About Walworth County, WI

Spin Timeless Classics and Rock Your Blog Archives

Balanced Bloggers Spin Timeless Classics

What are the timeless classics that live in the archives of your blog? Your blog should be well stocked with a variety of posts that will rock the prose of time. As you look through your blog can you pull out a dozen or more posts that a real estate buyer or seller can turn to for advice, inspiration, or information?

If your mission in blogging is to educate homeowners or buyers I bet you can find these posts.

Once you spin some timeless classics on your blog take these steps to gain traction and mileage from your hard work.

• Keep your posts that have a shelf life clearly labeled in your archives and make them easy to find for your blog visitors.
• Repurpose the content from these posts in your newsletters or on your website in lieu of the boring canned copy that comes with some websites on topics like relocation or first time home buyer tips.
• Syndicate these posts to article directories.
• Create a lens on Squidoo for post topics that will be part of an ongoing series on your blog.

6 Tips On How To Find the Lucky Blog Charms and Ditch the Social Grifters on the Worldwide Web

I started blogging nearly 2 1/2 years ago for a real estate internet advertising company after having worked online since 2000-2001 helping real estate agents market themselves. Although blogging was a bit intimidating to me, the more I read and commented on other blogs the more comfortable I became with my own writing voice. After months of writing, researching and topic hunting I turned onto a path on my journey where my mind was filled with visions of blog posts dancing in my head.

I became a student of my own blog voice that yearned to get out of my head and unto a blog publishing platform. My listening skills sharpened and the world seemed like one great road map of posts. Everyone from my butcher to my sister had a story to tell and I was listening.

It was evident to me very early on which blogs I resonated with and which ones I didn't. There were some posts I would read and my gut reaction was disgust, dismay, or a bitter taste. Shock rarely awes me, not much is awesomely shocking. If you've lived a little life you know what I am saying.

I guess I just can't stand blatant self promoters UNLESS you can VERY transparently see a golden egg behind the quacking goose. I often couldn't find a crack in the puffery so I decided early in my web 2.0 travels to ditch the blogs that tried to suck breath from kindred souls. I knew they would resonate with others but for me it was just a no go.

They are the social grifters of the worldwide web and I just don't have the time or the patience to give an audience to restless thoughtless provoking souls.

The GOOD NEWS that I would like to share on this St. Patty's Day is that also early on in my travels I came across some very caring individuals. These were the lucky charms whom I could gather inspiration, friendship, a laugh or great, useful information.

These folks aren't pushovers and they speak their mind but they don't take themselves so seriously. They are proud and they are strong, but they don't make a living bent on uselessness and they are willing to extend a hand or an arm. Far from boring their blogs have spirits and they got soul. These bloggers wouldn't back away from a challenge but they wouldn't challenge just to toot their own horn.

Here's how you find the lucky blog charms and ditch the social grifters on the worldwide web,

1. Look for bloggers who don't mind sharing a part of their story even if doing so might show a little vulnerability.
2. Comment on blog posts where the blogger has taken the time and effort to give information freely.
3. Extend your reading repertoire beyond the feature dashboard and into groups. You'll find kindred spirits who have wonderful messages to share with you. Then take it one step further and be willing to extend your reading in and out of the community of ActiveRain.
4. Be willing to laugh and be humbled with life every now and then. A quirky post thrown in the midst of business and real estate can teach the best business or life lesson. These stories can put a smile on the face of despair.
5. Grow your community offline by picking up the phone with a blogger you connect with online. A good friendship can come from remarkable spaces and there are many online.
6. Controversy is fine when it teaches or strives to bring transparency to an inefficient, corrupt, or bankrupt system of life. Systems that are widely adapted and accepted should be reviewed openly and often.

5 Lucky Charms. These bloggers who do just as much for their readers online as they do for themselves, if not more.

Katerina Gassett- While she blogs about SEO, short sales, and real estate scam artists she takes the time to connect with professionals personally by email, twitter and phone. My first email from a blogger came from Katerina Gassett encouraging my blogging effort and helping me out with the point system on ActiveRain.

Anne Marie Malfi- It's no secret I am a fan of this virtual assistant blogging lady. While Anne Marie is my friend, I also hire her to work on projects with me and she does a fantastic job. Her step by step blogs are selfless gifts and true knockouts.

Jeff Belonger- I am really impressed with his grassroots campaigns to help homeowners and home buyers. I bookmark many of his posts and appreciate the information he shares on mortgages, especially his specialty, FHA.

Gary Vaynerchuk- I've blogged about Gary before because his passion reverberates in every vlog. Gary's advice hits a home run with me. He will be the first person to tell his subscribers to follow their own drummer and march to their own song.

Greg Swann- There is logic in this man's controversy. Many of his posts are incredible words of actionary items for real estate professionals and there is no doubt in my mind that he loves and wants change, sensible change, in this industry he serves. Trouble is, when you challenge the status quo you become a target for controversy. Greg actually wears it quite well.

Happy St. Patty's Day. Have fun finding the lucky charms on the worldwide web.

Inquiring minds are coming on the internet in increasing numbers to ask questions and get answers. Here are some staggering statistics from Hitwise's March 2008 Report, U.S. Visits to Question and Answer Websites Increased 118 Percent Year-over-Year Yahoo! Answers receives 74 percent of all U.S. visits,

• U.S. Visits to a Question and Answer site increased 118% from March 2007 to March 2008.
• U.S. Visits to a Question and Answer site increased 889% comparing February 2006 to February 2008.
• Females accounted for 52 percent of all the U.S. visits to the top five Question and Answer websites for the week ending Mar. 15, 2008.
• The majority of these visits came from users between the ages of 35-44 at 24 percent.

Is answering questions online a part of your social media marketing strategy? Travel the Worldwide Web and Answer Where Consumers Ask

31 Question and Answer Websites

1. able2know.org - Google Page Rank 5
2. Active Rain Q&A- Google Page Rank 4- There's room here for more professionals to jump in and answer consumer questions.
   
3. allexperts.com - Google Page Rank 5
4. answerbag.com - Google Page Rank 6
5. answers.com - Google Page Rank 7
6. askmehelpdesk.com - Google Page Rank 6
7. askpedia.com- Google Page Rank 3
8. askville.com- Google PR 6
9. bitwine.com - Google Page Rank 5
10. blurtit.com - Google Page Rank 5
11. chacha.com - Google Page Rank 6
12. dizzay.com - Google Page Rank: Unranked
13. ether.com- (Create a service listing and get paid to answer questions by phone or email)- Google Page Rank 4
14. fluther.com- Google Page Rank 5
15. grupthink.com - Google Page Rank 4
16. justanswer.com- Apply as an expert and if you're accepted get paid for the answers- Google Page Rank 5
17. knowbrainers.com - Google Page Rank 4
18. Linked In Questions- Google PR 7
19. liveperson.com- Apply as an expert and set a fee for your service- Google Page Rank 8
20. Live Search QnA- Google PR 8
21. Minti Q&A - Google Page Rank 4
22. mosio.com (Mobile QnA site)- Google Page Rank 5
23. oyogi.com - Google Page Rank 4
24. simplyanswer.com- Google Page Rank 3
25. simplyexplained.com- Google Page Rank 4
26. Trulia Voices Q&A - Google Page Rank: Unranked
27. whatshouldisay.com - Google Page Rank 2
28. wikianswers.com- Google PR 7
29. wis.dm- Google Page Rank 6
30. yahooanswers.com- Google PR 8
31. yedda.com- Google PR 6

BONUS: Question and Answer Sites for Your Reference and Research

askalibrarian- Ask your questions to a librarian
uclue.com - Researchers answer your questions.

Four Tips On How to Answer Questions,

• Look for questions in which you feel you have a good level of expertise by choosing questions wisely.
• Remember to use good listening skills by reading the question in full before you respond.
• Ask for clarification if you are unclear of any part of the question.
• Respond with useful information and without self promotion.

Travel the worldwide web and answer where consumers ask.

The Makings of A Good Listener= Note to Self

This past Sunday I watched a story on 60 Minutes about a man, Robert Cotton, who was accused of rape and was in prison for some 12 odd years for a crime he didn't commit. He looked very similar to the actual rapist and was in the line-up which is where the rape victim, Jennifer Thompson, identified him from.

What was amazing to me was that often if the perpetrator isn't in the line up the witnesses will "tend to pick someone from the line-up who looks most like the perpetrator." As Lesly Stouts recanted after speaking with some experts on the subject of memory, "Memory is "mailable, full of holes... easily suggestible."

The line up system has two problems, Stouts explains,

1. It's often unreliable

2. It's highly persuasive to Jurors.

Gary Wells, the expert interviewed during the 60 minutes segment, discussed memory with Stouts and explained that recognition memory is quite quick. It normally takes about 10-15 seconds for recognition memory. In other words, if it takes longer than 10-15 minutes for someone to remember something then that person is most likely using something other than recognition memory.

Another problem with memory is that a reinforcement strongly alters memory, "dramatically". Take a minute to watch this video,

Fight or flight also causes flaws in memory. Stress has a deep effect on memory. A person won't forget the event happened but the details are unreliable when the person is faced with a stressful situation,

Now think about this when it comes to real estate and business. Think about REO's, foreclosures, divorced sellers, first time home buyers, short sales sellers and your communication with them. Do they take notes when you are educating them on the real estate process? If they aren't I would encourage them to do so.

In your client's anxiety and excitement how can their memory possibly digest and remember in sum total and with absolute certainty all of the advice and information you will be giving them?

Do you always take notes when you are interviewing clients or meeting with them either on the phone or in person? In your excitement to assist your clients and in your expertise having dealt with similar situations before (the ho hum syndrome) how can you be sure you will remember all the details exactly as they told them to you? How can you be sure that during your busy workdays you didn't overlook a detail a client told you or hear something differently than what a client said?

How can you be sure you can remember it all?

I take notes on every client call and on conversations with business associates. I highlight and scribble notes in the margins of books and periodicals I read. If I have a thought about something I read online, I will take a moment to scribble it down, even if I make a note on a document in my computer.

At a conference I attended last year the speaker teased those of us who chose to write our notes instead of type or solely use a hashtag and tweet them. She said it was cute. Oh I had my Smartphone with me and my laptop to boot. I knew though, that if I wrote my notes with a pen on "old fashioned paper" I would not only remember what the speaker said but I would remember where on my piece of paper I wrote the words.

Learning is fundamental, but listening and remembering can be tricky. I take my business seriously. I will now start asking my clients to please make sure to take notes for their own best records, regardless of my handouts, because I take their business seriously.

I will continue to hone my listening skills. My cute listening and memory basics have taken me to the bank many times over my competitors because my prospects were blown away that I remembered and was able to touch on the things they said to me. My clients can't believe how much I really listen.

I will always put pen to paper and write notes to myself.

How are you finding the sweet spot to become a real estate baller?

Grant me two guesses....

By pulling consumers to blogs through the use of carefully choreographed keyword verified prose that stands on point like perfectly trained prima ballerinas poised and positioned on the first and second pages of Google.

By keeping consumers on blogs and enlightening them with the tales of REO, Short Sales, and Housing Bills, peppered with memorable memes and client recantations. Content is King and you are looking to score some base hits.

How do you hit a home run? Where's the sweet spot that grows online readership and Word of Mouth Marketing? How can a real estate blogger get loyal fans outside of the professional real estate community?

You can syndicate blog posts, create groups, and answer questions on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Yahoo Answers, Trulia and Zillow and you should because these are all tools in your sales kit.

So focused is this path of routine workaday action of SEO and Tech Tool Mastering before many real estate bloggers that the "old school" lessons of meet and greet start to get buried under home plate.

It's ironic that the overshadowed old school method of meet and greet when employed online will lead you to the sweet spot,

• It will require your time.
• It will require you to engage in reciprocation.
• It will require you to get involved with your local community on a more "hyper-local level".

How do you find the sweet spot and become a real estate baller?

The Sweet Spot is to engage in online community building at the "hyper-local level" and you can do it in communities online that already exist full of dedicated bloggers who aren't real estate professionals but local citizens. Get ready to do some door knocking by reading, writing and commenting on some citizen journalist and local blogger websites.

I have begun to do this myself and it's a slow but rewarding process. In my initial stages one thing is clear to me...local bloggers much like bloggers who write for their profession are loyal and they've got each other's backs. Their blog rolls are populated with other local bloggers and their posts selflessly promote their fellow writing friends.

Check out their readership numbers and their Page Rank.

They have got the game right. They have community and they have fans. Are you ready to get started? Have no fear, I have done some of the searching for you,

A Good Stepping Stone this list from SourceWatch has 103 Local and National Citizen Journalist Sites.

To satisfy your visual search craving check out this Citizen Journalism Google Map with a drop down and push pin feature to get to find your local citizen journalists.

You can do a search for local bloggers on Google and compile an initial list. In my Google Blog search for Wisconsin Bloggers there were 116,599 results,

You can tweet on Twitter to find local bloggers,

And get results,

The key is consistency and I'll be the first to admit, since I launched my community endeavor almost one month ago I've been remiss in this. My marketing blog has been my first and primary focus and goal but my back to basics business plan reminds me that building my business through my local community is important as well.

A Real estate professional can build a solid community both online and offline.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

-Margaret Mead, American Cultural Anthropologist, Margaret Mead books

"Community. A friend started a real estate brokerage a few years ago. By the time she'd added her second employee, she was a pillar of her 35,000-person community. No rule says that only the local banker or car dealer can organize the program to raise supplemental funds for the public library or send the high school band on a well-earned special trip. Participating in community affairs, with time more than dollars, is good business from day one. It gets your name around, adds to your distinctiveness, and, best of all, makes you an attractive employer (which is the key to sustained success)."

- Thomas J. "Tom" Peters : US author, lecturer, mgmt consultant; coauthored best-seller, In Search of Excellence Tom Peters (1942 - ) Source: The Pursuit of Wow!, Page: 117

"When I was trying to popularize the concept of the Internet -- ten or 15 years ago -- I came up with this concept of "the 5 Cs." Services needed to have content, context, community, commerce, and connectivity. After that, when I was trying to think of what the key management principles were to build into the culture, I started talking about the Ps. The P's were things like passion, perseverance, perspective and people. I think the people aspect is really the most important one."

-Steve Case : Gaia Child Steve Case

How do you find the sweet spot and become a real estate baller? Be a real estate blogger who faces, interacts, and builds relationships with consumers. Become a real estate blogger who builds a community.