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Only 7 Posts Per Member of Active Rain? Seriously?!?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Christine Wade

There was a blog post made today by Michael Thornton called, You've Come A Long Way Baby, which was very cool and showed us the original posts made on Active Rain and how to see who our newest members are, but it also told us that we were close to our 1 millionth post with an approximate 140,000 members.  The very first comment on this post was by Penny Hull - who "did the math" - and informed us that that was only an average of 7 posts per member.  WHAT?  How is that even possible? 

Question diceI joined Active Rain on 6/12/2008, and did not post for the first two months...guess the kids getting out of school really threw me for a loop or something...but I have (as of this post) 70 posts on Active Rain in under a year, which I though was kind of slacking on my part, but at least that's more than a post per week. It is hard for me to write intelligent original posts sometimes...there are days when just nothing comes to me...but then I go back and look at my note on my desktop about blogging ideas or something will come into my email inbox that sparks my thought processes, or as was brought up here on AR this last week in a blog post by Diane Rice, a comment that I post on someone else's blog will inspire my own blog post.  So, I figured that perhaps that's the reason why there are so few posts per member of Active Rain...maybe it's hard for them to come up with original post ideas as well. 

So, I did a little research into the last few posts that have given out ideas.  Here they are:

Those were all found just by using the search feature quickly.  And if they don't suit your needs, do your own search...search by season or general topic, etc...

Let's get those numbers up people...the only way to win the game is to play...and the only sure way to lose the game is to take yourself out of it by not participating.  Participate in your membership at Active Rain!

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BIO:  Christine Wade has successfully owned and operated a Real Estate Virtual Assistant business, specializing in Real Estate Support Services, since March of 2000. I have several accreditations and have received many client testimonials over the years.  I have over 26 years of administrative experience, I am a licensed agent in California (#01442002) and I specialize in on-going, value-based services provided to real estate agents and brokers...long term relationships with my clients are my greatest success stories. I was a contributing author over at RealBlogging.com, you can read my articles that I have written, all directed towards real estate professionals, by clicking here

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Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Brian - I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to "clean the AR house", but perhaps there should be a rule that if you haven't at the very least logged into your account within 6 months, that your account and blog will be deactivated?  I'm sure as our numbers continue to grow, they will have to do something...  Thanks for stopping by!

Mar 24, 2009 06:31 AM
Marilyn Harrell
Better Homes and Acres - Beaverton, MI
Wixom Lake - Beaverton MI

Ideas are always there for me, it's the time that's lacking.

Mar 24, 2009 06:33 AM
TIM MONCRIEF
Tim Monciref - Austin, TX
Over 2,000 homes sold…..

Great research......  I was dead weight for about a year before starting to post....and there are many that have thrown in the towel on posting on AR, so the 7 number was pretty tough to swallow......

Cheers......

Mar 24, 2009 06:33 AM
Craig Schiller
Trempealeau, WI

Christine,

Don't forget, Active Rain is used in different ways by different members.

NOT everyone has the gift of blog. Writing is tough for some.

Some are quite content to be a member of somthing... yet not participate on the blog level.

Some only read. Some just comment. THAT is what makes this work.

Even with an average of 7 posts per memember there is a heck of a lot information being shared.

Me

 

Mar 24, 2009 06:33 AM
Jim Cheney
Saint Francis Property Santa Rosa, CA - Santa Rosa, CA
Rincon Valley Realtor 707.494.1055

Great ideas thanks for the research.

Mar 24, 2009 06:38 AM
Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Marilyn - LOL - we've all been there...remember, I was the first to admit that I didn't post during almost my first two months of membership!

Tim - That number is really low IMO...I'd like to see it double by the end of 2009!

Craig - Sure, we all have our own reasons for being here...and you're definitely right...some only read and comment...but with the number of members on board, that number of 7 average posts per member is statistically pretty low.  I'm not trying to make everyone fit into some cookie cutter mold...I just think of all the information that could be shared...more than already is being shared...if more people posted more often!  Thanks for stopping by.

Mar 24, 2009 06:41 AM
Diana Perez
Majestic Properties - Miami, FL

Hi Christine, to me, a blog is about how we express ourselves in our own words without at least trying to use jargon and I agree with you that sometimes posts don't seem or feel original. Sometimes I write a blog by improvising my own words by an real estate related idea or thought or being creative while at other times I do research to back up my blog. I have noticed a pattern in blog posts in AR, members inspired by other members to write but it goes to show that threaded discussion are what makes AR so alive today...

Mar 24, 2009 06:42 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Christine, I think there are an awful lot of members who've

a) only made one post.

b) never posted a blog at all.

my guess would be that represents around half of the membership.... so let's call them 70,000 people... at .5 each.... so that's 35,000 posts.

 

At the same time, there appears to be a core group of bloggers who've posted way more than 7 posts on their blogs... and are way into the 100's... (some 300, 400 and more)... let's say... 1% .... so 1,400 people... at an average of let's say... 250 posts... 350,000 posts.

that leaves approximately 68,500 members to make up the 615,000 posts... which leaves them 8.9 posts to complete, to reach 1,000,000.  Totally do-able, don't you think?

Mar 24, 2009 06:42 AM
Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Jim - Thank you, and thanks for reading!

Diana - Thanks for your comment, and you're right AR definitely has a feeling of being alive...I still miss the number of members online at any one given time indicator that we used to have...it gave me more energy...like if I hurried up and wrote a post while all those people were online...more people would read what I had to say!  LOL

Alan - Thanks for doing all that math...that is a totally do-able number...I hope we get there soon!

Mar 24, 2009 06:49 AM
William James Walton Sr.
WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Briotti Group - Waterbury, CT
Greater Waterbury Real Estate

I personally wouldn't be writing more blog posts to reach some statistical number of posts per member. Too many variables are involved that have already been pointed out to make such a goal rather meaningless.

I will continue to write blog posts (I've already managed, in two months, about 70, so that's more than 1 blog per day) to inform, to get information, to encourage, support, enlighten, vent, and any other purpose that I can find.

Mar 24, 2009 10:00 AM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Let 'em stay and I agree all here for different purposes.

Mar 24, 2009 01:56 PM
Debbie DiFonzo
Debbie DiFonzo - United Country VIP Realty, SW Missouri - Lebanon, MO
Lebanon MO and Buffalo Missouri Real Estate

Interesting stat... If you take away those few that have 300+ posts and do the math again, the number is even lower!

Mar 24, 2009 02:04 PM
Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Wiliam - I am not talking about reaching statistical numbers...well, we were talking about it, but that wasn't my main point...my main point was to actively participate here in the rain...

Andrew - I didn't say to kick people out for not blogging...I said that if they didn't at least LOG IN at some point within the last 6 months...that means log in to update their profile, comment, read or blog, etc...I think if people aren't participating in some format at least, then they shouldn't be reaping the benefits of even having a profile here...but again, that's my opinion...not necessarily that of AR.

Debbie - Ouch!  Good point by you!  Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Mar 24, 2009 02:41 PM
Regina P. Brown
MBA Broker Consultants - Carlsbad, CA
M.B.A., Broker, Instructor

Christine, as with everything else in life, there is the 20/80 rule:  20% of the people are doing 80% of the work!  At church, 20% of the members tithe 80% of the total fund collected.  ETC...

Mar 24, 2009 05:22 PM
John Cannata
214-728-0449 http://TexasLoanGuy.com - Frisco, TX
Texas Home Mortgage - Purchase or Refinance

I cant write that much, but I thought it was 10 posts per week, not 7.  Is that right?

Mar 24, 2009 05:46 PM
Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Regina - That is true...the good old 80/20 rule :-)  Thanks for reading!

John - I can't write THAT much either...at least not on a regular basis... Glad you stopped by!

Mar 25, 2009 03:38 AM
DeAndrea "Dee Dee" Jones
Samson Properties - Manassas, VA
DMVRealEstateChick

A lot of people sign up and then never get involved.  Active Rain is like a virus, you have to catch the bug then its spreads and you start posting like a crazed maniac.

Mar 26, 2009 03:20 AM
John Cannata
214-728-0449 http://TexasLoanGuy.com - Frisco, TX
Texas Home Mortgage - Purchase or Refinance

There are many that do write that much.  I pretty much top out at 15-18 a month.  Honestly, I think that is a bit much sometimes.  But, it helps with my google search and clients, so its beneficial.  Still cant see writing 35-45 posts a month like some do.  Maybe they have assistants writing them. ??

Mar 26, 2009 12:41 PM
Christine Wade
Christine Wade - Derby, VT
Operations Strategist / Online Business Manager

Dee Dee - LOL - love the analogy, thanks for sharing :-)

John - Hmmm...there are some folks on Active Rain who use ghost bloggers to post for them, but I'm not sure how high the percentage is.  At 15-18 posts a month, I'd say you're doing pretty well!  Thanks for stopping back by!

Mar 27, 2009 04:41 AM
Russel Ray, San Diego Business & Marketing Consultant & Photographer
Russel Ray - San Diego State University, CA

I think the 80/20 rule works here at ActiveRain just as it does in business and life:

80% of the posts are done by 20% of the members.

Apr 24, 2009 09:15 PM