Bob Stewart has some great ideas when it comes to a community challenge and the current one on Using Your Blog To Enhance Existing Relationships got my blogging juices running. His Theme?
How are you using your blog to enhance your existing relationships with clients and prospects?
The most important part of my ActiveRain blog is my Profile Page. Yeah, we all insert some information about ourselves and what we will do for our clients. But what sets my blog apart from others? A while back I decided to make my profile page a ‘one stop shop' for all posts that I had written for the Hawaii Relocations and Real Estate. A Relocation Packet for the consumer.
My Profile page gave the consumer all the information they needed to get started to learn about Hawaii the State, Local Area History, Businesses around my area, Points of Interest. I included basically ALL things Real Estate including market reports, community information and information for buyers and sellers. Of course I couldn't fit all nine hundred + posts I've written on ActiveRain over the years but I did a good job of focusing on my niche area.
‘It's not just about real estate...
it's about the community and making their transition just a little bit easier.'
Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and many of my buyers are Military Relocating to Hawaii and other Hawaii Relocations. I have to rely on my websites and blogs to keep them interested and eventually email or call me.
Updating and Creating: Update, create, update, create. It's a lot of work but hey...it's well worth the results. Old news does not keep a reader engaged. My blog is a continuously moving ad and constantly updating my blog and website with FRESH content will keep me on the first page of Google with many keywords for my niche market. (My Website is my own creation and I can keep it fresh because I don't have to rely on others to do it)
My ActiveRain Outside Blog: My outside blog is a great additional tool (extended from ActiveRain) and all you have to do is subscribe, pick your own domain name, update your theme and add links and so forth. All the rest is transferred over to www.cheesemanhomes.com from my ActiveRain blog when I choose to publish public and consumer posts to my outside blog. I currently have the link to my outside blog in my signature for emails as well.
MY OUTSIDE BLOG IS A NEWSLETTER IN ITSELF!
Connnect to Facebook and Twitter and all my public posts are linked directly in as well.
Creativity and Using My Own Voice: There is nothing better than a reader reading something and they can "feel" the writer in the story. You could be writing a great localism post about the history of your area or real estate related material. If you are ‘talking' at them instead of ‘talking' with them they won't listen. So I write the same way. I write as if I'm walking with them and talking with them.
It's a conversation that is continuously moving with words.
Pictures, Virtual Tours and Video: Pictures that are tastefully inserted into my article or post shows the reader the area I live in and enhances my blog tenfold. I happen to think it's my blog's best trait for visual appeal. I enhance my blog further with video and virtual tours from www.realestateshows.com. Real Estate Shows is my all time favorite for listings, tours around Hawaii and anything I want to use it for...including inserting a show in the PHOTO GALLERY on my website.
Local Area and Business Posts: What better way to engage my readers than showing them I am the local area expert by writing about Hawaii history, sites, businesses and neighborhoods? Real Estate is talking about ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE and if you are your local area expert you show them you have information by writing about everything in your community. www.localism.com is another part of ActiveRain where you can ‘sponsor' your local areas and connect with businesses in your area as well.
Utilizing all the ActiveRain challenges and writing my best industry related posts is the best part of ENHANCING those RELATIONSHIPS. Another recent challenge by Bob Stewart and his 1000 Point Challenge For The Rest Of Our Members.....'The Series' which allowed me to redo my HAWAII HOMES MARKET RELOCATION AND REAL ESTATE INFORMATION ONLINE and currently put the first three parts (links) on my MILITARY/VA Information page of my website.
- Hawaii Military Relocation | YOUR Military Move to Hawaii PART I Loads of information on the bases around the island of Oahu (which is Honolulu County) and getting your pets ready, the diversity of Hawaii, living on an island paradise with little buildable land (therefore, smaller homes) and so forth.
- Hawaii Honolulu Military Relocation -Part II of the Series on YOUR Military Move to Hawaii we discussed options on renting, buying or living on Base Housing and gave you a chart on Honolulu County 2009 BAH so you know what to expect for your Honolulu County Housing Allowance.
- Hawaii Military Relocation| PART III on YOUR Military Move to Hawaii | Hawaii Home Buyers VA Loans Your To Do List in getting ready for your Hawaii Home Buying Process is the next step in being proactive in your Hawaii Military Relocation. Starting your Hawaii VA Loan Process before you even arrive will make the process time shorter once you get into contract.
My efforts have informed many about all aspects of the Real Estate Industry including but not limited to Real Estate Transactions and Information, examples of real estate trials and tribulations, Hawaii Local Area History, Sites, information on relocations across the Pacific, Neighborhoods, City, Points of Interest, Businesses, Entertainment and more.
And all was obtained by communicating my thoughts through....blogging.
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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs, she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents.
Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com
Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!
Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate® and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocations, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents, Home Buyers and Sellers.
© 2007-2012 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog.
All rights reserved.
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Celeste you write a wonderful and informed blog. You are the answer-woman for your niche market for sure.
Hi Sally,
Wow, how do you do it? One great idea after another. Your profile is both heart warming and informative at the same time. It is soooooo you my friend!
Thanks CTS!
Pat: I have seen results for the past couple years and hopefully will continue on :)
Lynda: I do it with a lot of time, thought and tired hands lol. Thanks Lynda...incorporating everything in one place I thought would start them off with a positive. :)
Hi Sally...You did an excellent job of explaining what you do and how you do it. No wonder you are doing so well. This post has been very helpful.
Kate
Thanks so much Kate for your support! It does take a long time to do a localism post or even a simple post. Much thought goes into them....just as yours do too!
This reminds me of the many reasons I always followed your blog posts in my early days on Activerain. I learned so much from you and still have so much more to learn. Great summary of what you do!
This is a great example of reaching your audience via Active Rain. It is well planned and crafted. There is so much to learn. Great job, Sally.
Hi Margaret! How flattering! Thanks a bunch!
Jane: I still have more to learn...can you believe that?
Woo Hoo, You have to hand it him ( Bob). He is always thinking and he really does want every single one of us to be all that we can. In the corporate world, that thinking alone is why he is such a valuable asset to the Rain, to each of us and probably anyone else who is fortunate enough to have an interaction with hm. A rare breed of guy in this day!
Oh as for the post, naturally wonderful and chuck full of why you are so special to to all of us , your cleints and your real estate collegues as well ( as a role model)
Sally, Your blog and resources showcase your market well. Your success is no surprise. ATB!
William: The palm tree/beach picture is where I was yesterday...the wall you see in the picture is the one I jumped off of...only to take one step and go kaboom lol. Bob really has his thinking cap on to engage US with ideas....it's wonderful....it's what keeps me going :)
Thanks Chain Real Estate :)
Sally-You've given me a few new ideas to implement with my blog posts. You are always an inspiration.
Awesome information, Sally. Definitely a bookmarking moment here. I love the idea to make your profile page more of a go to page. I am going to study that concept and attempt to implement it. Thanks so much!
Dick and Dixie
Hi Sally, I have found the AR phenom creeping into my business without my realizing it, then when I saw what was happening, I started to incorporate it's use with potential clients! Great post, right on target.
Thanks so much for a great post full of great ideas. Have a great week.
Sally I have to agree Bob does come up with some great ideas to get our creative juices going, and the bribe points sure don't hurt the effort ........ LOL
By the way you have some fantastic localism blogs, and millitary reloction blogs.
Sally - Bob's challenge certainly has brought out some very good ideas but one only needs to follow your example to be a real winner.
You just made me realize that my outside blog is my version of a traditional newsletter. I love that. Less work for me and I'm totally cool with that.
Thanks Cindy... you do wonderful yourself!
Dick and Dixie: It took some time but well worth it!
Andrea: Pretty cool huh?
You too Terry
He sure does George. It helps everyone stay on track as well :)
Kathy: How flattering! Thanks!
Loreena: Me too! The extra effort to send out bunches of emails for a newsletter can be done with a link in our signature line (email) I think I may add....read my blog :)
This is GREAT Sally ! and I just checked your profile page and it's fantastic ! Wow ! Great job :o)
Sally, you are an inspiration. I keep learning new things from you everytime I drop by! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Sheldon and Anthony!
Sally- thanks for all of the useful tips! You are always on the cutting edge of ideas!
Sally you are alway an inspiration. The information you provide can be a reall source of fostering relationship with clients.
Well done. We have some similar uses for our blogs. It's interesting how we each took a different approach to this task. I'm really enjoying reading the different methods. Again, well done... as always! You set the bar high for the rest of us!