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Active Rain New Members - Getting Started

Have you invited others to the Active Rain Network? Did you show them the manual? Why not? Because there isn't one..... yet. Are you giving them instructions on what to do next or where to go for help? I have spent quite a few hours this past week helping those I've invited, get setup in Active Rain. I found myself wishing there was a manual or instructional page to help my invitees.

This is for all the New Member Professionals (I don't like the term "newbie", being one myself) to help you get up and running on the Active Rain Network. This is not an official manual, just what I have put together to help you.

GETTING STARTED:
So you have joined the network, now what?

"STEP 1"
What should I do before I start?

Bookmark Active Rain or your Profile page as a favorite
Write down or remember your login name and password
Always login first to leave comments, posts, and edit profile etc.

"STEP 2"
Review The Guidelines Post. This is at the very bottom of the page once you login. You can also click on it now.

"Step 3"
How do I setup my profile?

You should now be logged into Active Rain. You need to setup your profile page. It's simple, yet very important.
Follow these simple instructions:

Next to the word Profile, Click on (Edit)
Add (Upload) your photo, just click on upload picture
Add your Address, Phones, Email, Website Etc.
In the "Description Box", add your Value - Statement (This is what people see under your photo)
Add "About Us" or "About Me" you can change by clicking on "Rename Selection" Type what it tells you
Do the Same with "Areas of Expertise" and "Testimonials" (Look at other members profiles to get ideas)
You can add photos, links, key bullet points, change fonts, spellcheck and more, just use this toolbar below.
(Hover your mouse over each graphic, and it will tell you what each icon does)

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***IMPORTANT NOTE*** DON'T FORGET TO SAVE PROFILE BEFORE EXITING!!

"Step 4"
Now that my profile is setup, what next?

Learn to use the navigational tools in Active Rain: First is the "Power Bar"

At the top of your screen, you will see the options below, here's the breakdown of these:

Q&A - Questions asked by others inside and outside the Active Rain Network
Search - Allows you to search Profiles, Blogs, Comments and Groups
Groups - There are over 100 groups you can join
Blogs - This is the dashboard of all Blog Posts by members on Active Rain
My Home - Takes you to your Home Page (Not your profile)
Logout - This is where you logout or into Active Rain
This Menu Bar also shows how many current members there are and how many are online

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"Step 5" JOIN SOME GROUPS!
What Groups Should I join?

This is a matter of preference. Look or "Search" through the groups and decide which one's are of interest to you. I recommend:

Active Rain Newbies ( Great group for beginners and new members)
Blogging Etiquette 101 The Do's and Don'ts of effective blogging)
Active Rain MLS Online (If you're a Realtor and want to post listings)
Localism Beta (understanding how localism.com works with Active Rain and it's importance)
Localism Brainstorming ( share ideas on information to post to localism.com)
Real Estate Technology ( get tips, tricks and techniques using the lastest technologies)

There are many other groups you may want to consider depending on your profession in the industry.
Once you find the groups you want to join, just click the box that says "JOIN GROUP" and you're done.

Once you have selected the groups you want to join, you can access them from the left side of your screen ( see Below )

"Step 6"
What other Navigation tools are there?

You will find the following navigation tools on the left side of your screen, these are for:

Your Name appears here (Only When You Are Logged In)

My Home brings you to your home page in Active Rain

My Profile is your Active Rain Profile (Use Edit to Change or Update)

My Blog is your Active Rain Blog - Only One Blog with many posts
Click on (Post) to create a new post

My Settings allows you to modify your Active Rain Account (email etc)

Groups - These are the links to the different groups you have joined

My Comments - Your comments you have made on others posts

Points Summary - This is the Breakdown of "your" Points earned

Statistics - You'll have to click on this to see for yourself (you'll likeit!)

Blog Bookmarks - There is a bookmark option under every post.
You can bookmark the ones you really like, and access them from here later
(You can also rate posts 1 - 5, and it is recommended that you do so)

Invite Others - Allows you to email invite other collegues and members

Link To ActiveRain - Get points when you put links back to Active Rain on websites

Associations - These are the members who have chosen to make you an associate.
You can add "Associates" too. Just click on "Add Associate" above their photo on their profile page.

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Here are some other valuable blog posts I have found that should help you get started. You can also do a
search to find ANY TOPIC you would like. Need Help? Do a search or create a post. This is the place to be!

Getting Started On Active Rain

2009 Getting Started On ActiveRain (NEW - Added 7/4/09)

Best Blogging Resources (NEW - Added 9/10/07)

Real Estate Blogging 101

Why Should I Blog as a Realtor

The Official Unofficial Guide

For Active Rain Newbies

Your Profile - Keeping It Fresh

Sure Fire Formula for a Successful Post

The Active Rain Community and Info

It will cover things like "creating posts", and where to post them. SEO, RSS Feeds, Localism.com, Points Breakdown, Intermediate HTML code and using graphics, Using Tags, Creating Links, Adding Listings, Marketing and more!

I know this is a bit long, but hopefully this will help you and others to get started.
Got Questions? Give me a click! :-)

"RainMaker" Special - Signup Here and Get New Member Discount

Posted by Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager on 04/12/2007 03:49 AM

Comments (114)

Getting Started in the ActiveRain Channel

activerain community support, help, faq, activerain, getting started

Originally posted at: Real Estate 2.0 Technology : Active Rain New Members - Getting Started

Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You
Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: HELP/FAQ (Read 'Purpose Statement' Carefully!)
Post is included in group: Blogging Etiquette 101
Post is included in group: Active Rain Newbies

114 Comments on Active Rain New Members - Getting Started

APR

2007

Thanks Brad. Your simply awesome.

Brad,

not bad :) not bad , keep the good work

Brad, you are so nice to the newbies. oooops. You don't like that word. Sorry. Anyway, this is a great post to help out the newcomers. And you are not a newbie anymore! I agree with Michelle. You are awesome. Great tips.

I recently had someone accept an invitation. I explained all of the benefits of AR, and ways to use 'localism'. Most of it is simply using one's imagination, and learning through discovery. There is so much that this site has to offer. Thanks for posting this.

Cool Brad! I will point this out to the people I invite!

Brad,

This sure would have sped up my learning curve when I joined AR. Thanks for taking the time to assist the newcomers.

Fran

Michelle - Thank you, that was very sweet :-)

Ray - not bad means you approve :-) Thanks!! This will save my clients from a lot of setup time. (I hope)

Maggie - Thanks! It's been great networking with you. You always know how to reach me. Thanks :-)

Leon - great comment and sooo true. I think understanding the power of this is important. Thanks!!

Renee - as always, thank you. I hope it helps them.

Fran - I know what you mean, I needed this for me 6 weeks ago. (smile)

APR

2007

Brad this will be a great resource for newbies, your explanation of what should be done first is easily understood.

APR

2007

Thanks Jennifer, I always wonder if these instructional posts help other new members or not. I know there are hundreds of people joining daily, I hope this will help them out getting started. :-) I still have about 30 or so that still need to setup their profiles....

APR

2007

Brad,

MAN!...you got me dizzy trying to find the end of this post!

I was just asked to post something like this and i am glad you did...I'm out of breath...I requested that they look at yours...great post but I almost got confused and started to push the imaginary buttons!

that's a 5er!

Thanks for the tips Brad. I will use this when I invite new members.

Brad -- I don't know how I missed this one! Great job! I know I have been busy....

Neal (Huge Smile) I did the same thing reviewing my own post! Click Click, Dang!! That's really funny, I am actually really laughing out loud right now. Thanks for the good laugh Neal, I hope we can tip a toast to each other someday....(is that butt kissing?) I THINK NOT! well.... maybe just a little. It is a long post but has come in handy for some of my invitees. While it helps them, it saves me time.

Oh Crap, guess what? I signed up my 100th member today....gotta go...good for another post and 200 points...(ha ha) just kidding...actually....hmmmm....maybe I will.

Thanks Neal, I say God Bless America, now go sell it! :-)

APR

2007

Colleen, I know you've been busy, no more Sunday calls, no more comments, almost 26,000 members, I don't know how you do it! Thanks for taking a second to pop in and say hi! Hope all is well with you! :-)

Brad,

Thanks...I'm still mesmerized..Colleen has asked me to write one on this but I told her you did already ..I see she commented..I told her you did some job on it and I could not do better than that.

hey I just posted one that I started a new group about the reviews..i am sure you'll be up for it eventually!

This is so comprehensive! Thanks for taking the time to do this. There is quite a bit to figure out here and it's nice to have a little guide!

Neal - I'll check out and join your group. Thanks for the kudos and for referring my post to Colleen. It has helped me save time and helped my invitees to get setup more quickly and efficiently. Thanks my friend! :-)

Thanks Yvonne for your comment. I hope this will help you and maybe anyone you might invite to A/R. :-)

MAY

2007

Great post...lots of great information for newbies :)

I was wondering if anyone knows how to edit your "profession" on ActiveRain. I have recently moved from sales to property management and would like to update my profile as such, but cannot figure out how to do it! Any suggestions? I've already emailed support, but the community is usually a little quicker with answers :)

Hi Megan, I think the support team has to change that for you, not 100% sure, just a hunch! Thanks for poppin by and commenting while here. :-)

MAY

2007

Thanks for the great post. I've been trying to invite people to AR recently as I feel that it is a great way to get out of our "comfort zone" and do something about our own business. AR is such a good resource if you use it. Your post is going to make it easy to get people going when they are "fresh" to AR.

Thanks again!

Brad,

Thanks for all your work doing this. We actually did have a few posts of this nature but they end up getting lost in the crowd after awhile. We will keep this featured in the NEWBIE group for as long as we can. BTW, Newbie is considered and Internet word and is not a "bad thing". If you read the side bar of this group, the definition appears there:)

Brad, you sure put a lot of work into this! Have you contacted AR directly with these suggestions? My only suggestion would be to shorten the presentation - by the time most folks learn the basics, they have figured out how to get to the next levels on their own -

Bruce - You are welcome, I hope the folks you invite will get up and running quicker by using this post. It sure has helped some of my clients and friends on AR.

Karen - You are too kind. I sure appreciate your support in the group. Newbie is not such a bad word, I guess being one for so long started to get to me a little...(LOL) Technology is such a fast paced and difficult thing to get our arms around, I think I'll always be a newbie when it comes to all that the tech world has to offer our industry. Thanks again! :-)

Brian - I agree, it is a bit long, but so was the time I was spending helping my invited guests to get setup. This is a just a way for them to get up and running and hopefully take new members to the next level quicker, easier, and with more knowledge of what the network is all about and how much it has to offer. I should have broken it down into phases or modules...live and learn as they say. Thanks for your comment, and advice. I love to hear "REAL" feedback such as yours. Great comment and advice! Thanks. :-)

JUN

2007

Ok, so I feel silly, however, everytime I try to post my pictures, they are too large. Should I just steal my own pictures back from the mls since they may be the correct size to post listings?

Also, how do we get articles and information into the localism site? Is that all posted blogs from here? I am certain that it is answered somewhere else...please point me in the right direction. I get side tracked reading everyones blogs, you could spend days without ever logging off!

Cynthia - you can resize the photos in your post. Just click on the photo 1 time, then use the mouse on one of the corners to resize, or you can use the appearance tab when uploading your photo's, and just change the number from 800 x 786 to whatever size you like. Call me if you still need help, can walk you through it over phone in 60 seconds.

Yes, posts from Active Rain only go to Localism if you select "Public" and check to make sure you are clicking on the box for localism.com when submitting your post. You also have to select the State, County, and then City. You can even take it all the way down to a neighborhood. Let me know if you need help with either of these. Once you get it, it's a piece of cake!

JUN

2007

You are one of the best for helpful tips on how to use AR and get it going. I appreciate all the posts that I have read from you, all useful. This one is a keeper (bookmarked). I am fairly new and I just keep learning new stuff every single day that I visit AR. And I try to tap in daily.

Thanks Rosemary, It is very rewarding to me when I get comments such as yours. That is why I do what I do. For some crazy reason, I just love to help people! Not for my benefit, but for theirs. My life is blessed and I am surrounded by people who do the same for me, I guess that's why I feel it's important to "pay it forward" to others.

Let me know if you ever need help with anything, it truly is what I enjoy doing. What goes around, really does come around! :-)

JUN

2007

Brad:

Thanks for your help. Will try to get the posts up and running, if I have questions, I will call you. You are awesome!

JUN

2007

Brad you are welcome but its the honest truth. And here you are on vacation but still finding time for AR. Have you caught any fish yet? I love catfish most, but will eat them all! Fishing is relaxing too! Maybe that's how you are coming up with all these great posts????

JUN

2007

Brad, great post -- including in my welcome comments to New members to Active Rain.

Brad,

Thanks so much for this. I am not a creative writer and not sure of the blogging community itself. This really helps and I have bookmarked this post. I am so lost in this world and this is greatly appreciated.

Anna

Hi, Brad! Great tutorial for newbies. We appreciate it.

JUN

2007

Hi, Brad! Good content, definitely helpful to newbies...

Hi Brad, I wish there were a manual. I could sure make use of it. Just made my first post this week and working on several more. Where do I go to learn to wrap text around pictures and also post sections of a page as you have here. My pictures take up all the room and wont allow text along side. I have a million questions and AR people have been so wonderful to help. Thank you for sharing and a big thanks to that lady in Florida who has been such a great help too;Cyndee!! All who share here are making this community even better. Thanks

Brad, you have served your community beautifully with this post! Great job! One thing I didn't see is how I might file or organize favorite posts like this one. Let me know if I missed it or who I drop a line to with suggestions if it doesn't exist.

JUN

2007

Tracy all I know is bookmark. I'd be interested to know if there is another way to keep them by subject or something like that.

Cynthia - my line and door are always oen to you. Just call or email if I can assist you in any way. :-)

Rosemary - just got back today! Yes, we caught 12 rainbow trout up at pinecrest lake. It was very relaxing and so much fun. The best part is watching my kids catch fish. They get so excited and love it so much!
It's great to be back.... thanks!!

Judi - thanks for including my post in your welcome to new members, I am truly flattered and honored that you would do that. Probably the best compliment that can be paid is by adding someones post as a link in yours. I appreciate that very much!! :-)

Anna - you're not lost here on AR. There are so many great people who can and will assist you. Having said that, I am always available to try and help out other members. They have helped me in so many ways, this is how we "pay it forward" to others. Thanks for your comment, very much appreciated!!

Yolanda and Emilie - thanks, glad you find this post useful. It has helped many that I have invited and I hope it helps many others too! :-)

Darrel - there are a few tricks you need to know when posting and using graphics.

You can screen capture any image, save as a graphic, then upload to your post. When you upload any image, there will be a tab that says "Appearance". Click that tab and it will allow you to justify your image right, left, center etc. Then your text will fall into place accordingly. You can also adjust the size of your image there. You can also just click on the image in your post, use the corners and sides to adjust using your mouse. I know you have a million questions, but now you should only have 999,999!! :-)

Feel free to contact me for any others I may be able to help you with.

PS. Cyndee is wonderful, add her as an associate, and let her know how much she's appreciated by us both!! Send her your referrals when you can, I know she'll appreciate it as we all do! Thanks!!

Tracy - sorry for the late response, been on vacation. Rosemary is right, you can bookmark any post and add to your favs. The other option is to cut and paste into word doc and keep in a folder elsewhere on your desktop. If I find any other ways, I'll be sure and let yo know.

JUN

2007

Hi, Brad!

Do I need a special program to screen capture? How do I do it? I see on your tutorial that shows the screen with arrows and text and I don't know how that's done. Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you so much!

JUN

2007

Yolanda - You DO NOT need any special program to do a screen capture. When you are on the screen you want to capture, just press the "Print Scr" button on your keyboard. That will put the image into your clipboard. Then just press the "CTRL" + the letter "V" which will paste it into any program that lets you create .gif or .jpg files. I personally use a program called "Paint Shop Pro" but I did purchase it online. I know there are shareware programs out there that will do the same thing. I'll demonstrate by doing this below....

Let me know if you need any additional help in doing this, I'd be happy to assist you any way I can!

Hey, Brad!

Thank you! I can do that. How did you add comments and arrows and such to it? (Another question LOL)

I've been toying with the idea of buying Paint Shop but I'm just too lazy to do something about it. I've seen many bloggers use it, so I'm going to have to order it now. LOL Thank you so much!

Yolanda,

I did all of it in PSP. I suppose you can try Paint too. I just used the text tool over the top of the graphic. You can even overlay graphics and images over other graphics and images. There are alot of other cool things you can do too, I am still discovering all the great stuff PSP can do with images, clip-art, graphics, photos etc. Let me know how you like it, or if you find something else out there you like better. I know many use Adobe Photo-shop, but I just don't have the time or money to invest in that right now. Just got back from vacation and spent the kids inheritance!! LOL :-) not too funny to them... (Big Smile)!!

'Wish I'd had something like this when I first started! It was all "trial by error" for me! I'll definately bookmark this to share with anyone I invite to ActiveRain. Thanks!

JUN

2007

Margaret, I wished this was around when I started too... that's why I created it. Also, to help those I had invited to Active Rain. I hope you will be able to share this with others and save them some of the time that you and I had to learn by..."trial and error". Thanks!! :-)

Brad!

Thank you for the additional instructions. It turns out I have basic Paint hidden in my 'puter accessories! LOL Isn't that retarded? I tried the screen capture and it worked--now I have to play around with the program to see if I can make some decent graphics. I'll probably end up getting Adobe PhotoShop when I get comfortable with what I have. I'll let you know how it goes, and thank you so much again. I have Paint! L O L

P. S. Great vacation pictures and great looking family. Now you can't retire since you spent it all!

Yolanda - ;-) Thanks!! My Blog and Line are always open to you!! :-)))

Brad I like the idea of cut and paste and organizing it on my laptop. Thanks!

JUN

2007

very good post. I will have to recomend it to some of the new people

Hi Rosemary - glad you found this one useful, always my pleasure, I enjoy blogging this kind of support!!

Thanks James, I have been welcoming new members with a link to this one as well. The response has been good. Thanks for sharing! :-)

Brad, I tried your photo advice yesterday (you said above you can use any graphic for a post). Is that true for comments, too? I wanted to comment on the Father's Day post with a photo, but I only saw a URL link (no option to browse for a photo on my desktop). Did I miss something?

Hi Tracy - you can import photos into a comment section by using the toolbar below:

Just click on the icon that looks like then upload your photo using the screen below:

Click on the little icon that looks like this to upload your photos and url links.

I hope this helps, let me know if you need further assistance!! :-)

JUL

2007

Very nice! I was just saying the other day how I wish there was something like this......well...here it is.

JUL

2007

Pamela - glad you found this...probably my longest post in blogging history, but it has helped many new members and that's all that counts!! Thanks for finding me and commenting!!

AUG

2007

this was helpful as was the other link I received that had another blog from you. SInce there really isn't a help manual, you have broken this down nicely. THANKS.

Melina - there are many helpful posts here on Active Rain that will help you with navigating around comfortably, but more than that are the awesome writers and blogs you will see. Sit back, fasten your seatbelt, and just start reading, writing and commenting. You're gonna love it here.

SEP

2007

Very Helpful. Thanks Brad. ;)

Malika - here's another one you may want to add to your bookmarks!

Blogging 101 Resources

SEP

2007

Hi Brad !

Do you know how we go about removing ourselves from someone's association list. I've tried blocking and that didn't do the trick. Also, what if you are on their list since you added them as an associate one time, however now you want to remove yourself from their list?

thanks

Jo-Anne - If someone adds you as an associate, I don't think you can remove yourself from their list, but if you add them, you can remove them by clicking on the "Add Associate" link above their photo, then unchecking the box that says "associates". I don't think there is any way to remove yourself from someone that has added you though! I hope this helps, let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you out! :-)

Thanks Brad, I'm still not clear on this. I clicked 'add as associate' on someone's profile. Then I'm on their associations list. Now I want to remove myself from their associations list....that is what I am having a hard time doing. I can't find anything about this anywhere on AR.....also, when you block someone, it stops them from being visible on your associations list, however you are still visible on their associations list.... this is all so confusing to me. I just want to get off two people's associations lists and don't have a clue how to do it...

SEP

2007

Jo-Anne - did you try the instructions I left in my previous comment? This will remove them from your list. Try it, then let me know if that works. If not, call me on the phone, and I'll walk you through it ok? Thanks! B-)

Hi Brad, thank you very much for the instructions. I had already removed them from my list ....that isn't the problem. AR seems to have no way of removing yourself from someone else's association list , once you are on it. So, for instance, we add someone as an associate, then we find out down the road the person is not such a nice person to be associated with and we want to taken off of their associations list....we can't do it. Unless we ask them to block us...and how weird would that be?

thanks so much for your help...I think I may have to email Caleb about this..

Jo-Anne, that's the only way to get off their list, they have tpo remove you since they added you, I don't think that should be a problem. Let me know if Caleb can help you, if not, let me know, I have a couple ideas for you.

hi Brad, no they didn't add me, I added myself by making them an associate. As soon as you add someone as an associate, you appear on their associations list. You would think that because I added myself, that when I remover them from my 'associates' list, it would automatically remove me from their 'associations' list, but it doesn't. thanks again.

SEP

2007

Jo-Anne - I'd contact the support folks at AR and get that corrected. Let me know if I can help in any way!

OCT

2007

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the helpful blog. You seem to know your way around AR so I thought I could ask a couple questions and have you clarify for me. I am newer to AR. I set my profile up a while ago and now am starting to get more involved with AR. First, I responded to a couple of blogs and asked to be notified when there were more responses. The next day my email was flooded with responses. I then responded to another blog and have not received anything in my email. Then, I wrote my first blog, posted it under 'members only' and no one has responded. Am I doing something wrong? Second, someone has added me as an associate. I thought they had to ask my permission. How was he able to arbitrarily add me as an associate? I do wish there was a manual so I wouldn't have to pester you. If you can give any help I would appreciate it.

Thanks for all the information. It will really help me out!

OCT

2007

Hi Brad,

First, I responded to a couple of blogs and asked to be notified when there were more responses. The next day my email was flooded with responses. I then responded to another blog and have not received anything in my email. Then, I wrote my first blog, posted it under 'members only' and no one has responded. Am I doing something wrong?

Linda - First, if you put a check in the box of another members post to be "notified of comments" you will be emailed everytime ANYONE comments on that post, not just the creator! If you don't check the box, but you want to see if they respond, you'll have to go back and check the post at a later time to see. There is a history of every comment you make and receive. Just click on "MY HOME" for ALL comments! You can delete them as you respond of feel it necessary.

If you responded to another Blog and have not received any email, either you didn't check the box, or nobody has commented on it after you did. That's the only explanation I can think of.

Lastly, if you did your own post, and have not received any comments, (members only) it may be that you didn't add it to some of the groups that would have an interest. Even though it's members only, you should select up to 5 groups that your post pertains to. The other reason may just be that your post is not comment provoking (which I find hard to believe that would be the case).

Second, someone has added me as an associate. I thought they had to ask my permission. How was he able to arbitrarily add me as an associate? I do wish there was a manual so I wouldn't have to pester you. If you can give any help I would appreciate it.

Second - other members can add you as an associate if they like you, your writing or just because. They can type anything in the comments box they choose! You have no control over who decides to add you as an associate. You should do the same with the others who you connect with on AR. Those comments act as a 3rd party endorsement and referral base for your business. They also keep us all accountable. The best advice I can offer is that without a manual, you need to rely on the other members and also use the "Search" option in Active Rain to find pretty much anything you're looking for out here. This is a fabulous place with incredible people. I hope you'll take advantage of this huge opportunity to network and do business with some of the best in the industry. Let me know if I can help you in any other ways! All the Best to you, Brad!

Amy - I am glad you found this post and that you feel it will help you out. Let me know if there is anything else you need while out here in the "rain!" Thanks!! :-)

OCT

2007

Brad, this is exactly what I needed to know when I first got started. How do I book mark this post or easily find it again for future reference. I have read so many good post and it is hard to find again. Any suggestions on how to do that? Thanks again for the information!

Brad,

Thanks a ton for the information! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this is for us folks new to blogging (I also subscribed to your blog). I look forward to reading more of your stuff. I'm anxious to jump in to learn more and give back...my background is in technology so I'm going to pop in to some of those groups to see if I can help out.

Thanks gain!

Ernie - to bookmark any Post you find on Active Rain, just click on the "Bookmark" graphic just below the post.

It looks like this:

Posted by Brad Andersohn on 04/12/2007 03:49 AM

Comments (78)

activerain, getting started

Rate this post:

1 2 3 4 5

When you click on the "bookmark", it will turn the graphic RED! Then you can access your bookmarked posts from you Bookmarks Link on the lower left hand side of your "My Home" page.

As you can see, you also have the opportunity to "Rate" a post, email it to a friend or client, and also "Flag" it to be featured or turned in as inappropriate, spam, or plagiarism. I hope this helps you out my friend! Let me know! :-)

Joe - I am totally looking forward to reading your stuff! My strengths are technology, marketing and of course Title and Escrow. It's great to have you on board! I look forward to sharing ideas and technologies with you in the future. This is a fabulous place and I wish you all the success that many of us have already witnessed! Thanks for subscribing, I'll be looking forward to your posts and witnessing your successes her too! B-)

Brad, thank you for your help! I had to hit myself in the head because it was just right there if I had looked. My home page is full of comments and responses, wow, it is hard to keep up with it all and keep track without spending too much of your days or nights online. Thanks again for your help!

Ernie - no worries!! Go easy on yourself, you'll find your way around, and then you can focus on growing the relationships and your business. Managing your home page is part of the art and time management here. Based on your comments here and your responses, you're doing it exactly RIGHT! Just keep your Homepage like your email in box, delete the comments you make, they are stored in the "my Comments" folder, then delete the comments coming in once you've replied or responded to them. Comments received are also stored, they'll always be in your posts unless you delete them. (which is very rare on AR). You have to dedicate ONLY the amount of time that works for you, your schedule, and your life. I use the mornings to comment, and the late evenings to post. 6-7am and maybe on some nights 10:00 - 11 or 12:00. I'm still working on the "Ultimate" time management of a Blog, when I master that, you can read my post!! hahaha

NOV

2007

Thank you so much for the resource! Answered a lot of my questions and inspired my first blog post ever!

Krista - that's fantastic! I'm on my way over to check it out now! :-)

MAR

2008

Brad, I am allready in need of your next Blog so please forward it to me asap!! I am trying to figure out how to attach my Blog to other places and trying to figure out what RSS is and how to use it in all the components of my internet world!! So, please forward your Blog to me when you complete it @ juliepaez@newnorth.net Thanks so much. This is all so new to me. Julie

MAR

2008

Julie - you can view many of the "How-to" posts by going to the "Help/FAQ" link at the bottom of this page. You will find many posts that will help you there. If you need something additional or help beyond that, just let me know, I'm here if you need! :-)

Thanks Brad, Very helpful and easy to follow. I love how I can access this info even though it was written last year. It is so great.

Terrie

MAR

2008

Terrie - thanks!! :-) Some posts will last longer than others, I'm glad to see that this one is still bringing some value to others. I have since created a new one called "New Members - Start Here" which is more updated and has some other links and useful information.

Brad ~ I truly enjoy reading your posts and get a lot out of them. It seems like I always end up back at your blogs. I have a question I hope you can answer. Iit's probably been asked and answered many times, and probably fairly easy to do, but I find myself going around in circles and can't seem to find out how to do it. I end up going from post to post.... and well you know how it goes.

My questions is this: How do I add my own unique signature to a comment or post (in my own handwriting -- not below by the date and time, ec.

I've just been putting my website URl for now, but I've seen other notaries with their name in a colorful handwriting and I would like to be able to do that. I'm sure it's simple, but I havent' been able to figure it out yet.

I'd also like to know how to welcome new AR members. I see them when I'm not logged in, but then when I log in, they disappear and I cant' find them in order to send them a comment.

And , again, thank you for your time, helpful tips and advice! You're truly a big help to new AR members like me!

www.santaclaritamobilenotary.com

Denise - thanks for the post comment, and question. There are a couple sites out therethat will let you create a custom signature. Imagechef.com, glittermaker.com, those are FREE, then there are others that will convert your text to a style for a fee. You can also right your signature on apiece of paper, then scan it, and upload it like a graphic. Be sure to use an internet signature (not like your real one) so noone tries to copy it and use it unlawfully. Let me know if you need help beyond that. Here's a scan I just did for you.

BTW - For new members, just go to ActiveRain.com, then click on the "New Members Today" Link on the front page! You can also search by date and day. That's nice that you'd like to welcome new folks here, we need more like you to do that! Thanks Denise.

Thank you Brad for your prompt response. I will definitely check out those sites you mention and you're right.... one wouldn't want to use their own signature -- not a good idea in this day and age.

Very nice signature BTW. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks again for all your help.

I think it was you who mentioned about bookmarking blogs and I still can't figure out how to do that so I can rate them.

Sorry for all the questions. When you have time! Thanks :)

MAR

2008

Denise -

You can't rate Blog posts anymore. You can bookmark them and refer to them later. Just click on your "My Home" link at the top of the page, then scroll to the bottom of the screen and look to the lower LEFT hand side of your screen. You will see the link "Bookmarks" there. This will take you to all the posts you've previously bookmarked. You can also Bookmark posts and Blogs with your "Browsers" favorites, but the AR Bookmark works well too. Gotta go get eggs and help the Big Rabbit tonight...Good night, Easter Bunny Brad out.... :-)

MAY

2008

Very helpful! Thanks so much!

Melanie James

The VIP Group

Keller Williams DFW

Melanie - It may seem like a lot, but it will save you time learning the basics here in the rain. You should also check out the Help/FAQ link at the bottom of this page, there is and will be many helpful posts to assist you there. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. :-)

MAR

Brad, Thanks for the tips. I look forward to exploring and learning more. -Pete

APR

Good stuff here! Nice to know people are here to support one another!

MAY

Thanks Brad for all the good information.

Terry

MAY

Just a test.

MAY

Mickey - testing 1-2-3, working fine, you are ready and clear for take-off!

MAY

Brad thank you for taking the time for that very informative post. I hope to learn, and grow my business from acitve rain! I would love any referals for flagstaff Arizona where we stay cool in the Summer and ski in the winter

JoAnna - thank you. You will learn here, and the potential to grow your business is incredible, there's no better place. My father lives in Sierra Vista, AZ. but the weather there is nothing like Flagstaff, that's for sure. If I do get any referrals in your area, I will certainly consider contacting you, thanks. :-) Question: I see your signature says Dallas Real Estate, there's a Dallas Real Estate in Arizona?

JUL

Thank you Brad for your post although written in '07, still valuable info for me as a new ActiveRain member. Looking forward to seeing more of your posts, thanks again

Thanks Herb - that's funny and ironic. Because this was written so long ago, I just posted an updated and simpler one.

Hope you'll enjoy it even more. Here's the link.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1135403/how-to-get-started-on-activerain

JUL

Thanks Brad! Not only is this good information for newbies, but also for those of us who have been on AR for awhile and still don't know what we're doing...lol

Denise - haha! I still have to read my own blog posts once in a while, they still help me too. LOL~ :-)

SEP

Brad: You are a scholar and a gentleman!!

SEP

Thanks Brad! This is very helpful for newcomers like me! I love the step by step instructions.

Thanks for taking the time to share and help others get started!

Celayne Moore (Real Estate Investor) Moore Houses

Daytona Beach, FL

SEP

Brad,

Thank for having me! My name is Andy Chance of Chance Building Group in St augustine. I am a swimming pool and Building contractor and are looking for new sources to help with selling pools and homes. I think I have landed in the right place!

cbginc@att.net

Andy Chance

Andy - you have indeed landed in the right place. I just wrote a post for you here: Welcome To ActiveRain. :-)

OCT

Thanks Brad, I appreciate you taking the time to explain the start-up procedures to new Active Rain members like myself. It was very helpful...I look forward to posting my first blog soon!

Wendy Wallace