- or 3 tips for starting off on the right foot.
I love it here on Active Rain. I've enjoyed meeting new people, learning new things, and getting my name out there. I'm just getting started, but here are a few tips if you're trying to figure just what Active Rain is all about, or you've just signed up and now you're stuck.
Tip #1 - Choose a professional username
that you'll be comfortable with over time in a business environment.
Your passion may be collecting Kewpie dolls, but you wouldn't want your prospective clients to see Username: Kewpiedollfanatic front and center when they get to your profile page, now would you?
Back in March when I first ran across AR, I wasn't at all sure what Web 2.0 or social networking was. I may still not know completely, but I've learned that it's powerful stuff and that my username, heatherg, wasn't all it could be. I used it to set up my account way back then, because I wasn't sure I wanted to be known by my full name. I thought I might just lurk some and check things out. Big mistake, but not fatal.
The AR staff may kill me for it, but if you've tagged yourself with a username that is less than professional, just click the Contact ActiveRain button at the bottom of the page and ask them to change it for you.
Tip #2 - Don't overanalyze it. Just start writing.
After you set up a professional descriptive profile page with a picture or two, start posting to your blog. If nothing else, post one of your listings, post about your neighborhood, or an upcoming community event.
Yeah, if you've looked around AR enough, you'll be envious of all the Active Rainers here whose posts get featured and who get a gazillion comments on them, but don't let that intimidate you into inaction.
Your purpose here is not to win the Mr./Ms. Popularity contest or to dazzle the other AR members, but to show clients with money in the bank just who the local real estate expert in their area is - YOU!
Tip #3
Okay, this post is long enough. I'll have to save tips 4-99 for another day, but Tip #3 is perhaps the most important. Once you have a few posts under your belt, and you get a feel for what's going on around here,
seek out friendship and support
from your fellow Active Rainers. Subscribe to blogs that interest you. 
Add those members as associates. Comment on their posts that you think worthy of it, or email them with a question or point of clarification if you prefer.
Because we are scattered throughout the country, we're not so much competitors as we are colleagues. And I, for one, have found the members of the Active Rain community to be unfailingly generous.
I look forward to the day when I can start giving back. Okay, just because I can't help myself, I'll give you
Tip #4 - Keep your posts short
and try to include some pictures! I'll have to work on the first part of that!
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