent listings (with links, of course), sales, recent blog posts, open houses, and all other meaningful activity.
Twitter - Twitter is now the medium where news breaks first. Think of it as your personal news room. Create an account, follow only those who interest you most (not the whole planet), and encourage your clients and prospective clients to follow you. After all, this is the platform you will use to broadcast the latest listings - in most cases before they surface anywhere else. This is your chance to get a leg-up on the competition. Do not underestimate the power of this free resource!
Village Voyage- The Internet is an abyss of information and you've worked hard to build your brand. Tie it all together with Village Voyage. Similar to Wikipedia, Village Voyage is a wiki and anyone can participate. Think of it as your on-line cocktail party with many different conversations all centered around your community, your target audience, your clients. Create a Village Voyage page to further expand your online presence, while at the same time, taking advantage of the opportunity to add valuable back-links to your website, blog, and other online pages. Beyond that, be bold. Use Village Voyage to meet new clients, build credibility, and differentiate yourself by demonstrating your local market knowledge and expertise. (See the State index to locate the market(s) that interest you most: http://www.villagevoyage.com/wiki/Category:States )
As a new member guess I have some work to do to become knowledgeable about the ins and outs of active rain, explore all that it has to offer, and not infringe on any "rules".
Hey, Yanni... Just a couple of suggestions - you might want to check out the ActiveRain Community Guidelines. Promoting yourself or your business in the comments of another's blog is looked down upon. Also, in posting to your website blog, you might want to consider publishing your own original content, rather than simply copying & pasting from other sources. Consumers want to read your own original thoughts and perspectives.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
The 8 P's to Blogging Success
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