Real Estate 2.0 Technology

Ok my friends, I'm back to my old self, and off on another Technology and Marketing tangent! This is a three point post I think you'll really enjoy.
1) A New Widget 2) Technology and Marketing 3) Video And Your Blog!

This is the new YouTube Widget that allows you to host multiple Videos via a single player. I have chosen “Future Technology” as the feature for this Widget. Watch the videos in this YouTube Widget and discover a new and exciting world of technology, NOT for our future, it's here now! To access your own YouTube Video Widget, you must have a YouTube Account. Sign up, It's Free!

You can pull from any of their existing Videos, or you may upload and feature your own. This is a great tool for use in any business, especially in the Real Estate Industry. It works great on your personal or public Websites or Blogs. The Widget below is completely customizable. You can change the size, color, videos and more. Try the YouTube Widget, and be sure to watch these videos, they will blow you away! I promise, you won't be disappointed!

3 Steps to creating your own Widget: 1. Sign up using the link above and then login. 2. Click on "My Account" in the upper right hand corner. 3. Scroll down to "Create Custome Player" on the left hand side about half way down. Now just follow the instructions to customize your player! Lastly, paste the HTML code into your AR settings, and that's it!

Here are some thoughts to ponder regarding Video and your Blog:

Would you agree that some consumers like reading books, but others would rather watch the movie? If yes, then would you also agree that you could be missing a whole different type of audience by not providing some video education or information on your Blog? Some people are "Visual" and get a better grasp of the message when it's presented in a Movie format as opposed to text, graphics and pictures. Others would just rather read the book, and create their own images in their mind. So what makes your Blog any different?

Why are we not using more Video in Blogging and in Real Estate? It's simple. No one likes their own photo, none of us are satisfied with our recorded voice, so naturally, why would we ever want to be on, or consider Video? This is something you might want to take a serious look at and re-evaluate.

Text or Video? Let's take this post as the classic example. I could have written out all the information about these videos in my own words, and maybe got the message across, but let's be frank here, after seeing these videos, (be honest) which would have made more of an impact on you? My hand written perception of them, or the videos and the messages they revealed? Would you rather have read them, or watched them? Can you see where I'm going with this?

Now, think about your message and your audience, and what you're trying to say through your Blog. What will work for "YOUR" readers? Do they read the paper or watch the news? Do they read the book, or prefer the movie? What do "THEY" prefer? It might benefit you to know....

Youtube is the Largest Leading Warehouse and Library of Videos provided on the Internet. Some of the Videos there have been viewed by literally "millions" from all over the world! So then it must be true, consumers love Video too! I think it may be time for us to consider believing that being in front of the Video camera might not be such a bad thing! hmmm... :-)

All Content Copyright Protected © 2007 - Brad Andersohn

Isn't it great when you write a post on a topic you're passionate about, and you get a string of intelligent and informative comments?  This creates an awesome platform to educate, and share your knowledge and experience with your clients and other consumers.  Are you waiting for them to come find your great post using Google?  Do you hope they just find your post by coincidence, or from a keyword search?  If you want to be proactive, and get this information out to readers and clients everywhere, they'll need to know that it's there.  Are you "Farming Your Blog?

Many Active Rain members subscribe to each others Blogs, so we know when there's a new post.  Many of our comments are made by those members.  In fact, the majority of comments are from other members, but the public is still finding and reading them as well.  They are probably a little less likely to subscribe or even comment, as they are not AR members.  It's a fact, they are reading your Blogs. 

So how do you get the word distributed outside of the Active Rain Blogosphere?  Here's an idea: Get your individual posts or even your entire Blog out to all your clients first, before they try to find you, and maybe find someone else.  Use this tool as you would any other farming tool!  Farming with Newsletters, Recipes, Just Listed and Just Solds etc.  Let's farm your Blog!  :-)

Every post on Active Rain has a tiny icon below it (especially yours) that offers you this opportunity!  Are you using this powerful little email tool? 

When you use the internal email function here at Active rain, you have to select each individual, one at a time.  Here's what that looks like when you prepare it for your client, friend or someone from your email database.

This is a great way to send your post to individuals you feel may be interested in your topic, idea, or discussion thread.  Now if you want to send your post to multiple individuals, that's different!  Some large networks and companies see this as spam.  If you are sending your post to email addresses you have in your Outlook, Yahoo, or Google databases, then is this really spamming?  I don't feel it is.  Government says you can't call, now they have the "Do Not Mail Me" list, and at $3.50 per gallon for gas, who's gonna drive and knock on doors? :-)   I say EMAIL!!

 


Here's a great way to send your post by email to everyone in your database.  Just create a cover message in your email, then BCC: a copy to everyone else in your database.  You'll have to use an accurate link back to your post. IE (The Holiday Gift)  What better way to drive readers to your post, instead of waiting for them to maybe find you someday.  Not only will you be driving readers to your post, you'll be driving more visitors to Active Rain and Localism.  Either way, ultimately, everybody wins.

Take it one final step further, why not email your entire Blog to your email database.  Instead of just sending a link to a particular post, send the link that contains all your posts, or your RSS Feed, or even your profile page.  Let them choose which topics and posts they'd like to read.  The point is, you are bringing it to them, and this is how to increase your readers, your business, and Active Rains continued growth and success. 

We can always put links on our business cards, our flyer's and signs, but are we using our email to really market our Blogs?   Not just a link in the signature of a reply either, are you sending email to anybody about your posts or Blogs?  This one is easy and may payoff in "Big Dividends," I'd try it.

What does your Blog have to say to the world about Real Estate, and how are you getting that word out there?  Is there any better way to compete and get results from all your hard work here?  As the media continues to get their Real Estate News into America's homes by television, newspaper and radio, and the Internet, how are you doing it?  Or are you? :-) 
All Content Copyright Protected © 2007      

Better yet, are you allowing your clients and readers to? I'm talking about RSS Feeds. How do you link your Blogs to your Websites and visa versa? Would you rather people find your post one at a time (like they do now) or would you like them to be able to access "many" posts in one location?

Here's one way. For those of you who understand RSS Feeds, this will make a lot of "sense." For those who don't, I'll try and make "cents" of it for you. :-) The Widget below allows your readers to access many of your posts from your Blog. You can also add other Sites and Blogs to your RSS Feed Reader. There are some feeds that will offer valuable information to your clients and other viewers. Try it!

RSS Feed simply means to publish frequently updated content such as Blog entries, News Headlines, Podcasts or Videos etc. This RSS Feed Reader is by Grazr.com, and is just the tool you may need to keep readers at your site, reading through ALL your posts, with the ability to select the one's that interest them most. Don't wait for Google to help your clients find that single post, help them find your entire Blog!

You can use the "BIG" widget above, customized to any size, style or color. Or you can use the "small" image below, to have a more subtle effect. I think it's pretty clear which one I like! LOL! Click on the image below, and watch what happens, it's really very cool. Trust me, click on it!

See what I mean? I'm still here. I love that feature!
(This will make sense if you clicked on the image)

So if you're looking for a way to link your website to your Blog, and your Blog to your website, this might just be a very useful tool for you. There are many ways to use a tool like this for your business, I thought this would be a good start to at least introduce you to the concept of RSS Feeds, and provide you a nifty little platform to utilize them. I am also using this on my Cre8buzz Profile page. Don't let your eyes graze over, get grazing, it's an "Amazing Graze!" :-)

All Content Copyright Protected © 2007 - Brad Andersohn

When I first started on Active Rain earlier this year, I had no clue how much I would learn in such a short time.  The first thing I remember noticing about Active Rain was that there was vast amounts of knowledge, and so many wonderful people here.  I wanted to learn all about Blogging, the benefits, the value, and why anyone in our industry would want to consider Blogging.  I needed to know so I could share with my clients if this were something they should invest their time in doing.

I was spending hours just reading and learning from all the members here on Active Rain.  As I started to get comfortable with navigating my way around, I decided to start inviting other Industry Professionals from my areas.  Before I knew it, I was accumulating hundreds of points, and even  started feeling confident that maybe it was time for me to start writing and posting myself.  

I tried a little bit of everything.  Promoting my company, sharing marketing ideas, exposing technology, sharing secrets to Internet strategies, writing "How-To" posts, and even sharing personal experiences with some motivational and inspirational tid-bits!  All this was in an attempt to discover who was my audience, what was my voice, and what worked best.  Posting was also helping me to better my writing and of course my typing skills. LOL!  

As I started connecting with other members, and building relationships, I realized that there was so much more to Blogging than just putting up some posts and replying to others comments.  Getting points and moving up the ranks was cool and even somewhat addicting, but getting to meet others, learning about them and their business really was becoming the addiction.

Sometime in May this year, I wondered how many members or consumers were actually reading my Blog.  I wanted a way to track who was reading my posts, and what topics I was writing about that created interest to readers inside and out of the rain.  I wanted to know where they were coming from, what posts they liked most, how they found me, what browser and computer were they using, and how many a day were actually visiting me, and for how long?

Here are a couple tools I have used to help guide me and give me information about my Blog, my topics, the readers and so much more.  They have really helped me learn what works and what doesn't for my particular writing style.  I am in no way claiming to be an expert at this stuff, but having the right tools and the right people to help, makes all the difference in the world.

Starting with Google Analytics, this allowed me to see more graphs and charts about my Blog than I could ever imagine.  There are more pies than Marie Calendars there.  You can find out what browsers people use, what page they came in on and what page they left, numbers of hits and views, unique visitors vs repeat visitors, search engine referrals, bounce rates, even keyword searches that brought them to my Blog.  This was just the beginning...

Then I added a Site Meter, just to get a daily count of hits to compare to Google and see how accurate the numbers were.  Site meter will also give you statistics, daily hits and times people viewed specific pages, and it even gives the domain and ip address of each visitor.  This is a great little tool to add to your Blog or Website.

My favorite one has to be Clustermaps.  OMG - this little freebie shows you the map from where the servers are located of users from all over the world.  I thought that the only people reading my posts were the members here, and maybe an occasional lookie lou or consumer.  Well I have to tell you, I am currently averaging around 8000 hits per month with over 15,000 pages viewed from all over the world.  How can this be?  I guess just write and they will read!

Since March, I have converted/referred several listings to Agents in my areas, picked up a few investors that work with my REO Agents who specialize in those properties, and I have met numerous Agents in and out of my area that I am now working with.  I am also getting emails and phone calls on a regular basis from consumers who need  assistance with their Real Estate.  Who's reading our Blogs anyway?  I just came to AR because I wanted to learn what this was all about!  I wanted to be able to help my clients and friends.  I had no idea it would ever be like this.

Don't take for granted all the POWER that lies beneath the surface here in the rain.  Use whatever tools you need to get the most out of your Blogging experience.  I have tried to create posts that will be helpful to you.  I have a passion and desire to share in these successes.  Tracking is a key part of making your Blog the best it can be.  I just had someone from South Africa "poke" me today.  She found my profile here, and now I have made another friend far across the land.  South Africa?  I never would have thought....

Referring clients to other members is as good as it gets!  As I grow, learn and progress here, this is my way of giving back.  I still am not sure where I am going or what I am doing, but it sure has been fun and rewarding for me, and for those I'm able to refer business.  Keep writing, keep experimenting, keep trying, it takes time and most of all, it takes a commitment!  You will start seeing the rewards from your efforts here, but you will only get out of the rain, what you put into the rain.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this wonderful network, for sharing so generously your comments and ideas, and for letting me find my voice and my purpose here.  You can only learn by doing, and many times, only by failing!  The rewards in the end are worth all the time and challenges in the beginning!  Keep writing because someone is always going to be reading.  I love the Active Rain Network, it's members, the readers, and the results! :-)

All Content Copyright Protected © 2007