When I fist came up with the title of this post "The Lovely Wife" said it would be very frightening to actually look at what goes on in my head. She's probably right. It's very busy up there. Kind of like an amusement park, full of roller coasters, haunted houses and an occasional freak show. But hey, it's my head and it is what it is.
But fortunately for you, this is not what my post is about. Just trying to get your attention. My post is about Blogging, why I write, what I write, some comments on a few of the recent posts that I have read and my opinion of what ActiveRain is to me, for whatever it's worth.
It seems, to me, that the hot topic on ActiveRain this week has been what makes for a good post, what a post should look like, how long or short it should be, remembering who your audience is and of course points. How much is my post worth?
Ok, so here goes.
What makes for a good post? A good post in my opinion is something that is written for the benefit of the reader and gives me an inside look at the writer's personality. My posts have always been geared towards providing little tidbits of information that may help a Realtor in their business. Hopefully I have achieved this is some small way. Also, I want consumers to be able to get to "know" me by how I write. So far, my current and potential customers, have given me good feedback, so again, I think I have achieved my goal.
I want all of my posts to fit in with the general theme of my Blog. I want my posts to be consistent in nature. I think in order to keep the readers coming back they have to know what to expect. So what is the theme of your Blog? Have you ever thought about that? If not, you should.
Who is your audience? Kristal Kraft had a post on this today and she is right on. Always remember if it is not a members only post, then the consumer can find it and read it. Are you portraying yourself in the way you would want a potential customer to see you as? Are you giving them information they can use or a reason to contact you? Are you being yourself or trying to morph into what other Bloggers expect you to be? Has someone criticized your posts and because of that you changed the way you write? Well, don't, just be yourself. This is very important. We are all different and that's a good thing. Always grow and be willing to change, but for your reasons, not someone else's.
The length of your post should be as long as it takes to say what you want to say. I've seen members comment on length and how they don't like long posts or they don't like short posts. Well who cares? If it's interesting it will get read. If it's not interesting, it won't get read. Pretty simple. If you never read a post because it's too long you may be missing out on some good information. But it is your choice. Just don't expect others to write to your preferred length. Concentrate on your own posts. We are all adults and can take care of our own.
Graphics and pictures. Definitely the topic de jour. Again it's a personal preference. I like pictures and I like graphics. I don't like a lot of them. Personally, I think using too many in a post distracts from the subject mater. They should compliment not distract. But again this is just my opinion. Some people are more visual than others. Find your own style and stick to it. But do make sure it fits into the overall theme of your Blog.
Also, our personal Blogs need to fit into the overall theme of ActiveRain. Matt, Caleb and crew have their own vision of what they want ActiveRain to be, and the last time I checked, we were their guest. This site was given to us as a tool to help us connect with other people in our profession and to participate in a free exchange of ideas. The key word is FREE. Don't abuse the system. Our profession is Real Estate. Let's stick to the theme.
And last but not least, points! Points are a very good thing. They motivate us, they reward us, they help feed our competitive nature and I want more! More, more, more points! But folks, points are a game, they are an enticement. If you are posting for points only, then you are missing the point of AR all together. You are wasting a golden opportunity to be a part of this awesome network and an opportunity to put thoughtful, relevant (to your business) information on your Blog. Who knows, your Blog may just make you some serious money when the consumers start arriving in force.
So there you have it, a peek into the head of Broker Bryant. Was is relevant? Was it too long? Too short? Too many pictures? Not enough graphics? Was it a freak show? I don't know the answers to those questions, but I do know………. it's my head and it is what it is!
