Special offer

Does your blog commit these 5 sins?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals

 

A blog is a web site that provides regular entries of information, commentary, events, and news on a particular subject.  It often combines text, images and links and allows readers to leave comments and interact with the writer. 

So does your blog commit these sins?

 

1. Sending mixed messages?

We all know there are hazards of sending mixed messages to our children, "do as I say not as I do." The same goes for business.  It's important to be clear with your clients and readers.  Don't promise that you will do something if you know you can't.  If you are sharing information in your blog posts be sure the information is accurate and be sure to come back and update them on events and stories that need follow-up.  It's a simple fact, people prefer working with people who share clear messages.  Don't over promise!  Come across as credible, know your facts and investigate a subject matter before you write about it - it builds trust and confidence and keeps your readers coming back to you for more of the information you are sharing.

 2. Hard to subscribe?

Wanting to increase your readership?  Consider whether or not you are making it easy for your readers to subscribe to your blog.  

Jeremy Blanton describes how to allow readers to subscribe to your blog via social networking sites:http://activerain.com/blogsview/783103/Allow-your-readers-to-Subscribe-to-Your-Blog-on-the-social-Network-of-their-Choice

Jason Crouch covered how to allow readers to subscribe to your blog via Feedburner in this post -http://activerain.com/blogsview/748476/How-to-Syndicate-Your-Blog-Meet-My-Two-Most-Important-Subscribers.  This allows you to syndicate your blog via email which simply means someone can sign up and receive all your public posts via email.

Also be sure to subscribe to your favorite bloggers here on AR (the button is above the bloggers photo - see there on the right of this post - go ahead, click it!)  Be sure to visit them on a weekly basis to see their latest posts.  I think all too often we add people to our subscriptions list but that's where it ends - we need to visit and comment on their blogs to enjoy all the benefits of being a subscriber - isn't that what we want from people subscribing to our blogs?

3. Inconsistent Posting

In Jim's post, (http://activerain.com/blogsview/22717/How-Often-Should-I-Blog he compares blogging to exercising and provides 3 key benefits of blogging that include search engine seeding, maintaining and building readership and feeding the habit.

I've read many viewpoints on posting and agree posting should occur at least once a week and 2-3 times is even better.  But, don't post just to post or for points - post whenever you have something of value to say -  something that is worth sharing with your readers.  If you're going through a period of not being sure what to write about or post - visit your fellow bloggers, make comments, read a good book, and before you know some ideas will start brewing.

4. Lack of comments back to your readers

If readers are stopping by to comment on your blog be sure to reciprocate and visit their blog to leave a comment for them.  It's also important to recognize the comments you are receiving on your post and respond back in the comments section to acknowledge the points and comments shared by your readers (I've heard from many that they often return to see comments left back from the writer - I know I do - who knows, your next blog could actually be in the comments section

Nestor and Katerina talked about the secrets beyond the comments in their post http://activerain.com/blogsview/772885/Its-Not-All-About-The-Comments-The-Secrets-Beyond-The-Comments in which they advised us to not just focus on the comments but the statistics page to know how many people are reading our blogs.  I think this is important point because it will tell you how relevant your topic is to the majority of your readers.  Look back at your previous posts and see which ones received the most comments and try to focus your writing on similar topics and carry out the same style of a post that was successful.

Cynthia Tilghman provides advice on practicing good blogging etiquette as ways to get more comments on your blog posts.  Visiting her post http://activerain.com/blogsview/712761/Want-to-Know-Why will provide you with lots of helpful advice.

5. Lack of Links

Do your blogs have links?  Are you linking back to a post or person that you are mentioning in your blog?  (See examples throughout this post)  Are you linking your pictures to increase your search engine juice as Lenn Harley mentioned in this post: http://activerain.com/blogsview/835384/IM-CONFUSED-WHY-IS-THERE-A-TREND-AWAY-FROM-CONTENT-CONTENT-CONTENT 

Paying it forward is a concept here on AR that many people have adopted and it's a way to not only promote your services and information but promote the services and information of other members that you value, admire and that your readers will surely appreciate.  Castellum Realty is a group that mentions their associates often and is a great example of the concept of Paying it Forward.

Does your blog commit any of these sins? 

What are some other "sins" a blog can commit? 

 

Posted by

If it's not evident to you by now, consumers are very knowledgeable and computer savvy and are using the Internet to not only search for homes but for real estate agents and real estate professionals who they feel are like minded and can lead them to the results they are looking for.  

As we all know, there are only 24 hours in a day to get it all done...are you focusing on the right stuff to grow your business and meet your client's needs? Contact us today to get started!

Ready to take your Marketing to new levels? Anne Marie Malfi ~ Malfi Marketing Solutions.com ~ Copyright 2011

 

Share

 

Lets Connect and Stay Connected:

Anne Marie Malfi on Facebook  Anne Marie Malfi on LinkedIn  Anne Marie Malfi on Twitter  Subscribe to Anne Marie Malfi's Blog Annr Marie Malfi on Google +

Home Loan Search.Online
Home Loan Search Online - Newnan, GA

Thanks for the post. I need to review my blog on AR and my outside blog to make sure I'm not committing any of these "sins."

Dec 15, 2008 02:57 AM
Robert Dawson
Top Search Result - Charlottetown, PE
SEO

Inconsistent posting seems to be the sin that I see the most often.  I have been trying to set up a blog schedule for myself but I keep straying from it.

Dec 15, 2008 03:14 AM
Joel McDonald
Joel McDonald -- www.AutomatedHomefinder.com - Castle Pines North, CO

Great Post Anne Marie! I've been working on avoiding most of these "sins", and your post is a great reminder.  Thanks for sharing!

BTW: I found this post thanks to your Twitter account ;-)

Dec 15, 2008 05:28 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

Anne Marie - The main thing I cannot do anymore is keep up with comments.  I try when I have time, but I also really enjoy writing and sharing more than just responding with "thanks!" type comments.

Dec 15, 2008 05:55 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

Oops!  I meant to thank you for mentioning my post here!  Thanks so much -

Dec 15, 2008 05:55 AM
Ryan Shaughnessy
PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO
Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Anne Marie - Great reminders - The "mixed message" and "inconsistent blogging" seem to be the cardinal sins.  I don't know about others - but I read specific blogs because I enjoy their consistent theme or regular posts.  When they go off topic or disappear for weeks, then I tend to read a blog where there is a more consistent message matching my interests.

Dec 15, 2008 08:30 AM
Amy Salisbury
Leading Edge Properties - Charles Town, WV
West Virginia Realtor/Jefferson/Berkeley

Anne Marie,  In my ongoing effort to become a better blogger, these types of posts are crucial to helping my climb the learning curve!  You're getting a bookmark from me!  Thanks for the wonderful advice...again!

Dec 15, 2008 09:35 PM
Anne Marie Malf
Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals - Yardley, PA
Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA

Integrity - you're welcome - and lol - I hope not.

Robert - I think a lot of us do this - things come up and business needs to be tended to and sometimes the thoughts are just not there - always good to keep a file to jot down ideas and also great to read other posts for inspiration.

Joel - How nice - so happy you found me and my post. Thank you - this will be a future blog in itself!

Hi Jason - LOL - I would say that is a problem for YOU - with all your great posts it's no wonder you can't keep up - you need an assistant - LOL.  And you're very welcome for the mention - I thought it was important to mention your success.

Ryan - thank you and I agree with your points. I tend to follow certain blogs because of their themes being in line with my thoughts and ideas too.

Amy - so happy you found this post as a helpful reminder.  We can never stop learning!

Dec 18, 2008 04:03 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Ann Marie, as a veteran blogger here, you hit all the right touch points.

Dec 19, 2008 09:27 AM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Mixed messages and inconsistent blogging are definitely "sins" we need to work on not commiting for this to be a strong business avenue.

Dec 21, 2008 08:21 AM
Marlene Pellegrini
Norwich, CT

 

Thanks for putting these together.  I can add a sin to this list at least from my personal experience... so I don't know if anyone else would agree.  How about making comments that don't contribute to the post.  If one doesn't like a post then I feel:  Don't comment and move on.

One negative comment can be more detrimental than hundreds of positive comments, to ones reputation.  I don't know the AR guidelines by heart but I am pretty sure that rude and non-supportive member comments really don't follow them.  Most times I find comments are spot on, however, once in while I will find one in my posts or one's that I read to be the complete opposite.

There is always a few bad eggs I guess.

Dec 21, 2008 01:46 PM
Anne Marie Malf
Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals - Yardley, PA
Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA

Hi Gary - thank you - it's always an honor to have a veteran blogger say that I hit all the right points - I appreciate your comment and association.

Christine - I couldn't agree with you more.

Marlene - I agree with your point - many times we get random, negative or even hurtful comments that I think are better made directly to that person as it can take away from the message.  I seem to gravitate towards more positive, uplifting and encouraging posts myself.  Thank you for stopping by to comment and I look forward to chatting with you again.

Dec 22, 2008 02:54 AM
Liz Moras Migic
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack, British Columbia - Realtor

Fantastic post Anne Marie - you always have such a great way of summarizing the really important......you concise and to the point while still being creative - not to mention inspiring! ;-)

a lemon for you.......http://activerain.com/blogsview/861014/Sweet-Lemon-Aid-A-MeMe-turned-ThemThem

Happy New Year !- :-)

Jan 01, 2009 04:45 PM
Everard Korthals
---Preferred Lifestyle Advisors--- - Lancaster, PA
Mountain Realty

Anne Marie Malfi, We feel terrible for missing this post. Thank you for recognizing us paying it forward to others but we owe it all to Brad Andersohn aka Active Brad who showed us the way. Great post!!

Sincerely, Active Castellum ( Castellum Realty llc - Lancaster PA Real Estate )

btw: we found this via a google alert initially! :)

Jan 02, 2009 02:25 AM
Anne Marie Malf
Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals - Yardley, PA
Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA

Hi Liz - thank you as always for your kind and supportive words and know you are always a source of inspiration to me.  Thank you for the mention in the meme - working on it since I took off time with family for the holidays - now I have to play catchup.  Happy New Year!

Castellum - you're so welcome - gotta love those google alerts!  Yes, Brad has shown us all the way and I appreciate that you have carried that message on here in the rain.  Happy New Year my friends!

 

Jan 06, 2009 04:59 AM