The Real Estate Tomato

No Time To Blog? Bloggers' Block? 6 Strategies To Developing Quick and Beneficial Blog Content

After over 100 days straight of posting to the Tomato, you may (read: should) be wondering to yourself if there's a life outside of this blog?   We're often asked, "How do you come up with all of that information?"  "How do you find the time?"  "How can you still manage to have a family, a job, a life?" 

I can't speak for Greg at BloodhoundBlog (Mr. 101 posts in 24hrs) but  the short answer is that we have a strategies for consistently generating quality content.  Being consistent with your expected posting schedule is crucial when it comes to maintaining an audience.  Below are 6 strategies for populating your blog when you find yourself short on time and creativity.   We use the top 4 to ensure the Tomato is fed its daily article.

1.  Store Content For A Rainy Day

If you were to log into our Writely account, you would see on average about 10-12 partially written articles.  As soon as a compelling thought pops into our head, it becomes a title and an outline or paragraph.  As we revisit the idea it beings to resemble a blog entry.  Having a pipeline of good potential blog posts alleviates the pressure of having to be creative when you have limited time to publish for your hungry audience.  Simply hop into you Writely account, throw some lipstick on an almost completed article and presto, you have earned your readers attention until your next article.

2.  The 101 Blog Post Challenge (a.k.a. The Greg Swann/Ardell DellaLoggia) Method

Earlier this week, these two decided to do the unthinkable and write 101 articles on their blog in just 24 hours!  They couldn't produce a thesis for every article, so they had to cut some corners, yet still give the impression that each post had some clout.  The strategy was this: find an intriguing article online, copy an excerpt from it, generate your own opinion of its value.  Take this article for instance from Swann over at the Bloodhound Blog:

"real estate 2.x:

If the real estate market continues downward, do you think Zillow’s traffic will go up? I am pretty sure that Zillow’s traffic will be directly related to property prices. Everyone loves to see how much money they are making – it is fun, but most people are not going log on each day to watch their zestimate go down (accurate or not). Personally, I find the site quite boring…one visit seems like enough.

My fourth question would be – if the validity of their purpose has been picked apart, and their revenue model is full of fatal flaws – when do they run out of money?

Maybe we should start a pool?

I’m thinking they probably have a business, if only because Realtors will always throw away money on advertising that is easy but useless. On the other hand, I’m suddenly flush with play money…"

He took a question that was proposed on another blog, added a two sentence response, and just like that, he had an article.  Brillant! Granted...he had just finished posting 102 articles the day before...

3.  Have Someone Write It For You
There are companies out there now that will write your articles for you.  TheWritersForHire.com for instance, are professional copywriters who will write your website content for you.  In their own words "Website content is more than just a word document. Professional website copy is fully laid out and ready to use.  We don't just write your content but do all the layout and research involved in creating truly custom copy." 

Or how about Elance, DirectFreelance, and GetAFreelancer, where you can post a project (title of a blog entry, and maybe some bullet points of the content you would like), and have free lance writers bid for your business. 

Another option is heading over to Craigslist  and posting an ad under writing gigs.

And finally, partner up with some other good writers to provide excellent content.  We do it, RainCityGuide does it, SellsiusBlog does it, BloodHoundBlog does it... we're all doing it!  In fact, most of this post was written by Jason Benesch, and not me, Jim Cronin.

4.  Post Revisited

A great way to continue providing content that revolves around your core topic, increase past article readership and fill the void of nothing new to say is: Take an 'oldie but goodie' post you have written, bring it back to life as today's article and simply elaborate on it.  Maybe it's a topic that you think differently about now; maybe there are new examples to support your stance; maybe you left some part of it underdeveloped; maybe it was a great article that got a lot of comments and you would like to respond to the comments left; maybe it was a great article that didn't get any comments and you want to try the audience again.  By doing this you can invigorate your blog, expand on old ideas, re-stir your own pot, refinish the surface and polish the once dusted topic that was left in the graveyard of stale words.

5.  Saved by a Listing

None of the above working for you?  Take the easy way out for real estate agents.  It's a little cheesy, but it gets the job done, and it may even help gain some positive exposure for your inventory.  Post a cute article about one of your own listings (or someone else's).  Why not?  It is the business you are in.  Grab some pictures, add some simple text as to why this listing deserves to grace (loosely used here) the annals of your blog, and voilà, you got yourself a post!   Read more on blogging your listings here.

6.  Get a Swicki (New addition thanks to Brad Nix's input and his blog article)

A swicki is the below and more.
1. A search engine.
2. Targeted results trained by moderator and users
3. A buzzcloud (look in right hand column of this site) promoting the most common searched
4. Instant notification to moderator of visitors' searches.

How does a swicki help you write articles for your blog?  When your audience preforms a search on your site, the swicki notifies you of their search terms, in turn giving you an opportunity to write to your visitors' interests.  The bad news: you still have to write the articles.

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The Main Event - The 101 Challenge

The are many challenges I won't take. The 101 Blog Post Challenge ranks right up there with The Gallon Challenge.  If you haven't heard, two of our community's most respected heavyweight bloggers, Ardell DellaLoggia of SearchingSeattleBlog and Greg Swann of BloodhoundBlog have accepted the unfathomable challenge of racing to 101 blog posts in less than 24hrs.  Just two days ago The Real Estate Tomato celebrated 100 days of blogging.  These two are looking to humble us all by accomplishing what most of us won't do in 3 months, in just one day.  I wish them both luck, and godspeed.  You can even place a wager on the bout.
If you want to follow along you can visit either of their blogs:
SearchingSeattleBlog
BloodhoundBlog
or visit the slightly less ambitious moderators:
The Instigator: SellsiusBlog
Property Monger

I say they're all crazy!

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The Business Blog vs. The Real Estate Website

 As the parking lot of opportunity begins to fill, and more and more Realtors are grabbing their surfboard in an attempt to ride this wave of change called Web 2.0, one question rings most frequent: "What is the difference between a website and a blog."

Sounds innocent enough.. but most still don't grasp the distinction.
Wikipedia insufficiently defines   the blog (or weblog) as "a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary), [and] displayed in a reverse chronological order."  Although, in essence, that's what happens on a blog, there is much more defining to do.  If Realtors are going to recognize the value of blogging, they first need to recognize it's distinction from their personal website.

An analogy to help understand the difference: Think of your personal website as a brochure.  Think of a blog as the editorial section of a newspaper. 
The content within the website generally sits unchanged; static.  The content on a business blog is (intended to be) ever changing and based on core categories or topics.
The website uses tools like MLS searching and listing databases to entice visitors to return.  The blog gains readers with compelling content, and frequent articles.  The two can work together, such that the attraction of the blog allows it to be a 'landing page' for access to the lead generating tools of the website.  By offering links to the website's features from the blog, you can entice visitors to access those tools (MLS search for example).  And vice-versa, the website can improve its traffic frequency and value by offering a link to the blog, in turn exposing visitors to the compelling and frequently updated content on the blog.

The brochure comparison reiterates that the website is seen as the fixed message and brand.  Unchanging elements of the business are showcased in the website, whereas the blog is the platform for business's voice, news, opinions, announcements and knowledge in the form of posts (or articles).

Because of this distinction, search engines actually treat them differently as well.  The website, which sits static, depends on SEO for its search engine success.  The blog, also enhanced with proper SEO, really catches tread in the search engines   simply through its frequently added content. You will find that your blog starts to come up in the search engines, not strictly because of your keywords and metatags, but also because of the content   you create in your articles.

The ability to 'ping' the search engines with notification of newly published content also ensures its exposure.  This is unlike the website, where the site depends on being 'spidered' by search engine webcrawlers.  The frequency of spidering, and the pages that will be spidered are not something that you can control, as much as influence.

Another dramatic difference between the blog and the website is the element of audience participation. Website content because it is static, locks out visitors from making participatory comment, positive or negative.  Blogs on the other hand offer the element of participation by encouraging readers to post their comments, in turn enhancing the content and creating a multi-partied conversation.

The experience of the visitor (apart from the participation element above) is also completely different.  The website anticipates that the visitor reads the fixed content, in order to make a decision about giving in to becoming a (potential) client (read: lead).  For example, if the website is offering the 'carrot' of accessing the MLS, or determining the value of one's home, the visitor will make the decision then and there to pass through the soft-barrier (email and name required) or leave the site for other avenues.
On the other hand, the blog is designed to be read; to engage the visitor.  This is the soft sell of trust.  Having a voice that speaks (regularly) to your audience, all-the-while revealing your passion, commitment, and knowledge, will earn you your audience's trust and in turn compel them to reveal their identity and implore your service.

**Warning** The content below may be hazardous to novices' comprehension of standard blogging definitions.

Features such as RSS, PermaLinks, TrackBacks, Categories/Archives, Blogrolls and social bookmarking  are unique to the blogging platform.

RSS is an internet tool that has grown in popularity in recent months.  Its main function is to immediately notify subscribers of the addition of new content to a blog or other frequently updated source.  My RSS subscribership accounts for nearly half of my daily traffic.  The use of this tool in blogs creates another element of separation from the website.  Having your recently published (and updated) blog articles appear instantly on readers' homepages (MyYahoo for example) alleviates the dependency on marketing efforts for daily traffic.
RSS creates the ultimate mind share  effect for your audience with the efficient placement of your 'news' on their desktop.

PermaLink is simply the web address (URL) for each individual blog post (article).  When someone links back to your article, they will use this web address.  This web address is also used in the broadcast of blog articles in RSS, social bookmark tagging, trackbacks, and category sorting.

TrackBack is the exposure of another blogger's use of your article (PermaLink) in their blog.  An excerpt from the article that is referencing your original article is posted at the bottom of your original article for readers to follow the conversation/topic that spans two or more blogs.

Categories and Archives are common ways that past posts are sorted. 
When composing a post, it is given categories that define the topics in the post.  All posts that have the same category will appear when a visitor selects a category to read. 
Archives are sorted by either day, week, month, or year.  A visitor can read past articles by selecting one of the former.  "September 06" for example, will pull all articles written in the month of September, 2006.

Blogroll is a running list on your blog of other blogs.  Blogrolling is a counter intuitive linking strategy that is very common among bloggers. Most blogrolls are composed of lists of blogs that are similar in content or audience.  The idea of linking to others (read: your readership competition) would seem unwise, given that your hard earned traffic may leave your blog to read other blogs.  Although this is the effect, the result is such that you begin to share the cumulative audience of other's blogs that link back to you in a form of reciprocal respect.  So instead of keeping 50 readers a day on your blog, you could effectively be sharing 1000's from all those that you have a reciprocal relationship with.  This practice is seen as one of the most effective viral growth strategies   in blogging.

Social Bookmarking allows readers of you blog to 'vote' for your compelling articles to be 'bookmarked' on a social platform.  In English: If someone submits your article to a social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us then a link to the article (permalink) will be sent to the bookmarking account that they have set up on del.icio.us.  The more people that recognize the value of the article, and 'vote' for it by saving it to their online bookmarking account, the more popular the article becomes on the bookmarking site itself.  The more popular it becomes, the more prevalent the article becomes to the users of the bookmarking site (like del.icio.us) and the greater chance it has to be read, and voted on.  If an article that you write makes it to the top of a list on a social bookmarking site like del.icio.us, you will have 10's of 1000's of readers in less than a day.

All this being said, I do want to make sure it is mentioned that there are websites that have built in blogging tools.  And there are blogs that can act as full featured websites.  The above distinction is meant as a guideline for understanding the difference between a standard real estate website and a standard business blog.  Be aware, however, just because a website claims to have blogging options built into the site, it doesn't mean that this integrated blog will be operating on a blogging platform as described above.  Having a section in a website where you can add content to your heart's delight, does not qualify as a blog and will not reward you with the benefits of consistent business blogging.

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The First 100 Days

Today marks the 100th day of existence for The Real Estate Tomato.

The Tomato grew from my own addiction to blog reading.
The irony is that I no longer have time to read those blogs that sustained my habit.  It seems, they were just a gateway to a much more serious dependency: The Tomato.

What was once the occasional diversion (I could stop at anytime) of reading blogs about baseball, gadgets and politics, has been replaced, along with my regular sleeping routine, with an edacity for real estate blogs and blogging.

Along with this addiction, also comes the addiction of stat watching.  I can't go a day without wondering how many have visited the Tomato, how long they stayed, what they looked at and where they came from.

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Here's how far we've come:

Total P.o.s.t.s.: 136
Total Comments 186
Unique Visits per day: 248
Page Views per day: 620
Average Page Views per visit: 2.5
Average Time Spent per visit: 4:15
Current Rank in BlogTopSites: 18th
Countries Represented: 35
Testimonials of appreciation: 32

These first 100 days of blogging have taught me so much, but what I have really come to understand is that I still have mountains of learning to climb.  The one element of blogging that I hadn't anticipated in all my preparation for the Tomato is the kindness and generosity of the real estate blogging community.  I could say that it is the stats, or the search engine success, or the encouragement, or the business, or even the joy of writing that keeps me chugging along as a regular blogger but they would all be inaccurate.  It is the warm acceptance by other avid real estate bloggers that has made me feel that I am one of the gang.  It is to this gang I show my loyalty by blogging regularly.  I'm not going to blame them for my hardcore addiction, but rather, I would like to thank them for their friendship, readership and encouragement. It has never been lonely out here, and for that I appreciate them so much.

So here's to all of you, you know who you are. 
I had originally planned to list and link to you all, but I would feel terrible if I were leaving anyone out. 
So I will just have to keep adding to the blogroll for now.  I'm working to improve on including everyone who has earned placement there. 

Thanks again,

Your humble host,
Jim

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2 More Awesome Online Tools

My 2 New Favorite Online Tools.

IntelliContact -
This website is invaluable!  With IntelliContact you can "Easily Create, Send, and Track Email Newsletters, Surveys, and RSS Feeds!"  You can even create custom forms, with autoresponders and CRM (customer relationship management).  This is all "click of a button" easy and there are even video tutorials to help.  I give IntelliContact a 10 out of 10 when it comes to online email marketing and management.

Writely-
When Writely was acquired by Google last year, they halted all new memberships... and I have been waiting to try them out ever since.  I never did receive my notice, as they promised...  However, a few weeks ago I saw someone bragging about using it and it reminded me of how anxious I was to check it out.  Goodbye Microsoft Word.  Why would I ever want to use your cumbersome product ever again?  How sweet is Writely?  Besides the intuitive layout, the collective collaboration, online access, and blogging... well, you'll just have to see for yourself.

My ongoing list of useful tools can be found here.

Add to: | Technorati |  Digg |  del.icio.us |  Yahoo |  BlinkList |  Spurl |  reddit |   Furl | 

To Blog or Not To Blog

What percentage of people who start a blog let it die in the first month?

Blogging is not for everyone.  It is such that most who try will fail.

This will be worse than the rush to get a website for Realtors.  You see, websites can be marketed any number of ways, and there are many carrots with which to capture leads out of the traffic you drive to them.  The rush to blogging in the real estate industry will not be pretty.  All the graphic design, SEO, marketing and fancy domain names aren't going to help.   Most blogs will die on the vine... in less than a month. They will fail just as diets fail; good intentions, fancy running shoes, nutrition almanacs, and space age treadmills don't lose the weight for you.  It is the commitment and encouragement that will make you successful.  Your blog is no different.

I do a ton of talking about blogging to real estate audiences.  I am always careful to make sure that anyone considering getting into blogging as a marketing tool for their business, understands what successful, professional, business blogging entails.

Let's assume that you have all the elements (slick design, cool name, RSS, email sign-up, pings, social bookmarking etc.) in place and the only element left to care for is the blogging itself.

What does successful blogging entail?

The 4 C's to business blogging success: "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."

1.  Commitment
I know you are busy.  I know your business can be a roller coaster ride. One week it's all prospecting and pavement pounding, the next it's catering to clients' needs and then it's closings, contingencies and paperwork.  "Where am I going to find the time to be a regular blogger?" You ask.
Firstly, look at blogging as a powerful marketing strategy, not a hobby nor a chore.  Getting yourself in front of a captive audience that is interested in your education and service is the golden opportunity.  Developing an ever growing audience of regular readers, all-the-while exposing them to your online tools and services, is the formula.  If you don't make the commitment, and find the time, you will never know what success I am talking about.

2.  Core
Having a core focus with your blog makes it so much easier to write.  Make a list of what your blog's central topics will be.  I'm serious.  What service and education can you offer your audience?  This is your core focus.  Your blogging does not have to strictly adhere to that focus, but it should revolve  around it regularly.
1.  The more you refer to your core topics, the more unique content you generate for the search engines to find you by. 
2. Your core topics will help distinguish your blog to your audience. Give them a reason to recognize your value to them.  If your message is all over the place, your value to them will grow thin.
3.  After you have 'rounded out' you message in dozens of articles, there is always another way to say the same thing, whether it be to reinforce, reiterate, revisit or reinvent.  Keep in mind, your audience is ever changing and bringing up excellent points from months ago could be new nuggets of knowledge to them.

3.  Creativity
Writing is easy.  Good writing takes practice, inspiration and folly.  Look for formulas to good blog writing.  Read, write, read, write, read.  The blogs that impress you will inspire you to find your own voice.  Getting the audience is hardly half the battle.  It is keeping them coming back for more that sets you apart. 

4.  Consistency
Stick with the above plan. Don't think that your audience won't notice the naps you take.  Don't think the scale won't notice the pint of Ben and Jerry's you just ate.  If it is hard to find the time to commit, then make the effort to schedule it in.  If 4 times a month is all you can commit to, then write it in your calendar.  Your audience is paying attention.  If they feel you are not commited to them, then they will lose their commitment to you.

So, before you go out and get all excited to take hold of the latest marketing strategy in online real estate, please be aware of the commitment that it entails.  The rewards are plenty.  It is worth it. 

Here's my new favorite comment, left by Todd Tarson last Saturday:

Always great advice found at the Tomato.

I must say that I have come to love the real estate biz much more since I started blogging.
Imagine that, in a down market even. I think RE blogging has made me a better agent and I know my clients will be better off for it.

We are the leaders, nothing can stop us, it feels so good.

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Blogging Your Listings

It is hard enough to maintain one blog.   Why would anyone want to try and develop multiple blogs for their listings?  Below are the options and answers for this subject.  Please feel free to expand upon this topic with your comments.

Options

1.  Blogging your listings within your blog
    This is when you write an article in your blog that is about a specific listing.  The blog itself is not geared specifically towards the showcasing listings, but you figure you might as well drop them in there anyhow.  This is the easiest and cheesiest way to promote listings with a blog.  Easy because you don't have to create a separate entity just to post, and cheesy because your audience, although interested in your savvy, is not coming to your site regularly to check out a single, uninteresting listing.

2.  A new blog for each listing
    Each listing is a new blog itself.  Generally, a template is created in WordPress or TypePad (I prefer TypePad for this one) and is published separately of the one's primary blog. It is wise to purchase a separate domain name for each listing (www.123ElmStreet.com for example) and have it pointed to the address of the template blog.  Template blogs have addresses like this: http://yourblogsname.typepad.com/nameoflisting.  The branded address above makes the blog/listing more marketable.

3.  One blog for all your listings
    All listings are published to a blog about all your listings.  Think: SacramentoListingBlog.com.  Create categories for each listing: Price, location, beds, baths, style, status etc.  The blog is the ultimate CMS (Content Management System).  You can add and sort any number of items.  Visitors will recognize the categories and browse accordingly. Fantasic dump for all your 'solds' as well.  Keep in mind that all blog posts will have a Permalink address as well, to which you can direct a domain name (www.123ElmStreet.com) for independent marketing of the listing.  This will appease your sellers.

FAQ's

1.  Will it help in the Search Engines?
    Of course!  When using a blog that is properly set up to ping the search engines, the content that you publish can be treated like 'breaking news.'  This phenomenon will increase your reach in the search engines with every word you type.

2.  Will it impress the seller?
    It should... but I wouldn't bring it up if they have no idea what a blog is.

3.  Will it impress the buyer?
    If that's how they found the listing in the first place, of course.  Otherwise, no.

4.  Is it a lot of work?
    For the non savvy, it could be.  Adding a listing to a blog is no more than a bit of copy/paste and a little word processing/formatting.

5.  Is it worth it?
    If you consider broadened exposure in the search engines, a display of your emarketing savvy and another landing page for lead generation worth it, then yes.

6.  Will it help sell the listings?
    It will not hurt.  But the exposure it can generate for you, your services, your commitment and your consulting is priceless.

7.  What's involved?
    You need to be into blogging.  You need to have a professional blogging account like TypePad or WordPress.  It takes some practice before you start going live.

8.  How long will it take?
    No more than 20 minutes a listing, and increasingly less as you get comfortable.  Done.

9.  Duplicate content?
    If your listing information appears anywhere other than on dynamic result pages (IDX, MLS, Trulia, Realtor.com etc.) such as Craigslist, your company website, your personal website, etc. then you may have some duplicate content issues.   

10.  Copy and paste? 
    Postlets/MLS/Website/Emails: Change around the descriptions a bit and use the same html/content in multiple marketing efforts.

What do I recommend?
    I recommend that you either create a blog for all your listings or, you build an exclusive section on your business blog.  Mixing quality content with listing details is a bad idea.  It will distract and turn off your readers.  Blogging is about cultivating readership to incubate long-term leads.  Listings are take it or leave it content and should not be woven in among your pearls of wisdom.  So, if you must keep everything on one blog, organize the listings to appear seperately from the general articles.

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4 Steps to Drip Marketing Success

Melani Gordon is back.  Last month she examined the growth of online real estate ad spending, this month she's bringing it with some email marketing tips.  Melani is regularly published in Realty Success Magazine, and we're honored to be able to pin her down for another pearl of wisdom.

Online Marketing: 4 Steps to Drip Email Marketing Success

By Melani Gordon

I recently attended Inman Connect expo this past July in San Francisco geared toward real estate Internet marketing. The topic was titled, “The Web, Its Opportunity and Its Limitations for Real Estate Customer Acquisition.” The moderator focused the guest speakers on what they do now and what methods and/or tools don’t work. The panel was comprised of 3 successful brokers and one technology provider.

Imagine a hotel conference room filled with 130 real estate agents and brokers. These were a group of professionals who were chomping at the bit to get the next golden marketing ticket. Half way through the session a top broker from Florida spoke up about her thoughts and the use of “drip marketing” in her business. She stated that, “My brokerage doesn’t utilize drip marketing. I don’t recommend my agents use this approach. I mean really, what consumer wants to get an email 60 days later after contacting an agent about how to make chicken cacciatore?”

As the room fell silent, I chuckled to myself and found myself wondering what everyone else was thinking. I purchased a home 2 ½ years ago. Now my husband and I are ready to sell our Pt. Loma condo in San Diego.  The original buyers agent has failed to stay in touch with us over the last couple years. Rest assured she will not be getting a phone call from us. The first agent who came to mind was the one who happened to be top of mind. 

Let’s take a step back and walk through what we like to call a proven 4 step process to success. This is a system to help keep you top of mind with your clients AND prospects. Let’s take a peek at just how important it is to have a lead follow up system, even if that means sending automated emails to your sphere. Granted, the email content doesn’t have to revolve around your favorite recipes for the holiday. Be a persistent marketer and utilize a drip email marketing system to stay in touch with your sphere of influence. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.

1. Don’t try and email your list of 300 clients and prospects manually. This can be very time consuming and tedious. I still see real estate professionals thinking they can handle this on their own. If this sounds like you, you are wasting precious time.     
2. Do subscribe to a drip marketing campaign system. This will automate the process for you. Begin arranging your client and prospect lists into some predefined campaigns.  I’ve seen this range from a first time home buyer campaign that will run for six months, and send up to 2 or 3 emails a month to each contact in that campaign. I’ve seen systems with predefined client email campaigns with targeted emails on touch points for the audience who already bought a home from you.  A couple great systems to check out are  www.birdview.com and www.sharperagent.com.
3. Split your email list into specific neighborhood or demographic segments. Customize your email content to match this target audience. For example, if there is a hot condo market or      neighborhood in your area, send relevant emails to this group. Demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable in your market.
4. Track the results. It is very important to understand your email statistics. When you have 110 prospects in one campaign and only 2% of that 110 are opening the email - it’s time to reevaluate. Be sure to check if you have valid email addresses and you are sending relevant content to that target group.

So, if you are still standing by waiting for the golden ticket, take this one. Be a persistent marketer and realize the importance of an ongoing drip email marketing system. This will yield results over the long haul.

If you are looking for some one-on-one consulting feel free to contact Melani direct: 619-224-2455 or email. She promised me that a quick 15 phone conversation will help you increase your prospect lead conversions.

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Running Into Oncoming Traffic

Your mother told you not to play in the street. This is not your mother writing.
Find the busiest avenue you can and step recklessly into it, eyes wide open.
You will get the attention you're looking for.

If you are blogging down a country road, where daily rush hour can be tallied on one hand, it's time to redirect that local highway o'er yonder.
The real estate industry is writing and reading blogs at a furious pace.  If the former is you, without the latter, it's time to start risking your neck on major traffic avenues.

You have found your chops over the last few months, you've got a handle on your core message, the blog looks sweet... you're ready for some serious readership.
Take that knowledge to the streets.  Hit the most traffic'd blogs in your industry and start participating. 

1.  The moderators will begin to notice you and your blog.  If either is worthy of mention, it will happen
2.  Readers will begin to notice you and your blog.  If the latter is worthy, it will be noted and you will gain readership.

Beware, you are going to get the truth.  If you are ignored, it's not because they didn't read what you wrote.
If readership doesn't steadily increase it's not because they didn't check out your blog.

Find your voice, find the audience, and give yourself a chance to be heard.

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The Real Power of Blogging - Search Engines Are Up For Grabs

Quick, but powerful post. 

Did a search for "epro classes" on Google today.

To the left you will see the screenshot of the results.  The Tomato article from last month is right there, at #3 (or 2 if you don't count the duplicated result).
(Update - The same article above, regading epro, comes up as #1 in Google for "epro class")

One article, from a couple of weeks ago and everyone searching "epro classes" or "epro class" will now have an opportunity to see what I think of NAR's class.

This is proof that blogging is a very powerful tool when it comes to being found in the search engines.  The Real Estate Tomato is not about 'epro classes' - not in my keywords, not in my metadata, and there is only 1 article (of over 120 articles) on the site about the subject... yet there I am, discouraging people from spending their time and money on the class.

Blog articles can be seen as breaking news.  Why this is?... I'm not the expert (yet) to answer that.  Search engines like Google treat breaking news as extremely relevant content when it comes to the search results they publish.  This effect wasn't the reason I started blogging, but it is the reason why I know I will never stop: My voice is being heard.

Related articles:
If You Write It They Will Come
Catch A Tiger By Its Tail

And Greg Swann's post about coming up competitively for "zillow.com" on Google.

More examples (as of 9-15-06):
ActiveRain (#4 in Google)
"Postlets" #2 in Google - original article
"Craigslist hyperlink" #4 in Google - original article

I see the Tomato coming up all over the place for comnbinations of terms I use in my articles.  In addition, my articles are also coming up from my participation on ActiveRain, Digg, Reddit, NewsVine and EzineArticles.

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Blogosphere Blabbing 'bout Big Brother Blog

The Big Brother blog from yesterday got some play on other's sites... but for some reason TypePad's trackbacks didn't pick up on it... so I am taking the liberty to share them with you.  Some rare, shameless, self promotion, if I may.

We made YouTube via Paul Dizmang's blog/podcast, watch the video here
Paul is a very energetic guy, and contagious to watch.  I think he like the frankness with which people describe him in blogs, so I will say he's "wild" - thanks for the plug Paul!

Rory Siems sees how the concept of the Big Brother article underlines the importance of understanding that real estate is an industry built on providing and sharing information, not marketing and baiting.
Rory has also provided us with our first podcast appearance at his real estate radio show: http://www.ocrealestatepodcast.com - The podcast is from a phone interview we did last week regarding the success of and approach to the Real Estate Tomato.

Greg Swann, always taking a look at things from a perspective contrary to the norm, stays true to form with an alternate look at my article.  He could just rip me to shreds and I'd still be reading his prose with voracity.

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Is Big Brother Dead?

Has collective collaboration taken the power from the top of the pyramid and dispersed it among the participants?

There is no one overseeing camera that records our every move.  There are millions of them, in the hands of the public and on the walls of private businesses.
The Mainstream Media cannot get the news to us faster than the masses of bloggers do. In addition, if they push something based on an agenda,  it is swarmed by truth seekers.
New stars and celebrities are created by choice, not force.
Peer to Peer file swapping changed the entertainment industry forever.
Google Video and YouTube have leeched television viewership significantly, and foreshadow the future of video entertainment.

Hopefully, my lack of example doesn't spoil the point of the article. 

To me it seems that the power, once controlled by the few, is now slipping into the hands of the masses.  Not that Orwell had it wrong, but the transmutation of his novel's message, and the prediction of greater totalitarian control in accordance with the development of technology, is wrong.

How does this affect the real estate industry?

Hundreds of thousands of voices can question the leadership, decisions, policies, management and opinions of those above and beside them. These voices can and will be heard whether anonymously, individually or collectively.  Accountability is now the highest priority for those that took their power for granted.  The NAR can be questioned, MLS's can be questioned, large brokerages can be questioned, top producers can be questioned, the questioners, questioned.

Search Engine results are up for grabs.  Top placement is achievable by those who won't settle for static content.  The long tail of search results is made up of the many active voices.  The more they say, the more they are heard, the more they are networked, the more Google loves them.

The once coveted access to MLS listings is becoming less of a compelling offer to generate leads.  As the barriers soften and the public have access to that which was once locked away in a private, powerful book, service, education and trust define the attraction to an agent.  One's ability to be heard among, and supported by the critical mass will replace the gatekeeper mentality and influence.

Reputations, the cornerstone of any long-standing business, depend on the collective voice.  It can take years of success to be 'talked about.'  One negative blog article can wash it all away.

Soon sellers and their listing agents will be held accountable by the collective audience for the "facts" they present about a property.
The future of listing a home?:  Listing goes online.  The audience participates in its description and perception.  Property values become influenced by the community's comments.

With great power comes great responsibility.   

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A La Mode + Firefox = Disaster

I use Firefox because of its versitility as a web-browser.  It's usership grows everyday, and there is little the MIcrosoft has been able to do about it.  Looking at real estate websites and blogs is my life job.  Recently I have noticed a little problem with the way 'A La Mode' websites appear in the Firefox browser: They are all jacked up!

Example 1:
A La Mode in Internet Explorer

A La Mode in Firefox

Not so pretty, huh?

Example 2
A La Mode in IE

A La Mode in Firefox

It seems that the intended formatting is lost in Firefox, leaving the site to look incomplete, or amatuer.  I am not picking on the sites above, but rather, hoping to educate A La Mode users of this glitch in their product.

If you would like to learn more about Firefox visit their website.

The 3 Steps To Converting Purchased Online Leads

Today's guest author is Chris Daley.  This is his second contribution to the Tomato.  To learn more about Chris and to read his previous article, click here.

Take it away, Chris!

In speaking to hundreds of REALTORS over the years, I have found a profound love/hate relationship with online lead generation firms. On one side, you have agents and brokers who say they do not know where their business would be if the faucet from their lead partner were to ever dry. On the other side, you have agents and brokers who have found purchasing leads to be a colossal failure and a waste of money. The one thing that remains a constant is the existence of online lead generation and the cottage industry it has created.

In working on both sides of the fence and in personally creating online acquisition strategies, I cannot accept the mindset that online leads are of a lesser quality. I will, however, admit that not all leads are created equal.

Let us start by breaking down the 3 distinctive phases of a successful online strategy: Marketing, Lead Generation and Lead Conversion. Those who find a balance in all three become raving fans. Those who miss a step are usually looking for a refund.

The formula is as simple as a pound cake recipe. Doing the three steps successfully, however, is as complicated as making a chocolate soufflé in an easy bake oven. Success is dependent on all three phases working together. Its simplicity is often the reason for failure. Agents and brokers will often overlook the fine details that act as the mortar in building an online business.

Phase One - Marketing

There is no secret society of businesses that are plotting to take over the online ad space from the average REALTOR, regardless of what is being said. There is, however, an abundance of firms that work this ad space to its maximum threshold and hire skilled professionals to get results. Simply signing up for a Goggle Ad-Words campaign does not put you in competition with the big dogs. The 'do-it-yourselfer' is going to encounter cost overruns and will generally attract too broad of a prospect to convert with success.

With online marketing, understanding the Long Tail Theory is crucial. In short, bidding on the most popular term is not the best strategy. You will often encounter a prospect that is not quite sure of what he or she is looking for. Someone searching for “San Diego Real Estate” could be looking to buy a house, but he or she could also simply be looking up information for a research paper. The vague sense of need is going to translate to a lower conversion percentage. Having multiple and very direct search terms will allow you to attract the type of prospect you are most likely to convert. If you service a specific neighborhood like Pacific Beach, CA and specialize in luxury properties, your marketing needs to present itself only to the prospects who want to buy a luxury home in Pacific Beach. In this case, try bidding on the phrase “Pacific Beach Luxury Homes for Sale.”

Now that you are only bidding on the right terms, refine your ad copy. While writing this article, I did a Google search for “Pacific Beach Luxury Homes For Sale” and found several ads. Some spoke of Pacific Beach and others spoke of Luxury Homes, but not one spoke of both. Having compelling ad copy that relates to the search terms is often overlooked. I also found ads under this term for agents who worked in Phoenix, AZ and Palisades, NY, which is another story all together. You do not have to be the highest bidder to win the click. You just have to present the best result. The consumer knows what they are looking for and you have just a second to let them see that you have it.

Phase Two - Lead Generation

Now that you have attracted the right prospect and gotten him or her to leave the search engine for your plot of land on the internet, what is he or she looking at? Are you sending the prospect to your personal website? Are you sending the prospect to a company web page? If you answered yes, I can hear the air escaping from the soufflé.

Targeted traffic wants targeted results. Sending such a visitor to an all-encompassing home page or a home search page is the number one pitfall of REALTORS. In doing so, you are completely ignoring the valuable and costly information you have at your disposal. You know what kind of home your prospects want to buy and, most importantly, you know where they want to buy it.

A tool of the trade from lead generation firms has been the implementation of targeted results pages. Having a specific results page for each online campaign allows you to relate to the prospect that you are attracting. Just compare the difference. Prospect A and Prospect B both search for La Jolla Condos. Prospect A is sent to a home search page that offers access to the entire MLS and outlines that the agent services the entire coastal region. Behind the page is a general search tool, where the prospect will have to enter La Jolla and Condos again. Prospect B is sent to a La Jolla Condo page. The copy only speaks of La Jolla and Condominium sales. Behind page B is targeted results of condos in La Jolla. Both pages ask for contact information. I know there are not many sure bets in this world but I know where I would place my money on who would have a better conversion.

Phase Three - Lead Conversion

I think the worst thing to ever happen to online lead conversion was the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie! Most agents and brokers, after paying top dollar to attract and generate a lead, will place it on a standard email drip and “set it and forget it.” Like I mentioned earlier, all leads are not created equal and should not be converted as such. Simply plugging a targeted lead into a buyer’s drip is the logical equivalent of air-conditioning your home with the windows open. It just does not make sense. Simply generating contact information is not a victory. At this point all you really have is a permission to market to your prospects and a general understanding of what services they are looking for. What agents and brokers do with this information is what differentiates the winners from the losers.

Those who find the most success in lead conversion build a cumulative knowledge of the prospect as time passes. At the start, they will have a specific correspondence that matches the look and topic of the lead generation from. The first few messages will be based on assumptions of the prospect. If we were to take a lead from the “Pacific Beach Luxury Homes for Sale” campaign, the school report in message 3 would only show schools in Pacific Beach and focus on private and charter institutions. The area report in message 4 would have a fine dining focus. Making these assumptions will never hurt your conversion. Not making them could kill you chances of getting that person on the phone.

The next critical key of a marketing campaign is that it should be dynamic.  With the proper tools, you can tell what messages the prospect is reading and what items in the message are of interest to him or her. It is based on this knowledge that you should always be segmenting your lead base. So you may start with 50 leads from your landing page but by the 5th email, you should have 15 sub categories of that list. Just as all leads are not created equal, no buyer is identical.

Now you may ask, why would a marketing professional give the recipe to the secret sauce? My answer is simple. I could draw a map of exactly what I do and I would still find clients. Just as it is possible for one to sell a home without the help of a REALTOR, it would be wise not to do so. There are many benefits to working with the professionals, getting the most bang for your buck is just one of them.

Christopher Daley is the Sales Director for Integral Impressions. Integral Impressions is full service, online acquisition strategies firm, specializing in Search Engine Marketing, Landing Pages  , Web Branding, Blog’s and Email Solutions.  To contact Chris, simply email him here: cdaley(at)integralimpressions.com; or contact the Tomato.

Thanks Chris.

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Carnival Of Real Estate - The Tomato Edition

I am not complaining.  Really, I'm not... but 38 blog articles to read on a Sunday?  Wow.  Be careful what you ask for when hosting this rapidly growing carnival.  Great job everybody.  In an effort to give everyone who submitted an opportunity to be read, I chose to post all the articles below.  However, the Top 12 fall into a subjective order of the best articles this Carnival has to offer.  Beyond that dozen, I just threw darts at pinned balloons.

Visit the Carnival of Real Estate:

If you are new to the Carnival phenomena.
If you want to participate in next week's (BlueRoof Blog) Carnival of Real Estate.
If you want to host the Carnival of Real Estate.

Here they are:  Your Top 12 Blog Posts!

1.  The Lovely Wife, soapboxing from her ActiveRain Blog, gets an earful.   And we have our winner!

2.  Greg Swann, inditer of BloodhoundBlog, presents two reforms that will produce an uncompromised form of buyer representation.

3.  Michael Price of MLPodcast/Mike's Corner interviews Ed Freyfogle of Nestoria.Com, a British Web 2.0 Real Estate Company 

4.  Derek Rey bringing it at ReyEstate smells a slippery fish in real estate technology.

5.  Marlow Harris writing on Seattle Real Estate Professionals Blog bulldogs a reporter looking for "the other side of the story" when it comes to the disintermediation of the real estate agent.

6.  Frugal from My 1st Million At 33 looks into his crytal ball and out to the future of the real estate bubble.

7.  Rudolph D. Bachraty III, caretaker of Sellsius Blog, asks if property owners have the right to remove their property from Zillow?

8.  Joel Burslem soothsayer from The Future Of Real Estate Marketing, breaks down your blog's advertising options.  Did he just coin "Blogvertising?"

9.    Dan Melson, authoring Searchlight Crusade takes on the unenviable task of organizing his collective braindump into a comprehensive guide on buying and financing a home.

10.  Bryan Tutas from his ActiveRain Blog throws floridian sand in the HubbaBubba boohoo of the housing bubble.

11.  Maureen Francis from miOaklandCounty.com shares her success story as a real estate blogger.

12.  Jon Ernes of The Property Monger retracts his first submittal and replaces it with this question:
Will the internet be the end of Real Estate agents?

Honorable Mentions In No Particular Order:

Dave Gooden raking it up at the Pine Needle Lawn explores his fascination with real estate television.

Eileen Landau penning Move Up To Naperville warns us that Dirty Deeds Aren't Done Dirt Cheap

Louann Nudi from her ActiveRain Blog hooks a keeper with her Trout vs Flounder article. 

Douglas Heddings of True Gotham also responds to the Damon Darlin (NYT) article wondering if the days of 6% commission are limited.  His take:  Quality service deserves every penny.

David Porter of Pacesetter Mortgage Blog examines the effect of the Stated Income Loan.  Bottom line: he says "it's bad for America."

Joshua Dorkin of Real Estate Investing for Real sees big bucks in backwoods real estate.  Read the interview with Allen Shannon, founder of LandsofAmerica.com

Free the Drones blog points out that "free gifts" can cost you when buying a home.

A Samuel writing from New Build Blog opines that Web 2.0 is breathing down the neck of the UK's Rightmove.

Chuck from The Finance Journey lays out how he recommends the development of a FSBO property website.

David Gibbons of Zillow Blog (our Carnival Ringmaster) puts forth his 10 most helpful snippets from Zillow's user's manual.

Matt Heinz, author of "@ HouseValues" revisits a unique way to drive traffic to and generate leads from your real estate website.

Claudia Wicks from AgentCEO relates an affordable and clever marketing tip she picked up from Jane McDonald.

Rob from Pittsburgh Homes Daily is off the charts with his look at the frequency of the term 'housing' in blog posts this summer.

Rory Siems blogging on Laguna Niguel Orange County Real Estate brings reason to the table when taking advantage of this buyer's market.

Cliff Jacobson of WebHomeUSABlog examines why the real estate industry is responsible for 25% of all online ads.

Jonathan Dalton, also chiming in from his ActiveRain Blog, peeks into the chaos of negotiating buyer's commissions.

Mitchell Hall, pulling from his ActiveRain blog, offers advice to those renting in Manhattan.

Brian Green over at Mind2Money.com suggests that real estate investors who are itching to unload their property should drop their price.

Jim Duncan slinging words at Real Central VA plans to be there when you need him.

Jessica Swesey writing for the Inman Blog looks for some light in the bleak week of real estate news.

Matt Carter another Inman Blog contributor pokes at the blokes 'cross the pond, and their "mate's mortgage."

Glenn Roberts also of Inman Blog reports that arabs with knives have hacked fsboa.com.

Anesia Springborn of The Landlord Blog takes a little Q & A on the subject of Expense Ratios on Multi-Units.

Mark H. Delfs from How Products Were Named answers the mystery of how Century 21 got its name.

Amused and Bemused writing for American Inventor Spot pokes fun at the sofa-oven.

Thanks go out to ZillowBlog for being kind enough to let the Tomato have the responsibilty of showcasing so many fantasic articles, and to all those that took their turn standing at the ferris wheel, post in hand.

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New To Business Blogs? The 6 Steps To Getting Started

Where does one begin when discovering a business blog that's interesting to them?

1.  Determine the mission of the blog

Does the mission statement   make you feel as if you're one of their intended audience?  If you are going to make the blog a part of your regular reading, make sure it is being written with you in mind.

2.  Focus on the continuous, core message in the blog

Although you may have missed a ton of interesting content in past articles, a blog with a solid focus will continue to deliver their core message.  When exploring the archives of a blog, look for that core message to bring you up to speed.

Business blogs, like the Real Estate Tomato are written in a circular manner.  News, reporting and personal blogs (like BoingBoing) generally are written in a more linear fashion.  The difference is that circular blogs have a central or core message that the topics are written around.  Linear blogs are governed by the events and items they aim to cover.

3. Don't look at a blog that has a great deal of content as a book; view it more like the editorial section of a newspaper.

Following a blog is about the daily, relevant message, not the chronological organization.

Generally, blogs are not written with chronological organization in mind.  As the authors are inspired to write, they will publish to the blog.   With both circular and linear blogs, the idea is not to try and catch up, but rather to enjoy the ride.

4. Realize that categories and keywords outline the blog's focus.

Topics that are frequented by the author will give you insight to the core focus of the blog.  Start reading posts that fall under the most active categories.
Keywords are tags at the bottom of each article recognizing the main topics mentioned in the article.  Finding popular keywords/phrases will tie multiple articles together.

5. Sign up for RSS feeds and/or email feeds of the daily articles.

Not having to remember that you are interested in a blog makes it that much easier to follow along.  RSS feeds deliver the headlines to your favorite news reader.  Email feeds will send the headlines of current articles to your inbox.

For more on RSS feeds read the FAQs. 

6.  Get involved.

Make intellectual comments on articles that interest you.  Participate.  Join the party.  Invest your interest.

--

The Real Estate Tomato wants to be the charge in your day; your cup of coffee.  We want to be the nightcap on your evening, your glass of wine.  Come by for your daily fix.  Leave an intelligent comment when inspired.  And most importantly, feel free to contact us   with any of your questions.

For more information on what the Who, What, Why and How of the Tomato, check out the FAQ's.

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Postlets Launches PostletsPlus (beta)

Asher from Postlets has just notified me that they have launched their latest, greatest upgrade to thier core product: PostletsPlus.

What you need to know:
1. Template is now multi-themed and multi-paged
2. Images are quadruple the size
3. Google maps are integrated
4. School info
5. Mortgage Calc
6. Links for virtual tours and external websites (yeah!)
7. Video Upload (googlevideo and youtube)

Cost: For now, it's a free listing in exchange for any referral that signs up to Postlets.
Future Cost: a couple of bucks or so per listing.

Commercial listings?  No.  Sorry Brad.

Fried Dough, Ring Toss and the Haunted House

  The Carnival of Real Estate, originally created by Zillow Blog, is setting up shop at the Tomato on Monday the 11th of September.

The exposure will be extensive, given that participants generally make the point of posting an article on their blog referencing their participation in the Carnival, and link it directly to the host's blog.  Being selected in the top 10 of this carnival will surely boost traffic and readership.  One of the elements I attribute to the swift success of the Tomato is the participation in weekly carnivals.  Deadline for entry is Midnight (PST) Saturday the 9th.

An example of how carnivals can help with your site's exposure is evident in an article appearing in today's edition of The Times Online (the electronic version of one of the UK's largest newspapers).
Thanks for the kudos Peter!

To learn more on how to participate in this week's carnival, and to submit your best article of the recent past (or near future) visit the CarnivalOfRealEstate.com.

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Stumbling Upon Humor In Real Estate

Humor is a big part of keeping readers engaged in your blog's content.  Not knowing what droll entertainment one might uncover is also a sure way to keep users engaged.

A couple of weeks ago Sellsius was reminded by Tomato about StumbleUpon which reminded Tomato how much fun it is.  So I've started to Stumble since, and have uncovered, undoubtedly the most uncouth bay area real estate website online.

Why Stumble?  It is the Web 2.0 SearchEngine/TimeWaster.  It is contained chaos of your preferred topics.  It is participation, it is addiction.  It may even be Sellsius.

Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

Carnival of Blogging Success - Tomato Top 10

Last week I was speaking with Teresa Boardman from St Paul, MN about the power of blogging in the real estate industry.  We were discussing how blogging can really help develop an audience as well as incubate potential leads into future business.

Persistent blogging shows passion, relevant information educates, and a unique voice builds trust.  These are the ingredients for developing a reader into a new client.   Our conversation got me thinking about how helpful it would be for those on the outside looking in to hear how blogging has positively effected her business.  So, I asked her to submit and article to the Tomato describing her success as a real estate blogger.  Her article was great, and it made me realize that there have to be others out there that can voice their success through blogging as well.  And so the Carnival of Blogging Success was born.

What seems to the fastest growing social network of real estate professionals online, ActiveRain, is breeding new bloggers as quickly as they can.  With a membership count of over 4500, in less than 3 months of existence, it seemed the perfect platform to get some participation in the Carnival.  The only challenge being, explaining what a blogging carnival is and what the benefits of participating in one can be.  We had a great turn out, and the following articles represent the Tomato Top 10 from members of ActiveRain.

The following articles represent the Top 10, and are listed in chronological order of their submission.

1. Teresa Boardman- (Updated link)
    The conversation that inspired the Carnival.

2.  Rory Siems- (Updated link)- 
    Rory professes his appreciation for the relationships and success found on ActiveRain.

3.  Colleen Kulikowski
    Quick success and a very apropos shout-out to her favorite AR real estate bloggers.

4.  Teri Isner 
    Last week her blogging paid off.

5.  Greg Swann 
    A bit off topic... but if you are inspired to start blogging, start reading Greg.

6.  Johnathan Greene 
    Johnathan finds his success in the effectiveness of real estate blogging.

7.  Michael Price 
    An interview with Realty Objective's Russ Cafano defines why real estate professionals will find success in blogging.

8. Maureen Francis
    The best example of detailed success from real estate blogging.

9. Jay Thompson 
    I Blog; Therefore I Am. 
 
10.  Roberta Murphy
    Pledges her undying love for the fruits of ActiveRain.

And, if I may... here's a comment left by Sara Lipnitz on AR:
...I was NO WHERE to be found on the web 10 days ago.  If you were to "google" my name I had just a few places to find me... a virtual tour, my Junior League profile, my SKBK profile.... nothing that would allow someone to find me.  Now if you google "bloomfield hills mi real estate" I'm on page 2!  All because I like to babble... I mean, blog.

That should be enough inspiration for those still on the fence about embracing the blog as a marketing tool.  Bottom line, "If you write it, they will come!"

I want to thank everyone who contributed to this inaugural carnival.  Is has been very inspirational to read all of your testimonies of success.  You stories have only solidified an already steadfast addiction.  Thank you.

Add to: | Technorati |  Digg |  del.icio.us |  Yahoo |  BlinkList |  Spurl |  reddit |   Furl | 

Blogging Success Carnival Update

First of all I want to thank all participants who submitted their articles to the Carnival of Blogging Success.  We had a great response!  It is going to be difficult to make a final selection for the top 10.
That said, due to the holiday, and the reduced readership around the blogosphere today, we are going to be postponing the showcase of the carnival until tomorrow at 12noon (PST).

Blogging Success Carnival Submissions Due

The deadline for subbmissions to the Carnival of Blogging Success is approaching quickly.  At midnight tonight (PST), we will no longer be taking articles to be considered for the Carnival.

Who can submit? 
    The Carnival is limited to ActiveRain members only.  Why AR?  ActiveRain is quickly becoming the destination for those in the real estate to collectively collaborate on thier industry.  It is packed with seasoned pros and green tomatoes all looking for the same thing: a community of sharing.  We want to share with them that blogging, when done right, is one of the most effective marketing tools once can embrace.

Why submit?
    Exposure.  Thousands of readers will see your article, giving you the oppotunity to expand your blog's readership. 
    Points.  ActiveRain uses a point system to reward their most involved and participating members.  The more points, the more exposure you command on the site.  Anyone who makes the Top 10 will receive 400 AR points.

Criteria?
The criteria you are being judged on is
1. Clarity of message/Readability
2. How well the article inspires others to embrace blogging.
3. Creativity
4. Faithfulness to the spirit of the Carnival (not an ad, or shameless self-promotion)

How to submit?
Send me an email with the link to your article/post: bloggingsuccess(at)gmail.com

Love The Tomato? Love These Three!

Of the hundreds of websites and blogs I visit weekly (somebody has to), there are gems that I look forward to reading more than the rest.

At the top of each month I look to bring some readership to these fantastic examples of exemplary real estate blogging.

Sellsius Blog

I have been looking forward to the daily articles by Joseph G. Ferrara and Rudolph D. Bachraty III on Sellsius Blog since I first found them last month.  Their mission is to provide information on all aspects of real estate, in an entertaining way. However, they are also threatening to launch a unique destination/solution for the affordable marketing of nationwide listings...

Realty Blogging

Realty Blooging is a fantastic resource for getting a broad perspective on real estate blogging.  They describe themselves as "A Network of Blogging Evangelists Writing on Effective Real Estate Blogging."  They showcase a panel of real estate bloggers who write nearly every day about blogging techniques, trends, tips and tools.  I was flattered to have been invited to join their Experts Panel, and once I remove an iron from the fire, I plan to contribute regularly.

Grow-A-Brain

Hanin Levin is the mastermind behind the "original real estate blog."  Grow-A-Brain is more BoingBoing than strict real estate reporting... but I can't get enough, whatever it is!  Put this on your daily reading list, you won't be left disappointed.

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Again, this is a "recurring theme post" that will appear on the 1st of every month.  Is there a real estate blog that you're reading, or writing that I should be aware of?