So ActiveRain has updated their Q&A section. I woke up this morning and decided to explore it. Quickly I found a topic that interests, no scratch that... concerns me. How ActiveRain chooses its gold-laden Featured Posts.
I read the question, read other member's answers, then chose to write my own answer. The only problem is my answer got longer and longer and I realized I wanted this to be a blog I received benefits from, not just an answer on the Q&A forum.
(By the way, please enlighten me as to what should encourage me to participate in the Q&A forum? Yes, I get the community benefit and the answers I can get about the AR community. But how does it benefit someone that takes time to answer? And shouldn't the Q&A be geared towards the general public as well? I'm not trying to be negative. These are honest questions about the Q&A. I guess I should ask these in the Q&A, right?)
Anyways, on to the question: How are featured blogs decided these days since there is no "suggest' button?
Its my belief that AR takes the "Google Approach" to featured posts, not quite telling us how featured posts are chosen in hopes that members opt to write great content to get featured. The problem is the perception of most active members not featured regularly is that there is a tilt to the selection process. Many of the selections are of "repeat offenders" while other great blogs and content get passed over. AR staff, Ambassadors and often featured members can argue against this until they are blue in the face, but at the end of the day it certainly feels like there is a 1% mentality on ActiveRain.
I have been on AR since 2009 and I've had a few featured posts, but I must say my best content mostly gets over-looked. The featured posts I did nail were more a stroke of luck than anything else. That's all I can chalk it up to, because the features I did receive pale in comparison to some of the well thought-out content I have slaved and sweat over.
If I were to name a silver bullet for getting featured posts I would say connecting with as many other members on AR to gain status and recognizability, especially with other members that have "already made it". Please don't misread my 'connecting with as many members as possible' statement as a bad quality, or even a good quality. Its neither in my book. But remember, just because you talk with every single guest at a party doesn't mean you've had meaningful conversations.
The problem I have with this is I want to blog mostly to potential clients, not just to AR members. Yeah, its great to connect, but ultimately I've got to put deals together!
I know of an AR member (whom I shall not name) that I've secretly watched grow in the community. Often this member does not offer any real estate themed blogs. They rarely even speak via their blog to the general public. Their blog is all about the AR community and they blog consistently. That's great for them, if that's what they want to focus on more power to them. This member is now an Ambassador and gets many blogs featured.
But if I blogged like that my kids wouldn't eat! I must and will blog to buyers and sellers of real estate and of my territories! Every once in a while I will blog about the ActiveRain community, because I do love this community, but in the end this is a business and I will treat it as such.
With all I've said, I also want to say thank you to the countless ActiveRain members I've learned and enjoyed the company of. Don't get this post wrong: I do love AR and what we have here. But there needs to be a better Featured Post selection process, and honestly the "Google Approach" isn't working. We need some transparency. Otherwise, the tilted perception will continue.
Until then, I will continue to blog to buyers and sellers, and about real estate in Beaumont CA!
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