At some point, we all realize that we have no clue. We are kids that don’t even know how to play. Yet then we pick up the ball, bounce it a few times, and fairly soon we are making new friends.
I’m sure we are all experts in various things- one of my strengths is writing. I’ve written media copy, magazine articles, classified ads, government grants, a book or two, technical manuals, job postings, executive presentations, lines for stand-up comedy, intensive plot for theatre, and a few strange ideas on post-it notes.
When you are an expert in a specific field, you often have a lot of extra information in your head that just comes out naturally. Being an expert also gives you plenty of leeway from readers as they will typically give you the benefit of the doubt (unless you say something that sounds absolutely bizarre!).
As a blogger though, one of the things I like the most is that it gives me a chance to write about things that I may not be an expert in. It gives me a place to write down my thoughts and express my way of thinking on subjects that touch my interests.
So to help everyone with writing- here are some of my ‘Ground Rules’ for blogging.
Establish trust. Using a charismatic demeanour with your audience helps establish yourself. The mood of your writing has just as much to say as the content of your writing. Blog readers want to know both the personal and the professional aspects of a blog author.
Do your research. When writing about topics take the time to check your numbers. Even if you are writing about something you know like the back of your hand, take a moment to double-check your information. The more mistakes you make on factual data the more questions will arise in your readerships trust.
Try to be logical. Before writing an article in your blog, take a moment to relax and gather your thoughts. As you finish the article, take a moment to read through it and think of “A,B,C†structure. Ask yourself if your primary points are defined, and does each point in the article flow into the next?
Try to use examples. If you are an expert in a specific field, try to use an example. My article about online communities compares them to birthday parties. You can avoid using industry jargon by describing what you do with a comparative idea.
Be your own technical editor. One of the joys of blogging is that you can hit the ‘submit’ key without a second thought. Try to avoid doing that. Instead take a moment to read through your post and read it out loud. A lot of spelling and grammatical errors will reveal themselves when read out loud.
Use a picture. We all know pictures say a thousand words. Try to find a few images that can add a visual element to your writing. This element is especially important with longer articles.
Write to your audience. Remember who is reading your article. If industry jargon works for them, use it. If a bad joke makes sense, laugh out loud. Do not write technical papers for creative minds, and don’t be impersonal when blogging (its all about being personal!)
Be social. Make friends. No one likes a bully. Think of blogging like being the new kid in a park, play nice and respect people and pretty soon you’ll find you have plenty of friends.
(P.S. That photo is my son two years ago!)
*Disclaimer- Blogging Systems is in the business of building online community sites utilizing blogging and social networking software.
Wikipedia defines an online or virtual community as- A virtual community or online community is a group of people that primarily or initially communicates or interacts via the Internet. The dawn of the “information age” found groups communicating electronically rather than face to face. A “Computer-mediated community” (CMC) uses social software to regulate the activities of participants. An online community such as one responsible for collaboratively producing open source software is sometimes called a development community. Significant socio-technical change has resulted from the proliferation of Internet-based social networks.
Yet the purpose of an online community and the needs of the individuals involved control the very nature of the community.
Some examples of highly successful virtual communities-
www.myspace.com – designed mostly for young adults and the pop culture crowd, it attracts main stream advertisers and musicians like no other community.
www.activerain.com- aimed at the forward-thinking real estate professionals of the world. (and yes, we all love it)
www.craigslist.com- a geographically segmented community with focus on moving products and ideas.
www.meetup.com- a virtual community that focuses on joining real world contributors together based on personal and professional interests.
Since the late 70’s, computer users have taken advantage of technology to form virtual groups. This first started with Bulletin Board Systems (known as BBS), migrated into Community Forums and Bulletin areas, and has finally evolved into community blogs (Such as Recruiting.com and Blogher). Some communities are public, some private. Some businesses use them for reaching into the client area as marketing tools, while others turn the power of online community into internal support tools to share information.
If more than two people are interested in a topic- then you will probably find a virtual group of some sort to represent it.
As of this summer, Technorati had counted over 55 million blogs in existence. That number has been growing at an exponential rate thanks to blog community sites like ActiveRain that promote like-minded individuals to share thoughts and opinions on a topic. Those topics can range from night life, what you do for a career, how to be a good parent, politics, how-to manuals on business living, or even creative writing. The key factor is that so many people are coming into the online world that new communities are appearing overnight (Remind anyone of ActiveRain?).
Why do I want to be in a community?
It is basic human nature. Being in a community focused on our personal needs is inherent in human nature, whether it is in the form of having a structured team of working professionals or assembling our friends for Tuesday poker night, building groups of like-minded individuals helps us express ourselves. As this very online community proves, there are things that would be impossible for an individual to accomplish- yet the power of thousands can make an impact on a much larger scale.
Why do I want to BUILD a community?
There are dozens of reasons for building your own community. Sometimes the right aspects of your idea are not properly detailed in current groups. Sometimes you have an amazing new thought and want to be a forward-thinking leader and assemble other interested members. The chance to define your own community has become a reality through online technology and social media. As more people come online and express themselves, the 55 million blogs will turn into 250 million. Eventually everyone will have an online voice that is unique- and is looking for an online community to call home.
Depending on your personal and professional needs, imagine what a normal person can do with the power of a large community focused on a specific theme. Companies like Microsoft and Boeing utilize online communities to harness the power of their employees as a team. Even for a small office, the amount of creative and intellectual power found in six people can find an amazing boost in social-thinking and problem solving. Local online communities talk about common things like the best restaurant is or what everyone thought of the local community festival.
Isn’t starting an online community hard?
Online communities are as easy or as hard as you make them. You could easily compare the creation of an online community to a common birthday party. You can either play a gracious host and entertain guests yourself or you can invite friends to your party that are entertaining. You can buy drinks for everyone, or tell them to bring their own. For every method of throwing a successful birthday party, there is a way of doing it effectively depending on the level of financial and time constraints you have. We all know that planning a great party takes some planning.
I get a lot of inquiries regarding how to write effectively in a variety of markets. Blogging is a different beast from periodical or printed media- it lives and breathes. Once you let the cat out of the box, it can run around on it’s own accord and never come back home. While it can be a scary thought to blaze your thoughts to the electronic world- it can also be an incredibly enlightening act.In regular print media, you have a moment of absolute ‘crisis’ as you sign off on the final draft of your article and it goes to press. There is no taking it back, no more editing, and usually no feedback except for the word of the publisher ninety days later when they may happen to tell you how well that article carried the product.
Yet there are some basic rules of writing that still apply in the blog world. They exist in a realm of social media- where the mighty pen meets the creative voice of the reader.
Some people argue that an amazing blogger can write in-depth investigative articles or detail a shocking controversy. While either of those skills are very beneficial, I think the real strength of the top bloggers is conversation.
It isn’t about speelling errors. It ain’t about perfect grammar. Its about that skill of conversation and affection that the witty host of a cocktail party has developed to a fine art. They touch base, acknowledge merits and flaws, and are daring enough to ask questions and nurture an ongoing dialogue.
Charisma goes a long way in the social world.
After blogging for so many years (and general online communication years before that), I am very thankful for the number of awesome people I’ve met through my writing. Sometimes those charismatic and caring people send me an e-mail at the strangest time of day… only to give me a good laugh to lighten my mood.
So to all the awesome people in bloggingland, here is one for you. 
Thursday night I’ll be leaving the wonderful security of my Seattle lifestyle and jet setting down to NAR in New Orleans. I’ll be getting off the plane at 9:00 in the morning, which mean I’ll have to double my morning dose of coffee.
This year the NAR conference will be a blast. A good portion of our team will be on the show floor, helping with feature panels, and meeting with a variety of contacts we’ve made across the country.
I’m jazzed up about it. I really look forward to meeting the people behind the conversations I’ve participated in here. If you are attending NAR, stop by booth #981 at the conference and introduce yourselves.
Friday – 6:15 PM- We’ll be at the Power Broker dinner being held by RISMedia. It will be held at the New Orleans Mariott on 555 Canal St. (come by and say hello, we have a table up front)
Saturday – 8:00 AM- Meeting as many AR folk as I can at the International Room. Hopefully everyone can use a light-hearted soul on Saturday morning to chat with. J
Saturday – 9:00 AM – Richard Nacht (our CEO) will be doing a panel session covering how blogs are changing how real estate is marketed. Richard is a great speaker on the subject and I encourage people to show up.
Following the Blogs in Real Estate Session- Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney will be doing a book signing of the new book Realty Blogging at the NAR book store. So, come by, pick up your signed copy.
Saturday night- I’ll be holding a competition to assemble the best Saturday evening social activity. I’m going to put everyone familiar with New Orleans on the spot and have them show us the best the city has to offer.
Sunday- is open for me right now. I’ll be helping to man our booth and answer questions.
Our team will be staying at the Sheraton. We’ll have a bunch of us there, so feel free to grab any of us and have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. We can all use a friendly break and you would be amazed at how chatty we all are regarding what we do.  For anyone trying to reach me at the conference- my cell is 425-239-0973. E-mail: barry.hurd@bloggingsystems.com. Skype ID: barryhurd.
This has nothing to do with real estate or blogging…. or does it?This post is about The Show – with ZeFrank
The above link takes you to a zany guy who does a daily video blog covering all sorts of topics. It can be funny and sometimes pushes the envelope with odd humour and personal commentary.
Yet I cannot deny, ZeFrank knows how to market himself online. He has 3000 forum members talking about his antics on a daily basis. Each day he takes 4-6 hours to produce one little 3-5 minute blurp. Sometimes his videos are downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.
In a world of establishing a market for your own brand, humour and light-hearted antics can go a long way. Would this work in a real estate professionals arsenal? Who am I to say?
Yet developing your own brand and flavor is essential to having a blog that catches the wandering visitors mind. Next time you are thinking about establishing an image for yourself, think of ZeFrank and then ponder what niche in your market you can become a superstar with.
(and no, I cringe at the fact of seeing a real estate ZeFrank… but it may be pretty darn funny)
