In a blog post that I did back October 2, 2008 I asked the question:
Think about the reasons you blog (what are yours?)
Producing quality content for your devoted readers and subscribers is providing an essential service that is one of the reasons you choose to blog. You're meeting their needs by discussing things that are important to them - things they want to know more about and hitting a cord that validates why they started reading and following your blog in the first place.
Perhaps you've had one of those days or weeks that you just weren't sure what you should blog about and share with your readers. In addition to helping cure your writer's block this tool can:
When I discovered the Skribit tool, I asked Brad Andersohnto help me investigate a bit further to figure out if it's something that could be used on an AR blog. Unfortunately due to the script code we can not use it in the conventional way but I did find a way that it can be implemented in your blog to promote interaction with your readers.
If you'll notice the sidebar of my blog, you will see this:

Note: You can also add it to your LINKS section on your sidebar.
Think of it as a Call to Action for your blog. Understand your readers and create that interaction with your readers - ENGAGE.
When you click on my sidebar it will take you to this screen:

What I also like about this tool is that you can get some great ideas for content whether someone is suggesting them via your blog by simply reviewing the Hot Suggested Topics further down on your dashboard. These topics are for anyone and all you do is claim the suggestion and blog. Talk about a great and easy cure for writer's block.
Chris Brogan wrote a great blog about how he generates great content for his blogs that is definitely worth reading. My point is that you have to ask yourself lots of questions and be clued into the questions all around you - whether they are presented to you in an email from a client, on a forum you participate on, on your blog or simply by reading other blogs.
Another great benefit of this tool is that it gives you the ability to link up as many relevant posts as you want and it's great for bloggers who are addressing similar topics in a series. In two words "Google Juice."
If you have other blog platforms that you use in addition to your AR Blog, feel free to discover how you can implement this tool within those blogs and either incorporate it the way I did here or utilize the widget if it allows script coding. Read more about Skribit here.
Remember when it comes to blogging keep these important things in mind:

I look forward to your upcoming blog topics and engaging with you on topics that speak to me and allow you to share your expertise with me (and all of your readers.)
Whether you decide to use this specific tool or not, at the very least I hope this post was just a simple reminder of the importance of engaging your readers and fulfilling their needs.
So my question to you is quite simple:
Do you have a topic you would like to see discussed here? You know what to do...
Do you feel this is something that would help you engage more with your readers?
********************************************************************************************************
When I think of a BLOG I associate it with the word IDEA.

Information - your blog content, an online journal of information, content that fulfills your subsribers and potential client's needs.
Dedication - to blogging, your real estate business, to clients, and to your subscribers.
Evolution - Real Estate and blogging are constantly evolving.
Association - being on a network like AR we are able to connect and associate with link minded professionals as well as extend our reach with social media sites with people we may have never met otherwise.
Isn't it funny how we seem to just stumble upon some of our best blogging ideas when we least expect to and from where we least expect them to come. Perhaps you found yourself in the store and overhead a conversation, or ran into an old friend or saw something that just made you think - this would be a great blog! Time and time again great ideas come to us as little unexpected gifts and they are created into blogs simply because we are open to them.
Sometimes you mind find yourself sitting down to write a blog post and wondering what you should write. Creating new content can at times be a daunting task.
Tips to ignite your creative spark & create some great content for your readers:
Get moving - physical activity - walking, exercising, just moving around gets us thinking. Sometimes our subconscious is just blocked. Try it and see what it can do for you.
Input - read a book, watch a show or movie, have a conversation with a friend - before you know it you'll be back at your computer constructing that great blog.
Review your previous blogs - sometimes you will realize you can expand on a point made in a previous blog that becomes a blog all on its own. Maybe a comment was left by a reader that is a blog just waiting to be created. Maybe you've stumbled across some of the blogs you've subscribed to and an idea comes from reading that post - perhaps another point of view or again from the comments left on that blog.
Step away - sometimes sitting there in front of the screen hoping an idea will come to us will actually work the opposite way. Step away, change your environment and get some new perspective (if it's late - some sleep) - repeat the above tasks and be open to your surroundings - your visit to the store, a drive in the car and even a conversation with your kids may be what sparks those creative juices and gives you your next great idea.
Google Alerts - Set up alerts for key phrases dealing with topics you want to discuss in your blog - marketing, real estate, your community. See this post from Jeremy Blanton on how to setup this alert and the great benefits that can be yours.
RSS Reader - Organize your favorite bloggers, both in and out of real estate, for more inspiration. That inspiration can come from the bloggers content or even comments left by other bloggers and readers. Sometimes a simple word in the content will be your inspiration.

Tip Lists - "Way you can..." or "Secrets to..." Think like writers of a magazine who use these types of articles to create interest in their articles.
Social Media Sites - Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn - Watch the boards - see different topics that are being discussed, links shared, questions asked, and perhaps you'll come across a story or comment that you feel needs further discussion on your blog.
Services - What services do you offer and what's unique about how you provide those services. Real estate is different in each market and clients need different things - find a way to share what you can do in a less salesy but more informative way.
Answer a question - Answer questions that come from clients and colleagues.
In my next blog I will show you a great way to add a tool to your blog that will allow you to engage and interact with your readers to encourage questions and address them by answering them on your blog.
For now you can take questions given to you via email or various sites you belong to such as Trulia or Linked in, or in conversations you've had with clients and address them in your blog.
Comment on statistics - Maybe you've read an article that provided some statistics and here's your opportunity to address your thoughts, break it down into an easy to understand language that has meaning for consumers.
Reading a book? - why not do a review and share what you feel your readers can gain from reading this book.
Success Stories - We all have clients that we have worked with that had something great (or even not so great) happen - why not share their story. This kind of story can be a great example for providing advice on how to handle a similar situation for your colleagues and potential clients.
I hope this post has given you some IDEAS on how to use your blog, how you can get inspired and areas where you can focus your content to provide what your subscribers and potential clients need.
Where does your inspiration come from?
What were you doing when your last great blog idea came to you?
******************************************************************
Other posts on this topic for further reading/ideas:
Mistakes you might be making on your blog
*******************************************************************

I think by now we've all seen this commercial:
The Swiffer commercial has a "regular" mop asking, ok, begging and trying to "woo" the customer to come back to them with flowers and song dedications on the radio, now that they've switched over to using the new and improved Swiffer mop.
The woman's reaction - "too little, too late Mr. Mop." It doesn't matter what you did before, and what you'll do now to try to get me back - I'm convinced I no longer need you.
I think the commercial is brilliant for the message Swiffer is trying to communicate to it's consumers - sometimes another product provides so much more and cares about it's consumers that there's nothing you can do to change that and keep them.
Sometimes messages like this are a little too late and give us the message we're not important to these companies.
The "baby come back" method of marketing is not the kind of marketing we want to be focused on when it comes to our consumers, especially with all the ways we have to stay in touch with them - it should never get to this point!
To market to this very important group - your sphere of influence - you don't need to purchase any special tools - you possess them already, but you have to be willing to use them.
By using your blog, social media sites, the phone, email and any way you can find to make a connection with your clients, you are given numerous opportunities to provide exceptional customer service - value - and a need for your clients that will have them very much aware of how you continue to be a resource of value for them beyond their day at the settlement table.

Think about a company whose product you used to use regularly - what made you stop using it and back away from this company? Did the company stop providing any of the following?
Customer Service
Value
Keeping in Touch
Listening more than Speaking
There are so many easy ways to make a prospect and customer feel important and the investment of time that you put into it will be well worth the rewards you will receive - another opportunity to work with this person and an opportunity to work with their sphere of influence.
Some key ways to invest in your relationships with previous clients (will also work with new prospects - start off on the right foot):
listing, send a link to the local business you just mentioned, promote your community - your next client could very well discover you and your services with their next Google search.
Think about it - Why would we ever want to stop communicating with a previous client who we invested time with to get to know them, spent many hours with seeing homes or spending time showing their home and got them the results they were looking for - wouldn't we want them to feel good about our relationship so much so that they would want to mention our services to others? Does our commitment to them stop after we sign the papers at the table?
Ever notice the great feedback you get in touch with someone simply because you acknowledged them with a note or a call? When we commit to stay in touch we are not only building on that relationship but increasing the chances of having relationships with all the people that person knows.
As previously stated in one of my blog posts:
"Simply offering "good" or "average" services to your clients is not going to get you noticed or talked about. Being honest, sincere, genuine will speak volumes to your clients. Every time you interact with a client think to yourself is this the best I can give? Would I feel special if I were the client?"
Think of a cat and some of the traits they have. They are creatures of routine and if you change their setting and eating times it throws them off so much so that they turn away from you.
Can't the same be said with our clients? If we change our habits of staying in touch with them they'll undoubtedly get upset and turn away from us as well.
Taking care of our prospects and customers from the very beginning and throughout the relationship is hard work but so worth the effort of having to turn to marketing them to get them back which in all likelihood will not happen - once they're gone they're not coming back.
Don't become a dispensable service that can be easily discarded because there's no more use for it or value in it.
I hope this post inspired you to make the commitment to your clients:

Feel free to share ways you continue to engage with your clients (whether past or current)
*********************************************************************************************
Some other blogs to help get you moving in the right direction of providing exceptional customers service and marketing expertise to your prospects and clients:
************************************************************************************************************

Often times websites are created and change very little or only certain pages change. There are many reasons for this:
So here's your opportunity to regularly change the content on your website to encourage visitors (prospects and past clients) to visit again and again and again - you get the point.
As I mentioned in the title of this blog - you also want search engines visiting and revisiting your website and they will do that when you add fresh content to your site.
This can be accomplished by adding a "What's New" page to your website. Here you are focused on updating and directing your visitors to important new content on your site and fulfilling their need for information.
The benefit of adding a "What's New" page is that you are primarily updating one area of your website and since you are adding links to the pages you want to direct them to - those pages are automatically updated and generating traffic. Search engines love new content and if you are using keywords and optimizing this page you will benefit from having a page that is seen as being regularly updated and has the content that consumers are seeking.
While I don't encourage adding everything from the list - pick some key areas and see how they work - analyze your website visitor statistics and see where they're going. Keep at it until you have the right content driving traffic - repeat traffic to your site. Ideally you will want this "What's New" Page to be easily accessible from your Home page - appearing on your navigation bar so that it's easily found. The key is not just mentioning what's new - take them there by including links to take them to those pages directly.
Here are some examples of things you might want to include in your "What's New" page of your website:

New, Featured Listings & Open Houses - whether it's a widget or a featured listing
MLS Search - why have them go elsewhere? - provide right there on your website.
Hot real estate tip or link (a good opportunity to share some link love with some of your local business owners)
Updates on Your Company
New Video - what a great way to show your prospects and clients new listings. Most video tools have the ability to embed them into blogs and websites. (who knows - they may even forward to someone that might be interested.)
Links to news articles about the real estate industry and your market - whether from your blog or a pdf file that they can print directly from your site. Another way to show your expertise and the value of working with you. 
Calendar of Events and Community Events - a great way to show things going on in your community is to have a calendar that has dates highlighted to encourage them to explore and have them coming back to your site for this information. Be sure to highlight what events you're involved in and take them to the blogs you've written about your community, events and new businesses you have highlighted.
Newsletter Sign up another way to stay in front of your prospects and clients and show the value of your expertise and of working with you.
Your blog - Either feed your blog directly into your site or at least mention some of the most recent blogs you've done that you feel would be of interest to your visitors. Encourage them to subscribe to your blog via the rss feed so that they are getting regular communication and content from you each time you update your blog or simply encourage them by providing relevant content.

A call to action asking them if they want to be notified when updates are made to your site - encouraging them to revisit your website when you add something new - a reminder if you will to visit again.
Social Media Engagement - Encourage them to interact with you on social media sites that you participate on. Engaging with them in this fun way is a great way to build on your relationship and show them what you're involved in - maybe they'll see something in your stream and it will encourage them to ask you a question. Often customers may be thinking of something and won't reach out to you but if you put it out there they just might.
Visitors (prospects, past clients and search engines) may come to your site once, but to keep them coming back you need to have fresh and relevant content. You need to provide solutions to their questions. You need to provide information that means something to them - that fulfills their needs (WIIFM.)
How does your website stack up? Are you seeing repeat visitors and are there key pages/content that drives traffic to your site? Do you have a page like this that generates traffice?
What other suggestions for content to a "What's New" page would you include that would not only provide great content for your website visitors but also generate more traffic for your website?
**********************************************************************************************

This post was inspired by Bob Stewarts Blog Challenge when he asked the question "How do you use your blog to enhance your existing relationships with clients and prospects?" I have four examples that I want to share that I hope will encourage others to be an active member of this community.
I have used my blog posts (and what I consider to be another version of my websites) to generate interest in my marketing and virtual assistant services as well as provide ideas on how my prospects, readers and clients can extend their reach and provide great customer service to their prospects and clients.
First Example
Even yesterday, a new member of ActiveRain who has subscribed and reading my posts contacted me about this very post.

The response that my clients and readers have received has been overwhelmingly positive from their clients. When I create blog posts like this I try to put myself into the shoes of a consumer - I was one in the last few years when I was buying and selling a home - and I know what I wanted, needed and what was of interest to me. I like sharing that information with agents to help and remind them of putting themselves into the consumers shoes - seeing what's important to them and allowing them to build a solid relationship with that client.
I invited the agents to see how they're doing and if there were areas that their listings will benefit from having this added exposure and to be sure to share it with clients. Many found the post/checklist useful to measure their pre-listing presentations and to build their marketing plans for the upcoming year.
Receiving comments like this:
"Anne Marie- There is certainly a lot to do! And you are right, many clients are checking up online to make sure that their Realtor is doing what they said they were going to do! It is important not to overpromise and under deliver! The beauty about your list here is that this list can be reversed into a beautiful listing presentation in terms of what one WILL do. It is a lot of work to do all of those things which is another reason many agents need to consider hiring an expert that can help!!! : )" ~ Chris Somers
"Awesome post Ann Marie. If everyone followed your advice there would be a lot more top notch Realtors:)" ~ Bill Gassett
Second Example
Another great compliment you can receive is having your post reblogged and that honor has been given to me many times by so many members of ActiveRain. One that surprised and delighted me was this one. Wow, I think I was walking on the air the rest of that day!

Third Example
Another way that I have discovered that my blog are helpful and enhance my relationships is by providing blog posts that agents and brokers have told my they have printed to use in their business plans, training classes and as a simple reminder of what is important to keep focused on when it comes to marketing and staying in touch with their clients. Again, just this week I was contacted by an agent to offer training for their office staff.
Comments I've received on blog posts that members felt they could use in their own agent training classes and as a daily reminder for themselves have included:
"What a great post. Lots and lots of great ideas. I am going to share these with some of my agent friends. Thanks so much for sharing. You just might want to do some coaching in addition to your Virtual Assistant practice" ~ Karen Anne Stone
"Great post - each activity improves our skills and generates leads. I have shared it with the rest of the staff and it was favorably received." ~ Ryan Shaughnessy
And its comments like this - positive feedback - knowing I am making a difference to my colleagues and yes, many of them are my actual clients - so they can in turn make a difference to their clients - is what it's all about for me.
Fourth Example
The last way I use my blog posts is as a link in my responses back to inquiries about my services. Whenever someone inquires about my services I not only provide them with a phone call to discuss their
needs but I highlight some of the services I provide that may benefit them by sending them an informational piece that lists those services along with the link to my AR blog. I want them to see firsthand the content I provide, the advice I preach, the tips I share and how the readers and subscribers to my blog respond to me. Often the comments left are testimonials to how my advice shared can be applied to their business and often they will return back to tell me about their success.
It is no secret that AR is a powerful tool and it certainly is the most powerful one I utilize to grow my business. It has provided me with clients, friendships and colleagues that refer business to me and that I can refer business to.
Every site I register on I find a way to either link or feed my AR blogs into it to not only promote my services but ActiveRain because I feel that if this network can bring me this kind of exposure and business there are others that can benefit from joining the network. It's a paying it forward mentality that I believe in and possess as I know all too well that many of us here do.
On August 23, 2008 I made the smartest decision for my business and so invite you today to discover the great success you can have by joining and being an "active" member of the Rain.
A special thank you to all the members here that interact with me, read my posts, contribute by commenting and add such value to my posts. You are one of the best parts of my day!
****************************************************************************************
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved