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Blogging for Business…What was I thinking???
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I read a lot and I know lots of words, so why not? Why can’t I write blogs that show my knowledge? Then, the same thing that always happens when I think about working ON my business, happened again. Where do I start, what do I write about?
He..lll…ppp!!!
I thought back to my time as instructional assistant teaching students in the Special Education class. Now these are some kids with writer’s block I thought, but really, most people have a hard time starting a writing project.
Myself and my children are perfect examples of this and only one of us was a Special Education Student. I can’t remember exactly what the process was called, but it started out with a subject or thought that you would place in a circle. Then you come up with words or phrases about that subject or thought drawing a line from the original circle and encircling the new word or phrase.
Each new word or phrase stemmed from the original circle creating a “web”. This could be considerably extended by continuing the same process with the new words or phrase in circles. Here is an example of what it looks like: As you can see, a handy tool to begin the writing process and one I will rely on heavily as I begin my journey of Blogging for Business.
Overcoming writer’s block can be difficult. When this occurs, I suggest walking away from the site and return later when you do have something to write about. Your personal (business) experiences and everyday interactions will eventually inspire your writing.
As a real estate agent, you are asked real estate questions everyday. Turn your blog into a FAQ so you do not have to repeat yourself. Just point clients, friends, family and strangers towards your blog for answers.
As a human being that lives in a community, turn your everyday experiences into community posts. If I was moving to your area, or live there now, I would love to learn about new or old restaurants that you suggest. What is happening this weekend in the area? Tell me and I will return next weekend for more information.
Why do users visit sites like Wikipedia and Yelp? For information. You can become that resource for you own community. After all, you know real estate and the community better than anyone else. Right? (Just say YES!)
Take heart dear girl. What you were thinking at the time was that you wanted to tap into the enormous potential of the Web for your biz. This is like taking up any other endeavor, playing a instrument, a new sport, etc. you start at the beginining and slowly very slowly build. DONT BE OVERWHELMED and know that Molly and all the Tomaters are here to help. If you cant write,take pictures of the great spots in your town and describe them….or better yet figure out what others are writing about. Then you get the “that really stinks”,he/she should write about …..wait a minute ,ILL DO IT inspiration!Or write about not being able to write!Site looks great.You learned from the best. Trust them and create!
I love the look of your site – and *love* the squirrels! To get started, take some pressure off and get small, simple real estate posts out there. What’s sold recently? How many homes are on the market? Are contracts trending up/down? It’s easy to get bogged-down to try to come-up with Pulizer-winning prose — so don’t!
Also – remember that you’re running a marathon, not a sprint. Even if you make only one post per week, that’s still 52 in a year. That’s not too shabby.
Based on this post, I bet that you are a very good writer. Maybe you’ve put too much pressure on yourself to come up with something great?
I love this post on the Tomato by Teresa Boardman:
101 Real Estate Blog Topics.
http://realestatetomato.typepad.com/the_real_estate_tomato/2007/07/food-for-fodder.html
For more ideas on how to create great RE blog content, just peruse her site: http://www.stpaurealestateblog.com
Love this design – I agree with Bruce, start small. When I first started I felt like I had to write THE definitive post on EVERY subject I tackled. Not so.
Blog post ideas:
1.) neighborhood reviews. keep them short, give directions to each, include pictures, done.
2.) pictures – “i was on my way to the office and passed this pretty tree on XX street”
3.) home features – look at each of your listings and find something interesting – like a cool faucet, or new skylight they just put in, or something unique
4.) be local – whatever you do (unless you have a phd in economics) don’t tackle big national issues.
Have fun. Remember, no one is going to come to your site and read chronologically from the first post to the most current. They will google in on the most random search terms that you won’t be able to predict (yet).
Thank you sooo much for the encouragement!! You’ve given me some great direction:-)
You have so put this experience into perspective for me! I will stop being overwhelmed, well maybe most of the time:-) And I have taken heart! Thank you.
Thank you, but kudos for the site go directly to the designer, Andrew Christensen. Although the squirrels were my idea:-)
I very much appreciate your analogy of a “marathon”. I think have been sprinting. And the idea of at least one post a week does not sound overwhelming which is what I have been feeling. Thank you so much for the encouraging words and the complement.
You hit the nail on the head, I have been feeling like I have to come up with the definitive posts, but after reading all of the encouraging posts I’ve received, I have taken heart and am ready to go forth!!! Thank you for taking the time to bolster my confidence.
I love your site design. This is such a beautiful layout. As for the writing issue, I find that I have too many things to write about and get overwhelmed. Just tonight, I was writing an article about foreclosures and it has already gotten so big I had to make it into 3 articles. My advice is to just start writing, just like you would start talking. Once you get ideas out of your head and onto paper/screen, it makes more room for new ideas to come in. Who cares how it looks. No one is seeing the first draft except you.
Another point about blogging. Work hard, get to the top of Google, and it’s all gravy from there. Just keep producing content. I quit blogging for over a year, and my blog still stayed on page 1 and continued to produce leads. I hope that is encouraging.
I do have one suggestion about your layout. I have no idea where you are, other than paradise. I recommend putting your location on your blog page somewhere.
Thanks Karl, I agree 100% about the lack of some additional, pertinent info on my cover page, I am going to address this issue shortly. And I appreciate your taking time to encourage me in this endeavor. I’ve gotten a lot of support from other bloggers such as yourself and a lot of good direction. I like the comment about “gravy from there” LOL. That’s what I’m aiming for! I love the look of my website also, Andrew Christensen did an Awesome job!