Who Took The Fun Out Of Blogging?

Who Took The Fun Out Of Blogging?
By Teresa Boardman

In my last Tomato post, Jim counted my questions and there were 21 of them. He answered them in 9 words. “Find your focus, Write your articles, Go to bed” Not a bad answer but he left out an idea that I think is important: Have fun! Jim is an all around fun kind of guy so I am sure it was an oversight on his part. One wild and crazy Tomato . . . .

There are several words I could use to describe the missing idea, the word Joy comes to mind, because that is what I feel while I am working, but I’ll use passion instead because it sounds more business like. Either way it all leads to fun, which is where this is going.

If you love your business, and have a business blog, it will be fun and relatively easy to write. It does involve staying focused and there is a time commitment but the payoff is huge.

I love what I do and where I live, and enjoy taking pictures, and writing blog posts. It is the easiest when I disengage my brain and just let my thoughts go right to my keyboard. Thinking can really mess up a good idea, story or impression, but doesn’t seem to hurt the photos. My blog has taken on a life of its own, my blog is my business, or maybe my business is my blog, either way they have become inseparable.

Experts explain all the complicated stuff that goes along with having a blog and talk about the latest tools, widgets and plug-ins, they talk about SEO, pay-per-click and web site optimization. They debate the merits of one platform verse another and talk about being innovative and thinking outside the box. They can suck the joy out of blogs in a hurry. They know more than I do, but I smile because I am having fun.

SEO experts are so busy SEO-ing that they have forgotten that the blog readers don’t know anything about SEO either. People use the internet to find information and search engines help them. Google uses an algorithm. Don’t worry about understanding it. Speak to the person sitting at the key board using Google. Throw in a little viral marketing, and try using HitTail and listen your readers.

Don’t sweat the details; someone will figure it out and write a blog post about it, just wait and read. Focus on what is uniquely yours and share it with the world, call it content. Dare to be different and write about what you know instead of what everyone else is writing about. How will people find your blog? It is words that bring people to blogs, through search engines, but it is how they are arranged that brings them back. Spend less time thinking, follow your instincts, use your imagination and have fun.

My favorite day of the week on St. Paul Real Estate Blog is Friday because I run a weekly post called “Fridays are for fun”. I started it because it was something I wanted to do to blow off a little energy and have some fun, I do work very hard. I was advised to be careful with off topic posts, because they can hurt SEO. It’s only once a week but that one little post is generating a lot of activity on my blog that is translating into business. The more fun I have, the more business I get. They read it; laugh and then they pick up the phone. Blog writers from other fields have linked to these posts and I recently started entering them in non-real estate carnivals as a way to meet and network with more business blog writers.

Take Jim’s nine words of advice and add two more, have fun, to make it 11 words. Please have fun out there and remember not to take yourself or your blog too seriously.  Honestly, life it too short. If it was fun to write it will probably be fun to read. Surround yourself with fun people and feel the joy, if you can’t feel it, stop what you are doing and go out and find it.

Good Night, Jim
—
G'night Teresa.

Related Must Reads:
Stop Active Like Blogging Is Rocket Science

Teresa Boardman is an exceptionally professional Realtor in the St. Paul, Minnesota area.  
Her website: www.TBoardman.com
Her blog: www.StPaulRealEstateBLOG.com
Voice: 651-216-4603
Other Articles by Teresa on the Tomato

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Comments

[Deborah Burns]

Do you laugh outloud when you write some of your "Fridays are for Fun" posts? I know that I get a huge swell of energy, and a delighted chuckle when I connect with some funny thought and am able to translate it onto the keypad...that's why I enjoy commenting! You are so right Teresa...fun helps the flow...now who wants to play and blog?

[Norm Fisher]

So then, you two won't be attending the next conference call? :)

[Real Estate Tomato]

Of course we will be!!! Someone has to bring the fun!

[Jonathan Greene]

I'm kind of an outrageous guy. I find that, If I'm not careful, my blogs will follow suit. Believe it or not, people call me up and tell me I'm "genuine" and ask me to find a house for them....I still can't believe it.

Is this work?

[Rory]

Like the Lucy and Ricky Ricardo of Real Estate Blogging; you two.

Seriously, let's get the F' outta Blog!

[Kristal Kraft]

I have a technical question. When you guys get together on a panel at Inman, who brings the tomatoes? Are they included with the price of admission or should we stop by in Sacramento and purchase a basket of our own?
kk

[Real Estate Tomato]

Now it looks like we're all having fun...
I just might have to bring a bushel of tomatoes for all to (throw) enjoy.

[Dan Green]

"My business is my blog" or "My blog is my business".

Seriously, is there is difference? One from-the-heart paragraph goes farther than a 1,000 "Just Listed" postcards.

[Rowland Fellows]

Well, this blog WAS interesting. This latest post was weird to say the least. Maybe a coherent train of throught would help. TTFN.....

[Larry Cragun]

Now I never thought of having fun. It is all so serious to me. Lar

[Edde Anderson]

I don't know Rowland... This last post seemed to make perfect sense to me... Then again, I have not always been known to maintain a "coherent train of thought".

[John Carr]

Someone a lot smarter than I am said: The trouble with common sense is that it is very uncommon". Teresa, I dare to bestow on you another title; "Queen of common sense". I love your ideas, your thinking process and of course your blogs.
Keep up your excellent work, and maybe one day you will be crowned the "Queen of Queens".

[Christine]

"Happy are those who get to talk. Happier are those who get listened to!" No idea who wrote this. BUT, Teresa I am listening!!

[Jim Frey]

To have fun or "follow the yellow brick road"? hmmmmmmmm........LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!!!!! LOL!

[Joan Snodgrass]

Now that's a novel idea! Have fun? Wow. Sounds like a good prescription for a Friday.

[Sharon Simms]

We even have "have fun" in our mission statement. As you know only too well, there's no joy in life if you can't have fun at the same time.

[Drew M from Zillow]

To me, blogging is all about putting your personality online. Technical stuff has VERY LITTLE to do with a blog's success -- it really doesn't matter if you draw traffic from from search engines if you can't get readers to come back.

[Teresa Boardman]

Love the comments. Have some of my own.
Rory: which one of us is Ricky, and which one of us is Lucy? Just have to know.

About the Tomato comments - send me tomatos and I will throw them at Jim for writing that intro. I think he is helping me win friends and influence people. :)

Lar - You are almost too funny. :) Love reading your blog. Maybe we could trade. ?

Rowland - I can do most anything but have not yet mastered coherent. To be honest I am almost totaly insane, and never have learned how to write. I have read articles in several medical journals and have concluded that my situation is hopeless.

John - just what I need, another title. Most people just call me T.

Dan, I love the comment. If what you say is true I am saving 390 in postage alone! Which is indeed very cool. Now I am going to have to aquire a heart. Do you know where I can find one. :)

[Roberta Murphy]

It is all so much...

fun!

Blog on.

[jf.sellsius]

Jim and Teresa are having too much fun in my opinion :)

http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/?attachment_id=1914

[Real Estate Tomato]

Bwwaahahahahhhaaaaa!

That's the spirit JF!

[Teresa Boardman]

JF - Cute! :)