Get School’d in Weblogging

There is a new kid in town: Real Estate Weblogging 101
(For those of you new to the scene, “weblogging” is the archaic term for “blogging” that seems to be making a comeback …)

It comes from the BloodHound Blog Fathership and has some great participants/contributors:

• Greg Swann
• Teri Lussier
• Kris Berg
• Brian Brady
• Allen Butler
• Jay Thompson

Check it out for some awesome blogging tips and advice.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Real Estate Blogger

Update: Um. I guess “new” is not all that appropriate, seeing as this site is about 6 months old - which is actually “middle aged” in the blogosphere …

Join Me at the 2008 Keller Williams Family Reunion

Are you going to the Keller Williams Family Reunion this February?

REGISTER FOR THE 2008 KW REUNION HERE

If you are still deciding whether or not to attend and need any more incentive, read on …

Seth Godin – One of my all-time favorite authors, will be the keynote speaker!

He is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.

 

Also, I will be holding a 45 minute course on:

Top 10 Ways to Use Blogging in Real Estate

This course will go into 10 excellent reasons why real estate agents should blog and I may even be able to throw in a few plugs for the brand new Keller Williams MAPS Blog Coaching Programs that will be offered this Spring!

My course is tentatively set for mid-day on Monday, February 11^th in the eAgentc Training Room.

If you are interested in attending … I look forward to seeing you there!!!

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Keller Williams Real Estate Agent

Blog Building Basics

Here is a tidy little (okay, not so little) post about the Basics of Blogging, by another blogging friend and CO neighbor of mine: Todd Carpenter. It is a great overview of the key points to the how-to of blogging and well worth the 4.8 minutes it takes to read this post.

Blog Building Basics

Make sure you play around with the links that he includes – This post is packed full of super-useful info for beginner bloggers …

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Real Estate Blogger
(*Picture stolen right off of Todd’s Active Rain profile)

Common SEO Mistakes New Real Estate Bloggers Make

In the HUGE world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) you will find that there is a lot to learn and a lot to re-learn. I am always learning something new and interesting while reading informative BLOG blogs, like the one created by Justin Smith (fellow blog coach, as well as
my friend and neighbor in Castle Rock).

The one post of his that particularly caught my eye is a great resource for bloggers regarding SEO: Top 10 Most Common SEO Mistakes

The Top 3 Mistakes (in my opinion) are:

#1 Bad Titles: How your title each post is one of the most important things that you, as a real estate blogger, can do.
#5 Poor Internal Linking: Often overlooked, this is an EASY way to boost your own SEO.
#10 (of course): Not Blogging: Der.

Please read the rest of Justin’s post for the full rundown.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Real Estate Blogger

Find the Perfect Domain Name

If you have taken Keller Williams’ Internet Lead Generation class, you will know the importance of a good domain name. Here is a post that can help you narrow down your focus even more, from one of my favorite blogs: Daily Blog Tips

Seven Characteristics of Good Domain Names

This goes hand-in-hand with my previous post: Find the Perfect URL

Although the first “characteristic” may be harder to follow if you are trying to incorporate a long city name into your domain name (like Colorado Springs), the rest of these tips are extremely valuable. Pay special attention to #4 and #7 …

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent and Keller Williams Trainer.

*Image from Daily Blog Tips*

Creating Blog Momentum

As a blogging real estate agent, sometimes it is hard to create “momentum” for your blog.

You get a great idea for a post. You type it up. You post it. You are done.

Creating “momentum” is the process of NOT being done after one post. Creating “momentum” is the process of weaving posts together to create a more cohesive blog along with the snowball effect of readership.

ProBlogger is one of my favorite BLOG TOOLBOXES. They recently posted a great article on Creating Blog Momentum. Author, Darren Rowse states:

“The problem with many blogs is that they are filled up with posts on similar topics (all within a wider niche) but without any real connection between them. The bloggers feel the pressure to keep producing good content - and in doing so don’t think about the journey that they’re leading readers on.”

Read More: How to Keep Momentum Going by Building on Previous Posts

Read Also: Blogging for Beginners

Find the Perfect URL

I read Seth Godin on a regular basis. Then I go back and re-read him again. Today he directed me (yes, I like to think that he writes JUST for me…) to a great site on URL aesthetics: goodURLbadURL.com.

Check it out for ideas on how to find the “perfect” URL.

How NOT to Become #1 on Google …

Thank you to the Bloodhound Blog, and then again from Dustin Luther of 4realz, here is a great video snippet of how NOT to rank on Google:

In case you do not know who Matt Cutts is … He works for Google and even has his very own Wikipedia Page.

When Blogging, Remember WIIFM

When blogging – or doing ANY advertising for that matter, you must remember WWIFM: What’s In It For Me.

The consumer does not care about you or all the things that you think they may care about. They only care about themselves and how YOU will better their life.

Here is an EXCELLENT post to reaffirm what WIIFM really means: Nine Things People Don’t Care About, by HELLOmyNAMEisSCOTT.

FAF’s: Frequently Addressed Fears About Blogging

Many people fear blogging for a variety of reasons. This is one of the best, most comprehensive “addressing” of common blogging fears that I have found to this date:

Curing the Fears of Being an Amateur Blogger