I've been looking at my stats and decided to do a little ciphering.

To date, I've written 40 posts, had a total of 248 comments, and 17,317 views. That means each post I write averages 6.2 comments and 433 views. Whew! That's heady stuff.

I don't share those statistics with you to try and impress. Many of you see far more traffic and comments than I. Heck, my apprentice Ines runs circles around me!

I do share them to make a point, however, and it is that Active Rain is not the "real world" in terms of blogging. (Tell you something you didn't know, right?) It's almost like a nursery where you are looked after (views) and cared for (comments) by people of like-mind and passions. That's not a bad thing, just not the norm. (And, no, I'm not calling you guys a bunch of babies! :->)

When (or if) you begin your blogging journey outside AR, you're going to find it to be a very different place. For the first few months you're going to see little traffic, and comments will be few and far between. It will take a period of time until search engines index your site, and even then you won't be showing up on front page returns for a time, and when that does happen, it's not always for the keywords you're vying for.

I don't say things "horrible" things to dissuade you from venturing out, but to prepare you for those days when you get discouraged and wonder if all the time spent is worth it. I'm living testimony to the fact that it is.

When I had my own internet marketing consulting company, Radiant Marketing Group, my only marketing strategy was blogging and all that goes with it. That was it. Yet, not once did I ever have to make a cold call. Business came to me because I blogged. You will see similar results if you stay with it. I firmly believe that.

Blog Marketing
In a few days, Ines and I will embark on another leg of our journey together and venture into blog marketing. We're going to take a step-by-step approach and cover a number of tactics to grow traffic to her new blog. Our goal is to see the new blog generate leads, build community and establish Ines as THE real estate expert in her area. Considering that she serves Miami, that's a tall order. Of course, everything we cover will be shared with you.

If you're already out there blogging on your own, I'd encourage you to stay actively engaged at AR. We all need the TLC a community like this can provide. 

One other point...I have a little mantra that says, "Never blog alone." Active Rain is a perfect example of the kind of synergy that develops inside a community. That's one reason our company, Blogging Systems, hasn't produced a single blog product. We believe there is power in community and our product line-up reflects that. 

In starting your stand alone blog, you might even consider bringing on others to blog alongside you, similar to what Dustin Luther did at Rain City Guide. It's a way to accrue all the benefits of blogging without having to do all the posting. It almost assures you'll see at least daily updates if not multiple daily updates. Google likes that you know. Plus, having others blogging with you is an encouragement to keep going.

For example, you could bring on your mortgage partner, or a home stager, home inspector, attorney, or any number of people related to the local real estate market. Make your blog a one-stop shop for all things real estate related as it pertains to your area. That will get attention and gain traction much quicker than a single blog. It's worth considering anyway...and, if not, keep in mind I didn't charge for the advice! :-)