Entries from September 2007 ↓

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Wikipedia saysA blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological orderand commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Webster Dictionary says: Pronunciation: ‘blog, ‘bläg
Function: noun
Etymology: short for Weblog
: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer
- blog·ger noun
- blog·ging noun

I don’t maintain my website now, why do I need anther website? This is the wave of real estate as it stands today. Blogging is great for Google. The first place I would recommend is Active Rain. This is where you can start understanding what Blogging is all about. Active Rain members are the best for support and knowledge.

I would challenge you to open your new account with Active Rain using the link below to get started. If you already have a profile created, I want you to go to BLOGS at the top of the screen. Then click on Most Subscribed. These folks are there for a reason, they write good stuff!!! I want you to comment on 10 blogs a day. You don’t have to comment on just their blogs, you can see on the left side of the screen. All the blogs as they are created are posted here. Be the first to comment on their material. They might be new to this just like you.

This will help you adjust to this new machine. I call it a machine because you have to constantly oil it, fine tune it and tend to it on a regular basis. As you find friends here, you will soon become addicted to its power. The addiction is for the points, the google ranking, the most comments, the quest for the coveted Gold Star… Once you get bit you can’t stop. When you get that first phone call or email from another agent with a referral or an actual customer…you are completely done. This is why you do this.

While Active Rain is a safe place to blogand a place to find your “voice,” you may want to start your own business blog with your own domain name. You can start a free or a relatively cheap blog at a few different locations;

• Blogspot.com - Free

• Wordpress.com - Free

• Wordpress.org - Fee

• Typepad.com - Fee

• MovableType.com - Free & Fee

• MySpace.com (not just for kids) Free

Now that you have got your feet wet…What next? Just like anything else, create a plan. When will you blog? What will you write about? Not sure, that’s why I want you to do your homework on the other blogs. You will find information about Photography, Horse, pets, life’s little problems, Real Estate Marketing, Mortgage News, Title Fraud, Finding Buyers, and the list goes on… Whatever you want…it’s YOUR voice!

Did you notice how the other blogs looked? Everyone’s first reaction when they start a blog is to copy and paste everything from their website or god forbid someone else’s website. BIG NO-NO. Lenn Harley will hunt you down if you steal her maps. Copyright infringements are against the law. But not only that…no one will read your stuff. Seriously, you can spot “canned” articles a mile away. Your consumers are going to want to hear from you, about you and what you know.

Were they pleasing to the eyes? No wall of words, useful links, pictures and graphics. Add photos to spruce up the post. DON”T steal them off the internet!!! You can buy clipart or subscribe to sites that offer photos. We’ll talk more about all the details later.

For Now…go get your feet wet!!!

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Got you to look anyways!!! Here’s the deal.  Chris Elizabeth Griffith was blowing up my Q with her signature block.  She came up with a great idea to help solve that issue.  No lie I am on my 3rd Motorola Q.  It seems they haven’t worked out all the issues with this one yet.  Maybe the next generation will be better.  Don’t get me wrong I do like it…just can be a pain in the butt.

Anyways back on topic…showing you mine.  Related to her post, I am talking about my Signature Block.  What do you have in your signature block.  Do you use it as a marketing tool?  Chris’ idea is a great one even before she trimmed it down to a http://www.tinyurl.com/ (by the way, that’s a great way to send long links…try it)  She didn’t use that site but she did manage to link to a very useful landing page.  Everyone has websites.  People can get lost in there or bored to death.  But if you have a great page with tons of local information, buyer info or seller information, why not just send that page?  I am going to take her idea one step further.  With most of your domains you can have what’s called a 3rd level domain.  They are free and they are basically an extension of your website.  Here is an example;  http://gotbob4homes.com/ is my domain.  Now here it is with a unique third level domain; http://sold.gotbob4homes.com/   The sold is the third level.  In your domain console (I use godaddy for my domains) you can forward that third level domain to anything you want.  (EDIT: my website is having issues) Don’t Follow this to the next page http://queenoflocalism.gotbob4homes.com/  It is much shorter than http://activerain.com/blogsview/192320/My-Email-Signature-Links  But you get the idea!!

OK still not on topic…Here is my signatures that I use on my emails.

New Email:

 When I Reply to your emails;

And for my Motorola Q;

Regards,

Bob Carney
Cell:  240-285-4918
Off:  301-831-7500

—–  Sent from my Motorola Q ——

Why that?  I want you to know it came from my PDA and it might not be as professional as you would expect.  Maybe a misspelled word or not capitalized or maybe very brief.

So…What does yours look like?  Why?

EDIT: I removed the shadow screen captures.

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