blogging: Ask An Ambassador: What's The Expiration Date Of Your Blog Posts?
- 11/04/13 10:03 PM
Ask An Ambassador: What's The Expiration Date Of Your Blog Posts?
We all want more business from blogging, right? But one of the keys to making the phone ring is giving the consumers what they want, and as much as possible WITHOUT an expiration date on the material. I'm not going to say we're perfect in that regard as we've written a lot of subdivision posts that have "dated" material. E.g. "The last three sales of 2011 were from $259,633 to $451,750". We just made it pretty obvious that we haven't touched that post in a year or two to any … (33 comments)
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blogging: Ask An Ambassador: Want Blogging Clients Faster? Listen To The Advice In The Rain!
- 10/28/13 10:03 AM
Ask An Ambassador: Want Blogging Clients Faster? Listen To The Advice In The Rain!
We all want more business, and we want it NOW! The first thing every agent who's about to blog is wondering is "How long is this going to take?". You attended some conference, training, webinar, whatever your source and the speaker/trainer swore blogging would get you business, and that's why you're here, right?
And they ARE right, blogging can do tremendous things for your business, but you have to do it right to make it work! You need some method to your blogging madness! Now we're not … (29 comments)
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blogging: All Part Time Agents Should Be Tarred & Feathered & Have Their Licenses Taken Away!!
- 10/15/13 12:42 AM
All Part Time Agents Should Be Tarred & Feathered & Have Their Licenses Taken Away!!
Okay, this is really an Ask An Ambassador post, but we're trying to make a point with the title. A title has multiple purposes:
Grab the reader and get them to click. Grab the search engine's attention Indicate what the post is about Set the mood for the post Now take the title we used for this post. It probably got your attention as you were scanning the blog roll. It probably even set your mood...put away the tar, feathers, torches and pitchforks please!! The part … (116 comments)
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blogging: Blogging Can Lead To Unexpected Places
- 09/27/13 10:57 PM
Blogging Can Lead To Unexpected Places When we write a blog, we just never know where it might take us. In most cases we're hoping for direct business from local home buyers and referrals, but that's not always the path a post may lead.
In 2011 we blogged regularly about a local school levy fight and the impact that fight was having on Little Miami School district home owners. Frankly the impact was pretty brutal, adding on almost 10% more home value loss than neighboring communities for the same time frame. And that post led to us being found by the … (59 comments)
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blogging: Ask An Ambassador: How Do I Get The Most Value Out Of Active Rain?
- 09/23/13 08:26 PM
Ask An Ambassador: How Do I Get The Most Value Out Of Active Rain?
For starters, there's no one answer to this question: What is Active Rain & what is your primary purpose(s) for being here?
It's a blogging site obviously, and if you have a Rainmaker account a ticket to get your voice heard by everyone on the Internet. It's a social site too. A place where you can be Norm from Cheers. A place where others DO know exactly what you're going through on a daily basis! Virtual or in real life, you can make some true friends in … (63 comments)
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blogging: Gimme That Hat...No Not THAT One, The OTHER One!
- 09/23/13 05:51 AM
Gimme That Hat...No Not THAT One, The OTHER One! Today is one of those days, the role is changing so fast that it's hard to keep track! The day starts off as most, pull the starter cord and get the engine running, and today my brain decides 20 minutes before that 5:50 a.m. alarm clock is time to wake up and get at it! Liz is out of town visiting her family, so feed the kitties and Tido the Chihuahua and get him outside for some "exercise"! Okay, take the pet provider hat off!
Clear some email, read some blogs, catch … (26 comments)
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blogging: Ask An Ambassador: Thoughts About Blogitude
- 09/16/13 08:42 PM
Ask An Ambassador: Thoughts About Blogitude
The last 24 hours was one of my more "sucky" days in real estate. I got totally blindsided yesterday morning by a friend/seller asking for a listing release to hire a local, big name agent. Ooomph. And the "it's not you, it's me" bit didn't help an iota. Then an afternoon inspection, and I'm thinking it may make perfect sense for my buyers to opt out and have us look for another good fit. Then past buyers of ours chose the previous listing agents for the home to sell it now (that hurt, and for … (87 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: Have You Written FAQ Posts?
- 09/02/13 11:39 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: Have You Written FAQ Posts?
If you want to get extra mileage out of your blogging work, write FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) posts. We've had Active Rain challenges in the past that rewarded bloggers for answering questions that you get asked frequently. Face it, there are MANY questions you get asked over and over!
How much can I get for my house? How long will it take to sell my home? How do I appeal the taxes on the home I bought? How do I apply for a homestead exemption? What do I need to do to prep … (58 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: The Importance of Eye Candy
- 08/26/13 11:40 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: The Importance of Eye Candy
I needed to be smacked around a few times as a new blogger to get this one. As an engineer, aesthetics might not be my first priority in blogging life. Does the post do the intended job? Does it convey the message I wanted? Educate/train/inform, that was the most important.
BUT, after some comments here and there it became apparent that if we wanted readers, a blog post is a two part message:
1) The words. Content is king, right? And sometimes that truly is enough, if you can pick the right words. … (85 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: Is It Okay To Cover A Topic Twice?
- 07/22/13 11:12 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: Is It Okay To Cover A Topic Twice?
Short answer: YES. Especially if it's a pure real estate related topic with a local focus that the consumers can only find if you write it. Another breadcrumb in the digital world to lead potential home buyers and sellers back to you. Another chance to occupy a Google Page 1 spot, to hear that lovely phrase from the caller "You're EVERYWHERE on the internet so I just knew YOU were the one to call to help us!" (Really, it happens, this isn't just some blogging myth).
Now that doesn't mean … (64 comments)
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blogging: We're Late Blogging, And It's Our Blog's Fault!
- 06/30/13 06:28 AM
We're Late Blogging, And It's Our Blog's Fault!
You could call it a vicious circle, but there's nothing vicious about it. It's the desired result of something we've now been working years to achieve: an increase in our business potential thanks to blogging. We blog to get business, we get business, we're too busy to blog....it's a theme we've seen many times in the Rain!
And today was another case of it coming true. We've publicized time and again that among our blogging topics, we've got an Active Rain Outside Blog dedicated to patio homes. That select group of specialized … (42 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: What's The Difference Between Members Only and Public Posts?
- 06/24/13 11:26 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: What's The Difference Between Members Only and Public Posts?
Well the first was a really popular jacket during the '80s...oh wait, wrong Members Only! For the purposes of blogging, you have two choices as to posting status when publishing your blog post: Members Only & Public.
Now if you haven't gotten a Rainmaker account, then the choice is easy because you don't have one. ALL your posts go Members Only. So who can see your posts? ONLY Active Rain members. Your posts are staying in-house, and you don't need to worry about Google and SEO and all … (36 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: 10 Active Rain No No's To Avoid!
- 06/17/13 09:58 PM
Ask An Ambassador: 10 Active Rain No No's To Avoid!
When you first start out in Active Rain, there's plenty of opportunity to learn from Active Rain University, other bloggers, etc. But some things may not get expressed clearly and early, so here's a collection of tips to avoid trouble in the Rain!
1. Don't comment without reading the post. The WHOLE post. If you want to show people you're just about the comment points, leave a comment that indicates you didn't bother reading the post. While you got your 25 points, leaving a "Hope you sell your listing soon" … (95 comments)
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blogging: Ask An Ambassador: Does The Tone Of My Blog Matter?
- 06/11/13 12:40 AM
Ask An Ambassador: Does The Tone Of My Blog Matter?
In a nutshell, we'd say "YES!". The tone and topic choice of your blog is either going to engage consumers and other Active Rainers, or discourage them from spending time with you.
Now from a practical standpoint, most consumers will find you as the result of a search engine query and go directly to ONE blog post. If that post provides them the info they need, they probably don't search any further on your blog. They either call you, or they don't.
Now your interaction with other Rainers is totally … (52 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: How Long Before Blogging Brings Me Business?
- 05/27/13 10:56 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: How Long Before Blogging Brings Me Business?
"It depends". But chances are the speed to that first phone call may be a bit slower than you want because by nature we're in a "I want/need it NOW!" business, but there are multiple variables that will impact how long it takes to get new business from blogging.
We're going to start off with "You're a Rainmaker, right??". Without that status, all the writing in the world to the consumers does you no good unless your local home buyers & sellers join Active Rain to find your work. You can … (82 comments)
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blogging: ASK AN AMBASSADOR: What's A Productive Post?
- 05/13/13 11:01 PM
ASK AN AMBASSADOR: What's A Productive Post?
As a blogger, one of the challenges is finding topics and CONTINUING to find topics to sustain your Internet presence. It's easy to get tired, experience some burn out, have a blogging brain block kind of day, but it's important to keep your momentum.
Now we've seen debate over what's a "Productive" blog topic. Can it only be pure real estate material? Or is ONLY pure real estate bad, listing after listing after open house after Just Sold announcement? Are other things filler and to be disdained by hard core real estate bloggers? You've … (27 comments)
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blogging: Active Rain: Your Personal Network Of Consultants!
- 04/21/13 11:04 PM
Active Rain: Your Personal Network of Consultants!
Reason #2,483 to join Active Rain: membership comes with a personal network of consultants! Chances are if you want to know something, someone here has the expertise to answer your question. Some are paid professionals, others are agents just sharing what they've learned, but all bring knowledge to the Rain that helps us!
When we first joined Active Rain, I can't say we had any idea of just how much of a resource Active Rain would become for us! And we also didn't know what we didn't know. Wordpress? We'd probably heard or seen … (66 comments)
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blogging: Ask An Ambassador: Why Isn't My Blog Making My Phone Ring?
- 04/01/13 11:21 PM
Ask An Ambassador: Why Isn't My Blog Making My Phone Ring?
There are two primary camps of bloggers in the Rain: those just here to have fun, and those blogging for business. MOST of us fall into the 2nd group, and it's not uncommon for us to read blog posts or see comments where the writer expresses an opinion that blogging doesn't work for them. Now this might seem kind of harsh, but we know that blogging CAN work to build your business, so what that leaves is an issue between the seat and the keyboard OR in your local market … (84 comments)
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blogging: Another Blogging Tip: Customer Questions Make Great Blogging Topics!
- 01/17/13 10:22 PM
Another Blogging Tip: Customer Questions Make Great Blogging Topics! If you're going to blog frequently, one of the challenges will be what to write about. The good news? Your clients and prospects are going to supply you ideas! That's right, chances are questions asked you by your clients and potential clients aren't just information that ONLY they want to know! Nope, there are common interests across most home sellers and buyers, and they're coming right to your email, phone and right between the ears during face to face conversations.
Now you COULD just answer that question once and be done, OR you … (80 comments)
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blogging: Members Only Isn't A Guarantee Of Protection!
- 01/14/13 08:00 PM
Members Only Isn't A Guarantee Of Protection! Every post you've got the choice of Draft, Public and Members Only. Be careful with your choice, as many have said the Internet is forever, and perhaps DRAFT mode is the best place for some posts to stay!
We routinely see bloggers post information in a PUBLIC post that just makes us shake our heads. Enough detail to make it obvious to that home buyer/seller that it is THEM being talked about. If it's a conversation we wouldn't have directly to their face, why are we typing it and submitting it to the world? And … (63 comments)
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Ask An Ambassador: What's The Expiration Date Of Your Blog Posts?
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