Dr. Mariana Wagner’s One-Post Cure-all for Writers’ Block

Part of blogging is proving that YOU are the area or niche expert. Proving that you ARE the expert of an area sets you apart from all the other real estate agents.

However, sometimes the task of proving that you ARE the expert can be a bit daunting. We ALL get Writer’s Block!

How am I going to do ONE post that incorporates EVERYTHING about my area just to prove that I am the expert?

Well, you don’t have to. In fact, you shouldn’t. Do a bunch of smaller posts instead. This does 2 things:

1. Keeps your brain from melting. Brain matter oozing out of your ears is not a good way to get repeat business. (And it is just plain gross, anyway.)
   How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Understanding that you can do this in small chunks will motivate you to actually DO it.
2. Your readers do NOT want to read ONE HUGE MEGA post. (Yawn!) They would rather understand that they can return time after time to read a little something new … Now you have built readership!

So, now that you understand that you do not have to do it ALL AT ONCE, you may be asking,

Where are these “small chunks” that I should be writing about?
I HAVE my elephant, so where do I start?

In my quest to offer the One-Post Cure-all for Writer’s Blog-ck, here are some posts that will give you a great idea of where to start:

Dr. Mariana Wagner’s OWN Writer’s Block Concoctions:

• The Blog Fodder - Random Blog Content Ideas Inspired by The Godfather (the movie)
• The Blog Fodder II - Random Blog Ideas Inspired By The Godfather II (the movie)
• The Blog Fodder III - Random Blog Content Ideas Inspired By The Godfather III (the movie)
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (A-D)
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (E-H)
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (I-M)
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (N-R)  
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (S)
• An Alphabet of Localism Post Ideas (T-Z)
• Breaking Writer’s Blog-ck … Local Content Ideas for Your Blog

Other Posts of Interest regarding Effective Blogging:

• When the well runs dry - Ines Hegedus-Garcia (of MIAMISM.com)
• What To Include In A Neighborhood Profile (Localism Ideas) - Mariana Wagner
• A Year’s Worth of Real Estate Blog Ideas - RSS Pieces
  
• ANYTHING by Kristal Kaft
• Writing Tips: I’ve got Writer’s Block, Now What? - Barry Hurd
• How to Overcome Active Rain Writer’s Block! - Andrew Lenza
• 101 Real Estate Blog Ideas - Theresa Boardman on the “Tomato”
• Best Resources for Real Estate Blog Content - Carolyn Nelson
• What should I write next? The Ultimate Guide to Ideas for Your Next Blog - Angie Vandenbergh
• Sarah Cooper is another Lady that ALWAYS has some great Anti-Writer’s Block Ideas …
• Leave Me A Trail Of Breadcrumbs - Sarah Cooper
• Writer’s Block? Noooooo!! - Sarah Cooper
• No Writer’s Block Allowed Here! - Sarah Cooper
• Localism Brainstorming Review - Sarah Cooper

Examples of High-Powered and Inspirational Real Estate Bloggers:

• Ann Cummings - (Queen of Portsmouth). Her Portsmouth AT HOME Series is awesome!
• Ines and Rick - (Okay, not Rick …) MIAMISM, Baby!
• Lenn Harley - Any and Everything about Rockville Maryland…
• Laurie Manny - Long Beach’s BEST local voice
• Jeff Dowler - Everything Carlsbad …
  
• Maggie Dokic - Miami Redlands Info.
• Dena Stevens - Check out THIS strange Place! … (updated with new link)
• Broker Bryant - When in doubt, write about your life as a Realtor®!

[To understand the background for the title of this post, please read John Novak's comment in THIS post.]

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Keller Williams Realty – Broker Associate
Blog Coach and Real Estate Technology Trainer

Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection

RE Blogworld - September 19-21, 2008 in Las Vegas

I have the honor of being one of the featured speakers at the RE Blogworld. Will I see you there?

OMG! Blogging Statistics

Thank you to my friend, Justin Smith of CREN, I found a great compilation of blogging and internet searching statistics.

If you ever needed a reason to start blogging … consider this:

• 28% of all visits to blogs in 2007 resulted in some kind of action (email signup, contact form, etc.).
• 40% of all search engine searches are for local businesses and services.
• 92% of all local searches will eventually convert into a sale.
• Roughly 10 billion search queries made per day.

There is A LOT OF BUSINESS to be had in the world of real estate blogging.

Read the Full Report Here:

Interesting Search Engine & Blogging Statistics

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent – Keller Williams Broker, Trainer and Coach

Speed Up Your Website Load Time

No one wants to wait for a website to load… So, in order to make your website/blog a more pleasurable experience for your viewers, Daily Blog Tips offers a great read …

50 Tips to Speed Up Your Website

You will find some excellent tips and tricks, and this post also offers resources form other sites.

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

Before You Blog … Think About This

Again, one of my favorite bloggers, Darren Rowse from ProBlogger, writes an exceptional post about blogging.

9 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Posting to Your Blog

Blogging just to blog is no reason to hit “publish” … Darren offers some very good thought-provoking questions to ask yourself before you set out to write a post. And the comments that follow are also very interesting.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Keller Williams Realty – Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent

Are You Married to the Blogosphere?

(Thank you, Gaping Void for this image.)

I just wanted to take this time to let everyone know something:

I am a mother, then a wife, then a daughter, then a friend, then a neighbor, then a teacher, then a real estate agent…

And THEN, and ONLY then, am I a blogger.

I love blogging, but there are other things that I love more. And despite all the wonderful things that the blogosphere offers, I will never let it get in the way of who I am outside of blogging.

So, please understand this when I seem to “fall off the face of the earth” from time to time.

I still love you.

RSS Pieces Names the Blogger of the Month: Mariana Wagner

Wow! What a week for me! Not only was I awarded the Nacho Blogger Award, but I was also named Blogger of the Month at RSS Pieces - a national real estate custom blog site producers and SEO consultants
and the creator of our successful Colorado Springs Real Estate blog. I was interviewed by the owner of RSS Pieces, Mary McKnight, and you can find the full interview here:

BLOGGER OF THE MONTH: MARIANA WAGNER, COLORADO SPRINGS REAL ESTATE

Were you thinking of getting a custom blog made for you and your business? If you were, I highly recommend contacting RSS Pieces: 1-866-403-9626

They are BY FAR the BEST blog services that I have found, and their rates are unbeatable.

Thank you, Mary for the honor of being Blogger of the Month!

RE Revealed Awards Mariana (me) the 6th Ever Nacho Blogger Award!

Lani Anglin-Rosales, the famed author of the RE Revealed Blog, announced the 6^th Ever Nacho Blogger Award, yesterday … Me!

Sixth Ever Nacho Blogger Award

I had the great fortune of meeting Lani and her husband, Benn of Agent Genius, while on a short trip to Austin this past January. (I was there for the Keller Williams Train the Trainer course.) We spent the evening touring high class fine art museums and eating at snooty upper class restaurants … Or, noming on some killer Mexican food, playing at the Capital Building in downtown Austin and enjoying some Starbucks. (The latter would be the actual (and better) way we spent the evening…)

One of the best things about blogging, is the other bloggers that you get to meet. Lani and Benn were exactly as how they are in their blogs and we had a great time. Meeting them face-to-face for the first time was actually more like catching up with old friends. … Which is awesome.

I am honored to have this coveted Nacho Blogger award, and have proudly displayed my Nacho Blogger Award Badge, there on my right column.

Thank you, Lani!

Sarcasm and Blogging

“No, Groucho is not my real name. I am breaking it in for a friend.” - Groucho Marx

“Sarcasm: the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded.” - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Wikipedia says: “Sarcasm can be difficult to grasp in written form.” No. Really?

Sarcasm is a type of response (some call it a type of humor, but others would call it a poor and pompous excuse for humor) whaich is very common for real estate bloggers - both in blog posts and in comments.

Humor, itself, can be difficult to express in written form, and sarcasm is even harder. If sarcasm is your mode of humor, be careful. We all know that having to explain a joke not only ruins it, but can also turn a simple quip into a long drawn out (and rather pointless) explanation that ultimately leds to a flop of original intent.
Sarcasm is THAT … but times 10. And? Sarcasm is also a sure fire way to offend some one or fling one of your readers into a feverish tangent that lands like a misguided ballistic missle in your comment section. All because they misunderstood your sarcasm.

Personally, I love sarcasm. I am pretty good at at picking sarcasm out of a crowd. And when I do, I like to invite it out to the dance floor and do the Mamba with it, while spectators fidget around wondering WTF I am doing. Sometimes I am okay with that. But I have to be careful.

Just because sarcasm and I share the “inside joke” does not mean that it is appropriate for my readers.

Especially when blogging for consumers - Home buyers and Sellers … beware. It is fine to infuse your sense of humor or sarcastic wit in your posts, but do it tastefully and sparingly. Because you don’t want a silly thing, like misunderstanding your humor, to ruin a potential relationship. Right?

ProBlogger Offers “Killer” Advice on How to Improve Your Writing

You do not need to be a professional writer to be an effective blogger. In fact, I think that “professional” writing can actually inhibit the conversational style of blogging. I recommend blogging more like you are actually talking to someone.

However, there are definitely ways to IMPROVE your writing/blogging skills (beyond spell check) … ways to make your readers coming back for more, more, more.

Have you been reading ProBlogger? I hope so. If not, go do it now. And put it in your RSS or Google feed reader.

ProBlogger is one of my all-time favorite Blog Toolboxes. Every time I open up my feed reader, I find a new little gem from Darren Rowse. Darren is an excellent blogger, packed full of excellent advice. How he has all that information in his head is something I will never figure out…

Read Also: Creating Blog Momentum

Anyway, Darren of ProBlogger just posted a “killer” post on how to improve your writing skills:

5 Killer Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills Right Now

Like everything else he writes, this is a Must Read, for anyone in any stage of blogging.

Also … Check Out Pro Bloggers Blogging for Beginners series.

Posted By: Mariana Wagner – Keller Williams Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent – Coach – Trainer – Realtor®