ActiveRain - The Official ActiveBlog

The ActiveRain Point System

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:35:25 -0800

The ActiveRain Point System

ActiveRain awards members points based on participation and their individual involvement within the network and community. While there is a much more complicated and technical explanation of how the point system works, this post is to provide you with a general overview of how points are earned and distributed to all ActiveRain members.

ActiveRain points are earned based on a member's individual activities and efforts. Points are accumulated over the course of the calendar week which starts Monday morning at 12:00am Pacific Time, and ends Sunday night at 11:59pm Pacific Time.

The following are some ways you can earn points and move up the "Featured Member" ladder in your local area:

200 points for each blog post
(Max 10 per week) (50 word minimum required)
25 additional points when post is added to channels with a topic
400 points for Featured Post on ActiveRain.com
(Excludes posts featured in ActiveRain groups)
25 points for each comment
(Max 10 Per Day) (Comments on your own posts excluded)
25 points for each reBlogged post
(Max 10 per week - these do not include your own posts)
ActiveRain profile points
(Building your ActiveRain profile will build points)
Received comments on blog posts
(No blog post to exceed 475 pts.)
100 points awarded for logging in to ActiveRain each day
(This applies 7 days a week)
250 points when someone accepts your ActiveRain invitation
(Must sign up under Member's Invite Code)
10% of total points earned by new members invited by you
(Example: invited member earns 1000 pts. - you earn 100 pts.)
ActiveRain and member approved contests - points will vary
(These show up as "Bonus Points" in your Point Summary)
Staff awarded bonus points - these are issued by the ActiveRain staff
(Member Humanitarian, Paying It Forward, Helping Others, etc.)

Weekly Point Scenario: The potential of points available per week, per member would be as follows: 1750 for max comments, 2000 for max blog posts, 700 for logging in daily, 250 for adding to Channels/Topics, and 250 for max reBlogged posts. The weekly potential of points would be 4950 (this does not include Featured Posts, comments received, invitation and percentage points, contests, and staff-awarded bonus points.)

Point Disclaimer: The Points System created by the ActiveRain Network was developed and implemented to motivate, inspire, and reward members for their participation and involvement within the community. These points are subject to change at the discretion of the ActiveRain Mgmt. Team, with or without cause, warning, or notice.

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Keep Up In the Rain!

Real Estate Marketing Plans: Most Effective Marketing of 2011

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:46:13 -0800

Real Estate Marketing Plans

Do you have your real estate marketing plans for 2012 ready?

With SO MANY alternatives for real estate marketing plans, are you confused on what to do in 2012?

So as you develop your 2012 real estate marketing plans, here is some great food for thought:

ActiveRain, the largest blogging platform and professional social network in real estate, conducted a survey of 1,910 real estate professionals asking the simple question of "what is the most effective real estate marketing or advertising that you do?"

The results:

Referrals (including word of mouth and sphere of influence) were overwhelming the most preferred marketing with 26% of responses.
Blogging was #2 with 13% of responses. (Keep in mind that the survey was conducted on ActiveRain, so these results may naturally be skewed to blogging).
Direct Mail continues to be incredibly popular. Direct Mail includes post cards, mailers, and newsletters. Direct Mail also received 13% of responses.
Internet Marketing as a general category received 12% of responses. Our assumption is that Internet marketing is generally speaking pay per click marketing on Google, Yahoo or Bing or lead generation from a number of different sources.
Networking Networking includes partner referrals and face-to-face meetings. Face-to-face networking received 8% of the responses.

(Share these stats - link to this article: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2641172/real-estate-marketing-plans-most-effective-marketing-of-2011)

As you can see based on 2011 real estate marketing plans, real estate professionals continue to favor more traditional offline, "tried & true" hand to hand real estate marketing techniques. Though the general bucket of Internet marketing & blogging are equivalent to direct mail, the top marketing techniques tend to be more offline - referrals, direct mail, networking, working with past clients, open houses, door knocking and cold calling. Hard to know if ActiveRain is the same as blogging and if Zillow or Google are the same as Internet marketing, but interesting to see that from a response perspective, that Open Houses are more popular than any one web site AND Door Knocking is more preferred than CraigsList and FaceBook.

When real estate professionals were asked, "What is the most effective real estate marketing or advertising that you do?" only a small number of real estate web sites were mentioned in reasonable frequency: ActiveRain, CraigsList, FaceBook, Zillow and Google. Of course, blogging and Internet marketing are large categories with a lot of different companies. But there were very few mentions of Wordpress or other ways to market online. Noticeably absent were Trulia and Realtor.com Though we believe ActiveRain is a very powerful blogging platform, fans of ActiveRain are likely over-represented in the survey. Kudos to Zillow to have name recognition equivalent to Google in the real estate industry.

For 2012, here are the key questions to ask:

How important is developing your REFERRAL BASE? How are you going to do it?
Are Blogging and SEO part of your 2012? If so, what to do - ActiveRain, Wordpress, Blogger, or other?
Direct Mail continues to be an important part of the real estate professional's marketing mix. It is amazing, but true. Direct Mail allow neighborhood targeting unlike online marketing. What kinds of direct mail campaigns will you be using?
Internet Marketing needs to be part of your 2012 marketing mix, but there are a lot of options from pay-per-click advertising to lead generation to Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com

ActiveRain is great place to start the learning process to figure out the best Internet marketing strategies to achieve your personal and financial goals in 2012!

Share this blog post! Either blog about it or share on your social networks. Link to and reference this blog if you use this content: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2641172/real-estate-marketing-plans-most-effective-marketing-of-2011

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Keep Up In the Rain!

The ActiveRain Ambassador Program

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:43:31 -0700

The ActiveRain Ambassador Program

Today we are launching the new 'ActiveRain Ambassador' program for members of the ActiveRain community. We have been kicking around the idea of setting up this program for months now and think we have finally come up with something that will work well and benefit ALL members of the network. What is an "ActiveRain Ambassador" and how does this program work?

Since the inception of ActiveRain, there has always been a "Pay It Forward" spirit amongst our membership. Invitations sent out by members were often followed up with courtesy calls to help new members get acquainted with the basics of the site. As new members joined the community, others who had been around for a while would welcome them by commenting on posts, sending a quick email with suggestions of how to improve, even picking up the phone to call those in their area to say "Welcome Aboard." We have always had 'ActiveRain Ambassadors', lending a helping hand in whatever capacity they could to get "Newbies" up and running, we've just never had a formal program to reward those willing to give so freely of their time.

The Ambassador Concept and Our Culture

The new 'ActiveRain Ambassador' program will be a formalized way that our ambassadors can call and welcome new members of ActiveRain to the site while at the same time walking them through some basics of the site, including the RainMaker upgrade, and sharing their experiences. Many times it takes new members some time before they figure out the nuances of the site and how it can have such a positive impact on ones business. Having someone to guide you through these first few days and someone to reach out to if you have questions was the foundation of the early days of our network. This foundation is still solid but the shear growth in numbers makes it hard for every new member to find the guidance they need when getting started.

We are going to make sure they get that guidance from the members who have been here for years already making it rain in their own businesses. We want to allow these new members access to the veterans of ActiveRain who have seen the bottom line of their business impacted as a result of their participation on ActiveRain, and we want to reward (a monetary reward......although, TLW, we will probably pay you in shoes) our 'ActiveRain Ambassadors' for helping us indoctrinate new members into our culture.

Here's an outline of what it is and how it will work. Your feedback and comments are always welcomed!

ActiveRain Ambassadors

"One more step in becoming the social hub of your local real estate market and industry."

Requirements for this position:

Unanimous approval from AR Staff “Ambassador Advisory Council”
Must have three examples of your Blogs at the top of Google.
Must have 100k ActiveRain points.
(Over time this may be opened up to lower point earners)
Must love the ActiveRain Network
Maintain a minimum level of monthly participation. Required deliverables will be communicated in Independent Contractor agreement all ambassadors must sign
Ambassador position is teaching and support focused. Ambassadors will each receive compensation when new members that they call sign up for Rainmaker accounts, but 'hard sells' will not be allowed. Again, this is a teaching, networking and support focused program.

Ambassador Program Benefits:

a. Public recognition, AR Ambassador Badge
b. Structured program to grow your professional network
c. Free Outside Blog
d. Free Localism Sponsorship
e. Link to Ambassadors Roster from AR Home Page
f. First in line for AR swag (logo t-shirts, etc.) All provided for free to Ambassadors.
g. Special events at industry conferences for Ambassadors.
h. Additional recognition for top Ambassadors.
i. Access to Ambassador Program Funds to support grass roots gatherings, training
classes, or events, created/hosted by AR Ambassadors.

Signing Up as an ActiveRain Ambassador

Many of you already value the time you spend on ActiveRain and you do some amazing networking through the site. This is a formalized way for you to continue to utilize ActiveRain for some amazing networking opportunities while at the same time taking on an Independent contractor role where we can pay you for helping to train the next generation of ActiveRain Blogging Superstars.

Just imagine being the go to person for hundreds of agents in your area. The networking effect and impact of that kind of exposure is too good to pass up! :-)

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How To Use Your "Existing" Domain Names on AR Outside Blogs

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:10:43 -0700

How To Use Your Own "Pre-Purchased" Domain Name on the ActiveRain Outside Blogs
This applies to members with Outside Blogs that want to use an existing domain name purchased elsewhere.

"Each new ActiveRain Outside Blog comes with a free custom domain name. But what if you've already purchased a domain name? Using your own domain with your new blog doesn't have to be a nightmare. Just follow your registrar's instructions for updating your domain's name servers. You'll need to point them at ActiveRain."

Here's a tutorial on how to setup your Outside Blog with your own Domain Name or URL in 5 easy steps. Keep in mind that when using your own previously purchased domain names, there can be nothing attached to it. No information currently residing on it. So for example, I just purchased my AR Outside Blog, I own a domain name BradAndersohn.com, (with nothing on it) and I want this to be the URL for my AR Outside Blog.

In this tutorial, I'll be using the GoDaddy Site since they are one of the Largest Domain Name providers in the world. The process in doing this with your registrar (if other than GoDaddy) should be the same or similar.

STEP 1:

Go to "GoDaddy.com" and Log-in to your GoDaddy Account:

STEP 2:

A list of your Domain names and sites will appear on the main page, click on the "Advanced Details" Link:

STEP 3:

In the GoDaddy Domain Manager, you will need to click on the "Manage" link located in the Nameservers section
(See Highlighted Area Below)

STEP 4:

Now you need to check the button "I host my domains with another provider" and also change the Nameserver settings to "NS1.AGENTSPACES.COM" & "NS2.AGENTSPACES.COM" then click on the "OK" button. (see below)

STEP 5:

Go to your AR Outside Blog and click on the "Domain" link located in the top toolbar. In the Domain Box, enter in the URL or Domain name and click on the "update domain" button. (TIP: Don't add http, or WWW, no spaces, no CAPS, no symbols etc. and include the .com)

You'll be able to access your blog at its new URL in as little as 5 minutes!
(on a bad day, it could take 24-48 hours)

ActiveRain provides you a "Custom Domain" name with ALL your New Outside Blogs if you don't already have one, and it IS included. There is no additional fee or charge for creating your own custom Domain names on AR Outside Blogs. To see what domain names might be available, just go to your Outside Blog, click on the "Domain" link located on the top toolbar, then enter your desired name in box #1. (IE: activebobstewart.com) Then click on the "Check Availability" link to see if your custom domain name is available. If it is, the "Claim Domain" button will become enabled, and you can claim your new Outside Blog domain name right then and there.

THE FINAL STEP:

If any of these steps cause or give you nausea, headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, or any other out of the ordinary daily blogging symptoms, then disconnect from your computer immediately, put your feet up on a lazy boy recliner, take two aspirin, and then call me in the morning. I'd be happy to help you through it if you need! To get your own personalized and customizable Outside Blogs, CLICK HERE. :-))

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How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:46:09 -0700

How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines.

There are three important audiences to be writing for: 1. Other members and friends of your Social Networks. 2. Consumers, Subscribers, and a Target Audience of readers. 3. Search Engines. I'm sure this is preaching to the choir, but this is important information to be shared if you want to get maximum exposure and results from your Blog posts with consumers, visitors, and with Google. Google Juice? I'll drink to that! :-)

Blogging for Customers and Search Engines correctly is a key component to a successful Blog.

Using these effective strategies and time tested methods when creating your post can make a huge difference. The first thing when writing a post is to determine the audience you are writing for, the product or concept you're promoting, and the geographic market you are targeting. In this scenario, we are creating a Blog post to drive readers, consumers, and search engines to your Blog which is All About Your Area. Things like "Vacant Land", "Open Houses", "Loan Modifications", "Tax Credit", "Pest Control", "Relocation", "Market Statistics", "Short Sales", "Condos" etc.

1. How to title a blog post: Use a title that a customer would type into Google. example: "Open Houses in Mesquite Nevada" Targeting Neighborhoods and focusing on Communities are best, but you can also use City/State. Most searches by consumers always include a geographic area. example: "Vacant Land For Sale in Bend, Oregon" Don't just title your post "Vacant Land For Sale" as it probably won't get indexed to a specific location and will likely get lost in the Search Engine Abyss. (SEO abyss = page 24 of Google)

2. Repeat the title in BOLD in the first sentence of your blog post. example: "Vacant Land For Sale in Bend, Oregon" and now priced better than ever! Build your dream home in Bend, Oregon!" By creating the first sentence of your post to include the title and BOLD key search words, terms, or phrases, you'll increase the potential of being found and then read. That first sentence is typically the first sentence that shows up under your TITLE within the Google search results. It's an important part of getting the search engines to recognize your topic and see it's relative content. It's also what will help a consumer decide if they want to click on your link or NOT!

3. Write your blog posts to the title...then add in good content that a customer would want to know about. It takes a bit more time to think this strategy through, but the results and rewards will be tremendous. This in NOT the only way to gain SEO and more exposure, but it's a great place to start if you're new to Blogging and are wanting quicker results from your time and efforts here.

Creating posts and Understanding Long tail and Short tail search terms: Short tail searches are just that, very short keyword searches. example: "Homes for sale" or "Homes For Sale Austin, Texas". This is where most searches begin during the early stages of research by consumers. The Long tail search comes into play the closer consumers get to making a final purchase decision. example: "Gated Community Homes For Sale With a Pool in Austin Texas" Justin Smith explains more about Long tail/ Short tail searches in his post. You can also find more details by searching Google for "Long tail and Short tail searches." Here's a video that might help make heads or "tails" about this.

4. Go through your blog post and make sure that the words of your title are repeated a minimum of at least three or four times. At least one time every other paragraph or so. You should also bold those keywords so they stand out to the reader and to the search engines. You need to be somewhat creative in doing this and remember, don't over do it.

5. Tag your blog posts with other keywords and phrases the customer may type into Google. These should be topic related and relevant to your post. Do not try to game the search engines by packing in keywords that have nothing to do with the post, this will do more harm than good in most if not all cases. Also make sure to include images and links to relative sites, this will create more stickiness and add value to your posts.

Creating a Blog Post for Customers and Search engines is not that difficult once you understand some of these basic concepts and then practice and apply them on a regular basis. This is not to say you shouldn't write about other topics both personal and business, even those can be tailored to get you better results with customers and search engines. We tested this theory on the Fourth of July Weekend and you should see some of the results ActiveRain members experienced. It really does work.

I hope you can use these tips on "How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines."
VERY IMPORTANT: If your post on ActiveRain is (MEMBERS ONLY) then none of the above applies.

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Happy Holidays! This One's For You!

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:46:48 -0800

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Keep Up In the Rain!

Add $50,000 to your bottom line: Hit your target with your links!

Bob Stewart (ActiveRain) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:40:08 -0700

Linking from your posts to your IDX home search site should be one of the primary strategies you employ as you create content for your blog. How you create these links and where you send the person clicking on them could make the difference in how your readers interact with you. The proper implementation of this strategy could be the difference between converting your blog readers into clients and ultimately business and simply being someone providing information out of the goodness of your heart.

Remember, you should be blogging for business!

It is no secret that consumers want the information they are after in the easiest, most direct fashion possible. One need only look at Google's insane traffic numbers to prove that point. Google does a great job of letting consumers search for exactly what they want and returning results that are relevant to the search they just did. Are you employing a similar technique when you create links on your blog posts? In most cases the answer is NO.

Sometimes the answer is no because you don't know where you should actually be linking (or maybe even that you should be linking at all) and sometimes the answer is no because even if you wanted to, your site doesn't allow you to link to the right place. In a lot of the cases I come across on ActiveRain it's probably a combination of both.

So first let's deal with where you want to be linking when you create links in your blog posts. You want to send the person to the exact information you just told them you were going to provide with the link you created. Does that make sense? Let's do an example:

The correct way:

(Click on the link below and see where it takes you. DO IT, I'll wait! Now once you are taken there, pay attention to the URL that we land on. It is specific to the exact link that we created, and more important takes to the results that we said we were going to deliver)

Affordable homes in Bellingham under $200,000 with 3+ bedrooms

sends us to: http://www.bellinghamrealtyexperts.com/listings/areas/29127,29128,134715,136174,29129/community/Bellingham/maxprice/200000/beds/3/ See that URL? It's exactly what we just said we were going to send them to.

Maybe our blog post for this specific search was referring to affordable homes for new families in the Bellingham area. New families need at least 3 bedrooms, and they generally can't afford much more than $200,000. So does it not make sense to send them to a SPECIFIC search on your website that delivers the information that your reader thinks they are about to find?

The way many people are doing it:

(In this example you can only mirror the wording for the above link if you can create a unique URL to a search of that nature. Otherwise, you are simply sending them to a page where they expect one thing, homes for sale in Seattle under $300,000 with 3+ bedrooms, and they get something else.........the home page of your website or a search page where they can then do that search on their own)

Affordable homes for sale in Belligham

sends us to: http://www.bellinghamrealtyexperts.com/ See that URL? It's the home page of the site. Now she has to depend that the person will actually perform the search once they reach the site. Her site makes it really easy to find that search function. It's right there, at the top left of the page, the place a person's eye naturally falls so she has a better chance of them performing the search then most people do.......but why even take the chance if the post they were reading was about affordable homes for families buying their first home?

Biggest Folly I see when people include a link: Linking to your home page

What if, unlike our home page above, the home page of your website doesn't make it so obvious how someone actually searches for homes? Here are three completely random examples that I just pulled from ActiveRain members in Seattle:

Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://www.murphybrown.com/)
Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://www.seattlecondohotline.com/)
Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://mssold.net/)

Please click on those sites and you tell me how long it takes you to actually get a list of homes for sale in Seattle? 5 seconds? 30 seconds? you couldn't figure it out? (I'm dead serious!! This is important!! Do it! Click on those links and figure out how long it takes the consumer to find homes for sale in Seattle) How about on your own website? It's going to be hard to judge your own website, hopefully you know how to quickly access your search feature. Have someone else try it then, your spouse maybe or a friend. Stand and watch them do it. How long did it take them?

"Remember, consumers have an average attention span of 3-5 seconds. When they’re scanning your website for an answer to their question or problem, they want to find it quickly. An effective website doesn’t force a customer to frantically search their website." Is your website consumer focused?

The better place would be to link them directly to the home search function on your site:

Most of you have the ability to do this with your site. For the three examples above, here are the links to the home search portions of their site:

Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://www.murphybrown.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.SearchPropertyNeighborhood&st=wa)
Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://www.seattlecondohotline.com/Seattle_WA_listings/index.shtml) This one was actually tough. I still couldn't really figure out how to access a complete home search and I've seen way more real estate websites than any consumer
Affordable homes for sale in Seattle (http://lakere.com/search/property_search.php?county=no_king) This one redirects away from her site to what appears to be the brokers site. I wonder if it tracks that traffic as having been sent from her and if that consumer registers does she get the contact?

The best place to link them is directly to a specific search that best matches your blog post:

Of these three completely random sites, none of them have the ability for you to create custom URL's out of the search functionality. They all use database queries to pull up the results that you search for. Anytime you are searching on the murphybrown.com site, you remain on that same URL and the home search results load in a framed solution. There is nothing wrong with that per say, but if you are writing a blog post about Affordable homes in Bellingham under $200,000 with 3+ bedrooms, the only options these sites provide for linking out of the post to the home search is to drop the consumer on the front of the home search page. And if that's the case, can you really make your link say 'Affordable homes for sale in Bellingham under $200,000 with 3+ bedrooms' if the link actually takes them to a default home search page?

What kind of options does your current home search solution give you?

If a consumer is reading your blog post, chances are they are already a highly targeted visitor. Does it make sense to take a highly targeted visitor that knows they want to look at affordable homes in Bellingham under $200,000 with 3+ bedrooms and send them to a page that forces them to figure out how to actually navigate a search to obtain the information they desire? Remember above? You have 3-5 seconds.

The site I was using above in the example is a site developed by Market Leader, bellinghamrealtyexperts.com.

You can have a Market Leader representative contact you about trying out there IDX product by going here.

(Disclaimer: I only used $50,000 in the title line to grab your attention. I don't know how much you will add to your bottom line. The more content you produce the better your chances and the more targeted your links the better your chances of adding real dollars to your bottom line.)

Friends, followers, and connections are the way of the future.

Make sure you check out some of our Facebook Fan Pages Too!

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Seattle Real Estate News and Events

How To Create and Maximize Your ActiveRain Blog Post

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Mon, 31 May 2010 13:08:56 -0700

How To Create and Maximize Your ActiveRain Blog Post

The AR community has grown and evolved with thousands of new members, millions of posts, some really cool features, and great SEO and consumer traffic. Many of the members who sign up and join ActiveRain start off very excited and ready to Blog, but then find themselves stuck. We have many members who ask What Should I do Next?

Having a profile setup and then just lurking around the community, not knowing where or what to do next, seems to be an age old trend. "What should I Blog about?" "I don't have the time!" "I'm not a writer or blogger!?" and "Why Should I Blog?" are just some of the common questions and concerns I hear time and time again.

It's time to get some answers. It's time to get your "Blog" game on!

ActiveRain members have created a very powerful on-line resource for both members and consumers that is second to none. There is ton of information here covering a wide variety of topics and discussions. So where do you find out what makes the ActiveRain Blog Post different than any other Network or Blogging platform out there?

What tools and options are available and how do you use them? How is Blogging on ActiveRain different than blogging on Wordpress or Blogger? Do you have questions like these and are you trying to make cents sense of it all? In just one hour, we're not just going to tell you, we're going to show you. If content really is King, then knowledge about content and "How To" must be Queen!

What's taken years to learn (through trial and error) will be shared with you in a "flash" of time, if you want it.

Click Here To Learn How To Create and Maximize Your AR Blog Post

* The Blog Cycle and Purpose - Connecting All The Dots
* What's The Difference Between a Website and A Blog
* Finding "Your" Blogging Voice and Transparency
* The Keys to Building Your Blog Resourse Library
* Where to Find Unlimited Content for Blogging
* What To Write and Blog About and Why
* How to Create Powerful and Inviting Blog Titles
* What Makes Bad Content vs Great Content
* How to Generate MORE Traffic and Leads
* How to Track Statistics and Use Analytics
* Strategy on Using Keywords and Tags Effectively
* Why Achor Text and Back Linking Are Crucial
* Using Channels, Groups, and Topics as Tools
* What is The Truth and Power of the ReBlog
* The Evolution of Posting Listings - What's Changed
* When, Why, and How Often To Create New Posts
* Using Syndication to Get Maximum Exposure
* Understanding SEO on ActiveRain and Outside Blogs

The purpose of ActiveRain and this vibrant network is to provide a community atmosphere where Industry Professionals can network, have fun, learn from each other, share their knowledge and experiences, and grow their business via referrals, SEO, and Blogging. If you're new to ActiveRain, or you've been lurking around for months now, or you've left AR and now you're back, or maybe attended a RainCamp and you're just not sure what to do next, I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity and join us. It all starts with YOUR Blog!

Important Note: This training is open to any and all members. Some tools and information we'll be sharing will only apply to RainMaker memberships. We'll explain the differences, and also provide you the opportunity to explore the "RainMaker" membership with no risk or obligation if you're interested.

EDIT 6/1/10 10:00pm
"Try This Link To See If You Can Watch The Recorded Session"

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Social Media for Real Estate Brokers

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:15:14 -0700

Social Media For Real Estate Brokers

Learn the current trends and best practices in social media usage by the top real estate brokers on ActiveRain, the largest social network and blogging platform in real estate.

ActiveRain CEO Nikesh (Niki) Parekh is speaking at the 2012 Inman Connect San Francisco Real Estate Conference this week on the topic of social media for real estate brokers on a panel entitled "Top Down Social Media" or "Social Isn't Just For Agents."

So what is social media for real estate brokers? What should real estate brokers be doing?

Of course, the real estate industry must go where the consumers are spending time and social media is dominating consumer & agent attention. In anticipation of this panel discussion, ActiveRain conducted a survey of the ActiveRain real estate community to understand how important social media is to real estate broker owners and managers.

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA FOR REAL ESTATE BROKERS AND SHARE THE RESULTS.

(If you find this valuable, please share this with your friends on social media and in the industry)

Should Real Estate Brokers, Team Leaders and Managers Be Active on Social Media?

Most agents believe that it is important to maintain an active presence on social media for real estate brokers. Real estate broker owners and office managers actually feel it SIGNIFICANTLY MORE important for real estate broker owners & team leaders to be active on social media, than real estate agents do. Why?

Real estate broker owners must lead by example.
Real estate broker owners must maintain a strong finger on the pulse of the real estate industry.
Real estate broker owners are responsible for building a visible, local brand (community relations).
Agents look to their brokers and manager for training on marketing.
Real estate broker owners and team leaders should support agents with office level marketing & lead generation.

A small percentage of agents who responded that it was NOT important for their real estate broker owner or team leaders to be on social media cited the following reasons:

Social media does not drive any business or qualified leads.
Social media is too time consuming.
My broker does not support any office marketing or training.
My broker does not even manage our web site, let alone social media.
I am building my individual real estate agent brand, so my broker's social media presence or marketing does not matter to me.

Why Should Real Estate Brokers Use Social Media?

Brokers, team leaders and agents agree that social media is most important to:

Communicate with the real estate colleagues
Stay abreast of real estate industry news
Generate leads
Improve public & community relations
Train & educate agents

Social media for real estate brokers seems less important to agent recruiting (or at least no one has figured it out yet). Top agents and brokers are starting to use social media to recruit and retain top real estate talent who are a hot commodity in today's recovering real estate market. But it is still ealry days for social media within the real estate office.

How Should Real Estate Brokers Be Using Social Media?

Based on the results of our survey of ActiveRain, social media for real estate brokers should be focused on following sites as much as possible.

FaceBook is the dominant social media platform for consumers, agents, and broker owners alike.
Blogging continues to play a critical role in a social media strategy. ActiveRain is the most used blogging platform, though WordPress is also used by a quarter of agents.
Twitter has significantly higher daily usage among broker owners & top producing agents earning more than $100k per year.
Agents maintain a presence on LinkedIn and Google Plus, with low daily usage.
Pinterest has developed a surprisingly large and loyal following in less than 2 years, bsaed on the visual and addictive nature of real estate and "house porn" - beautiful homes that mere mortals could never afford.

What Do You Think? Leave Your Comments Below! Please Share This Research on Social Media.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL ACTIVERAIN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR REAL ESTATE BROKERS REPORT. Click the image below to see the full results of the survey.

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Keep Up In the Rain!

Blogging Boot Camp Starting Again September 6th

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:15:14 -0700

Our ActiveRain Blogging Boot Camp training series is set to start again! Members blog on ActiveRain so they can generate leads, get referrals from the relationships they build on our site and learn from our amazing community of more than 300,000 real estate professionals.

Join our free Blogging Boot Camp class and you'll get:

* Four live classes to teach you the essentials of real estate blogging (and 4 recorded sessions)
* Placed in a micro-community of other bloggers to build your roots in the network
* Mentoring from ActiveRain Ambassadors on how they've found success in the 'Rain
* One-on-One support and assistance from our Staff
* Action Items you can download after each class designed to put the concepts into play

If you have an ActiveRain account and would like to reserve a spot in an upcoming Boot Camp, please submit the form below:

Fill out my Wufoo form!

Our next Boot Camp series is launching Thursday, September 6th with each class starting at 9am Pacific. Every Thursday thereafter be ready for the next class in the series.

The four core classes in our Boot Camp series are:

1. Writing Your First Blog Post (Sept. 6th)
2. SEO Blog Training (Sept. 13th)
3. Linking in Your Blog Posts (Sept. 20th)
4. Draft Review Class (Sept. 27th)

Don't worry, if life gets in the way and you miss a live class, we'll have a recording available.

This is your fast track guide to everything blogging. We've never had a program as clearly outlined like this before and we're putting much care into building each participant's success. If you have the drive to really say "This is the day I'm going for it", you'll have every inch of our support behind you!

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Keep Up In the Rain!

How To Create and Maximize Your Outside Blog

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:35:05 -0700

Here's the quickest and easiest 7-step plan to setup and maximize your ActiveRain Outside Blog. These directions should help you to have your Blog set-up in no time at all. Allow 30-60 minutes to complete these steps. ActiveBlogs are currently available to ALL Rainmaker and Grandfathered AR members. Find Out More

Step One:

Creating Your ActiveRain Outside Blog

First, be sure you are logged into ActiveRain. Click "My Home" to get started.

From the tools and links on your "Left Sidebar" click on "Outside Blog"

(Some members may already have a link and upgrade option available, click upgrade)

Click on the "Sign Up Button" from the Custom Blogs landing page.

Enter your information below in the following order:

Enter the name of your Blog
Give a description of Blog
Select a Theme for your Blog
Enter Credit Card Information

After you've completed the steps above, click on the "Create Blog" button

Once you click on the "Create Blog" button, please note:
(To avoid being charged multiple times, please don't use your browser's back or refresh buttons)

Congratulations!

Your new Outside blog is ready to go. You'll receive an e-mail containing further instructions. If you want to get started immediately, you'll be given a temporary name until you choose your own custom domain name. (Domain names are included w/Outside Blogs) Your temporary domain name will look something like this: 37e99f3.activerain.com Click on the link to start customizing and personalizing your new Blog.

You can have Unlimited Outside Blogs on AR, just repeat the above steps for each Blog.

Step Two:

Getting to Know The ActiveBlog Toolbar

Theme - Select from multiple Company or Generic Themes for your Blog

Customize - Allows you to import a Custom Header/Banner and Sidebar Image

Widgets - Add from multiple ActiveRain and Third Party Widgets currently available

Info - Change your Blogs Title and Description

Domain - Create, Check Availability, and Select a Custom Domain Name for your Blog

Links - Add Custom Links To Your Blog Sidebar - Unlimited

Members - Invite other ActiveRain members from your Brokerage or Team to Contribute

NOTE: If you DO NOT see the toolbar above, just click on the link, and the toolbar will appear.
(You must be logged into ActiveRain in order to login and begin customizing your Outside Blogs)

Step Three:

Creating and Claiming Custom Domain Names - Easy as 1-2-3

It's important to establish your own domain name for your Blog once you have created it.

From the Outside Blog Toolbar, click on "Domain"

1. Choose a Domain name in the box: No spaces, No Caps, No Symbols, No Dashes, No HTTP or WWW.
(Example: activerain.com) Don't forget to add .com

2. Check the Domain Name Availability by clicking on the blue "Check Availability" Link:

If the domain name is NOT available, you'll see this:

If the Domain name you select IS available, you'll see this:

3. The final step is to click on the "Claim Your Domain" name button.
Your Blog will now appear at that URL / Web Address immediately.

Very Important! The section below is ONLY if you have already purchased a domain name elsewhere, and feel you must use it. Keep in mind that there CAN NOT be any existing data, websites, or current Blogs attached to or affiliated with the domain name you wish to use.

If you choose this option, be sure to follow the instructions located on the "How Does This Work" link.

Step Four:

Adding Widgets to your ActiveBlog

What's a Widget? Installing widgets is easy. There are many currently available, and plenty more being added.

1. Go to your ActiveRain Outside Blog and Click on the link.

2. Click on the "Widgets" link from the toolbar at the top of the page.

3. Click on the button to open your Blogs Widget Manager.

4. From the "Widget Manager", using the pull-down menu, select any of the available "Widgets" then, Click the "ADD" button and you're ready to install. Follow the instructions for each widget carefully. You can customize and sort or reorder your widgets any way you like. Click "Reorder Widgets" then just drag and drop them wherever you want them placed.

Step Five:

Setting Up Your Listing Router and IDX

As traffic and visitors start to frequent your Outside Blog, you'll want to be sure and setup your Listing Router so that it links all property searches back to your IDX sites. Be sure to set this up immediately after creating your outside Blog. You can either use the "Listing Router Campaigns" or the "My Markets" search when creating the links to your IDX systems.

Step Six:

Adding Content to Your Outside Blog

In most cases, when setting up your first Outside Blog, all your current public content will be moved over to the new Blog. To add or create new content, you can edit existing Blog posts, or create a new ones.

To add posts to Blogs, put a check in the box next to "Outside Blog" then submit your post.

Step Seven:

Inviting Others to Participate and Contribute to Your Blog

Click on the "Members" link on your Outside Blog Toolbar

You can invite other members just by entering their ActiveRain user name (Example: activebrad)

An Invitation will be emailed to that specific member giving them the option to either accept/decline. Once a member accepts your invitation, they will appear on your "Members" link as shown below. You can assign different roles and rights to your Blog contributors. There is also a frequent contributors widget that can be added to your sidebar showing the authors and sorted by the most recent post.

Don't forget to always promote and link back to your New Outside Blog and posts. Add Google Analytics for tracking, the Google Search Widget to search your Blog, and the Feedburner Widget so others can subscribe via email to your Blog. Add hyper-links anytime you can to drive traffic to your Outside Blog.

We're always available to help you with these, so don't hesitate to ask any of us if you need it. Enjoy!!

Click Here to DOWNLOAD or PRINT These Steps

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Keep Up In the Rain!

ActiveRain ReBlog Gets A FaceLift - Time To Incorporate It

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:04:42 -0700

I'll be the first to admit, I didn't really like the previous ReBlog graphic/icon as I felt it was too big. It moved my text around making my posts look funny, and it was completely useless for me as the author of my Blog. The value seemed to only be for the ReBlogger. I know there are still mixed opinions about "ReBlogging" and the value of it, so like "open houses" I'll let that controversy continue onward and upward, but not here.

You'll notice this morning that the ReBlog icon has in fact changed, and in my opinion, for the better. I can finally see who has been ReBlogging my posts. The best part is that now you can also Link to the ReBloggers post to see what they might have said about it, or others that may have commented. Think of all the comments you've been missing about your post that was ReBlogged! :-O

This is a great new feature and I really like the look of the "NEW" and "Improved" graphic.
(The AR Tech Team redeems themselves)

You can also ReBlog members posts to appear on your Outside ActiveBlogs. No other Network offers a tool like this, ActiveRain continues to be on the cutting edge of social networking and technology.

HOW TO USE THE REBLOG OPTION:

If it's green it's clean, but if it's Grey with green dots then you've been REBLOGGED!! To ReBlog another members post, just click on the ReBlog button. To view a ReBlogged post and the ReBloggers comments or additions, just click on the green dots below the button. (Just fyi...You cannot ReBlog your own posts) To add the ReBlog option to your Blog posts, when creating the post, just put a check mark in the box that says: then submit post.

HERE'S THE NEW REPORT YOU GET FROM YOUR REBLOGGED POSTS:

IMO - A ReBlogged Post is one of the finest compliments you can give another ActiveRain Member!

I never thought I'd say this, but now I don't mind going back to all my posts and adding the ReBlog option to every single one of them. Especially now that I can see who has ReBlogged me, and what they had to say. Now we can follow the chain and threads on our ReBlogged posts, and the new face-lifted graphic won't affect the layout or design of our posts. I personally like the change and want to thank our guys for listening to the community and for making it happen. Kudos Gents!! :-)

If there were one single Blog post on AR that should be Reblogged by every member here, I'd say it's:

this one!

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How To Get Started on ActiveRain

ActiveRain Real Estate Network (ActiveRain Corp.) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:16:51 -0700

How To Get Started on ActiveRain - A quick route to a successful Journey on ActiveRain.

The ActiveRain Staff, along with our members and ambassadors, wish to welcome you to the ActiveRain community. We know you have a choice, and we're glad you've chosen our network as a place to connect with others, support your local neighborhoods and communities, plus grow your business and relationships.

Before you begin your journey here, there's a few areas we invite you to navigate first. This will save you time and give you a better understanding of the Network. We're confident that our site will bring value, benefits, and substantial rewards to you and your business.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
These are REQUIRED and a MUST READ for ALL New Members - NO EXCEPTIONS!

What We Stand For - Weltenschauung
Weltanschauung: The guiding principles and philosophy of an organization. A world view.

The ActiveRain Community Guidelines
Please take these rules seriously.

ACTIVERAIN UNIVERSITY
Get live training weekly to make your blog the best it can be

ActiveRain University Schedule - Classes every weekday
Learn the ins and outs of ActiveRain and how to utilize it to the fullest with our live trainer.

ActiveRain Orientation - A Live Webinar to get you acquainted
Steve, our live trainer takes you through the basics on the site to get you familiar with ActiveRain

ActiveRain University Suggestion Box
Don't see a class you would like us to create? Make a suggestion to us for future classes.

GETTING STARTED in 3 EASY STEPS
Follow these next steps to get setup on ActiveRain.

How To Complete Your Profile - Part II
Your profile has three areas that allow you maximize the page. Learn How to use these sections.

How To Use Your "My Settings" Page
Now you are ready to Customize your ActiveRain Settings.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ACTIVERAIN
Social Networking, Connecting and Blogging

ActiveRain Member Success Stories
Read what other industry professionals and members have to share.
Here's A VIDEO version

Understanding ActiveRain Points
Learn about points and how they work on the network.

The RainMaker Membership
Becoming a RainMaker - The Value and The Benefit

READY TO MAKE LIGHTNING, THUNDER AND RAIN
Now that you're a member and RainMaker, put the power tools to work

Top 10 Tools for New Members and RainMakers
Take the time to review what this network has to offer.

ActiveRain Custom Outside Blogs
How To Create and Maximize Your Outside ActiveBlog.

OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
Use these links to dive deeper in the "Rain" if you need more information

The ActiveRainGuide
A Tutorial Blog by Members for Members

The ActiveRain Staff Blog
The Official ActiveRain TEAM Blog

Help/FAQ Group
A network group created to help members

An ActiveRain eBook Tutorial
Find Almost Anything about ActiveRain here

ActiveRain University
Online Campus for Training and Support

Real Estate RainCamp
"Live" Local Conferences and Seminars
My Blog, Your AR Resource
Your One stop Shop for all AR Tutorials

DID YOU KNOW?
ActiveRain is the TOP Real Estate Social Network in the World (source: Google)

The ActiveRain Network hosts over 170,000 RE Industry members averaging 200-300 new members daily. There are more than 1.5 million articles posted, with an average of 700-1000 new posts daily. Two million+ visitors traffic the ActiveRain network each month, over 80% are consumers. Only Rainmaker upgraded accounts receive Google trafﬁc to their blogs and posts. ActiveRain Member's Blog posts receive more than 500 views on average. Activerain is the ONLY on-line Network that offers this wide variety of tools, diverse services, and proven solutions to the Real Estate Industry Professional and for consumers on the WEB.

Best of Luck and Enjoy!

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Keep Up In the Rain!

Survey Says...Realtors Suck

Jeff Corbett — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:41:16 -0700

The following post is simply one non-conformists opinion, albeit a relatively educated one...Its my hope that my words, cutting as they may come across, cause an epiphany for more than a few...

This entire post is based on The California Association of Realtors 2008 Home Seller Survey (released in July 2008, I just happened upon the PowerPoint presentation a few days ago) but the statistics are just as relevant today, if not more so...Granted this survey is but a snapshot of an industry, yet pictures are worth thousands of words...You can read the entire survey here. (All statistical references in this post are derived from the aforementioned survey).

Public perception of the real estate professional and the greater industry is amongst the lowest of any on record. Consumers are looking for an alternative to the 'traditional' Agent and they're defining what this alternative is, yet relatively very few professional are heeding this demand and actually providing a tangible solution. This Survey demonstrates to me that 90% of Agents are not providing what the consumer wants...and it is ALL ABOUT THE CONSUMER.

Personally I know alot of fantastic real estate professionals. Genuinely great people, passionate, always striving to better themselves, their clients, the industry they serve and represent...they're worth every penny they command...they dont suck...I'm just a sucker for a good title (no pun intended). I could fill this page dropping names like Jay Thompson, Kris Berg, Missy Caulk, Bill Gasset and 30 others nobody has heard of as examples of who I consider to be the vanguard of where this industry should look to as ministers of positive change. Unfortunately, they're in the minority and a few good apples don't ripen the bunch.

Agent Perception: I can Has Consumer!

Talk to most any real estate professional and they will tout their expertise, knowledge and marketing prowess as the main reason you should retain their services. Most will maintain that commission rates (should) mean very little to the consumer and they're worth every penny.

Consumer Reality: You Suck!

According to the respondents:

Number One factor considered when choosing an Agent? Lowest Commission.

Last reason? Most knowledgeable. <-- If this doesn't snap you into reality, nothing will.

You'd best start putting your knowledge out there if you hope to attract a client...get a blogsite that rocks, start dropping neighborhood knowledge, get a killer IDX solution...substantiate your value!! The days of being a prude with your listings and expertise until you had an executed contract are over.

I can find out more than you know.

~70% of respondents polled on 'Information from The Internet vs Information from Agent' indicated that the Net provided information that was as useful, 'different' or more useful than an Agent. I can only surmise that 'different' means information an agent couldn't or simply didn't provide. In the Age of Information, lack thereof is akin to being useless.

The ~31% that said The Net provided less useful information than an Agent are part of a 50% declining trend over the past 5 years.

You're still (a) very necessary (evil?).

~95% of respondent sellers still used an agent, which makes perfect sense. I often state that: While technology won't replace a good real estate Agent, the Agent that properly utilizes technology will replace Agent that doesn't.

Consider- 74% of 1st time respondent sellers considered not using an Agent, up 46% from 2007.

You can't market your way out of a brown paper bag.

Of the reasons given for using an Agent only 7% said it was for 'Better Marketing Exposure'. Ummm, isn't this what an Agent's core value proposition is supposed to be, to market property? Consumers clearly do not believe Agents can effectively market their property...yet online and offline marketing is the 1st and 3rd highest reason for choosing an Agent. This is a huge disconnect and opportunity at the same time.

84% of respondent sellers are searching online and 96% Agents polled use print advertising. Helllllooo!?! Can you say poor ROI, waste of money? Newspapers and other print media are going out of business because less and less people read them. Advertising in these dinosaurs is of almost no value going forward.

Only 57% of agents use multiple photos or a virtual tour as part of an online home listing. This just blows my mind. I'd guess that 50% of the 57% that actually use multiple photos look (kinda) like these:

Proper Feng Shui can do wonders for a small space.

Extra long chain for convenient access to light.

Sweet shower curtain stays with home!

Thanks to MLS Trash Can for the pictures. Descriptions by me.

Seriously, an agent who can't manage to market a property with quality photographs should have their license suspended on principle alone.

You're being perpetually judged.

97% of respondents interviewed 3 or more Agents. 50% interviewed 6 or more Agents. Consumers are getting more and more finicky about who they hire. Agents better step up how they present themselves. Better have an impressive resume and a killer suit = a slick engaging blogsite & robust IDX solution.

Here's a scary thought (depending on who you are):

Consumers are lurking on your blog, stalking your FaceBook page, following your Twitter stream, viewing your Flickr account, reading your answers on Trulia, Zillow & ActiveRain, evaluating your IDX, the quality of your multi-media marketing, processing how you engage comment threads and otherwise perpetually judging you under the cloak of anonymity.

How are you representing yourself in public and when you don't think anyone is looking?

The silver lining in this post could be that 'The Bar' is so low in a consumers eyes, those Agents willing to set aside their perceptions and confront reality are in a great position to capture some huge marketshare. Take this information and use it to your advantage rather than deny its validity.

Many Agents are out there cleaning up despite this 'depressing' market...Find them, reach out to them, study their successes...I find the most successful people in life are more than willing to share their successes and help others get there too. Reciprocity is still live and well...

To hear more, check out this interview with Tim Harris…

ActiveRain Launches Outside Blogs - How Do You Get Yours?

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:31:12 -0700

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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