ActiveRain - The Official ActiveBlog

Real Estate Marketing Plans: Most Effective Marketing of 2011

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

The ActiveRain Point System

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.

ActiveRain Launches Outside Blogs - How Do You Get Yours?

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — 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!

Tutorials | Training | Mobile | Widgets

"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

Top 10 ActiveRain Tools for NEW MEMBERS and RainMakers

ActiveRain Corp. — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:14:40 -0700

I've been out doing office presentations these past few weeks, and sharing with Brokers and Agents what ActiveRain is all about. In my travels, I have found that as new members join ActiveRain, it can seem a bit overwhelming because there are so many members, tools, great posts, and let's face it, there's a ton of information here.

So Where do you go and what do you do once you hear about ActiveRain?

The first step is to just sign up, the second step is to setup and create your ActiveRain profile, and the third step is to write that first post. To help new members with these steps and to try and simplify the process, there is a "Getting Started" post that helps minimize the frustration some experience their first few visits here.

The most common question I get is "What tools does ActiveRain offer to help my Business?"

Having useful tools in your "Toolbox" is great, but if you don't know where they are, you're not using them, you don't know how, or you never open the toolbox, then none of them will present much value? Hopefully this wil help some of you that are new to the community.

Here's the "TOP 10 ActiveRain Tools" and in no particular order:

10. Advertising on Activerain can get you some great exposure. Nearly 150,000 members, and over 2,000,000 visitors each month. We have numerous options available through channels, Activerain pages, the Daily Newsletter and the Top Spot on the Feature Board.

9. Go Hyper-Local using Localism.com Creating content on ActiveRain for your Localism Blog can be a huge resource for your local communities and neighborhoods. The worlds most complete neighborpedia. Sponsoring a community is easy and inexpensive.

8. Building a Profile is more than just your picture, company name and phone number. Member profiles CAN generate Subscribers, Traffic, Associates and Business. Take the time to make your profile your masterpiece. Your Profile can be just as powerful as a website.

7. Outside Blogs have become one of ActiveRains leading tools for members. There's No need to learn a new Blogging platform. It's easy to set one up and there are plenty of tools and widgets to help make your custom outside Blogs successful.

6. Vision - Do you know what your prospects are thinking? ActiveRain presents a new vision for success. IDX and Leads are great to have, but you'll need the tools, a plan, and the follow-up / follow thru to make any lead generation tool become a success.

5. Hit Router - With over 100,000 City searches on ActiveRain recently, you could generate some great leads via your IDX. Set up your FREE Markets, create City Search Campaigns, you can watch a webinar how to do it all. There's over 1,000,000 posts on ActiveRain which means one million plus opportunities for visitors to search for homes in your area and find YOU.

4. The ActiveRain Referral Exchange. Be sure to setup some alerts in your area immediately. This training webinar will help. There's even a rating system in place that can be used at the close of referral transactions. A tool every referral exchange should have.

3. Networking, Connecting, and building Associations with other Real Estate Industry Professionals on ActiveRain will increase your knowledge and resources faster than any other website or Social Network out there. Your Associates are a great reference and endorsement. You can Build your National and International Associates all in one place.

2. It's good to find Blogging mentors who have been successful. There are thousands of great Bloggers and successful members here on ActiveRain, you can see the Top 100 most subscribed to get some great ideas and to see what works for them.

1. Becoming a Rainmaker member does have it's obvious privileges. Why? (see all the above) There are many more tools, services and benefits you'll discover on ActiveRain, but these 10 are the most valuable and powerful in my opinion. Remember that joining ActiveRain and using these tools is not a "Sprint To The Win" it's a "Marathon To The Victory!"

Sometimes finding support and answers to your questions can seem like a daunting task, but there are some easy ways and "tools" available to help you get anything you need on ActiveRain. You can Contact ActiveRain, use the SEARCH tool, check the HELP/FAQ Group, visit the ActiveRainGuide.com for "how-to" posts and tutorials, use my profile, or you can contact our staff on-line anytime. You'll find our staff Blog at ActiveRainTeam.com.

Specific Tools are created to get certain jobs done, I hope these tools help you "Get Your Job Done!"

How To Create and Maximize Your Outside Blog

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

New ActiveRain Widgets for ActiveBlogs

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:56:38 -0800

He won't admit it, but Rich Jacobson is addicted these little things so I have to keep testing them out and requesting them for HIS Blog! This isn't the first time I've written about Widgets and Rich, and it won't be the last. haha! Those who know me well, know all about my Widget World fetish. lol~

Seriously, while most of you were sleeping and the other late night Bloggers were posting...(like me), our AR Tech MASTERS released another update for the Outside ActiveBlogs. I had said earlier that these were coming and when I heard they were here, I just couldn't sleep. Then when I saw this, I just couldn't resist squeezing out a quick post.

Widgets for ActiveBlogs. This feature is limited to our Outside Blog users who have Individual or Group Blogs. Although these widgets will display in all browsers, Internet Explorer 6 is not a supported browser for "managing" your new AR Widgets. We suggest that any IE6 users Upgrade Your Browser.

We've added a topic/category widget and support for some third party widgets. Be sure your posts each have a topic/channel or this widget will pull up blank results. (I would go back and edit posts if need be)

Screen shot of the "Edit Widget" mode on your Outside Blogs. Next, is one of the coolest Features yet...

Members can now reorder their widgets with just a simple drag and drop process. WOW! These guys are good! This is the coolest Widget Feature ever!

No more code, no more embedding, no more errors, and no more wasted time trying to figure out how to install these little gizmo's on your Blogs, just a simple user interface which allows you to add what you need to customize and get the maximum "Widget" power from your new ActiveBlogs. But wait, there's more...

I saved the best for last:

ActiveBlogs & SEO

SEO Upgrades for ActiveBlogs. (Again, limited to Outside Blog users) The high point is our automatically generated Site-map which helps Google (and other search engines) more quickly and accurately index these Blogs. Now with the ability to search Local posts, topics and categories, and add widgets, this altogether will make these Blogs ROCK. I know where you're going next...

Be sure to stop by Rich Jacobson's Blog, I'm sure he'll have every "Widget" available right on his sidebar. That is, if you can get your computer to stop crashing from the lag caused by his widget-happy blog page!

Tutorials | Training | Mobile | Widgets

"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

How To Get Started on ActiveRain

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!

RainCamp: More Social, Less Media - TOMORROW!

ActiveRain Corp. — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:26:30 -0700

Registration now open for RainCamp: More Social, Less Media

When: April 19th 9:00am to 12:30pm Pacific Time (12:00pm to 3:30 Eastern Time)
Where: Online, join us from your office, couch or even your bed
How much: Free (thanks to our sponsors)
What: Learning to use Social Media tools to increase your business
Who: A great lineup of speakers, check them out below

Social media is a buzz word for 2012. It was a buzz word in 2011. But how does it actually impact your business? How do you use social media to create more value for your existing clients and to potentially create new connections for your business? What Pinterest, the new emerging star in the social media sky? Do you really need to be concered with Google+?

We'll take a look at these questions and give you some solid answers and applications of how to use social media in your business to impact your bottom line. Let's figure out how to capitalize on the social part of social media and stop thinking about it as another media opportunity to cram our marketing down someone's throat (not that there's not a place for that approach in your marketing tool bag......different strokes for different folks)

We are excited to have these guys joining us:

Scott Stratten, president of Un-Marketing

Becoming a Trusted Expert using Social Media

Are you familiar with Scott? He was recently named one of the five most influential social media personalities by Forbes.com and he's created viral videos for some of his clients that have been viewed over 60 million times. His twitter ramblings go out to over 119,000 people every day. If you're not familiar with Scott, take ten minutes to check out his blog, his twitter feed, or even some videos of him presenting his thoughts on Social Media. This guy gets it. He understands how companies and small businesses can utilize social media to make real connections for their business.

As his bio states: "He is an expert in Viral, Social, and Authentic Marketing which he calls Un-Marketing. It’s all about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in front of your target market, so when they have the need, they choose you." (Did he write that stuff about himself? Or have someone else write it? I always wonder when I see someone's bio......I'll have to ask him during RainCamp.) I'm super excited that he will be joining us to talk about some things real estate agents can do to to position yourself as a trusted expert in front of your target market.

**Warning: You may spend more than 10 minutes if you take the time to check those links

(All the awesomeness in his bio, combined with $5, will get him a cup of coffee anywhere in the world. I stole that from his bio page. But your ability to absorb some of the things that he's learned over the years will be way more valuable than your morning caffeine intake. And it's a webinar, so you can watch from home and get your coffee for cheaper than $5.)

Ben Kinney, REALTOR® with Keller Williams in Bellingham WA

Between 8 and 13 Practical Applications of Social Media to Increase Your Leads

If you're not familiar with Ben, he is a mega producing agent whose team did over 530 transactions in 2011. He's also the founder of IMSD, the Internet Marketing Specialist Designation, a program where he shares his entire business, the same things he's doing that lead to his team having over 530 transactions last year. The reason I love having Ben at RainCamps is because he is a practioner who is using the advice he is going to share with you to generate more leads for his business. Ben and I have been kicking a title for his presentation back and forth and it's going to be somewhere between 8 and 13 ways to use Social Media to generate leads.

If he's feeling particularly generous, it could be more than 13........and those of you that have followed Ben know that he's more than willing to share good ideas that are working in his business. He'll even share them with his competitors because it forces him to come up with more and better ideas.

We want you to walk away from RainCamp with actionable items that you can start to work on right away. No one is better at sharing actionable items that lead to more business than Ben is. He shares his ideas all the time on the success principles group (you have to ask to join the group once you land there in the top right) that he created on Facebook that now has over 3800 members sharing, getting and giving advice.

Chris Smith, Chief Evangelist for Inman News

Pinterest - Because Pretty Pictures and Real Estate Go Hand in Hand

Of course you're familiar with Chris. He's was the brain behind the wildly popular TechSavvyAgent.com blog before coming over to lead the Inman Next Community for Inman News. In some ways, he's probably a competitor to ActiveRain, but we don't care. We want to bring you great minds to help you navigate the social media landscape and he's S.M.A.R.T! Smart. A thought leader in every sense of the word for using social media in real estate. He's also passionate about helping real estate agents understand and use some of the technologies that are emerging at break neck speeds. Every day, it seems, there is another app, website, social media tool or something that you hear you should use in your business. The latest one is Pinterest.

You've surely heard of Pinterest. It's hard to have missed it the last few months as it exploded on the social media scene as a way for people to collect and share images from around the web that they enjoy. But as with all the shiny new objects we encounter, we have to figure out if these things have practical applications for our business.

Chris will be taking drilling down and focusing on how Pinterest can be more than just a collection of great images. How can you utilize this rapidly emerging medium to market your business? How can you make sure you're not just another dolt out there collecting friends for an as of yet undecided purpose? Chris will have you pinning for the right reasons in no time.

And me, Bob Stewart, Chief Evangelist for ActiveRain

I'll Let You Decide, Facebook Fan Pages or Google+

You have spoken, Google+ It is!

I'll be the first to admit that Google+ is something I ignored when it launched. I knew it was there, but I wasn't diving in until I knew it was going to be around for a while. But Google has been doing some interesting stuff with Google+ and it's integration with their search algorithm. Can you really afford to ignore Google+ any longer if there's a chance it could impact the search results of the people you're connected with? I don't think it's an option anymore and we're going to talk about why, as well as what can you do to make sure you're keeping the 800lb. Google beast happy as you navigate the social media highway.

(I use that picture of me and my wife because she makes me look so much better than I actually do.......)

A special thank you to all of our sponsors that allow us to bring this to you for free!

Save the Date: RainCamp April 19th

ActiveRain Corp. — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:38:12 -0700

I have always been confused by receiving a 'save the date' postcard prior to getting an actual invitation for someone's wedding. You've surely seen these? My wife and I have gotten a few of these and each time I always chuckle to myself. I'm still waiting for the subsequent invitation to one of these weddings to be replaced by the 'sorry, you didn't make the final cut' letter.

When that day finally happens, I promise to send a gift for the outright honesty of the friends getting married. Luckily, you don't have to worry about sending a gift for RainCamp or missing out on a chance to attend.......as long as you save the date (and you show up a few minutes early).

We are asking you to save the date of April 19th, from 9:00am to 12:30pm Pacific Time (that's 12:00pm to 3:30pm Eastern time and you guys in the Central and Mountain zones are going to have to do the math) to join us for RainCamp where we will be discussing Social Media. This will be a free event open to all of our members. Registration will begin next week, which means........

Can you sign up yet? Nope. Probably for similar reasons to why you don't get invited to the wedding from the start. There are still some logistics to work out, and we want you to start thinking about being there before we actually invite you. (Doesn't make a ton of sense, does it? I don't make this stuff up, I just follow the generally accepted principles.)

Why would you want to save the date?

One of the reasons is because we are going to have Scott Stratten, president of Un-Marketing, joining us. Are you familiar with Scott? He was recently named one of the five most influential social media personalities by Forbes.com and he's created viral videos for some of his clients that have been viewed over 60 million times. His twitter ramblings go out to over 119,000 people every day. If you're not familiar with Scott, take ten minutes to check out his blog, his twitter feed, or even some videos of him presenting his thoughts on Social Media. This guy gets it. He understands how companies and small businesses can utilize social media to make real connections for their business.

**Warning: You may spend more than 10 minutes if you take the time to check those links

The real estate industry is on the forefront of adopting social media as a way to market. We have real estate professionals building fan pages, using Twitter, tapping into Pinterest and blogging at dizzying rates. Our business is about making connections and staying top in the minds of friends and people in our sphere that might chose to do business with us or refer business to us. It makes sense that this emerging ability to market our business would be something of which real estate professionals are taking advantage. Social Media and your real estate business are a great marriage..............

.......Unless they are not.

Just because I have these great channels to market my business, doesn't mean that everything and anything I do to get my message in front of more people is actually going to be a benefit to me. Because real estate is all about making connections, many professionals are abusing the priviledge they have of interacting with their social circles. So where is the line? How do you know what's a good idea and what's a bad idea as it relates to using social media?

If anyone is qualified to look at how real estate agents are using social media and give us some suggestions of the horrible things we are doing and the real ways to build your brand and make better connections, it's Scott.

Scott will be kicking off RainCamp and in the next two weeks, we will be sharing some of the other people that will be joining him. What can you expect to learn at RainCamp? How about techniques that can help you generate leads for your business using Social Media, an in depth discussion of Pinterest (the rapidly emerging new kid on the Social Media block) and some practical applications of Facebook Pages to connect with locals in your market? Maybe we can sneak in a few of those things.

So save the date, even if you're not officially invited yet.........

~Bob

How to Create a Blog Post for Customers and Search Engines

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — 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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"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

ActiveRain's New URL Shortener

ActiveRain Corp. — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:58:29 -0800

How many times have you tried to link your ActiveRain post on Twitter or another site only to get the response that the url is too long? Well Happy Holidays, ActiveRain has a gift for you.

Once you have written and posted a blog post you now have the option of generating a shorter url.

Simply go back into your post and click Generate short URL. Take a look at the screen shot below:

I hope many of you find this useful and take advantage of the new url. Here is what Lenn's shortened URL looks like once we generate the shorter URL for the post in the screen shot above.

The shortened URL for this post is http://actvra.in/45. As you can see, the shorter structure uses the actvra.in domain.

In order to see how many times someone has clicked on that shortened URL, you can go to the 'statistics' area of your 'my home' page in order to track performance. It will show you how many times each shortened URL has been clicked.

And an added bonus to deal with the continual onslaught of spam......

Let's call it a stocking stuffer. To help with the spam you may see occassionally, we've now made it so only logged in members can leave links in comments. Our hope is that it cuts the spam down drastically. Fingers crossed!

Happy Holidays!!!

Kerrie Greenhalgh

Social Media Buttons and Icons - Is Someone Pushing Your Buttons?

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:30:45 -0700

Social Media Buttons and Icons - Is Someone Pushing Your Buttons?

During these past few weeks, since adding the "Signature" option to ActiveRain posts, I've received so many requests, calls, and emails regarding how to add "Social Media Buttons and Icons" to the footers of Blog Posts. You've probably seen many of the various types and styles other members are using on their Blogs which poses the question, "Where Are They Getting These?" Here's some sites I've found that offer you these custom buttons for FREE. This includes for personal and commercial use according to their terms and guidelines.

Here are some Links to Literally Thousands of Buttons and Icons:

My Social Buttons

Royalty FREE Icons and Clip-art

WebTreats - 2000+ Buttons

Brian Brumpton "RainDrops"

DivaGeekDesigns - An Icon Overdose

The Value of A Twitter Search

Open Source Hunter

Instructions For Adding Buttons and Icons to the Signature or Footer of Posts:

Once you've downloaded the Social Media Buttons or Icons of your choice, you can add them to your AR Signature Page (including the appropriate links) by going to your "My Home" page on AR, then select the "Settings" link on the left hand sidebar. Just upload the button or icon into the "Signature" section of the page, add the appropriate link to your image, then click "update" to save. That's it!

One tip I would suggest is to be careful which Icons you select for some of the Social Networking Sites. If the Icon or Button isn't a familiar looking one, then visitors might be less likely to click on it. For example, the cow face, what Social Network or site does that one belong to? Maybe visitors would click on it just to find out? (LOL~) With all these Buttons and Icon styles available, one thing for certain is that your signature can be unique. So have FUN!!

This should give you plenty of options and creative ways to stand out from the rest of the crowd. :-)

Social Media Buttons and Icons - "The Buttons You Want People To Push!"

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"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

How To Create and Maximize Your ActiveRain Blog Post

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — 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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"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

An ActiveRain Conduit - Toolbar for Your WEB Browser

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:30:14 -0800

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Select YOUR Browser below to Install the AR Toolbar

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"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

The New ActiveRain Badges

Brad Andersohn (Zillow - Outreach Manager) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:11:32 -0800

The new RainMaker Badges are here! You will notice today that scattered all through-out the community, there will be many different types of Badges and Avatars both on member profile photos and in the comments left on members posts. It comes as no surprise that our tech team has once again beat me to the scene and this announcement of yet another enhancement in the rain. Badges! First off, I'd love to hear what you think about them and secondly, I'll explain what each image represents.

Pictures In Comments and Badges - How Do I Get Mine?

The Rainmaker Badge: For members who have upgraded to a Rainmaker account, have a "new" outside ActiveBlog, currently sponsor at least one Localism community, or have spent at least $10 on a listing router campaign in the last 30 days. In addition to the new badges, we also now display product icons below a user's comment image that will show how they're using and supporting ActiveRain.

(your photo will show up in the comments if you're using at least one of these ActiveRain products or services)

Badge Legend / Representation:

= The RainMaker Badge

= The Listing Router Badge

= The ActiveBlogs Badge

= The 300K Point Member

= The Localism Sponsor Badge

Here are some samples of members badges that were selected from comments in my last post.
Coming soon to members near you, the "NEW" Ambassador Badge, which I'll save for another post...

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"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"