I stole this title from another blogger! (I'll explain that in a minute)
The Internet is a massive place. It's even bigger than ActiveRain (it's hard to believe, but it's true). I haven't been very active in the 'Rain lately because of the amount of time it takes to launch a new blog site. But I have been active.
As many of you know (and many of you don't know), Sparky and I launched SoundBiteBlog.com on January 14th. We both learned about the benefits of blogging here on AR. Like many others, we decided to step out of the 'Rain, and try our hand at creating a visible presence in the blogosphere. SoundBiteBlog is a consumer blog targetting Kitsap County and Washington State real estate owners. So far, the site has done well. We have just over 70 articles posted on the site and as of this morning, just over 1000 unique visitors (never been to the site before) for the month. ActiveRain gets something like 10,000 unique visitors each day! So we have a long way to grow.
One of the most difficult things about stepping away from ActiveRain and blogging "outside", is the fact that you just don't get many visitors at first. And it's very hard to do blind blogging when you are used to getting 50 or more comments on every post! It's kind of lonely and you wonder if the effort it takes is worth the time. I don't type all that fast. Each article takes about 2 hours to create. That's a big time commitment when a blogger is getting no feedback.
That's the reason for this article. (if you think it's hard to get noticed here, try it on the Web)
Those of you 'Rainers that have been around for a while know that I have the habit of trying to "discover" new talent. (As a matter of fact, I'm overdue to post a new Unsung and Overlooked Collection). Lately, I've been doing the same thing on the big, wide Internet that I used to do here on ActiveRain. It's lots harder out there. There are plenty of sites to look at, that really aren't worth the first visit, never mind a second. I have found others that I now visit regularly. But the subject of this post found me.
Tony Gallegos is a Loan Officer who maintains a blog called The Mortgage Cicerone for Loan Originators. His site is still fairly new and, just like many people here on this network, he's still developing his "voice". His site is coming along really well. He's putting up some great articles with engaging titles like the one I stole! Tony is not a member of ActiveRain. He is blogging blind out there on the Internet. He has become an regular reader and a consistent comment-leaver on SoundBite. That's how I found his site. He left a comment on mine.
Validation! Recognition that I am not writing crappy articles! An indication that I am not typing words into an abyss!
When you start a new blog site, there is nothing more welcome than feedback. Tony leaves feedback on SoundBiteBlog several times each week. It's a big deal. So I thought that maybe I could get some of my ActiveRain compatriots to help validate Tony's efforts. He's a steady blogger working hard at putting up valuable content. AND, he writes an entertaing post!
Right below this paragraph I have included the article I posted this morning on SoundBiteBlog. Take a moment and read it. Then take a few more moments and visit The Mortgage Cicerone. Leave Tony a comment or two. Let him know he is getting noticed! I would appreciate it and I know he would too. Let him know that Buckwheat sent you.
The Internet is a vast place and we bloggers need to stick together!
Tony Gallegos
(S.M.A.C.) SoundBiteBlog's Most Active Commenter Award
Maybe I'm just in love with the sound of my own writing, (How's that for a mangled metaphor?) and maybe not. But if you have ever maintained a blog you know that blogging is often like writing in a twilight room. You can't really tell how things are turning out until the sun rises. A blogger writes about what he or she finds interesting. A blogger has no idea for a while if anybody else is interested, or if (dare I say it?) the writing just sucks! The only way to find out if your blog is any good is to keep on plugging away, and wait for the day to arrive when visitors start leaving comments.
Comments validate the blogger's work!
Good comments or snarly comments; I'd rather have something over nothing. At least I know someone is reading.
Let me introduce you to Tony Gallegos. Tony maintains his own blog for Loan Officers. Tony has the dubious honor of becoming SoundBiteBlog's very first recipient of the SMAC Award. Tony has been consistently reading and leaving comments on SoundBite articles for a while now. I have no idea how he discovered SoundBiteBlog in the first place. But Tony's feedback is greatly appreciated. With Tony around, I don't feel like I'm blogging in the dark!
If you read Tony's impressive resume, you might get the mistaken notion that Tony is a boring, analytical type of guy. You might think that right up until you come to his recently posted video, "Who said geeks can't rap?". Then you get an entirely different perspective. There is definitely a sense of humor lurking under the hood of the Mortgage Cicerone!
The variety of subjects on The Mortgage Cicerone keeps it interesting. I visit regularly now to see what Tony has found to write about. He must be a full-time reader because the number of sources he has for information is huge. You can find snippets from the Associated Press, the Baltimore Sun, the GMAC Investor Forum, BankRate.com and Savage Insights, just to name a few. I wouldn't have found the aritcle on Savage Insights except for Tony's blog, and it's one of the best articles for Loan Originators I seen lately. Thanks Tony, that one was a great piece!
When he is not busy pointing out promising articles or interesting news, Tony also writes his own articles. Check out this article on Credit Reports and Newlyweds. It's a great subject and offers solid advice to consumers.
Here's a short collection of some other excellent posts:
The highest accolade one blogger can give another is link on the main page. It is a vote of confidence; a "Blog Nod", so to speak. If you glance to the right of this article you will now find The Mortgage Cicerone in SoundBite's very short list of read-worthy websites. It's not there because Tony leaves lots of comments, it's there because it belongs there. SoundBiteBlog is a consumer website. The Mortgage Cicerone is an industry website. Sometimes though, the two different types of information overlap.
If you have read this far, take a wander on over to Tony's corner of the internet. Take a peek at a few of the articles posted there. Tony, like Sparky and I, is blogging in the dark too. So leave him a comment or two! He'll appreciate it and his articles are worth reading. Tell him Buckwheat sent you.
Tony, Sparky and I thank you for all of your feedback and your involvement in our site!
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