There is a need for some clarification as to how RAINdexing or Indexing your Outside Blogs works on ActiveRain.  With all the options available and the inter-connections between AR Blogs, Localism and Outside Blogs etc.,  I am going to try and simplify how it all works and what it all means.  Since my recent post "poll survey results" concluded that reading was the #1 best way for the majority to learn, I'm opting to do a Blog post on this topic.

Here's the 5 areas we'll cover in order to help you grasp and get your arms around how this all works: 

Channels, Topics, Localism, Outside Blogs, Categories & Local Post Widgets.

MAXIMIZING INDEXING ON OUTSIDE BLOGS - PART I

Indexing Your Outside Blog Categories Using Channels and Topics

TIP: The Channels and Topic options are located just below the Visibility Section when creating or editing a post.

When creating a new Blog post that you want to appear on your Outside Blog, it's imperative that you are adding the post to Channels and giving it a "TOPIC".  Topics will appear on your Outside Blog as "Categories" and will be indexed or RAINdexed accordingly.  When you apply the Categories Widget to your Outside Blog, your "Topics" will appear on the sidebar as "Categories."  See below.

Here's a Screen-shot from the Outside Blog Sidebar
(This is referred to as the Category Widget)

A---------C---------T----------I--------V---------E---------R---------A--------I---------N

MAXIMIZING INDEXING ON OUTSIDE BLOGS - PART II

RAINdexing your Outside Blog Local Posts Using Localism and the Local Posts Widget

TIP: The Localism options are located just below the Visibility Section when creating or editing a post.

To have your Blog posts RAINdexed and sorted by Geographic Location, you'll need to add them to Localism for this Widget to work on your Outside Blog.  Adding posts to Localism allows you to select State, County, City, and even down to a specific neighborhood.  Having these geographic locations broken down this way allows viewers to search those specific Hyper-Local posts by "Index" for the areas they may be interested in.

Here's a Screen-shot from the Outside Blog Sidebar
(This is referred to as the Local Posts Widget)

A---------C---------T----------I--------V---------E---------R---------A--------I---------N

 

MAXIMIZING INDEXING ON OUTSIDE BLOGS - PART III

How To Add The Indexing / RAINdexing Widgets To Your Outside Blog

Step 1:

Go to your Outside Blog and Log-in

Step 2:  

Click on the link at the top of the page and then click the button.

Step 3:

Open the "Add New Widget" pull-down menu and select "Categories" or "Local Posts" then repeat.
(you can only add one widget at a time)

Step 4:

You can use the button to align your Index Widgets by simply dragging and dropping them where you want them to appear on your Outside Blog sidebar.  Once you're finished, just click on  .

Step 5:

Click here to see a sample of how this has worked well for another AR member.  RAINdexing is Powerful.

I hope this post clears up some of the confusion or misunderstanding of how all these tools work together to get you the best possible results and indexing of your Outside Blogs.  As always, if you have any questions or need any assistance, our support staff and team are always ready and willing to help.  If you do not currently have an outside blog but might be considering one in the future, taking these steps now will ensure you won't have to go back and make edits to your posts in the future. 

A---------C---------T----------I--------V---------E---------R---------A--------I---------N

 

Related Articles To Assist You

How To Create and Maximize an ActiveRain Outside Blog - 10 easy steps

5 Suggested Ways To Maximize Your Group/Team Outside Blog

How To Drive Traffic To Your AR Outside Blogs

ActiveBlogs - Link Love and SEO

Maybe if you vote and reblog this post, we'll find out...

- What's the Easiest and Fastest Way for YOU To Learn? -

Is it reading?  Is it just listening?  By Watching Video?  On-Line Webinars?   Hands on training Classes?

Your ActiveRain Staff and Community Builders want to know?

Please take just one second and vote, thanks. :-)

I'm looking for a "Verdict" on this one, and need your help.

Do you use Yahoo for searching the web or for any other reason?  Do you advertise on Yahoo?  Do you pay for your Yahoo.com email address?  Are you in on this Yahoo Real Estate thing?  I was not aware the Yahoo was in the business of selling Real Estate and quite honestly I was rather shocked this was available.  I received this "spam" email and it really got me thinking wondering...

I'm just curious what your thoughts are about the idea of Yahoo trying to capture the "Buyer" market?  Just because they have the presence, power, money and ability to do this on the web, does this mean they should?  I was spammed to boot.  Don't get me wrong, I believe in equal opportunity, just wondering how this might affect those who are using their tools and paying for some of their services only to have them trying to take the very business you're after away.  I'm a big fan of the many Yahoo tools and services, but this one, I'm not too sure about. 

The jury is still out on this one, will you be the Jury??  What are your thoughts and wonders....I'm parked!

Every member on AR has access to "Hit Router" on their "My Home" page.  Setting up Hit Router and maximizing it's potential with lead generation and IDX solutions is exactly why it was created.  The vision and goal of Hit Router was to help our members be able to direct visitors and traffic to their customized IDX sites, then convert those leads to clients and transactions.  There are a couple ways you can do this, and we'd love to show you how.  Understanding how to set this up properly can make all the difference in the leads you could be generating from your AR Blog.

Bob Stewart and I will be showing members how to best utilize Hit Router this Thursday at 2:00pm PST.  Join us if you'd like to know more about the ways you could be using Hit Router on your Blog and for your business. 

In the Webinar, We'll be Covering the Following and more:

How To Setup and Capture Your Local Market Leads

How To Create City Search Campaigns

Using IDX -vs- Websites

Understanding The "CPC Click Campaigns"

How To View Results and Reports

Understanding What "Hit Router Credits" are, and How it all Works

To Join The FREE Webinar - Click Here
(No RSVP or Pre Registration Required)

If you are unable to attend this particular training, we will be doing some repeats in the future.  We'll also be recording certain sessions that can be reviewed later as refreshers, or by other members who may be interested in some of these topics and trainings.  We hope to have these available weekly to the AR Community.  If you have topics or suggestions for future AR Webinars, let us know your needs.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Edited 5/1/09

Click here for streaming Video of the recorded webinar

Click here to download the Webinar to your Computer

Many of us use Youtube to host a variety of Real Estate and personal videos.  I noticed that when videos are done playing, in most cases, other videos will pop up on the screen that have a similar topic or title.  Does this hurt or help you?  I guess this depends on how you "see" it, no pun intended.  Having a video on your site or post can certainly help to create a more captive audience, but those next videos that pop up may be having a subtle and adverse affect.

Yesterday, I was watching a Real Estate Video that was really interesting.  I watched all 3 minutes of it.  Then, when their video was finished, up came another agents video that had nearly the same title?!?   The second video was a bit more produced, had better sound quality, was clearly a higher quality camera, and seemed to have a better videographer.  Plus, the video was only 1:20 minutes long.  At the end of the "competitors" video was a phone number and annotation that included a call to action.  Hmm...

So how do you prevent your competition and others from coming up on "Your" Youtube videos?  Hopefully this tip will help prevent this from ever happening to you...ever again.  When using Youtube Videos on your Blog posts or sites, you might want to take these next steps and precautions before pasting that object embed code.  I'll use these screen shots below as examples in hopes this makes more sense.

                               You want this:                                                          Not This:

        

When you get or use ANY video from Youtube, there are some options available you may not be aware of.  This will come in very handy if you're uploading your own or using any videos from youtube.   When you create or find the video you wish to link or embed into your site, you'll see these options available located on the right side of the video.

Top Line is the URL used to provide a link to the video

Bottom Line is the embed code used to embed on your site

There is a tiny graphic just to the right of the embed code (a settings gear) that little blue thingy   that probably 90 percent of people never see.  Click On it!  This allows you to customize and make changes to the video and player.

This is the culprit right here. 

If you leave that box checked, you'll have no control over what shows up after your video plays.  If you leave it checked, you're taking a chance on having some videos pop up that might not "Best represent" you, your Blog or the site it's being seen on. 

This is happening with and to millions of videos, and they call it viral.  Can you see why now?

Once you get this out of the way, you can also customize your Video by changing the size and adding a custom border.  Just click on that "settings" graphic and it's all there.  I suggest the 445x365 or 500x405 for ActiveRain Blogs.  Only copy the embed code for your video "AFTER" you have completed these steps, that is unless of course you don't mind what videos come up after yours.

               

The video below is my 13 second claim to fame.  It's short, raw, and took me the least amount of time and effort to create other than getting to the place where I shot it.  Because it is titled "The Glory Hole" or "The Black Hole" you can imagine some of the other videos that would pop up in the viewer after mine. :-O  I sure didn't want Mom to see some of those other videos that were supposedly related.  Yikes!  We won't go there today.  This little video has had over half a million views with nearly 1000 comments.  Question is, where did they go and what did they see after mine...or YOURS?

This is what might happen to some of your "Rain Making Efforts" if you're not real careful out there....

ActiveRains "First" On-Line Training Webinar - Welcome To Session One

First, I want to thank all of you who have been waiting patiently for these webinars.  I just received a comment on my post from Cathy Tishhouse which reminded me, and made me realize that we need to get these training webinars under way.  We have just setup our very own AR On-line Training room, and we're ready to do our first session.  Our goal in session one is to help AR members get their Outside Blogs created and setup so they can benefit just like Cathy has.  There are now over one thousand new AR Outside Blogs out there, and we'd love to see that ALL ActiveRain members are getting these same benefits and results from their outside ActiveBlogs.

I love comments like these.  Thanks Cathy and CONGRATS on all your hard work and rewards.

This Thursday at 11:00am PDT, I'll be hosting our first "Official" ActiveRain Training Webinar.  It'll be on how to create, setup, and maximize your ActiveRain Outside Blogs.  We also have a special guest who will be joining us.  I'd love for you to join us too.  There are only 25 seats left available for session one, so it will have to be first come first served this time around.  If you have been on the fence about setting up your outside Blog, come join the gang and find out how to get it done right and why.  NOW IS THE TIME!

In addition to hearing about "NEW" features we'll be adding and launching this month, you'll learn to:

• Create An ActiveRain Outside Blog

• Use New Features of The ActiveBlog Toolbar

• Create and Claim Custom Domain Names

• Add Widgets and Customize ActiveBlogs

• Listing Router and Maximizing IDX Leads
  

• Adding "Google Juice" Content to Your Blog

• Invite Others to Participate and Contribute and more...
  

Having your Outside Blog already setup, or at least started will help, but if not, we'll show you how.  Here's a link to some other members' Outside Blogs for you to preview prior to our training.  Take a second to check them out, they'll give you some ideas on how you might want to set yours up depending on if you're a REALTOR, Lender, Stager, Inspector, Title Co. etc.  Also, if you do already have an Outside Blog, please be sure to add it to the list with the others.

Virtual seating is limited.  Our meeting number is 578 242 954 and the number to call in is 1-408-792-6300.  To join us, just follow these simple instructions below this Thurdsay at 11:00am PDT.  Come see how and why your Outside Blog can be valuable and give an advantage to you and your business.  Looking forward to seeing you there.

Click Link Below. Enter name and email. Enter the meeting password: ARtraining1 - Click "Join Now"

   

Click Here To Join Us "Live" This Thursday

_____________________________________________________________________________________

EDITED Thursday 4/16/09

Kudos to Bob Stewart for saving the day and hosting todays first AR Training Webinar.  There were a couple technical challenges, but Bob stepped up and made it happen!  I apologize for the member entry and exit tones, they will not be in any of the future training webinars.  Here's what you missed today.

To Watch Recorded Streaming Video - CLICK HERE
To Download To Your Computer - CLICK HERE

1 hour 34 minutes - 138.34MB

iPhone APPS for Real Estate Professionals

I am pleased to announce that today MobileAppLoader has launched its beta program for small businesses.  This ground-breaking product -- one of a kind -- enables small businesses to deploy customized mobile applications for iPhones and include them in App Stores.  For a limited time, they are offering the customizable iPhone application, "Real Estate - Real Easy"  for free with no setup or monthly fees during the beta period.

As many of you know, I love my iPhone as a business tool and yes, as a cell phone too.  I use it all day, everyday.  In most cases, helping and assisting our members.  There are so many applications I use and love, but way too many to list here. Apptism.com is currently tracking 31,102 iPhone Apps, including my AR Business Card I posted about last week. To get a free copy, CLICK HERE

As promised, here's the video showing you how to get your own customized iPhone app for your business.  

MoblieAppLoader is now offering you the same deal they did me.  I made a promise to my AR friends that they would get first shot at this so here you go.  Having worked with their Developer (Zvika Ashkenazi) these past few weeks, I've had the chance to test and measure their product, their responsiveness, and most importantly, their commitment to customer service and satisfaction.  I rate them very high in all the above.

Now you can have your own iPhone app custom created, quality assurred, and available on iTunes and other app stores in no time at all.  It looks like agents from Intero and Century 21 already have.

Check it out, this even made Inman News Today.

For more applications by Zvika and MobileAppLoader, you can see them on iTunes Here.

Finally, after numerous requests from members, and months of hard work, ActiveRain added the Google Analytics Widget to Outside Blogs today.  Google Analytics is a free service that provides detailed statistics about visitors to your blog.  This only applies to the ActiveBlogs, ActiveRains Outside Blog Platform.

How To Install the Google Analytics Widget

1. Go to your ActiveRain Outside Blog and Click on the link.

To create a new ActiveBlog (Outside Blog) CLICK HERE or go to your "My Home" page, and Click on the "Outside Blog" link located on your sidebar. It will be on the left hand side of your My Home page.

2. Click on the "Widgets" link from the toolbar at the top of the page.

3. Click on the  button to open your Blogs Widget Manager.

4. From the "Widget Manager", using the pull-down menu, select the "Google Analytics" option.  Next, Click the "ADD" button and you're ready to install.

5. You'll need to register your Blogs Domain (URL) at the Google Analytics Site.  Once registered, you'll be given an HTML "snippet code" that you'll need to add as shown in the box below.  Use CTRL+C to copy the code from GA, then CTRL+V to paste the code in the snippet box of the widget manager.  It's very simple.

6.  Once you have registered your Domain name, and added your (snippet),  Click on the "Install" or "Update" button, but only click on it one time.  If you do click "install" more than once, you will see additional installs which can be removed very easily.  Just use the "delete" link if this happens.

7. Your Google Analytics will now show as an installed Widget.  You can edit or delete the widget using the "Edit|Delete" links shown above.  NOTE: Nothing new will appear or show up on your outside Blog, so to check your stats, traffic, and reports, you'll need to go to your Google Analytics Account for those details. 

TIP: You can use the "Reorder Widgets" button to change the order and placement of widgets, but this has no bearing on the Google Analytics Widget since there's no images that will show on your sidebar.

8. Now just click the button, and you're done!  Time: 3 minutes.

Now you can track your visitors, get statistics galore, see where your traffic is coming from and much more.
If you find for any reason that you are NOT getting any data or reports for your Blog, here's a video that will help explain how to make sure you have completed the above steps properly. 

9.  Last step: If you'd be so kind, and click My Outside Blog so I can test that everything is working OK.

HUGE Kudos to the AR TEAM and programmers for making it happen today, thanks guys!  :-)

With all the great tools available on the net for FREE these days, it seems like there's hardly any room or time to add anything new that will either simplify or complicate and consume our lives any further right?   There are literally hundreds of sites popping up each week that try to compete and offer greater value than the next site.  As I research what's out there, some of my favorite sites to investigate are the ones that might benefit us, our clients or our business.

Have you ever tried to email a file attachment that was too large for your email host, or too big for the recipient?  Many of these email hosts and pop servers put a limit to the file size you can share, send, or receive.  I wanted to share a file with someone the other day, and their email kept rejecting it because the file exceeded their email servers limits.  It was only 3 megabytes.

So looking for a quick and easy solution, I remembered hearing about Box.net  It's a file sharing site that allows you to upload all types of files and give others access to them.  It can be used for public or private sharing depending on how you set it up.  Having a site on the web to store files can also be a huge benefit if you ever need to access them while you're away from your own computer.  Of course having your own server is best, but most don't have that luxury.

Box.net lets you upload almost any file type and allows you store up to 1.0 gigabytes of data FREE!  You can also add additional services to your "BOX" like efax, Outlook, Gmail etc.  You can add your social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Friendfeed, Twitter and others.  You can even post files directly to your blog to share information with others all over the world.

Here's a sample of one of my Business Cards I uploaded.  You'll get a kick out of that one! lol~  It's nice that there's no software or hardware required, it's really simple to use and easy to set-up, you'll have user permission controls, and they offer 24x7 phone support.  Here's one of the quotes from their site:

Did you know? Over 50,000 businesses use Box.net to share ideas, create content, and collaborate in an online workspace?  Users can access online file storage from anywhere - even on the iPhone or Blackberry.

Since they've been around awhile, that usually proves their value, stability, and WEB track record.

I think Box.net really simplifies file-sharing and team collaboration.  There's no attachments or FTP uploads, you just send your clients or co-workers a link.  This could be a useful tool to add to the many other tools and resources you'll find in the WEB 2.0 World.  Thinking and working inside the "BOX" may help you or your business be more productive when you're outside the box.  I'm just sayin...  :-)

This Post was created using just some of the questions I get asked from ActiveRain members. Some of the ones you won't find posted here, I could never repeat in public!  lol~  You can't even imagine some of the kinds of questions I get. My Favorite this week has to be just "Bob?"
Now does Brad sound like Bob to you? haha!  Seriously though, no such thing as a dumb question.

Here are the TOP 10 FAQ's for the week of March 16th, 2009.  If you know of any other member who may have some of these same questions or issues, please feel free to forward them this post.  Otherwise, I think you all know where to find me...  lol~

My broker would like to change his status from Real Estate Agent to Real Estate Brokerage. but we can't find the way. Help!

  This is an "admin feature" that only the AR staff can change.  It is encrypted in the system once you sign-up.  We can change it for you easily, just send an email to support@activerain.com.  This will also give Jeremy Blanton some job security and something to do... lol~

Brad, if I have an outside blog can someone who is a member but not grandfathered or paying be on my team blog?

  If any member has the ability to post on their Blog publicly, they can also post on your outside blog after you invite them.  If they are not able to post to the public, they will be unable to post to your Outside Blog, but they will still receive the invitation.

How do I know if anyone is reading my Blog posts on AR?  Is there a way to track stats and traffic?

  Yes. There are a few ways you can.  The first is to check your "Statistics" Link on AR.  Go to "My Home" scroll to the bottom of the sidebar located on the left of your screen.  Click on the "Statistics" link, and you can view your comments, views, and clicks.

You can also install Cluster Maps, SiteMeter, or ActiveMeter on your Blog by using the HTML codes they provide, then place the code in the description box (HTML Only), on your "settings" page.  Here's How to install Various Widgets.  Oh Yeah, there's always getclicky.com and MyBlogLog.com too.

I think it was you who had done a video with what looked to be an Active Rain gathering. It was a whole bunch of people saying how great the Rain was. Could you give me a link to that video or tell me where I might find it?  Thanks!

  The video was taken at the Real Estate Connect in San Francisco, it was added to one of the ActiveRain landing pages. Here is a link:  ActiveRain Voices in the Rain.

I just purchased my AR outside blog and all the Themes are created for other companies.  My company is not available.  How do I create my own custom themes and sidebar?

  There are many company Themes available now that are branded, but there are two you can use that are NOT branded to any brokerage of company.  They are "Elements of SEO" and "Legacy".  These can both be customized by adding your own header and sidebar images.  We'll be adding additional themes (both branded and non-branded) down the road. Also, watch for the new text widget, I think it's actually "LIVE" now. (hint:)

I have been a FREE member on AR now for over 4 months and was just wondering how this Network makes money?   What other products or services do you offer, if any?  I love Activerain, thanks.

  FAQ - Pick of the week!  ActiveRain does have the FREE limited membership which many do use and benefit from, however there are other tools we offer to members that include: Sponsoring Localism Communities, Setting up Listing Router Campaigns, Creating ActiveBlog Outside Blogs,and Market Leader & Vision. FREE memberships can upgrade to an ActiveRain "RainMaker" membership if they choose.  We also have Channel sponsorships available and advertising in our ActiveRain Newsletter. There's so many ways you can benefit from some of these additional services on AR, but they are not free.

You can also just make your check out to "Brad Andersohn" and I'll see that it goes to good cause. :-)

     

Just curious...How many "Channels" are there and how many posts does it take in a given channel to get it visible?

  All the channels are listed on the main page of AR.  There are 8 consumer and 8 professional, then there are the top 3 topics in each channel based on member content.  The more content about a subject, the more chance it will show up in the top 3 topics for that channel.  No idea how many posts it takes, I think it's based on the majority of posts generated.  Maybe consider writing posts about the current top 3 topics in any channel for some additional exposure in those channels. More On Channels

Bad Request

Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.
Size of a request header field exceeds server limit.

  Easy Answer for this one.  DO NOT COPY AND PASTE FROM WORD!  Text or Images. When you do this, HTML codes and scripts also get copied over that in many cases, are not compatible with our network.  This will also happen when you try to copy too much information from any other source.  Instead, use ActiveRain to create your post, then save it in "draft" mode.  You can make all your edits in AR.  If you must use an outside source, I have used ScribeFire.com for Firefox and it seems to work well.  There are no hidden codes or malicious scripts that I'm aware of.

For some reason I have stopped receiving the daily AR newsletter. I did recently change my email address to the one above and this was also changed in the system.  Is it possible for you to remedy?

  Yes.  If you have us change your email address in ActiveRain, you'll need to notify us by email with the new email address so that you can be added to the distribution list for the newsletter.  Just send your email update request to support@activerain.com and we'll make the changes in our database. If you're NOT currently getting the AR Newsletter, and you'd like to, just email us your request to be added to the list.  

Is there a help section or link to search for answers to my questions on ActiveRain?

  There are a few areas you can find help and answers to your questions: Start with the "SEARCH" link located at the Top of every AR page.  You can check the HELP/FAQ group located at the bottom of every page.  Another place to find help is the ActiveRainGuide.com site, which has tutorials and help posts by other members.  My Profile has a few tutorials as well. If you are brand new, a great place to start is the "Getting Started" link located on the main page of ActiveRain. (below the channels area)  Then Join Groups.

I hope these FAQ's have helped some new members.  There is so much great information on AR, and now with over 1,000,000 articles/posts, you can probably find almost every answer to any question you may ever have about AR or the RE Industry.  :-)

March 2009 Related Posts:
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume I
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume II
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume III    
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume IV

I was just notified that the Inter-Active ActiveRain Business Card is now available on iTunes.   Last week, I posted a video on how the app works and received a great response from many of you iPhone users.  That's not to say I didn't hear from the BlackBerry Crowd too!  lol~ 
As promised, I said it was coming...now it's here.

There is already more functionality, a new mortgage calculator, and a feature that allows iPhone 3G users to click on a button while in front of a property, (or in a specific neighborhood), that returns them a google map geocoded with the location, photo, and details of that property. 

I love this stuff, I think other iPhone users will too.

How Do I get it?

To get yourself a copy to check out, or test on your iPhone, just go to the iTunes store on your MAC or PC, and in the "Search" box, type "ActiveRain" and viola!  It only takes seconds to install, and I think you'll enjoy some of these first features. (you may find a couple "rain radio" podcasts on iTunes as a bonus...shhh)

If you're an iPhone owner, you can download a copy of this app RIGHT HERE.  It's easy to do, and it's FREE.  You can also download it directly from your iPhone buy clicking the "AppStore Icon" then the "Search Tab" with "ActiveRain" as your search.  I'd love to solicit your reviews, comments, and opinions over at the iTunes store.  Once you've download the application, you'll see a button for "reviews" at iTunes, your feedback and support over there is appreciated, but only if you have the spare time. :-)

Getting My Own Customized App

Getting this application customized for you and your company or business will be easy.  There'll be a launching of the site wizard this next week, giving you the capability to create one of these for your own iPhone.  I'll have a post giving instructions and details on how to do this sometime next week.

Thanks for sharing in all the excitement with me, it's been a long time coming, and now I finally get to share it back.  Take a moment and check it out, then you can decide how you'd want your own iPhone Business Card App to work.  Or... you can just use mine to work and play in the "RAIN!"  Enjoy!

http://itunes.com/app/activerain

Today, I'm introducing a new app coming out for iPhone users, the "iPhone Inter-Active Business Card."  I used ActiveRain and my iPhone to demo how it will work.  Now it's not available just yet, I wanted to see what you think of it first. I'll be doing a follow-up post in the next couple weeks showing you how to get one of these iPhone apps that you can customize for your company and for your iPhone.  I'm really excited about this one, mainly because I got to help design it.  :-)

The "iPhone Bus Card" allows users to Interact with you from their iPhones.  They can call you, email you, or visit your website, all at the touch of a button.  The screens, tabs, links, and graphics you'll see in this video are all customizable.  You can have it link to your office or business address, which uses Google Maps to provide location and directions.  You can add video, or a link to your Blog, it even has the ability for text messaging and more.

My favorite feature is on the "about" tab, which lets you search our site.  You can search nearly 1,000,000 posts, or 140,000 members right from your iPhone.  For the past two weeks, I have been working with a developer who has helped put this all together.  I think in the next week or so, it'll be ready to go public.

I can see how something like this could easily go viral at the iTunes store.  I'm hoping this AR app will be available on itunes soon for you and others to download.  Just remember, you saw it here first.  The first Inter-Active ActiveRain iPhone Business Card.  (Almost sounds like a commercial...sorry)  In the weeks ahead, this could become one of the coolest and most popular iPhone apps in our Industry.  Am I too Optimistic...

I think this will be a great marketing and social media networking tool.  What better way to promote your company, get connected to the cellular world, create an application to perform exactly what you want and need, and allow clients, users, and friends to "Inter-Act" with you on many different levels.  My guess is that this will be a huge hit once it's public and made available to ALL iPhone users.  The added bonus?  All iPhone owners can call any other iPhone owner for FREE! Why?  Because all iPhone users are currently on AT&T.   iPhone Users and Projections.

My goal: Make sure the ActiveRain family and friends get first shot at this, so stay tuned...

Here are the TOP 10 FAQ's for the week of March 9th, 2009.  If you know of another member who may have some of these same questions or issues, please feel free to forward them this post.  It looks like a network with this many members and this many tools and options will never run out of good questions to be answered.  Thanks for all the continued support and comments, these seem to be helping reduce the amount of tickets and emails we normally get on a regular basis.  Special thanks to Jeremy Blanton for helping us get caught up in the support ticket booth.

Why does my ReBlog button say disabled?  I am logged in and have checked the box to allow reblogging? 

  This only appears in the Internet Explorer Browser, and it's only confirming that you can't ReBlog your own posts.  Nobody else can see that hover button title but you on your own Blog posts.

Brad,  What are the settings about?  I don't follow: what is their function?

  The settings page on AR allows you to customize your settings in a way that suits your personal needs.  This is where you add your Blog Title, widgets for your sidebar, description and keywords, twitter settings, general settings, email settings, and enable or disable Listing Router. 

I see members have pictures and movies on their Blog Sidebar.  How do I add these widgets to my Blog?

  A very common question asked by new members on AR.  The sidebar of your Blog is controlled at the settings page located on your "My Home" page.  Click "My Home", then the "Settings" link on the left sidebar.  The second box down (just below your Blog title) is where you place the HTML code for widgets.  Find Out More Here.

How do I add posts to my Outside ActiveBlog?   When I write them, should I do it on the outside blog? 

  This is one of the beauties of ActiveBlogs.  You don't need to write separate posts and take up valuable time.  You create your post on AR as you normally do.  Next, before you submit it, just like adding to the various groups, simply put a check mark in the box "My Outside Blogs" then check where you want it to appear. (See below)

I recently purchased an individual outside blog, but there's a link in the toolbar that says members.  Did I accidentally get a TEAM Blog?  Am I being charged more?  Can you help me?

  All ActiveRain blogs are now team blogs, and are being given to members at no additional cost.  They are now one in the same.  You will not be charged more.  The members link allows you to invite others from your Team or Brokerage (or groups) to contribute to your Blog.  This is if they choose to accept your invitation.  To invite a member, jusat click on the members link, and add just their AR profile name ONLY.  IE: activebrad.  This will send them an invite that will appear on their my home page.  Ways to use your individual/team Blog.

Hi, I am new to ActiveRain.  When I write a Blog post, my only options for viewing availability are draft, members only, or associates.  How do I get my post to be available to the public?

  Your free AR account only lets you post to "members only" or "associates" unless or until you upgrade to a rainmaker account.  At this point you will be able to create "public posts", capture more SEO, setup an outside Blog with your own custom domain name, and get unlimited tech support from the AR staff and more.  Here is a link that explains the "rainmaker membership plan"

I am using Internet Explorer because my MLS requires it.  I am having too many issues with a lot of sites including AR, since I only can use IE, what do you recommend I do?  Is there another Browser I can use without losing access to my MLS?

  This is a very common "Myth-Understanding!"  You can use multiple browsers on your computer.  They even run simultaneously.  You can run Mozilla FireFox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Flock, and many others, all at the same time if you like.  See How This Works Here.

Brad, I am a newbie here on AR, where can I go to find out information about all the things there are to learn here?  Is there an ActiveRain manual somewhere?  Who are we suppose to call for help?

  There are so many great resources and members on AR, I use the "search" function at the top of every AR page. There are a few locations you will find a more focused effort on support issues, the first being ActiveRainGuide.com.  You can also visit the HELP/FAQ Group located at the bottom of Every AR page.  Since you are new, I would definitely review the "Getting Started Link" on the Main AR Page (under the channels area)  and Lastly, you can visit My Profile on AR for some of my how-to's, tips, and tricks.  As a Last resort?  Support@ActiveRain.com

I got this page that came up on ActiveRain that said Intermission, what does this mean?

  On occasion, our programmers and tech support team need to make small enhancements or deploy new versions and releases of bug fixes, new features, improvements etc.  You were probably on-line while they were deploying the new ReBlog button onto the site. 

The Intermission screen is just our friendly way of saying, "Take A Break, we'll be right back!" 

It looks so much better than the screen that used to say, "Error - We're Down For Maintenance!"

Now it reads:

Where can I find the blog customizer tool?  I can't find a link for it on my home page.

  The ActiveRain Customizer IS on your "My Home" page.  It has been moved around a few times but has finally found a home right next to your ActiveRain Blog link.  Go to "My Home" and on the left sidebar, just below the word BLOGS, you will see "ActiveRain" and next to it a link that says "Customize", this is where you can add headers, background images, different colored fonts and text etc. 

Don't forget to check out the "NEW" Custom Blogs Page that went up at 2:00am while members were sleeping.

Later this week I'll be making a couple exciting announcements regarding our upcoming AR Webinar Training Series, the new ActiveRain Ambassadors and Badge, and something else I have been working on these past few weeks.  This is going to be a very exciting week with the announcements of some great "new" things coming to the "rain!"  Have a great week everybody. :-)

Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume I
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume II
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume III    
Week In Review - Top 10 ActiveRain FAQ's - Volume IV

If one of the ultimate goals is to drive traffic to your Blog, (any blog or post) then what is a good way to do this?  Some of our daily AR tasks have included helping members set up these ActiveBlogs.  Bob Stewart and I have helped setup hundreds.  Take a look at some of these.  This is one reason why my response time on comments, emails, and calls has diminished. LOL~

So what is the best way to drive traffic to your outside blogs?  The clues are scattered all over this post.  (hint: use your mouse) First, you'll need to have an ActiveRain Outside Blog.  If you don't have one already, here's a two for one clue.  Check out ActiveBlogs.  If you wanted to add Widgets to your ActiveBlog, it's really this easy. 

Maybe you're just looking for some Important tips about the new outside Blogs.  Did you know that AR discussed these in detail on the air, and recorded it?  So what is the answer to this "Riddle" post?

The point I am trying to make is that there is great way to send traffic to your outside Blog and many of our members might be are missing it.  I have put clues all over this post.  If you have hovered your mouse or clicked on any of these links, then you have discovered the answer by now.  This is just one thing members with an outside Blog should be thinking about and doing.

We'll be starting our first AR Webinar Training Series on how to setup and maximize an ActiveBlog sometime next week (if setup by then)  We'll cover all this in detail and much more, but if you already have an outside AR blog, or are considering one, please take the clue you just got here, and apply it to your outside Blogs right away. 

I know you ALL probably got the answer to this "riddle"... You did get the answer right?

Using wix.com, I was able to create this ebook. It was initially created to try and help visitors and readers find posts on my Blog that might be helpful to them. In an effort to try and sort them out, and make them easier to find, I was able to use wix to better organize my tutorials, how-to's, and tips etc. Hopefully, it will make things easier for folks to find articles of interest, or anything else I have Blogged about that they might be looking for. This seems like an easy way to keep different Blog posts alive after a long period of time.

The eBook tutorial can also be found and is available on my ActiveRain profile, just in case this post disappears off my Blogroll, (which it will) as they ALL tend to do after time. You can find out more about Wix at Wix.com. It's easy, it's fairly user friendly, it's useful, and the best part of all, it's FREE!

Sorry about the big white space above, it's not a boo-boo, it was intentional and here's why...

The blank space above was needed for when you hover your mouse over the wix graphic on the right hand side of the eBook, you'll see that my "Magic Banner" will appear there.

I know this post of Wix is small, and it may be difficult for some of you to read who have eyes like mine, but I had to re size it so it would fit into this post and not blow out my entire Blog. The larger version over on my AR profile is much easier on the eyes, and is the proper size. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All ActiveBrads posts are best viewed in Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer version 7 or higher.

Last week, Jon Washburn published a great post about 7 SEO Secrets to Dominate Your Local Market. 
I'll start with the first one, registering your ActiveBlogs and Businesses on Google Local.  There are many benefits to doing this, an important one is just being found and getting some of that additional SEO.

It only takes a couple minutes and it's FREE.

You can create and upload your Office and Blog or Website information individually, or if you have a Company or Office with multiple addresses, you can upload an excel spreadsheet with all the locations and watch Google Local work it's magic.  You'll find both of these options really easy to use.

Enter your business information as shown below.  Your listing will appear to the right. This is just a first step. After this has been completed, you will be able to upload photos and videos, specify categories, payment options and business hours and much more.

       

Next you can add multiple categories, office hours, payment options, photos, video, and additional details you may want consumers to know.  You can include up to 5 different videos. Final step is the validation which can be completed over the phone or by postcard.  I used the phone verification method below.

The process is completed and you'll show up on Google Maps within one business day.

Why not take a couple minutes, register your Business and site on Google Local, and see what benefit it brings to your business?  Provide all you can to the traffic, visitors, and those searching Google by the millions every day.  You have nothing to lose except the 5 minutes it will take to complete these steps. 

The next step is to get your clients and business associates to write a quick review.  Here's a link to our ActiveRain Business Office on Google Local.  If you have an extra moment while you're here, we'd love your review.

It's true.  If you own an iPhone, you can now interact with the ActiveRain Real Estate Network of friends and business partners from anywhere your iPhone browser works.  This is not an iPhone application, it's a browser enhancement from our AR developers. (great job guys)

At 2:00am, we deployed a fix that will now allow you to post, and comment on ActiveRain Blogs using your iPhone.  Members have been waiting for this upgrade and I'm glad to announce it is finally launched.  It's great.  We're also working on an iPhone application that will be custom tailored and made available for ActiveRain members later.

The only things you can't do from the phone right now are create links, add images, and there's no text toolbar for bold text etc.   So now you can create a post from anywhere, make edits, add and delete comments using just the iPhone browser.  (iPhone uses the Safari browser) 

You can email posts to others right from the iPhone using the email graphic icon that's below each post.

10 minutes is all it took to create this using just my thumbs, (haha) it's a new record for an ActiveBrad post. 
We've taken one small step for mankind, one Giant step for Activerain and iPhone.

This was created and posted using the iPhone.  I'll add a picture from my computer later.  I love my iPhone.

Here's 5 Really Important Tips for Outside Blogs

Now that many members have had the chance to setup their own Individual and Outside Group Blogs, and we've had the chance to work out the kinks, I've noticed some common issues that keep popping up as we're setting these up.  I wanted to share them in hopes it would save you some time and frustration.

ONE: 

You do NOT need to go elsewhere to purchase a domain name for your Outside Blogs on ActiveRain.  If you setup your Outside Blog and URL or Domain name through AR, it is a 3-step process and your domain will be up in most cases within minutes.  If you go outside AR to purchase a domain name, you can still use it, but you'll have to point the DNS nameservers and for some, it's a PITA!  (Pain In The @$$) See Jodi's Post

This is the best way right here!

see below: (and yes, you do own the domain name, AR is just hosting it)

Once you click check availability, You'll know if the domain is available or not by what's returned in the box.  If it has a red dash mark, then it's not available, if it has a green check mark, then you can claim it! 
Just click on the "Claim Domain" button and you're done.  Some new domains come up instantly.

  RED = NO  &  GREEN = GO 

TWO: 

Adding your Posts to your Individual and Group Blogs is easy.  You can either create new posts or move existing posts over to your new domain and outside Blog, but you'll need to be in the edit mode, then select the appropriate boxes by placing a check mark in the ones you want to push your post to.  It's Fast!!

SELECTING WHERE TO SEND YOUR BLOG POSTS:

THREE: 

Be sure that you are using the "Topic" feature in Channels when creating ALL Blog posts from now on, this will help index your posts for easy searching on your outside blogs.  Many other Blog formats have "Categories" or "Keywords" on the sidebar that can be searched and viewed by visitors, but your AR Outside Blogs will be searchable by "topics" and "local area posts".  (Raindexing) Make sure you are using "topics" to avoid having to go back and edit posts later. 

You may even want to go back and edit the ones you have.

FOUR: 

Keep ALL your Videos, Photos, and Images under 600W on EVERY POST.  (200-400 is optimal)  This will keep ALL your (AR Blogs, Outside Blogs, & Localism) formatted properly and looking consistent across all three platforms. This is one of the main issues we see repeatedly when setting up outside Blogs. Some members are using photos that are 1024x768 or 800x640 and they will not look right on Localism or Outside Blogs. 

You can see this post at ActiveRainGuide.com to confirm this format works.

       

FIVE: 

If you want readers to be able to see your FULL SIZE photos, upload them to Flickr.com first, then place the photo in your ActiveRain post at 200w (as shown above), with a link to the full sized photo in Flickr.  This will not only look better on your posts, if readers want to see the full image, they can, but let it be their choice.  An 800w photo or image is just too big, it'll overlap and look weird on Localism and Outside Blogs.

There's your High-Five for this week ~

I am very proud and excited of what our team behind the scenes at AR have produced.  I'm looking forward to showing off some of these Blogs by our members and groups this week, they really do look awesome. :-)

How To Create A New ActiveRain Outside Blog for an Individual, Group, or Team.

I'll demonstrate how to set one up from scratch.  Following these steps correctly should have you setup in about 15 minutes including invitations out to your desired contributors.

1) Make sure you are Logged into ActiveRain. 

2) Click on the "My Home" link located at the top of your screen in the upper right corner.

3) Click on the "Outside Blog" link located on the left hand sidebar of your "My Home" page.

4) Next, Click on the "Sign Up" button:

5)  Just Fill out the details in this section below:

Blog Name, Description, Select Theme, Credit Card Info, and Click Create Blog
(If your credit card info is not currently on file, you'll be prompted and need to enter it.)

5) Selecting the "THEME" of your choice from the "Theme Library".  There are some themes that are not branded with a company name: Elements of SEO, Legacy, Blue Days, Black Tie, Easy Going etc.  The Chameleon Theme has CSS Styling Capabilites.  These are available to use if your company theme is not listed.  More company themes and non-branded themes are coming...

Your Team Blog has now been created. 

To start posting to your new Individual or group Blog, just click on the link "Write a Blog Post"

on your "My Home" page and begin writing a new post.  NOTE: Your posts are still created in ActiveRain, but before submitting them, be sure to click on the check box to add them to your OUTSIDE Blog.  You can also add previously written posts by going to a post, select edit, then check the box to add it to your Outside Blog.

You will also receive an email that confirms the creation of your new Blog.  There will be a link to the temporary internal site (ie: 09567de4.ActiveRain.com) Click on this Blog link in your email, and you can now go in and customize your Blog with your own domain name that ActiveRain will host, or you can add a domain name that you have previously purchased. 

(YES, ActiveRain Hosts Domain Names Now)

NOTE: Only enter a domain name in the "DOMAIN" box at the bottom if you already own one.  This would be a name that you have previously purchased and wish to use.  (this can't be a domain where you already have data in use) If you do select an outside existing domain name, you will need to click on the blue link that says "HOW DOES THIS WORK"  This will show you the information you'll need to give to the site where you purchased your domain name.  example: TheRealEstateScoop.com purchased from GoDaddy.com etc.

7) Take a deep breath, you're almost done...

Once you click on the update domain button, you're done, now you're ready to use the toolbar below for additional features, and then it's time to invite other contributers, add listing router, create links, widgets and more.

8) If you chose to Invite other members as contributors to your team/group Blog, click on the "Members" link:  The following screen will appear:  You can add them as Editors, Authors, or just Contributors.  AR Team Blogs and Individual Blogs are the same thing, the only difference is if you wish to have multiple contributors or not.

9) To invite another member to contribute to your Blog, just enter their ActiveRain Profile user name which can be found on their profile page.  It will be up in the URL box or Address bar.  Example: (ActiveBrad)  The member you invite will get a message on their "My Home" page that will look like this:

They can choose to accept or decline your invitation.  If they accept, their photo will be automatically added to the new blog as a frequent contributor, and they'll have the ability to start posting or moving posts over immediately.  To see an example of an Individual Blog setup, check out Bill Gassett's outside Blog at MassRealEstateVoice.com.  Look at how the "RAINdexing" on his site is already working wonders with all his previously written content.  Also, See Bill's Post on Individual Blogs.

To see a group Blog, go to ActiveRainGuide.com or ActiveRainTeam.com to compare a multi-authored Blog.

10) You will be able to modify, edit, make changes, add listing router, create links and more by simply using the toolbar options at the top of your new outside Blog page.  I apologize for this extremely long tutorial post, but these are the steps you'll need to go through to create your NEW ActiveBlogs. 

One of the things this price includes is support from myself and the AR staff and team.  Plus you'll get BIG SEO, RAINdexing, Themes, Wider bandwidth,  Widgets, and the ability to mange your invited contributors.  We're here to help, but if you follow these instructions, you'll probably never need us.  Need more details?  Here's How To Create & Maximize Your Outside Blog.   Here's 5 Ways you could use a group or team Blog.

The ActiveRain Team  &  The ActiveRain Guide

"Technology will NEVER replace real estate professionals, but real estate professionals WITH technology will."  I've heard and read this line so many times, but is it true?  Technology and the Real Estate Industry have become so inter-connected and dependent upon each other lately.  Just look where we've come from in the last 10-15 years.  I remember when Fax machines and ATM's were headline news.

So What Is Real Estate Technology?  I Guess that depends on who you ask...

What Technology and tools do you consider a necessity to do business effectively in 2009?  Is there a right or wrong answer?!  My observation is this, many people in the Industry already have some of the technology tools they need to be successful, they just might not be using them to their full potential. 

Having a laptop, a cell phone, fax machine, scanner, digital camera, a GPS and more may seem like the tech tools you'll need, but just owning them might not be enough.  Do you already have all these items?  Are you using them to their fullest?  What else could you be doing?  It's all about how you use Real Estate technology that will determine how effectively you can and will do business today and in the future.

Any of these look or sound familar?  

• You own a laptop, but you're only checking email and the MLS for listings, otherwise it's closed.
  

• Your cell phone works for making and receiving calls, the rest of the time it's in your pocket or purse.

• Your fax machine has been out of paper for the last 3 mos. you only noticed today because it rang?
  

• You own a scanner, but the convenient horizontal surface allows you to stack up folders and bills?

• Your digital-camera hasn't been out of it's case in the last 5-10 days...you think...

• GPS - Why would anyone ever need or use this in the Real Estate Industry?
  

Many of us already own these tools, but aren't using them fully to develop and help grow business.

If you owned a VCR (old school technology) this is a classic example.  Most people used less than 25% of the features on the VCR.  It's not much different with some of the newest and latest tools that are available today.

So in what unique ways are you using technology in your Business?  What more can you do to maximize the tools you already have?  What technology do you really need?  Which tools will become obsolete or be replaced?  Technology is ruled by two types of people: those who manage what they do not understand, and those who understand what they do not manage.  Want options?  Needing more ideas?  Stay tuned...

RENetBlog - Real Estate Technology & Tools for 2009

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity” Albert Einstein

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” Arthur C. Clarke

“Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology” John Tudor

“Technology is like a fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes” Andrew Heller

“If new technology rolls over you, & you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road” Stewart Brand

“640K ought to be enough for anybody”  Bill Gates

"Evaluating and Changing the way you use Technology is the key to your success"  Active Brad

 

Come learn more about Real Estate Technology and the Tools that are available:

Next Stop: OABR  Join me: REBarCamp Seattle  Come to: RETechSouth  ActiveBlog: ActiveRainTeam

Join The ActiveRain Real Estate Technology Group