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Do I Have to Write My Blog Myself?

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Motherhood Incorporated

by Shannon Penrod and Sandra Beck

Hold on to your hats, I'm going to say something controversial.  No, you do not have to write your own blog.  Okay, everyone take a deep breath. 

For generations busy influential people have surrounded themselves with wordsmiths, people who are good with words, to help them to make the absolute utmost of their communication skills.  We no longer hide the fact that a team of speech writers works with all presidents and presidential candidates.  Jay Leno and David Letterman don't step foot on the stage without a room full or writers punching up their jokes.  We accept that these fabulously successful people have help writing material that ends up being credited to them, so why are we squeamish about people getting help writing their blogs?

Yes it is supposed to be personal.  I'm sure that David Letterman would argue that his monologue is pretty personal.  We accept that successful and busy people need a writing staff because their talents are needed elsewhere.  Isn't the same true for you? Wouldn't it be great for you to have a well written blog, complete with your input, that is published on a consistent basis but doesn't require all of your time and attention?

Don't you wonder if that's how the really successful people are doing it?  I can tell you with certainty; in most cases they have "blog support".  Different clients need different things.  Some people write a blog themselves and just use our services to grammar check and beef up the blog for search engine optimization.  Other clients give us a list of topics, we write blogs on the topics and then they add their own flavor to it - thus making it very personal but severely cutting the amount of time they have to spend on a blog.  Other clients ask us to blog on a general subject and only approve the blogs before they are posted.  It depends on the client's desires for the blog and for their time.

The more successful you are the more crucial your time management skills.  Blogging is with out a doubt one of the most incredible tools available in today's fast paced technology driven world.  Not having the time to blog is no longer an option.  When you are ready to delegate we have wordsmiths on call at www.motherhoodincorporated.com

Comments(9)

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Adam Brett
The Adam and Eric Group - Fullerton, CA
The Adam and Eric Group, Fullerton's Finest

This is not a bad thing - just the next level.  I have people who write for me on topics I don't have the time to explore.

May 21, 2008 04:57 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

I might consider using someone to write content for my main website, but never for my blog.  I am just too picky about my writing.  Also, I would be uncomfortable if someone met me and starting talking about things I had written if I weren't really the author.  Good luck with your business idea. 

May 21, 2008 05:01 AM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

I consider my blog to be "me" so I want to control its contents and shwo a little bit of my personality.

May 21, 2008 05:15 AM
Sandra Beck
Motherhood Incorporated - Beverly Hills, CA

That is an interesting perspective Jason. Our blog writers are professional writers with Jounalism Degrees or Master's Degrees in English who write for ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, The Wall Stree Journal and many other media outlets. A good writer will copy the tone, cadence and feel of your writing in future pieces.  Your responsability is to read your own blog so you are not caught off guard. We have over 50 blogs that our writers support to executives who need to be out selling, negotiating and doing what makes them money while their writers support them behind the scene.   Many of our executives "seed" ideas with the writers...sharing with them items they are reading or have read etc...and they also approve or have their assistant approve all blogs before publishing...I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look at how it can work....regards, sandra

May 21, 2008 05:16 AM
Sandra Beck
Motherhood Incorporated - Beverly Hills, CA

Gary, you would be surprised...I actually use a team of writers to satisfy the many blogs that promote my business...once a writer picks up your personality (what we refer to as tone) I can't tell what I wrote and didn't write...its is really an amazing experience and frees me up to make deals which is how I need to spend my money hours -- my money hours are spent on items that directly put money into my business - which means negotiating and closing deals...blogs feed leads to my business but I don't need to be writing them.  In fact, this could be me writing or could be one of my virtuals...the public does not need to know and the question you really need to ask yourself is my time best spent writing blogs or closing deals...entirely up to you, but a different way to look at how you spend your money hours.

May 21, 2008 05:31 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
So much of what people seem to enjoy about my blog is the personal stuff that I share about my family, faith, etc. along with my tips for agents from stories during my career. Even if the tone is matched, there are so many good posts that couldn't be duplicated by a third party.
May 21, 2008 06:22 AM
Sandra Beck
Motherhood Incorporated - Beverly Hills, CA

Sure, on a personal blog people love to have that voyeuristic quality that allows them a peek into someone else's life.  A business blog is a different tool. It is meant to establish you as an expert in your field so the news, google news reader and other places pick up your blog and spread it to 3 million plus readers.  The million dollar question is "does your blog drive business to you and/or your site" because if not, its a diary and entertainment.  If you get business from your personal stories about your family and faith, that's amazing. I just have never met anyone who got business from their personal blogs -- but there is a first time for everything.  What is your blog? I would like to see it...

May 21, 2008 06:29 AM
Frank Rubi
Frank Rubi Real Estate, LLC - Metairie, LA
FrankRubiRealEstate.com

Sandra, if it works for you that's great. For me, I will stay what is working for me. My clientele hasgrown since I started blogging about 1 1/2 years ago. Most fine me to be who I claim to be. I don't personally like the ghost writer method.

Jun 30, 2008 06:50 AM
Becky Cook
EXIT Realty Services- New Paltz, NY - Highland, NY
Ulster County, NY- New Paltz, Highland, Marlboro, NY Real Estate

I don't know how I feel about this.  Before becoming a real estate agent, I worked as a TV news producer.  So everyday I would write the scripts that would come out of someone else's mouth.  But to me, a blog is supposed to reveal who you are.  It's kind of like the ad libs in between stories during a newscast- I would never write what an anchor is supposed to say during an ad lib- that's when they reveal who they are.

I understand what you're saying that a blog is supposed to show your expertise.  But, I think people would find it unnerving to meet someone who isn't anything like the blog they write.  JMHO

Jun 30, 2008 08:52 AM