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ActiveRain RainCamp - Our New Training Program - Starts In Seattle and you're Invited!

This has to be one of the most exciting announcements I've ever had the privilege to post on AR.  I remember signing up that "rainy" day back in February of 2007.  My first question was, "Where Do I find the Owners Manual for this place?"  My next thought was, "How do I get the most out of Social Networking and Blogging here?  Does this stuff really work?"  OMG! My Journey began that day, and would turn out to be way more than I ever anticipated or expected.  We have all watched the AR community grow in more ways than just our membership and business growth, we have seen it change peoples lives and impact the Real Estate Industry.

It's time to take the Network and Community on the Road.  We are going to "Rain" in cities all over the Country.  It's New, it's Exciting, it's Awesome, and it's called RainCamp.  The first one will start in our Corporate backyard, the beautiful City of Seattle.  This is a huge turning point for ActiveRain, and also for our members and those who attend. 

RainCamp.com - "Because the way we do business has changed!"

Who: Join Seattle's most forward thinking real estate professionals to master the nuances of modern real estate marketing. 

What: Six hours of cutting edge real estate technology and social media training.

When: October 7th, 2009 (Registration is @8:00am)

Where: Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle, WA

Why: Learn how to use the latest innovations to exploit this ever changing environment, and redefine your position as an industry expert and leader. Because you are a pioneer and because you refuse to be left behind.

What Do You Get?

• A single-track conference with quality content
• Wi-Fi, professionally managed (Bring your laptop.)
• Business networking opportunities
• Conversations and experiences of a lifetime!

How is RainCamp different from other Conferences?

• Assess how you stack up in the modern market.
• Listen to people that are practicing what they preach, and having outstanding success doing it.
• Learn the methodology of a newer agent who has leveraged the Internet to become a 'Mega Producer'.
• Walk away with executables you can put into action immediately.
• Hard core real estate technology education. This is not a fluff event!!
  
  

The "RainCamp" Schedule

Modern Day Real Estate Marketing (9:00a - 9:30a)

Find out where you rank before we kick off the day. How does your social profile rate against your neighbor? How can you expand that presence and create connections that are meaningful in a professional manner? Understanding where we are is the only way to figure out where we need to go.

Meet the Speaker: Bob Stewart

Search Engine Marketing (9:30a - 10:30a)

Advertising is undergoing a radical transformation. As advertising dollars make an exodus from print to online marketing, do you know how to position your advertising budget to get the most impact out of each dollar? As most of your potential clients go online to make purchase decisions, knowing how to target them in the places they reside will be instrumental in ensuring they do business with you.

Meet the Speaker: Ben Kinney

Break (10:15a - 10:30a)

Converting Leads Into Closings (10:30a - 11:30a)

It's one thing to learn how to drive traffic to your site, it's entirely different to actually convert that traffic into a commission. Learn the regiment required to get industry leading conversions with the prospects on your website. There is no reason the leads on your site should be treated like the rest of the industry treats theirs. Resolve to do something different.

Meet the Speaker: Ben Kinney & Bob Stewart

Lunch (11:30a - 12:30p)

Real World Social Media Success Stories - PANEL  (12:30p - 1:15p)

Listen to real agents on the street who are using Social media to enhance their business. Let them tell you how they did it. Not every story is the same but the critical component is this: They took the leap and the rewards are well worth the effort.

Panel Moderator: Brad Andersohn

30 Technologies You Don't Know But Should (1:15p - 1:30p)

Does this really need an explanation? Yes it does, so you'll need to come and hear it. 

Meet the Speaker: Ben Kinney

Becoming the Online Mayor of Your Community (1:30p - 2:00p)

The end game of all real estate social media strategies. Learn how to put yourself at the online center of your real community. This is market area "farming" and done by the cutting edge elite. Take full advantage of the resources available and create a plan to put yourself in the middle of the flow of information in your market.

Meet the Speaker: Brad Andersohn & Ben Kinney

Break (2:30p - 2:45p)

Hyper-local Blogging for Business (2:45p - 4:00p)

What is Hyper-local? Why does it matter? How does focusing on hyper-local content give you more qualified leads that are ready to act quicker? Find out how to target your next client by providing the information they are looking for when they are really getting close to buying.

Meet the Speaker: Bob Stewart & Ben Kinney

About The Speakers:

Ben Kinney, Mega Producer, Keller Williams

Featured: 2008 Realtor Magazines annual "30 under 30", RIS Media "Power Team" report, WCAR Realtor of the Year and Quarter

Bob Stewart, Director of Social Media Strategy, ActiveRain

Bob is responsible for growing and maintaining ActiveRain's vibrant community of real estate professionals. He has been actively involved as a member of ActiveRain from inception. Prior to ActiveRain, Bob was COO of Brio Realty and during his tenure he increased sales volume from zero to over $100 million a year.

Brad Andersohn, Community Manager, ActiveRain

Brad is the all around tech and member support services guru.  His focus and goal is to make sure members are getting the most out of the network and community.  He spends a great deal of time introducing new products, tools, and services with explanations and tutorials on how to best apply them to your business plans and growth strategies.

We're looking forward to your attending and participating in our newest endeavor.  We're taking ActiveRain RainCamp on the road so you can take your Business to the next level.  Check RainCamp.com for details regarding this and other RainCamps sprouting around the Country.

Register For RainCamp Below, but Hurry, these seats won't last.

Picture of Bell Harbor Conference Center courtesy of Josh Hallett

I woke up this morning groggy, with many fewer clothes on than what I went to bed wearing, and the face of my tuxedo cat inches from my own.

"Meow," she told me, her pitch whiney and pathetic.  She blinked at me while I stood, used the little girls' room, and wobbled into the kitchen, rubbing the bruise I got on my shoulder from running into the doorhandle at the gas station after a mad dash to FedEx and then to the bank last night.   Since there was food in her bowl, I can only imagine that she was reporting on what I already knew:

It's hot in Seattle.

Wait, no, let me rephrase: It's FREAKIN' hot in Seattle.

Sigh.  For a city that's used to muggy days and rain falling on our heads in droves, this summer's heatwave has been murderous to our way of life, our work, and naturally, our moods.  Most of the houses and apartments here are built without air conditioning, mostly because our "summer" usually lasts all of two weeks at some point at the end of July or early August.

The ActiveRain offices have been affected, too.  Today will be our hottest day ever in the history of Seattle, and yesterday's build-up to that point was evidenced by the hollow, shadowed eyes that our workers came in with, indicating that the heat had made their sleep restless and unfulfilling.  Joel stated that he was just going to sleep in his pool from now on, while Kerrie railed against the heat -- admitting that she'd left the windows open all day the day before.

It's interesting to be detached from the bulk of the office, as shut up as I am in my own little square of space in the corner.  They laugh about me having bionic ears because I can hear every detail of every conversation out there, but as the heat ratchets higher and people get less sleep, their moods are changing, tempers are flaring faster, some are more ADD than usual.

I guess it's fair to say that the AR Staff is just as human as the rest of the world.  Most of us are aware that we're tired or feeling stressed or just unfocused, but it's so hard to keep on the straight and pleasant narrow when you just can't seem to get enough shut-eye or when you walk outside and Washington's turned into Texas for some ungodly reason.

We've been under an excessive heat watch and a non-precipitation warning for the better part of the week (I have a plug-in on my firefox that shows me these lovely things), and fires are cropping up around the state caused by lightning storms and other threats to the environment.  People are toting two or three bottles of water at once to stave off heat exhaustion. 

My vet even recommended that I shave my short- and medium-hair cats.

I'm fully convinced that my hometown has gone more and more insane as the mercury rises; honestly, for the sake of the office and my coworkers, I can only hope that it cools down soon so that we can all get some rest and stay hydrated.  I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Give us some rain, already!"