Real Estate 2.0 Technology

At This Moment - A Social Media Way To Record and Share

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:55:09 -0400

This Moment - A new Social Media Way To Record and Share the past, the now, and the future!

What are you doing right at this very moment? Well you're reading this post obviously, but wouldn't it be cool if there were a site that could combine all your "moments" and social media and real life adventures into one nice convenient place that you could seamlessly share with friends and family?

Imagine having all your accounts like Youtube, Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook accessible from a single link or click, and then you could share "Those Moments" with specific friends or others from your Google or Yahoo contacts. That would be the coolest site imaginable!

ThisMoment.com is exactly what you'll want to check out. I played on the site this morning after seeing this video that The Scobelizer (Robert Scoble) put up on Youtube, and I'm totally loving this new site. Follow Robert Scoble if you want to keep up with World Changing Technology. I've posted a couple samples on the site so I could demonstrate it here, but once you dive into it, I can guaranty you'll be hooked.

Take a look at the time-line and widget I added below, then head on over and check it out. Be sure to add me as a friend there, this way I can keep up with what YOU'RE doing at any given moment, at least with the moments you're wanting and willing to share. lol~ I give these guys @ThisMoment a BIG 10 and 5 GOLD stars for this site. It's the THEN, The NOW, and THE FUTURE all wrapped up into one!

See Brad's full Public Time-line Here

I've added a couple steps below to get you started, the rest is up to you:
The First Step is that you'll need to join ThisMoment. Yes, it's FREE! :-)

What is thisMoment

Connect with friends and family

Link photos, videos, and update services

Add your first moment

Learn how to add moments by email

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Call Phones from Gmail - Now We're Talking!

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:54:27 -0400

Call Phones from Gmail - Now We're Talking!

This is great news folks. The "Inside of the Internet World" just keeps on pushing and reaching out to connect with the "Outside World" and today, there's a new break-through demonstrating this very point. Call phones from Gmail, I'm doing it right now as I write this. Anyone care to guess who I'm talking to? Maybe some bonus points? haha, just kidding... the real point is that Gmail users (and those who will become Gmail users now) will love and benefit from this great new feature.

Who ever thought we'd be "calling" someone from our "Email" box. Cool~

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Following Others On Twitter Without an Account - Twitter Fast Follow

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:14:15 -0400

Twitter has a new feature called "Fast Follow" which allows you to follow people on Twitter via SMS (short Message Service) and you don't even need to have a Twitter account to do this. I know that many Real Estate Industry professionals are still trying to get their arms around the concept of how to use Twitter effectively, but with this new feature, at least you can follow those who are posting valuable information and content for their followers.

Just text "follow + TwitterUsername" to Twitters "Fast Follow" at #40404 and you'll receive text updates from that user right on your smart phone. You may want to be selective, especially if you pay for your individual text messages on a limited phone plan.

Fast Follow seems like something that will appeal to those wanting to maximize social media advertising, but imagine all the passive non twitter users out there who want to receive information and updates from their favorite people, brands, and companies, but have no desire whatsoever to tweet themselves.

Now I know that you avid twitter users out there will instinctively want to try this out by following yourselves first to test it out, but the text message you'll get back might mess up your day and your ego along with it! lol~

Take a look and see if this is something that might work for you in your quest to get relevant content from those you believe provide it, and at the same time, see how other individuals and companies are using twitter to gain readers, followers, and grow relationships and business.

Check out the Twitter Blog for more details on their new "Fast Follow" SMS feature. Should I tweet this too?!

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How To Add .PDF Files To Your Blog Post and Website

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:29:34 -0400

How To Add a .PDF File To Your Blog Post or Website

Once you've learned to add photos, embed video and audio files, create hyper-links and anchor text etc, inevitably you'll want to know how you can add a .pdf file to your Blog post. An Adobe Acrobat .PDF (Portable Document Format) file is a document that typically cannot be edited and is usually created from an original document using the Adobe Acrobat software or similar application. .PDF files can be viewed by downloading the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Adding a .PDF file to your Blog post can be done one of two ways. You can upload the .PDF file to a host server on the Internet and simply create a link to it using the location URL or web address. IE: http://www.DomainName/DocumentName.pdf The second way is to use a program or tool that creates an HTML embed code which you can add to your Blog post or website.

Scribd.com is a site that offers users a tool that lets you upload your .PDF document onto their server, then use their widget/player to embed the file into your Blog post or site. The site is FREE and once you've signed up and registered, the process is fast and simple. The benefits of embedding the .PDF file vs linking to it are that visitors and readers don't have to leave your post or site to access the shared PDF document.

How To Add a PDF File to Your ActiveRain Blog Post

1. Join Scribd.com and setup a Profile

2. Upload your .PDF file to Scribd.com

3. Click on the .PDF File you want to embed to Blog Post or Website

4. Copy the embed code from the "Share and Embed" Toolbox

*Notice the options to share on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Buzz
(You can also create a hyperlink to Anchor text using the Link/URL)

5. Place/Paste the HTML embed code on the HTML tab of your Blog Post.
The code can also be added to your website using your HTML page editor.

6. Save your post or page and you're done!

Here's a sample of a .PDF file I created a couple years ago here on ActiveRain.

Brad's Top Free Online Website Tools and Picks

As an Absolute Last Resort

One last option would be to take a "screen shot" or capture the PDF file as an image (if it all fits on your computer screen) and save it as a .jpg file, then you can add it as a photo or graphic to your Blog post. Unfortunately, even a single page PDF file is hard to display the entire page on a computer monitor or single screen. To capture any computer screen image, use the "Shift+Print Scr" keys on a PC, or the "Shift+Command+4" on a MAC to capture the image. You can always crop out what you don't want in the image using a photo or image editor like picnik.com or Adobe Photoshop. If you'd like a free photo or image editing software similar to Adobe Photoshop, check out Gimp.org.

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How to Use Video and Youtube to Enhance Your Blog and Business

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:28:25 -0400

ActiveRain University - How to Use Video and Youtube to Enhance Your Blog and Business

How are you using Video in Real Estate and on your ActiveRain Blog?
Are you creating or using Video Listings, Virtual Property and Community tours? Does your video show up on Google Earth? Can your videos make you money? Want to generate more traffic to your videos and visitors to your Blog? This week at ARU, we are going to be sharing some things about video and Youtube that will be very beneficial to your Video library on Youtube and your Blog on ActiveRain.

Here's a few videos I had fun creating, Can you guess which one had over 2.2 million views?
(It probably won't be the one you think...)

Video Is important to your Real Estate Business
We're going to show you some Youtube video secrets and tips and how to use some of the tools that are available. Youtube just changed their format and the look and feel of their site. They've added a few things and moved some stuff around. These are just some of the ways you can now optimize your video and channel, and we'll show you how.

7 Tips You'll Need To Know and Use

Creating Outstanding and Unique Content

Optimizing Your Youtube Channel and Profile

Using Keywords Cleverly In the right places

Adding URLS and Proper Hyperlinks

Linking and Embedding Videos Everywhere

Video Sharing and Youtube Settings

Ping Your Youtube Channel

Do's and Don'ts of Embedding Video

Getting Beyond The 10 Minute Video Limitation

Getting More Visibility, Traffic, and Views

Learn useful techniques on how to use Youtube, one of the Top 3 most searched sites in the world. Grow and promote your Blogs, Websites, and Local Business using video strategies that have worked successfully for others and have resulted in increased traffic, customers, and paychecks.

Embedding video into your Blogs and sites is just one small key ingredient to using video and Youtube. You don't need to be an expert at this stuff, but you should know what things work and which ones won't. Come join us for a FREE "power-hour" of creating and using Video and Youtube for your Business, this will be one of our best video training and support classes at ARU.

Register For The Youtube Video Training Class

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How To Use Google's Wonder Wheel

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:18:00 -0400

The Google Wonder Wheel Keyword Research Tool

...is a keyword research utility that was created by Google Labs and allows users to discover keyword searches that are popular and built around certain specific keyword terms.

Google's wonder wheel could be a great tool for helping writers to find new topics. The wheel can also help you dominate specific keywords and phrases in the search engines because it helps you write about the things that are the most searched for on the web using the most popular keywords or terms.

Here's How It Works:

Create your search in the Google Search Engine, then click on the "Google Search" button:

The results displayed will include sponsored and organic links:

To Access "Google's Wonder Wheel" Click on the "+Show options" Link at the top of page:

Scroll down the left hand side of the page untill you come to the "Standard View" options and click on the link for "Google's Wonder Wheel" Wait for just a moment and the Wonder Wheel will appear on the page. The links coming off the Wonder Wheel are popular and similair keywords, terms, and phrases that you can now use as "Titles" and "Topics" to write or Blog about.

Each time you click on one of the spokes "Terms or Phrases" a new Wonder Wheel will load on the screen displaying even more "keywords" and popular "search terms" These can be used for creating great content and getting you closer to dominating your Blog with those specific keywords or phrases. Go deeper and further into the possible options and opportunities to make your Blog's content the most likely to be searched and found.

This is like having a road map or blue print for your Blog. If you use Google's Wonder Wheel for a variety of search terms and keywords that you want to be found with, this should save you time and headaches "Wondering" what those "Words" and "Phrases" are. There's always going to be great tools out there, and promises to help get you the best SEO results, but in my opinion, this is one of the best and most powerful I have seen yet. Thanks to Google and Google Labs for making the "Wonder Wheel" available, and for hiding it so well, it gave me a reason to write this post.

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How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:00:18 -0400

How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps

We had over 700 people register for the Youtube Video and Blogging Classes we held over at ActiveRain University this last month. In these sessions, we covered how to create and use video more effectively for your Blogs and websites. We shared some cool tips and important tools regarding the use of video and how to get the most out of Youtube's new look and their added features.

The one thing we didn't have time to teach was "How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps", then How to embed the "Interactive Map" with your video into a Blog post or website.

SO HERE'S THE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MANY OF YOU WHO ASKED:

You'll need a Youtube account, if you don't have one, set one up, it's FREE. You'll also need a Google Account to sign in and save your maps. If you don't have one, set one up, it's FREE too.

Step 1: Upload your video to Youtube.com

Step 2: Select the video you want to embed into Google Maps

Step 3: Copy the embed HTML code from the Youtube Video
(it should look something like this)

Step 4: Go to maps.google.com and click the "My Maps" Link

Step 5: Click on the "Create New Map" link

Step 6: Search the map to find the exact location where you want your video to appear
(zoom in close to find exact location)
Step 7: In the "Edit" mode, click on the placemark icon and place it on the map

Step 8: Click on the "edit HTML" link and add youtube embed code into description box.

Step 9: Give your marker and description box a "Title" and click "ok" and then "Done"

Step 10: Your video will now appear on Google Maps and can also be viewed on Google Earth

Now, to embed the saved Video and saved Map into your Blog or website, click on the "Link" located in the upper right corner and copy the embed code from Google Maps. Next, place the embed code in your Blog post (using the HTML tab) or on your website and save. This will put the interactive map including the video into your post or on your web-page. Visitors can now watch the video from within your interactive map, and never even leave your post or site.

The best part is that even if you don't embed the iframe map into your Blog or website, the video is still attached to Google Maps and can be viewed by anyone who clicks on the video from within the Google Maps page. Here's what the completed project will look like in a Blog Post. Try doing this with your community videos, your virtual tours, your travel videos, any video you've created that you want to show up on Google Maps.

Be sure to turn down your volume if you hit play, this video is pretty loud.

View The Black Hole - The Glory Hole in a larger map

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Improve Video and Images for Higher Ranking in Search Engines

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:28:41 -0400

How To Improve your Video and Images for Higher Ranking in the Search Engines.

Acquiring SEO and traffic to your Blog or Website using great content, titles, descriptions, and keywords etc. has always been a subtle yet powerful strategy in the Blogging community. Many new businesses and individuals don't start off blogging or creating websites with the understanding of how SEO (Search Engine Optimization) works, or why it might be important to their success. In time... they learn. We all do.

In my travels around the country teaching SEO, Blogging, and Social Networking, the one thing that is least talked about or questioned is the power of video and images. You hear "Content is King" but you won't hear or learn that video and images are the most viewed and sought after items on the Internet. Could this be one of the reasons Google has links to them at the top of every search results page?

How do you get YOUR Video and Images to show at the Top of the Search Engine Results?

Matt Cutts from Google explains a few ways you can accomplish this. He shares some great ideas and tips on using and adding meta-data and user generated content. The idea of using captioning in Video is brilliant! You provide the transcripts and youtube will auto-align the text.

Creating captioning is easier than you may think, Matt and others do this on every video and I can show you how.

Matt also shares some great ideas on how to use flickr, he gives some great examples and says “it’s almost like crowd sourcing!” Flickr has great SEO but you need to understand how to use tags, descriptions and some of the tips in this video will assist you in knowing how and why.

If you create and use your own pictures, images, or video, and you want to get views, traffic, and ultimately generate leads and business, it's important to know a few key things including the SEO tips Matt shares in this video. It's also important to know that SEO isn't the only key ingredient that gets your material found on the web. Apply the concept that "Content Is King" to images and video, along with these tips and you've won 90% of the battle.

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Top 50 Google Tools for Business

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Sun, 30 May 2010 09:53:44 -0400

The Top 50 Google Tools for Business

This compilation is for all of you out there who use Google for searching and SEO, but may not be aware of all the other tools and services that Google has to offer for your business. My inbox used to get so many questions about many of the links and tools below, it seemed like a good idea to bring them all into a single location for your review and use.

I know you'll find some of this information helpful or useful to you and your Business.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

Google Alerts – Get email notifications from any keyword or phrases used on the web.
Google Buzz - Start and share conversations about the things you find interesting.
Google Blog Search – A sophisticated way of searching the web specifically for Blogs.
Google Books – Google has a ground-breaking agreement with authors and publishers.
Google Business - All of Google's On-line Business solutions for small and large Business.
Google Checkout – Find it online, purchase it with Google’s Checkout tool.
Google Chrome – The fastest and cleanest Web Browser for PC’s and MAC’s.
Google Custom Search – Create your own custom search engine for your Website/Blog.
Google Desktop – Take control of PC or MAC Desktops, find anything faster and easier.
Google Dictionary – Don’t knock it till you try it, watch out Webster.
Google Directory – The Web organized by Topic and placed into Categories.
Google Earth – Explore and share the World in 3D. Add your photos and Videos.
Google Finance – Track and Edit your Portfolio, Charts, and Graphs.
Google 411 – Dial Directory Services and Information from any phone for FREE.
Google Health – Organize all your medical records and store them on-line.
Google Images – The Ultimate Image search on the Internet.
Google Maps – The best way to map out directions and share with others.
Google News – All the news you’ll ever need and find in one location.
Google Patents – Every US Patent is search-able with the full text.
Google Product Search – Find any product in one location instead of searching sites.
Google Scholar – Looking for a specific paper or Scholarly articles, find them fast.
Google Toolbar – Allows you to add search, share, and contribute to your fav browser.
Google Trends – For those who want to know details about search engine trends.
Google Videos – Used for searching only Video and Vlogs on the Internet.
Google Web Search – Still the #1 search engine tool with the #1 advanced features.
Google Web Search Features – The best search tool for movies, music, books, etc.
Google Code – This is a developer tools, used for APIs and other resources.
Google Labs – One of the best Online Tech Playgrounds on the Web.
Google Blogger – Create your own Blogspot Blog, it’s easy and free.
Google Calendar – Setup and use a Global Calender that you can share with others.
Google Docs – Create spreadsheets, presentations, documents, and more.
Google Groups - Use Groups to connect with others and share ideas and discussions.
Google Knol – Write a Knol and Share what you know with others. Learn too.
Google Mail – Google mail has so many great features for email, and it’s FREE.
Google’s Orkut – It’s a Google Social Network, stay connected with others.
Google Picasa – Upload and store, find, and share your photos and images.
Google Picnik - The newest online Photo and Graphics editing addition to Google.
Google Reader – Delivers everything you want to know from the web back to you.
Google Sites – Create your own websites and group wikis for private or public use.
Google SketchUp – Allows you to Design, Build, and Create 3D models and images.
Google Talk - Talk to friends, send IM’s, communicate with others via computer.
Google Translate – Helps you and visitors to view any site in any language.
Google’s YouTube – The second most searched site in the World. Youtube.com.
Google Mobile – Take Google on the Road, & don’t leave home without your phone.
Google Maps for mobile – Just as good as GPS, view maps, directions, get un-lost.
Google Search for mobile – Search the web from your phone anytime from anyplace.
Google Pack – Get the entire Google Pack for your PC or MAC.
Google Voice – The best way to manage phones and services FREE. (invite only)
Google Wave – The future of email and real time collaboration. (invite only)
Google Wonder Wheel - A Wonderful Wheel of relavant search terms.

Take a few minutes to explore what some of these great tools can do for you and your business, then make sure you keep an eye on Google in the future, their development team creates and produces new products at the speed of light.

Did I miss any? Do tell! What is YOUR favorite NEW Google Tool or Product?

Stay on top of everything Google is Doing – GOOGLE

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An ActiveRain Conduit - Toolbar for Your WEB Browser

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:30:14 -0500

The ActiveRain Conduit - A Nifty Toolbar for Your Internet WEB Browser

This may be one of my coolest and greatest inventions EVER!! If you can believe that... lol~

ActiveRain members and even non-members should consider adding this toolbar to their Internet WEB Browsers. It will work with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari. The toolbar gives you easy and instant access to some of the most viewed pages and important helpful tools on ActiveRain. I think you'll find it to be a very useful tool. Here's some of the features and cool stuff it has:

The ActiveRain Real Estate Network Toolbar - Will help you "Stay Connected" easily and instantly.

Access ActiveRain.com with a single click
Pull-Down menu to select from ALL Industry Affiliates
Search the AR Network for members or any topic
One Click Access to Important Member "Must Read" info
HELP Menu for Manuals, Guides, Training & Support
Easy Access to AR Features from an RSS menu
Link to Search and Sort ALL ActiveRain Blog Posts
One-Click Access to the ActiveRain Staff and Team
Live Updates, Announcements & ActiveRain Broadcasts

You can easily download the toolbar for your specific browsers and remove it just as easily if needed. Take a moment to try it out, see some things you may not have known existed, and let me know what you think? Once you download the toolbar and add it to your browser, you'll see how easy it is. Most likely, your "wheels" will start spinning and you'll be wondering how you can create a "custom toolbar" for your Site, Services, Blog, or Clients Browsers? I'll show you how, and the best part is that it's easy and FREE!

I hope you'll check it out, I'm really excited about this one... :-)

Select YOUR Browser below to Install the AR Toolbar

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Setting Your Financial Real Estate Goals for 2010

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:17:35 -0500

Setting Your Financial Real Estate Goals for 2010

Here's a tool I created back when I was in Title and Escrow. I've used this in the past to help Brokers and Agents with their financial goals. I called it Agent Assist because that's exactly what it was created for, to assist them in reaching their income goals. Based on just a few simple questions, the AA spreadsheet will calculate exactly how many homes you need to sell to reach your desired income goal in Real Estate.

By entering the average sales price of the homes in your area, your commission and broker split, the number of weeks you want to take for vacation, the number of days and hours you're willing to work, and lastly, your desired income goal, the program will automatically calculate how many contacts you'll need to make, how many appointments it will take, and precisely how many homes you'll need to close to reach your goal.

Check it out, I think you might like some of the features and tools that stemmed from the opinions and suggestions of other Brokers and REALTORS across the country. Below is what the "Goals Analysis" page looks like. It's real easy to use, I know it works, and it might be a tool you can use too.

In addition to the Goals Analysis page, there are some others tools I added for tracking sales, monitoring marketing budget, tracking expenses and taxes, created a contact to lead conversion table, inventory and pipeline chart, buyers costs, sellers costs, rent vs own, a mortgage calculator with amortization table, etc. Here's to you reaching your income goals in 2010 no matter what means or tools you need to use to do it! Cheers. :-)

BTW- This post was inspired by Broker Bryant and Carra Riley's recent "Goal" posts.

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The Virtual Real Estate Office - A "Live" Tour and Update

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:12:35 -0400

Some of you will remember my post awhile back about the "Future Real Estate Office or Brokerage." This post and video received a ton of attention and though many of the comments reflected a controversial and expected response, others agreed and saw this type of technology and office being the future of Real Estate in regards to the traditional "Brick and Mortar" office.

Last month I wanted to follow up with this particular company to see personally, where they are, what they've done, how it's working, and most importantly, is this new "Virtual Office" technology really working for them and their clients? It's easy to get excited about this type of technology and many will see why after watching the video below, but the REAL question is always DOES IT WORK?

Come join me and a few others as we explore the "Virtual Office" concept, and interview some of the Brokers and Top Agents using this technology effectively in the *NEW* on-line world of Real Estate. We'll be doing an update from our last interview back on December 11th, 2009, to see where this is all going except this time we'll be doing it "Live" at ActiveRain University. You can come along and join the ride for FREE.

I have always been fascinated with this type of technology, but it's the service to the client that I see as an even greater value and a reason you may want to know more about this and join us for this class/webinar. I'm giving everyone plenty of notice so there's no reason you should or can miss this. Believe me, my first interview with these guys was amazing, I can only imagine where they have come with all of this by now.

The "Virtual Real Estate Office" Live webinar is scheduled for Thursday, July 22nd at 10:00am.
You'll want to "virtually" be there, the seats to this one will be gone fast.

REGISTER HERE NOW

Be sure to check out the AR University Calendar for other upcoming classes.

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ActiveRain Launches Outside Blogs - How Do You Get Yours?

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:31:12 -0400

Google offers Blogs, Yahoo offers Blogs, and now ActiveRain offers RE Blogs!! I am so excited that I get to announce this! ActiveRain is pulling all the stops and releasing the "BIG" storm today. It's been a long time coming, and now it's finally here! STOP HERE!

UPDATE 4/10/2009 - Please see this new post for details regarding the NEW OUTSIDE Blogs offerred on ActiveRain. How to Create and Maximize your AR Outside Blogs and 5 Tips For Your Outside Blogs.

ActiveRain "Outside Blogs" are launched today. You're going to love the ability to create one post, and then with the check of a box, send it to your Outside Blog. That's right, one post, syndicated in three locations. You can choose to have your post on ActiveRain, Localism, and now your own personal "Outside Blog" too.

Here's just a few highlights of the "" Outside Blogs:

* Host your Blog on your own domain name. (You must own name) ie: BestHomes.com
* Customize the look and feel of your Outside Blog.
* Set up in 10-15 minutes max.
* Build your posts in ActiveRain, no need to learn a new Blogging platform.
* Publish your posts to AR, Localism, Outside Blog, or all three, it's your choice.
* Benefit from the SEO power of ActiveRain.
* Brand your own Blog and yet stay connected with the AR community.
* Comments are syndicated between your ActiveRain Blog and your Outside Blog.

This is only the beginning, as the community jumps on these, each individual's exposure doubles. 2X the POWER! That's Exciting!! Imagine the possiblities with these Blogs...

Here's how to setup YOUR Outside Blog. The sample below is a screen shot of my Outside Blog. I'll demonstrate how I used ActiveRain to create it.

SETTING UP YOUR CUSTOM OUTSIDE BLOG:

1. To Start, click on the link "Outside Blogs" from "My Home" page.

2. On the next screen, give your Blog a "Title". It will already have the same name as your current ActiveRain Blog. You can change it.

3. Meta Keywords are the next option, don't panic What's a Meta Tag?

4. Next, you can customize or modify your Blog description. This text will appear underneath your Blog Banner.

5. Now give your Blog an ActiveRain Subdomain:
ie: ActiveBrad.ActiveRain.com

6. You can also use custom domain names. (advanced users only)
You must already own your own domain name. If not, you can see if the domain you like is available, click here.

Here's a screen shot of the options that are mentioned above:

7. Next, keep your current photo or add a new photo to your Blog. Your Outside Blog photo will NOT replace your existing AR photo. Here's your chance to update that picture from 7 years ago. lol~

8. Select one of the Templates or Themes from the ActiveRain Library: These can be customized. More templates will be available in the future. This is just the launch period, expect enhancements for sure.

9. Setup the colors for your fonts and for different areas of your Blog page. Here's a color chart.

10. Now, add custom created headers and images to your Blog. There are multiple posts on how to create and edit images, you'll find them in the Help/FAQ group. We have some very artistic and talented members who share valuable tools and resources there.

11. Under the Advanced options, you can display multiple Blog posts, up to 100 if you like.
(I suggest 20 posts max, or the page may load slowly, especially if you have video and large graphics)

Use the Syndication options to select which posts to pull, or add ALL from your primary ActiveRain Blog. Members Only posts will not appear on your Outside Blog. If you have concerns about Duplicate Content on your Blogs, read this post called "Duplicate Content and Outside Blogs."

12. The FINAL STEP, Click on Save Changes

YOU'RE DONE!
Go to the ActiveRain Subdomain URL you created
and there's your new outside Blog!

Here's A Sample Of Mine

*Note: When creating posts on ActiveRain, just check this box
to place them on your outside Blog.

If you do choose to use your own existing Domain name, please read the advanced information and instructions below. You'll need to know the following: You can also find this information located HERE.

Here are the STEP-BY-STEP instructions for setting up an Outside Blog using your own domain name.
Also be sure to check out some of the other members outside domains as ActiveRain Blogs Evolve.

That's It! We are finally launched!!. WOOHOO!! You will no longer have to search for a place to have an outside Blog. You won't have to start from scratch to create your own, or cut and paste, or duplicate efforts, or try and manage your time running two or more Blogs.

I really am excited about this. It's like watching the birth of a baby being born, and I feel somehow emotionally and personally attached to it. ActiveRain is moving onward and upward, and everyday, becoming more of a powerful source in this great industry. I'm honored to be the carrier pigeon of this exciting and community changing news. As always, if you get stuck, don't get MAD, call Brad.

For Outside Blog status updates and known issues being addressed: CLICK HERE!

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RainCamp San Diego - What If All 2859 Members Show Up

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:25:41 -0400

I am really excited about coming to Southern California for ActiveRain's RainCamp in San Diego, one of the best real estate events of the year. This one is going to be extra special because Bob will be back joining us from his recent wedding and honeymoon. We missed you in Portland Bob! :-)

What If All 2859 Members Show Up? Then we'll have one heck of a party and after gathering!!

On August 5th I will be in beautiful San Diego, with three of the most influential people in real estate: Jonathan Washburn, our CEO and Founder of ActiveRain, Mr. Ben Kinney, a Mega Agent from Seattle and now Nationally renowned speaker, and back by popular demand, Bob Stewart, ActiveRain's Community Evangelist.

At RainCamp we'll be talking about all kinds of strategies to improve your online presence and to help you earn business using the web. No RainCamp is ever exactly the same because the local markets change and each demographic is unique to that geographic area. Bringing in some of the local experts and talent is always exciting and a huge learning experience for us all.

At RainCamp on August 5th we will:

Show you how we have helped thousands of our members rank at the top of the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) for searches in their market.

Share how Donna Harris, a RE/MAX agent from Austin, Texas used her blog to make $122,000 in commissions over the last two years doing what you can do in your own market.

Reveal how a plan and some guidance can help you use blogging to impact your business and get the same results as Donna.

Show you how to use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to earn more business.

Provide you with a day full of great info to take home with you and implement immediately!

RainCamp is brought to you by ActiveRain and we have made it possible for everyone to attend with donation based tickets. We want everyone to have access to the information we are sharing - it's that important for the success of your business as the internet becomes more and more, a crucial part of your lead generation.

See how past RainCamp attendees are raving about how RainCamp has helped their business. You really don't want to miss an event of this magnitude, plus they really are more fun than you could ever imagine a one-day conference or seminar.

Make sure you come up to me and give me your business card with the word "RainMaker" written on it somewhere, I'll have a cool surprise for you if you do.
(this is the only time or place I'll mention this, so don't forget)

Click here to register. Seating is limited so secure your seat today. See you there!

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Using Gmail Email as a Blog Post and HTML Editor

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:09:48 -0400

Using your Gmail Email as a Blog Post and HTML editor.

First of all, what in the heck would make someone think of this? Same way the Reese's Peanut Butter cup was created! It was a total accident. (at least that's what they wanted you to think) Somebody dropped and got their chocolate dipped in someone else's peanut butter and there you have it! The Reese's Peanut Butter cup.

Today, I did the same thing, dropping my email onto this Blog post, and realizing how easy it is to create a post using your gmail email editor. You can add "live" links and anchor text, images, photos etc using gmail's "Compose Mail" option. You can change font colors and sizes and more. Just copy and paste from your email to your Blog post, (email it to yourself as a backup, or to be used again sometime in the future)... and that's it.

It was a breeze.

You can use the Toolbar in Gmail's editor to customize and add some Fun to your posts.

The process is easy, there's no hidden HTML codes that won't work with the AR Platform, and to be honest, some of our best Blogging content, ideas, responses, and experiences are sitting right within your email IN or OUT boxes. I don't suggest you do it all the time, but as you can see, creating a post like this is different and even kinda fun!!

Use the mini-animations and graphics from the favicon toolbar as well.

It's Pretty cool if you ask me, or at the least, something different. (well, maybe I over did it a bit on this one!)

I hope this email Blog Post finds you all well, it might be useful to those who can't use scribefire or some of the other HTML third party applications and software's out there to create cosmetically different and customized posts for their AR Blogs.

(This post is dedicated to and created for AR member Laura Coffey) Great to meet you @RainCamp LA.

Warm Regards,

Brad

 Brad Andersohn - Community Manager
P. 707-646-1876 E. brad@activerain.com
My Blog | My Profile | My Web

PS. This entire blog post was created using my Gmail email editor!

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