Bloggers Are You "Old School?"

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty NRDS # 146013739

This is my second post in the Challenge, "A Guide for Blogging Success," hosted by Jeff Dowler, CRS, and Brian England.  In this post, I will highlight a few areas I think all bloggers should consider when creating a blog post. 

 

First, in my previous post, I talked about posting quality images.  Having a quality image means formatting the image correctly.

Suggestion One - Avoid Unformatted Images

IF an image is beyond 700 px wide, the image will not fit in the post or be formatted properly. The width will be squeezed to make it fit. The image may appear contorted.

The width of the entire post is approximately 700 px, so any image larger will not fit. 

Here are the examples below: 

Example - of inserting an image with wrong width

Image at 1244 pixels wide 

It may not appear correctly in your post, or the image may appear contorted. 

Wrong width

Image at 600 pixels wide - Just Right!

Grammarly Subscription Pricing

2nd Suggestion - Avoid Grammar Mistakes 

Better Writing with Grammarly

To avoid mistakes, proofread your post.  This may seem easy to do. However, if we make a mistake, we may not catch it because we think it is correct.  We might skim over it because it looks right to us. Some do not have the luxury of having someone else proof our work before we publish it. But you can get a writing tool to help.  I started using the free version of Grammarly years ago. Though it is not a perfect tool, I feel confident it catches 99% of my mistakes. Sometimes, it may highlight a particular wordor phrase that I think is better than the one it is suggesting.  So, I kept the word or phrase I typed. 

Example... In the previous paragraph, I chose the word "free." Grammarly asked me to change it to "accessible."  That word did not adequately describe the program.  The emphasis is ($)FREE($)!

After seeing all the benefits of using this program in every aspect of my business, I decided to pay for the premium.  I have absolutely no regrets.  

You can get Grammarly for every browser.  It can be accessed on Mac/Windows operating systems. Add it to iPhone or Android phones. 

Features

Grammer Checker - Spelling Checker - Plagiarism Checker, Citation Generator, Essay Checker, Tone Checker, Style Guide, Snippets, Analytics, Brand Tones. 

The more you use it, the more it learns your writing style. It has helped me improve my grammar as well.  This app will help take your writing to another level.

Real-Time Example From This Blog

(Make This full-screen so it is easier to see)

 

Old School vs. Embracing Technology

When given the opportunity, shouldn't we take a chance and embrace the technology that is being developed at a rapid pace?  We should always keep an open mind and give tech a chance.  There are AI programs that you can program and give parameters to, and they will create content in your writing style. 

Here are two examples.  Copymatic and Jasper. I cannot endorse these products because I have never used them and don't intend to use them in the future.  They are paid platforms, and I enjoy writing.  I would not like to give up that enjoyment to an Artificial Intelligence platform.  

Grammarly helps me create a more professional writing experience with suggested words or phrases.  I can accept or reject these suggestions. Grammarly does not take over the writing for me.  Also, I have found that it spurs an idea and can take me in a better direction. Check it out and see if it is something that can benefit you. 

 

SellSedona.com is not responsible for inaccuracies or changes to the information provided. Information is provided as a convenience to you. SellSedona.com, Coldwell Banker Realty, and Sheri Sperry are not affiliated with or are provided any fees, promotions, or otherwise for this information contained here.  This is merely an informational service posting. 

 

Comments (61)

Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Endre Barath, Jr. - Thanks to Ron annd Alexandra!  Another benefit to our AR community is helping others when they see things that can be improved. It makes us better. I wonder how many people born after 2000 know what a typewriter is.  Do you think they can pick out a comptometer? 

Dec 29, 2022 03:29 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573 - It does make a difference.  Thank you for your comment.  Happy New Year.

Dec 29, 2022 03:35 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Roy,

I hope the year ahead makes all your wishes come true

Dec 29, 2022 03:39 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ - Thank you. Grammarly helps me concentrate on writing rather than spelling. 

Dec 29, 2022 03:41 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Carol Williams - Thanks for providing that suggestion.  I will check it out at well.

Dec 29, 2022 03:43 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Andrea Bedard - It is always good to get an extra set of “human eyes” on our work. Having a high school senior is a great example of that.

Dec 29, 2022 03:46 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Thank you Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!

Both these tools help me throughout my business.  I wanted to share them. 

 

Dec 29, 2022 03:50 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Grant Schneider,

Between my husband, myself, and my son,  we have thousands of images. Occasionally, we have to stage a scene to make our content stand out.

Dec 29, 2022 03:56 PM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Sheri and great advice about blogging,  I am still shy about blogging and afraid I will make to many mistakes.

Dec 30, 2022 08:53 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Will Hamm - I can relate to that.  But Grammarly has taken the fear away of making mistakes.

Dec 30, 2022 12:06 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Sheri, I am probably old school about a lot of things, but hoping my blogs look enticing to some.   Happy New Year's Eve, almost....

Dec 30, 2022 03:34 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

A good entry into the December contest Sheri Sperry - MCNE® 

Proofreading, Grammarly, and proper photo size make for a much better blog.

 

Dec 31, 2022 06:05 AM
Ed Silva
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Some good thoughts on proper format and spacing around the photos will create a better visual for readers.

Dec 31, 2022 12:14 PM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

Actually I have to agree about the sentiment of blogging. My son is marketing his business only via IG, u tube and T.T. He believes in videos. 

Dec 31, 2022 10:07 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Hi Sheri, I just wanted to stop in and wish you a very Happy New Year and may you get all your wishes come true, Endre

Dec 31, 2022 11:12 PM
Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan
Keller Williams Select Realtors-Buy a home in Washington DC. Sell a home in Washington DC - Bowie, MD
I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES

Sheri I thought all Grammarly does was spell check. Didn't know that it helps with your grammar. I might have to look into it now. Thanks for sharing that.

Jan 06, 2023 09:21 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Monday morning, Sheri.

Have a great day and an outstanding week.

Jan 09, 2023 08:38 AM
Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS
Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA
South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

I do have to admit that the new ActiveRain staff is making the platform a lot easier to understand. There was just too much code that didn’t need to be there before 🙂

Jan 13, 2023 07:37 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Monday morning, Sheri.

Enjoy the holiday and have an outstanding week.

Jan 16, 2023 08:14 AM
Spencer Fuller

Great post! I agree with your emphasis on the importance of proofreading and having a quality image in a blog post. Grammarly is a fantastic tool and I also use it regularly. It's amazing how many small mistakes we can miss, even after multiple re-reads, and having a tool like Grammarly can give us an extra layer of confidence in our writing. I appreciate that you shared your experience with the premium version and how it has helped you in your business. The idea of AI creating content is certainly intriguing, but I understand why you prefer to stick with writing yourself. Overall, this was a valuable and informative read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Additionally, I would appreciate your opinion on this I believe essay examples if it's possible. This type of essay requires a lot of introspection and reflection, and it can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. It's important to take the time to reflect on our beliefs and values and put them into words.

Feb 01, 2023 06:02 AM