 I mentioned before that there were some exciting changes coming, and the time is NOW.
Since this is BRAND NEW we will still do some tweaking in terms of formating to better serve our members needs. And of course if there are any bugs we will need to fix them.
You will also start to see some articles from folks other than me (that will be a nice change, won't it?!) - committee chairs and Board of Directors for example. There are lots of things we hope to accomplish with the blog that is now right on the chapter website where it is easier to find :
- better communication
- education (do you want to learn about blogging?Well, you can. How about some neat marketing suggestions from members? That too)
- and a forum where you can ask questions, make suggestions, and seek assistance from fellow members.
SoCalCRSBlog, however, will not disappear. All the information here will remain in archives and can be easily accessed with a link from our website. Some of it, of course, will be out of date (e.g., class and membership meeting information) so you will likely find the NEW BLOG the best place to keep up to date.
Please note that this new blog is for MEMBERS ONLY - You must be a members of the Southern California Chapter in order to view the blog...so there's an incentive if you are a NATIONAL CRS MEMBER but not a local chapter member.
We look forward to your visit and hope you will not only learn from reading our blog but will also participate by sharing comments. Remember, it's Web 2.0!!
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There are exciting changes ahead for our Southern California CRS Blog.
We will be integrating a blog with our Chapter website in the very near future (the process has already begun) and will likely stop adding articles to this blog except on occasion. They will, of course, remain in the archives and can be accessed anytime here, or from our chapter website.
The primary purpose of our blog is to provide an up-to-date forum of communication for our Southern California Chapter of CRS, and having this integrated with our website makes the most sense. Those of you who are already SoCal CRS members will continue to be able to access the blog and keep up with activities and events, educational opportunities, and learn more about what the chapter is doing for you.
One of the benefits of being a chapter member is the opportunity to access the Members Only features of our website (downloads and information to help YOU in your business) and to participate in our SoCal CRS Chapter Roster. Agents and consumers can access this roster when looking for a CRS agent to help with a referral or to act as buyer/listing agent.
Chapter members can also access the Members Only articles in the blog and participate in dialog with other Chapter members.
Stay tuned for more information on our blog...but for now you can continue to stop in here to read more.
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Are you interested in learning more about blogging?
Do you know a little but want to get started on your own blog?
Are you totally clueless (that's OK, many are).
I am teaching an Introduction to Blogging Class at Pacific West Association of REALTORS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Registration 1:30 PM
1601 Orangewood Avenue, Anaheim, CA
Visit their website or call (714) 245-5500 to register. $15 for PWR/TRI members; $25 for nonmembers.
Here's what we will cover:
1. Goals of the Course
2. What IS a Blog? Do You have Any Idea?
3. A Blog Is… (some definitions)
4. Some Reasons to Blog
5. More Reasons to Blog
6. Blogging – Some General Guidelines
7. Blog Topics – What to Write About (general)
8. Specific Blogging Ideas – buyers, sellers, etc.
9. Blog if… (why YOU might want to blog)
10. Don’t Blog if… (why You might not want to blog)
11. Decision Time: Do I or Don’t It – what to think about
12. Getting Started: Where and How
13. Some Blogging Platforms
14. Blogging Do's
15. Blogging DON’Ts
16. Blogging for Lead Generation: How to Do It
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 And here is Part 3 of the article "To Blog or Not To Blog" from the SoCalCRS newsletter.
Here is Part 1
And here is Part 2.
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New bloggers often ask "what should I write about?" Well, the answer is anything and everything. Sure, that may be literary exaggeration, since I can think of a few dicey topics that might not be suitable for your real estate blog. But the point here is that you have an incredible range of things you can talk about in your blog. As long as it relates to the world of real estate and your market, I'd say it's fair game. Think about the things people might want to know about buying and selling, and the communities you are familiar with (e.g., things to do, restaurants, events, town government). What sorts of questions do you get from clients? What counseling and educating do you do with buyers and sellers? Got the idea?
Certainly you should keep in mind the audience you are writing for, or want to write for. Before launching into your blog you really should give this some serious consideration. You can't effectively write for everyone on the planet, so decide on your focus, whether it's first time buyers, a farm area, or a particular community. This will make you a better writer, you will focus on topics of interest to your intended readership, and blogging will have the side benefit of generating leads of the type you desire.
There is certainly much more to know about blogging, and many more issues to ponder. But consider the title of this piece…to blog or not to blog.
That really IS the question. Is it right for you? Do you like writing and working on the Internet? Can you commit to the time needed to write regularly? And do you want improve your search engine ranking and generate leads? I can't give you the answer. It's your choice. I've made mine.
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.jpg) Here's Part 2 of my article "To Blog or Not To Blog" for the Southern California CRS.
If you missed Part 1, here it is.
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It's important to address the issue of dedication. Blogging takes commitment. You have to be willing to write, and to do so consistently. It takes time to write, even a short post, and unless you are a very gifted writer, the words will not always flow freely.
Writing a post a few times a month on your blog won't cut it…any readers will move on in that time frame to more interesting pastures. If that is your intent, or what you can commit to, don't bother.
You may be asking yourself "Why should I write a blog?" There are lots of reasons, but here are a few, in no particular order.
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Writing a blog is a way to enhance your brand, and to establish yourself as a knowledgeable, credible expert
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Blogging will also generate leads. Trust me on this - there are many folks besides myself finding, and closing, business from their blogs. It doesn't happen overnight, but it does work if done well
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A blog will also help you with the search engines. A well written blog will improve your ranking in the search engines, making it more likely that buyers and sellers will find you when conducting their real estate searches. If the search engines don't know you are there, neither do consumers. And given that at least 70% of buyers are looking on-line first, ignoring this statistic could cost you potential business.
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.jpg) I wrote an article about whether to blog or not for the most recent newsletter for our Southern California Chapter of the CRS. Here it is, in case you missed it, or are not a member of SoCalCRS and don't get the newsletter.
This really is directed toward those who are not blogging yet, since those of you who do already know this stuff. It's simple and straightfoward, and hopefully will give you some things to think about.
The article was rather long for a post on a blog so I broke it up into a few smaller pieces, but it is word for word what I wrote. I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions.
Jeff
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I was pondering this article while sitting at the airport getting ready for my flight back to San Diego, and thought it might be useful to elaborate on what the fuss is all about. My intent here is to educate, not convince you that blogging is the next best thing to sliced bread and that you need to get on the bandwagon. Some of you should not. And many of you won't. According to NAR only about 4% of all REALTORS blog, so the odds are against you. And therein lies the competitive advantage if you choose to take the plunge. But you should know what blogging is and how it can benefit you, so you can make an informed decision to be involved, or not.
Here are a few thoughts.
A blog is essentially an on-line newspaper or journal that you publish on-line (i.e., a website) for the world to see, with regular updates perhaps several times a week or even more frequently. And it allows readers to comment, to interact with you. A blog can be about anything you want, since you are the publisher, but you will certainly want it to be related to your business. And it's free, unless you use a blog platform like TypePad that charges a monthly fee. Certainly there is the investment of personal time, but that's true of many things that are worthwhile.
As publisher, you can choose what you want to write about and how to say it. No one is going to tell you when you should write or nag you to do so. More on that in a moment. A good practice is to focus on things that interest you and that you know about. Who wants to write about stuff that is boring or unpleasant? You won't enjoy writing, and no one wants to read it either. A blog is not about you, and how wonderful you are. It is not a personal press release or an on-going self-promotional marketing piece. It's for and about consumers and what they want and need. Keep this in mind…always.
A primary focus in your blog is to communicate information about your market to readers in a friendly conversational format. Why is this important?
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Well, first it allows you to develop a relationship with folks who are looking on-line before they are actually willing to commit to an agent for assistance
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Second, some readers will ultimately see you as the area expert, and may therefore call you for help. That's a good thing, isn't it? Plus you will become more credible and a better communicator.
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Stay tuned for Part 2
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Here is my list of 7 things to do if you are blogging.
Yep, there are others I could list, but for folks starting out these seem to be the most important things to keep in mind.
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Your blog must be CONSUMER-CENTRIC not agent-centric
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Don't advertise yourself - this is not a PR piece
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Focus on what buyers and sellers want and need
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Provide information and good, fresh content and your readership will grow
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Don't obsess about readership and traffic - just write
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Know your market and your audience, and write for them
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Focus on what you enjoy and your interests - you won't write well about things you don't enjoy
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 Only about 4% of the nation's REALTORS, according to NAR, are actually involved in blogging. SO, if you are, or you are seriously thinking about it, you have a competitive edge.
One of the questions new bloggers often have in our business is...what should I write about?
Well, the answer is...pretty much anything and everything you want (except of course certain dicey topics like politics and religion). A key focus should be on information that consumers want and need. Your blog should be consumer-centric, and NOT focused on you and how wonderful you are. Nobody really cares, and your blog will just appear to be a self-promotional marketing piece. Avoid that at all costs.
Here are some ideas on general topics, just to get you started.
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The buying process - everything and anything to do with buying a home
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The selling process - anything and everything to do with selling a home, including preparing it for sale, from start to finish
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How to choose a REALTOR - what consumers should know and do about finding the right agent, for listing or buying
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Community information - what would buyers want to know about the community(ies) you service - restaurants, services, parks, beaches, mountains, things to do, tourist stuff, town government and issues, buildings and development projects. Think of yourself as a tour guide and THE EXPERT on your town.
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Housing - what kinds of housing are available in your area (styles, pricing, sizes, subdivisions and neighborhoods). What are the market conditions and are they changing, and if so how? Market reports and statistics are often popular with buyers and sellers
Got any questions? Let me know, I'm happy to help.
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Have you joined the ranks of real estate bloggers yet? If not, you might want to consider it.
NAR reports that only about 4% of all REALTORS are actively blogging, which means it can be a competitive edge for you.
I recently taught a blogging class at NSDCAR and hope to teach a couple more at other associations in San Diego and Orange county. So I thought I would also share some of the teaching periodically here in case folks are interested.
SO WHY SHOULD YOU BLOG?
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oCommunication
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oBuild meaningful relationships with prospects and clients
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oDemonstrate your expertise and knowledge
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oNiche marketing - Sellers, Buyers, Community, etc.
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oSearch engine optimization (SEO) and positioning
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oBuild self-awareness
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oBuild critical thinking
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oDevelop your reputation
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oEstablish credibility
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oImprove your writing skills o
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Acquire information as you research
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Have fun
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Lead generation
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 As I mentioned before, I am teaching a blogging class at NSDCAR on August 14 as part of their Tech Talk Series.
This class is OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY as a benefit, and will run from 11:00 - 12:00 noon (registration starts at 10:45). The cost is only $5.00
.jpg) Here's the flyer I received from Laura Elofson but it will be coming out in the regular NSDCAR weekly update as well. You can also register on their website.
I will make my outline available to you if you are interested but cannot attend (after the class is completed).
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