I'm sure that by now, most if not all of you have heard about the Official ActiveRain Contest. It's running the entire month of April 2009 and yes, we are giving away an "All Expenses Paid" trip to Washington State including round-trip airfare, a visit to the AR HQ, and a day and dinner with the AR staff. We'll also have some really great prizes and gifts to award the "Winner" when they arrive. Jon Washburn, CEO of ActiveRain is working tirelessly planning the extravaganza as I speak type.
Let me give you a hint how to WIN!!
Or at least give a small Clue: If you can find this screen below on ActiveRain, you'll hit a Goldmine. Could it help cinch the WIN for this contest? That's all I can say. Shhh... I don't want Jeremy Blanton to see this post, he'll say I cheated and that this contest was rigged. lol~ The buttons below are located on a hidden page within ActiveRain, and the key is for you to find them, then figure out how to use them to WIN THIS CONTEST! Have
The Grand Prize will be awarded to the member who comes up with and executes the most creative and effective strategy around new Rainmaker sign-ups. We are looking for ANY member who can come up with the best idea or suggestion and share an example of how it was used. Put on your creative marketing hats, get out your idea boards, dust off that thinking cap, and let us know how YOU were able to creatively sign-up a new ActiveRain Rainmaker.
The Best Idea, Suggestion and Implementation WINS!
The ActiveRain staff and judges will be reviewing comments both here and on the original post. Just a reminder, If this form is not filled out, you will not win the T-Shirt, points or be eligible for Grand Prize. See Contest Post. You only have till the end of April, so don't hesitate to put ANY idea to work right now. We'd love to have you join us as the "Grand Prize Winner" it will be a fun filled and memorable day. You'll have more fun than one person should be allowed to have. You can make it happen, here's your chance....so GO FOR IT.
Who will it be? Will it be YOU? You'll never be the same, once you've been to ActiveRain! Trust me. :-)
Here's some samples of some entries so far:
I'll continue adding to this list...
We'll be announcing the "Winner" on May-Day 2009!
thannks for the help .. I guess I need to spend time getting the sign up sheets on line
Looks like it is a bit late tonight to get started .. I have to take another look at this tomorrow a.m.
Joan - it's never too late... A sleeper never Blogs, and a Blogger never sleeps! lol~
Brad
The contest will be very competitive.
Good luck and success
Lou Ludwig
Brad
The contest will be very competitive.
Good luck and success
Lou Ludwig
BRAD! NO FAIR! YOU ARE CHEATING BY GIVING AWAY THE BIG SECRET! Sheesh...now I stand NO CHANCE!
Using my supersleuth detective skills I found the buttons in question, but I still don't really get how they can help win the contest.....other than provide a list of new members to actively market to.
Hey Brad! Can you tell me how you posted this blog?!! I can't get anything to post tonight--have you kicked me out!?
BTW--I am going to WIN this trip!! ;-)
Maybe not being able to post tonight is the first clue ;) I've had the same trouble. I had no idea there was another contest going on...
I'm not sure I fully understand the contest. It reminds me of a little "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" meets "Midnight Madness"!
Not only have I not heard about the contest...i don't even know the difference between an Active Rain Member and and A/R Rainmaker..:-) I see that I am one.....but?......Man am i out of the loop - do you have to pay to join now.....I taught a class and had 30 people join.......but that must have been before people paid.....I was wondering why nobody out of my last 10 invitations ended up joining.....hmm...guess i should find out? I guess I'd be a Cheap Date eh? :-)
This sounds like fun!!!
Well maybe I'll go on a treasure hunt tonight ;-)
I found the page but I noticed - much to AR delight - that the overwhelming majority had already signed on to blogs. Have you tried a targeted partnership with brokerages like Long & Foster, Weichert, and other brokerages? Just a thought.
Whatever you did, it worked!! I got my posts up and running! You guys are the BEST!
PS--I'm SO going to win this contest!! ;-)
uh oh! You weren't suppose to see this Jeremy.
Jason - you're a sharp cookie... I mean super-sleuth detective. haha! Just look at some of that "Localized Content" being written for members only. If those members had rainmaker accounts, I bet google and their local markets good really benefit from their content. Do you know any of them? I'm Just sayin...
Debe - on my way over now to see what's up with your blog.
Julie - you're next. :-)
Liz - I doubt that you're a cheap date. lol~ You do still have to join AR for FREE, even to become a RainMaker. Many folks get invited, and the ones who really get it, they're here. Many will move on to become Rainmakers, and many will just move on. I've invited over 2000 and only have 173 who joined. The rest are coming slowly...
Christianne - love your idea, great tip. Is this your entry?
Julie - is yours working now too? Let me know, it looks ok to me..
Well, found the page but like Christianne and Jason, haven't figured out how to get them to sign onto rainmaker status. I like Christianne's idea of a targeted partnership with brokerages, but to get them to sign on I'd offer some hands on workshops as enticement.
I liked the old New Member lists when we could see at a glance where someone was from, what category they were in, and whether or not they had started a blog. It was a lot easier then to welcome new members to the Rain and encourage them. The new Top Member lists just don't have any value. Please bring back the old layout!
John - have you considered inviting others not already on AR? A welcome is nice, but nowhere as powerful as the invitation can be. IMO.
The new Top Member list offers plenty of value, especially for this contest. The difference in the old list and the new one is that these members are actually writing and participating. Not just loining and leaving a shadow figure there for 3 months. They are the top members based strictly on volume and content, and isn't it content that makes blogging the powerful thing it is today? I liked the old list too, but I really like the new one better. Have you read and checked out some of these new members? Some of their stuff is fabulous. :-)
Lora - I think that's a great idea too. Just remember, We're looking for a winner here!!
This just in... you can find this page in the rain too.... way to go guys!!!
The first step is becoming a member, the second step is "Dancing As A Rainmaker!" :-))
As I receive friend invitations on Facebook, I am asking agents if they are using ActiveRain. Most recent recruit was found that way.
Brad, thanks for the tip and I will be sure to not let Jer know.
My thought is I will be part of a technology webinar here in the state and I will be placing the invitation to those that attend.
Sounds like a great idea now if I can just find my thinking cap,I will put it on and see what happens! Keep up the good work!
There are so many ways to skin a cat. .the problem is implementing it into action. .
Hi Brad: I am confused. You said: "You do still have to join AR for FREE, even to become a RainMaker." I thought AR had gone to a paid subscription of $29 monthly. Is it free again? Please clarify - your post confused me.
:)
OK I found the page - anyone who would like to add me as an associate and subscribe to my blog will probably find it too - wink wink!
:)
Brad- Like some others, I found your "secret" page, but don't think I have the answer to winning this contest. In the past, I've gotten some members to join, but almost all have remained inactive...and that was before it cost to have an outside blog.
Brad - I will search for your secret page, and see what I can come up with. Great idea!
Fernando - exactly! Always easier to "think" than to "do".
Matt - Don't be confused, let me clarify:
Currently, to join AR, it is still FREE, in fact you have to join first before you can upgrade to a "paid" rainmaker account. (at least for now)
Marilyn - The page you found, those members are definitely active. They are the top members for each Year, Month, and Day. I can't give you all the answers, but I can tell you there are some great opportunities there to expose some new members to the benefits of being a rainmaker...especially when they are investing their time in writing so much Hyper-Local content that is only being viewed by "members only". hmm... It's a contest, just trying to give some folks a few ideas here. :-)
Wow this is a great contest...got to get busy and find the buttons.
Hi Brad: Thanks for the clarification. I had stopped inviting my fellow credit repair associates because I was under the impression that it costs to join after Feb 16th of this year!
:)
Nelya - hope you have a great vacation. Teaching classes is a great opportunity to share the benefits of an AR rainmaker membership. Good luck, and the deal is, if you do win, we WILL be paying for ALL your expenses. :-))
Rebecca - we've never had a contest like this before, it really is very exciting seeing all these great ideas and all the ways members are getting rainmaker sign-ups. Good luck!
Matt - it only costs if they upgrade to the rainmaker membership, joining is still free. So how do you plan on winning??
BTW - you won't be able to bring the kitty with you if you do... lol~
Hi Brad: Are you saying ActiveRain is Anti-Cat !!!!!!! LOL
As to the contest - hmmmmmmm - not sure
:)
Matt - hahaha!! not at all...
but we may be doing some things with our winner
that kitty might not want to be part of... ROFL :-)
Hi BRAD - LOL - nice kitty - yours ?
:)
Okay, I have a theory....Being a Rainmaker means that I have in some way caused it to rain. For me, in Active Rain lingo, it also means that it is raining points (into my profile). The other day I was a Rainmaker. Today I am not. The other day I was actively blogging and commenting.... in essence, making it rain. When I stop actively blogging and commenting, the rain stops! So what I need to do...to work towards winning the GRAND PRIZE.... is make more rain!
The second part of my theory is this: We have all grown to LOVE everyone at Active Rain for their fantastic senses of humor, comic genius, and unparalleled social engagement optimization (SEO, right Rudy @ Trulia?) I think these guys have brought their genius to a NEW level....they are messing with us all. For those of us that scrambled to get to coveted "It's Raining Points" T-Shirts, you know what I mean! This is merely another one of their crazy scavenger hunts that will have us all pulling our hair out...but we will all look back and say, once again....YOU GUYS ROCK!
To My Friends at AR: So, does flattery work?????
@Matt - yup. She's family! :-)
@Judy - Making rain in a RainMaker contest makes perfect sense to me. Not sure flattery was in the requirements, but it's most certainly welcomed anytime. (Big Smile!)
@Nelya - I know, I was thinking the Lure Jet from Bellevue to Kirkland! lol~
Brad...
May I have this RainDance? I promise not to tell BB :)
TLW...ROAR!
Oh great....more to learn and do. You guys never guit! I'm on it tomorrow. I'll get the links up wherever I can and strart rolling them in. Why? Because I really get the value of AR.
I did not know about the contest. Thank you for letting us know!!! :-)
This sure looks like fun as well as valuable. I'll try to delve into it further tomorrow. Thank you!
Patricia/Portsmouth NH Real Estate
Brad,
I don't get it. Maybe I've missed something.
There is reference to some hidden buttons on the AR website. I access these buttons every time I'm on AR -- unless there is a second set somewhere. Is there a second set?
There is reference to a form, something about a t-shirt, and a contest post.
I don't see how it all fits together.
Maybe I'm still groggy from tax season, and have not fully recovered ...
I taught 2 classes at my KW office recently, set up a separate website purely for class information, with a section for Active Rain, links directly to you, etc., etc. I've preached the value of blogging, SM and Active Rain. The biggest hurdle is well... I won't say that here. In any event, I'd love to come up with a great idea.
I thought about doing a break-out at an upcoming rebarcamp... but the event is too late. Bummer...
I would love to come back and stay at Snoqualmie Falls, it's so beautiful there.
I haven't been able to pull any new members but I know that you should have at least 3 Rainmakers that will be upgrading to an Outside Blog - oh and one on May 1st - Not entry worthy but still a good thing :)
Just wondering if there is a way to check total AR membership? Can we see how the campaign is helping and what growth? Might be good to share. Thanks
SO there are only 10 days left in this month and I am just now seeing this post. :) Where have I been at least I still have 10 days left and not 1.
I have a real estate worldwide web portal for real estate listings. I think a great way to get new members is to allow xml feeds of listing to active rain and i will add RSS feed to my site to promote activerain. Please provide me with the best feed that activerain would like me to use and I will gladdly add it to our news feeder at http://myrealtytoday.com. Allowing xml feeds to us portal people would allow a cross promotion that would benefit all involved. An xml feed in a format like Googlebase would work with exsistings applications.
Thanks Brad,
Another reason to keep visiting and blogging on AR.
V.
Brad - I didn't know about this. Thanks for this information.. :)
The giant multi-member Active Rain brain is churning up to full power. Watch out now world.
I am thinking.
Hey Brad I push AR all the time via my monthly seminars to Agents. I talk about Social Media, listing presentations and IDX among things.
Yikes! I just noticed this post is in the Sponsored Featured Post area, there goes my paycheck!! :-) lol~
You better win this for sure now...
I have invited about 60 people since Thursday and not one has joined. I have lost my touch... and that is NOT trying to get them to pay... just take the first baby step.
OK. I'm going to be selfish here and say I don't want to promote the site anymore. I think we lost a lot of the quality we used to have. Too many people are using their blogs primarily for goofing around and playing. And that messes with my SEO. I can't afford to pay big bucks... or any bucks for that matter, for SEO. I'm all for relaxing and having a bit of fun sometimes. But in that base, those posts should always be marked Members Only so it doesn't affect our SEO. I'm all for having more professionals here, blogging for business. Unfortunately that's not all we have. So now I have to cross-post to multiple blogs, to get the same effect I did with only Active Rain just a year or so ago =(
Lisa - that's not selfish at all, I think we have a very diverse wide variety of members on AR, and for each member, the contributions and rewards are always different and unique. I think they have to go hand in hand. SEO is very important, I agree, but (IMHO) SEO will never do as much business as relationships will. I'm all for having more professionals here too, but even the professionals have to be people first. Thanks for commenting, would have loved to see you WIN this, if nothing more than to finally get to meet you in person. :-)
Yikes I agree. I have been sleeping.
This should be a fun contest - let the creativity flow!
Brad,
I found the page and it would seem on the surface to follow the newcomers and pursue them. but how about this? Many people have signed on to Active Rain but have not fully activated their account - they show an "accepted" invitation but no points. I discussed this with Bob - a campaign to contact all of those people letting them know that they aren't truly a part of the system until they complete another step. That will add hundreds more members to your system. Also, many people are registered lurkers, doing nothing. Maybe they have become inactive, maybe they have never become active. An incentive of some type - 500 or 1,000 points for instance just for those people who complete a few simple requirements like a post, expanded profile, invite someone else. upgrade to rainmaker, or the like. :)
Steve
Brad,
Thanks for clarifying!
Steve - your comment will definitely be entered into the contest for the finals. Upgrading to rainmaker is the ultimate plan and goal here, the ideas and suggestions of how you do it can put you on a plane with some great prizes. Only 9 days left... Love your idea. :-)
Make sure you fill out that form.
BTW - do we really have lurkers?? lol~
I'm a rainmaker!!! How Exciting!
http://www.gregorygarver.com
I can only imagine how exciting it would be to win this and get to meet the entire ActiveRain Team. What a nice opportunity for the members, some lucky person will obviously win this and get to have an unforgettable time with you guys. WOW!