Blogs for Real Estate Professionals

Group Presentation by Joni Orders, Stephanie Walker & Liz Davis (Article compiled by Joni Orders)

By now most in real estate have at least heard of a blog but in case you need a refresher, a blog is the shortened name for web log. What is a web log you ask? It is an online journal where a person can write about any topic of interest. Each entry to the journal is called a post. The public that reads the blog also has the option of posting comments to the blog.

Most bloggers post on a regular basis and this is the most important characteristic of a blog. The postings should be current and topical. You can choose to write about business, family, hobbies, current events, or almost anything that comes to mind. Just remember that your name is attached to the blog and if the goal is to have your professionalism showcased -- be careful of what you type!

This format used to be "cutting edge" but with hundreds of blog templates and hosting sites it is now considered mainstream. For those who want to stay "cutting edge" and/or of the generation who cut their teeth with instant and text messaging there are now microblogs or tumblelogs. As the name implies, a microblog is a short blog -- usually only one or two lines that encourages more interaction with the reading public. The presentation did not dwell on this but if you are interested in learning more, check out www.twitter.com.

Your next question is probably, "Why should I blog? I am so busy in a day just trying to take care of business. I don't have time to blog?." What if I told you that blogging is an almost free form of advertising -- would you have time for it then? Think of it as an electronic billboard available anytime, anywhere for buyers and sellers looking to connect with someone "like them." A blog is means of advertising yourself and letting potential clients get to know and like you. Now ask yourself, might someone who knows and likes you be more likely to work with you rather than someone they do not know and like but who just sent them a postcard. Can you carve out 30 minutes in your schedule forsome free advertising?

If you already have a website and are interested in search engine optimizations (SEO), a blog can help. To improve the ranking of your site, link your blog to the website and post every day. Posting to both your blog and other blogs and selecting good tags can improve the order in which your site is ranked. If you are scratching your head wondering what a tag is, simplified - these are key words search engines use to assign rankings. The science and techniques on how to achieve this for more advanced users could cover another whole presentation. If you are interested in this, there was a terrific presentation by the Elaine Reese of the Tech Users Committee last year which can be viewed at: http://www.columbusmls.net/documents/WebOptimizationShow.pps

Now on to the nuts and bolts of it -- how to get started blogging.

Determine the purpose and/or target audience of the blog. You can choose to have a blog about a specific topic or a general blog about being a real estate professional in your chosen area / field / specialty and talk about any related topics.

Select a Publishing Tool -- There are several sites to explore that provide easy to use blog templates and walk users through quick and simple steps to begin. Our committee used www.wordpress.com, www.blog.com and www.blogger.com. We recommend a new blogger should start simple and build the blog as you become more experienced.

Select a name for the blog -- Some tips: don't over think the name, do not select a name that is too long, the selected name should fit purpose of the blog and make sense and be easy to spell and remember.

Select a format for the blog -- General /Single topic / Event specific

Determine the update frequency -- Do you want to post on a specific schedule? If so, is that daily or weekly? Or would you prefer to post as the mood hits or you have time?

Start blogging -- Make sure to keep the content fresh and interesting, join a blogging network or read information on how to blog and the expected etiquette of the specific site to learn more of how and what to do. You can connect with other bloggers in this way and use others in the blogosphere as a resource for you professionally.

Enhance your blog -- Create links / Select good tags/Implement security measures /Copyright

Blog Publishing Resources:
e-Pro course offered through NAR
www.ActiveRain.com
www.Technorati.com

Tools/Sites for Creating or Hosting Blogs:
www.blog.com
www.blogger.com
www.realtown.com
www.wordpress.com
www.blogspot.com
www.blog-city.com
www.sixapart.com

Possible Blog Topics:
Real estate
Community
Favorites
Reviews -- restaurants / books / music /
blogs / websites
Hobbies / Interests
Family & Friends
Charities
Issues of personal expertise
Cool trends
ANYTHING / EVERYTHING

Now you should be ready to jump in with both hands and start typing. Give blogging a try -- both on your own blog site and on blogs that interest you. It is fun -- and a good investment of your time and resources. For even more fun and helpful information, stop by a Technology Users Forum meeting the 4th Tuesday of each month at 1:30 pm. Also keep an eye out for a future article to cover the issues and tips related to copyright that our committee also discussed!