Writing For the Internet

Creating your Strategy for Writing for your Real Estate Business

2010-10-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

What exactly makes a successful strategy for writing for the Real Estate consumer? I can sum it up with one concept – Current Information that is Relevant to the Reader. Each reader will be different. You will have a mixture of personalities, people looking for different things, dealing with Buyers and Sellers, and your fellow Real Estate Professionals.

There are many ways you may want to approach this. But what you should do is break it down into manageable chunks. Here is what I think that the successful Real Estate Writer should be writing about to capture the Consumer they want to serve.

Remember this is my ideal, you might find a totally different criteria or breakdown. That is good! Make it work for you!

60% Real Estate Related – Well that is a big chunk, what do I mean?

Real Estate Educational Pieces
Real Estate Success Stories/Client Testimonials
Market Reports
Real Estate Opinion
Buyer Articles
Seller Articles
Mortgage Related Articles – this might mean you have a relationship with a Mortgage Professional that writes for you
Title, Legal, Inspection, Staging and Escrow Related Articles
Posts about your listings

30% Community Related – These are about the area you serve

Articles about Schools, Community Centers, Special Places, Shopping and Restaurants
Articles about your community’s history
Community Calendars of upcoming events (which just happen to link to your past articles. Hey they are quick and easy and you give yourself link love)
Fun Community Stuff
Why you should live in your city
Spotlight on specific areas

10% Free For all.
Just for Fun
When in doubt to a recap post of your favorite posts
Special Interests you have – Perhaps you volunteer for Special Olympics or The American Cancer Society. Your favorite sports Team or perhaps your hobby…
Just being a good Citizen of the World
News events from your area
About you and your family. A special note, those that live with small children may not want to do this. Each parent can make the decision. There are pros and cons doing so.
Neat Resources (cleaning gagets, car stuff, great service from a local vendor, etc.)
Holidays and special world events

This is a great list of ideas, but how do I decide what to write? So how does one decide the order?

Let’s say that you work in groups of 10 articles. You could approach this weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. And you can change your posting schedule. It is suggested that you write at least 5 times a week to get the results you desire.

I understand that some of you might be struggling, so if I were to follow this formula this week and I were to write 10 articles in a week, I might do the following:

1. Real Estate Related - Buyer Article – Importance of Prequalification
2. Community Related - Community Calendar of Upcoming Events
3. Community Related - Spotlight on an area that I am going after FSBO
4. Real Estate Related - Area Market Report for the area I am going after for FSBO
5. Community Related - Why you should live in my community
6. Real Estate Related - Buyer Article – Things to ask a home inspector
7. Real Estate Related - Seller Article – Tips for preparing your home for sale or Facts about a 1031 Exchange
8. Real Estate Related - For Sale By Owner – linking to #3 & #4
9. Real Estate Related - Title, Legal or Escrow Related
10. Free For All - Ways to prepare ahead of time to make thanksgiving less stressful

Week Two might look like this:

1. Real Estate Related - Buyer Article – Things you need to apply for a mortgage
2. Real Estate Related - Seller Article – Should you have your home professionally staged
3. Community Related – Something fun about your community
4. Real Estate Related – Client Testimonial
5. Community Related – Write about a local School
6. Real Estate Related - Buyer Article – Packing Ideas
7. Community Related – History of a local important building
8. Real Estate Related – How about writing a profile on a local builder
9. Real Estate Related – Write an article about why you feel now is the time to buy a home in your community.
10. Free For All – Neat tool or resource that members of your community might find useful.

So creating your strategy for writing for your Real Estate Business doesn't have to be so difficult!

Go for it!

Start today! You will be glad that you did!

Holiday Military Support Idea

2010-10-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

With the holidays fast approaching a care package from home gives them the knowledge that people are thinking about them - that's a huge pick-me-up. There are also several organizations that send care packages and send support to our troops overseas:

Treats for Troops
Books for Soldiers
Military Care Packages
Operation Military Pride
Operation Uplink
Any Soldier
Operation Phone Home

This is a great time of the year! Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner! While you are filling out your Christmas Cards this Christmas, why not add one more to the list -- A Recovering American Soldier.

Mail to:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

It only takes a few moments to make a difference in one of our Military personnel's lives! Perhaps in each of your Christmas cards you too can encourage others to support the troops!

Or better yet, spread the word and tell your readers about this idea!

Your Blog is a Form of Advertising -- How Effective is it?

2010-09-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Like it or not, your posts are a form of advertising. I am not passing judgment and I am not directing this to any one person. Sit down for a moment and think about it. What each of us puts up here reflects on the writer. I want you to be successful.

Why is it that I can see posts that are just thrown up in an effort to just do it? Is it because they felt they have to do it because this is the latest and greatest way to market oneself? And a lot of it shows that way. Keep writing that way, don't change.

If you are here to improve and learn then take a few moments and think about it. Yes what we post is advertising. Even if it is something for our fellow professionals. And with all Marketing it is not how much you put out there as:

Who is your audience?
What is your intention?
What are you trying to convey?

With all great marketing pieces (yes your BLOG is a marketing piece) you have a few basic rules to be successful:

KISS -- Keep it simple stupid
White space -- don't be afraid of it
Keep to the maximum of two fonts (multiple sizes of them ok, but no more than two!)
Society is visual -- graphics will enhance text and don't use so much that it distracts from the message.
Spelling and Grammar count

So I leave you with two examples on the same post -- which author would you rather work with? Which one better conveys the message?

**********
Example 1

**********

Title: Networking Opportunity

Post Body: Anyone attending the XYZ conference in April in Arlington Texas? If so let me know perhaps we can get together for a drink.

***********
Example 2
***********

Title: Networking Opportunity - April 12-15, 2007 - Arlington, Texas

Post Body: XYZ Conference (link to conference web page) is coming up April 12-15 in Arlington, Texas at the Luxury Hotel This conference is going to bring together the top minds in Real Estate Appraisers.

Featured speakers are:

Fred Flintstone head of Quarry Industries

Wonder Woman of Golden Lasso Technologies (with links to speaker's company websites)

Breakout sessions will include topics: Websites, Measuring Technologies, Insurance issues, Mold and many others. To find out more about this exciting conference, visit the conference website at website address link.

If any other fellow members are planning on attending, please let me know. I would love an opportunity to network with you. I will be arriving April 11th and am leaving on the 16th. I am staying at the Luxury Hotel. My Contact information is ...

Do you see the difference?

September Writing Ideas

2010-09-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

How about finding some things to write about in your community? Drawing a blank? Well here are some ideas to get your started:

Labor Day is Spetember 3rd -- Write a localism post about the activities in your community

Back To School - Write about things that affect kids (backpacks, meeting new friends, spotlight a teacher -- start a featured student of the month, reach out to a high school English teacher to get students involved in writing about cool things in your community for Teens)

GrandParents Day is September 9 -- How about writing about parks in your community that Grandparents can take their grand children.
Write about upcoming Octoberfest events
Remember September 11th

Special Days in September:

September 3 - Labor Day and National Bathtub Race Day
September 4 - Newspaper Carrier Day (feature your neighborhood newpaper carrier)
September 5 - Do it Day!
September 7 - Google Commermoration Day
September 10 - Swap Ideas Day
September 15 - International Coastal Cleanup Day (start up an event and promote on your BLOG)
Setpember 17 - Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day (who knew????)
September 22 - Dear Diary Day (interesting.....)
September 23 - Autumn Begins & National Good Neighbor Day

September Weekly Observances:

1-7 is Self-Universty Week -- can anyone make the ActiveRain connection?
2-8 National Waffle Week
9-15 Habitat for Humanity's International Building on Faith Week
9-15 National Assisted Living Week
11-17 National emergency Preparedness Week
16-22 National Love your Files Week
24-30 National Chimmey Safety Week

September Monthly Observances:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month
Baby Safety Month
Shameless Promotion Month -- Real Estate Professionals -- show your best!
Backpack Safety America Month
Be Kind to Editors & Writers Month
Mold Awareness Month (could be an interesting connection Real Estate folks)
College Savings Month
Fall Hat Month
If you live in Idaho -- September is National Potato month!
National Civics Awareness Month (write about the civic associations in your community)
International Self-Awareness Month
International Strategic Thinking Month
Library Card sign-up month
National Addiction Recovery Month

Are You a Social Media Rock Star?

2010-08-25T03:19:00.000-07:00

Or more importantly should you be?
I just read this great post From Geek to Gods: Why Have “Social Rock Stars” Emerged? over at Social Media Trader. It got me thinking about the changes in Social Media. Interesting thing to think about "Social Media is a return to oral culture". So what does that mean for you, your business and your Internet personality?

Does it at all?
Users are using Social media to share information and creates a conversation between people. The draw of the Rock Star is appealing, let's face it it is sexy. But we all cannot be the Rock Star.
Sometimes being quiet and in the background is very effective too! But like all important leaders it is those that are quietly out there consistently leading. Remember it is about the conversation and the quality of those conversations.

What is their secret?
It has nothing to do with the persona and Celebrity. It is anything but sexy. It is consistently being out there and connecting with Buyers and Sellers and ensuring that their home is sold for the highest dollar in the least amount of time or that they got the best house for the money they could afford. It is about making them feel comfortable working with you. It is about providing a service that they value. It is about being in the right place at the right time.

For all of you who want to be at the top of the heap, I have an interesting question for you. In the scope of things, does it really matter if you are a Social Rock Star? That instead of trying to achieve that status, your time would be better spent talking directly with Buyers and Sellers?

Keywords and Writing for the Internet

2010-08-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

Keywords are part of your foundation of your writing for the Internet. Let’s talk about Keywords. Many have written about this before, and I am sure I won’t be the last.

What is a Keyword?

First let us define what a Keyword is. According to Wikipedia, “a keyword is a word or concept with special significance, in particular any word used as the key to a code or used in a reference work to link to other words or other information.” The keyword would be the word or phrase the consumer would enter in a search engine to find you.

Now that you know what a keyword is, how does it relate to your business? I am going to talk in generic terms. In this example I want to sell donuts for Tim Horton’s Donuts in Amherst New York. So what would be some of my site main keywords?

If you answered the following you are on the right track:

Tim Horton Donuts
Donuts in Amherst NY (and Donuts in Amherst New York)
Amherst NY Donuts (and Donuts in Amherst New York)
Tim Horton’s
Donuts Amherst NY

So every post I would write would have two or more of these keywords 3 or more times. The keywords I am using in the body of the article would also be in the title and they would be the keywords for that post. And depending on the post you might also indicate other keyword that you do not regularly use but are relevant to the article you are writing. For instance if you wrote an article about Tim Horton’s Amazing Cream of Broccoli soup, you would add Cream of Broccoli soup as a keyword term for that post. You don’t regularly write about Cream of Broccoli soup, but you want to catch anyone searching about it.

What is Keyword Density?
We can’t talk about Keywords without talking about Keyword Density for a moment. Again quoting Wikipedia “Keyword density is the percentage of words on a web page that match a specified set of keywords. In the context of search engine optimization keyword density can be used as a factor in determining whether a web page is relevant to a specified keyword or keyword phrase.”

So you now know what Keyword Density is, what should your density be on each article you write? Your keywords should be 3-5% of the total words in your post. So if you have a post that is only 100 words, you will need to bear that in mind when using keywords. You want to use your keywords where they make sense and are part of the natural flow of your writing. If it is unnatural, don’t do it.

What is Keyword Stuffing?
Otherwise you run the risk of Keyword Stuffing right? Well not exactly... Quoting my favorite resource one last time, Wikipedia says “Keyword stuffing is considered to be an unethical search engine optimization (SEO) technique. Keyword stuffing occurs when a web page is loaded with keywords in the meta tags or in content. The repetition of words in meta tags may explain why many search engines no longer use these tags.” Unethical would be the example shown in Matt Cutts post Avoid Keyword Stuffing. Remember how else the Search Engines are going to categorize your article if you do not write an article that helps them understand what it is you are writing about.

How do you chose what Keywords to use?

Well first think of all the terms you would use if you were going to search for the topic you are writing about. Donuts by Tim Horton Donuts in Amherst NY. What would you enter into the Search Engine to find what you are looking for? That would be where you start. Perhaps ask friends and family members what they might enter. There are plenty of resources to suggest keywords for your site. You may find that you will fine tune your selection of keywords as time goes by.

Keyword Resources:

Simple right? You would think so, but so many people make it seem so complicated. So go out there get your keywords straight sell some donuts! Only kidding… Go sell some houses or what ever else you might be selling! With the right keywords and usage you will be on page 1 searches for the Search Engines in no time!

Other Articles of Interest Regarding Keywords:

Writer's Block ~ How to Break It

2010-07-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Not sure what to write about? Looking to write about something to inspire your Real Estate Readers? Write about a variety of things to keep your website or blog fresh. Here are some areas that you will want to write about. It doesn't hurt to have a series of posts in draft mode.

Looking for something new to write about? How about some of these ideas:

Local Businesses
Local Entertainment Ideas
Trends in Remodeling
Helpful household tips
Local Restaurants
Staging Ideas for the Home Seller
Real Estate Market Updates
Finance and Mortgage topics

Don't forget to take a break for a few days. Do something for yourself and have some fun. You will come back and be refreshed and energized.

YouTube Video | Web 2.0...The Machine is Us/ing Us

2010-05-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I discovered this video on YouTube. It was powerful then and still is. What is amazing is how technology has change in the past 10 years. This video has a very interesting thought.

What do you think?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Sellsius Top Women Bloggers of 2009!

2009-12-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Realtor Honored as Top Blogger

Colleen Kulikowski of the Buffalo Real Estate News Blog was honored by Sellsius Real Estate Blog as being one of the top Women Real Estate Bloggers.

Sellsisus Real Estate posted:

1. Colleen Kulikowski. BuffaloRealEstateNews. I love Colleen’s blogging style. Her blog reads like a newspaper/magazine. Her posts are easy on the eyes, extremely relevant to her market, and display her sense of humor . She writes appealing headlines and uses catchy images. Colleen is a force on Active Rain. She is very tech savvy. She is using her SEO skills to rule the Buffalo market— her blog is on page 1 of Google for “Buffalo homes for sale”— ahead of Zillow and Realtor.com. Now that’s how Colleen rocks blogging. For those who think blogging has little ROI, talk to Colleen and learn a thing or twenty-two.

The other women named were:

2. Mary Pope-Handy. Mary authors 3 blogs: The Valley of Heart’s Delight; Live in Los Gatos; and the quite deadly Haunted Real Estate Blog.

3. Dru Bloomfield. AtHomeInScottsdale.

4. Diane Guercio. a/k/a HeyAmaretto.

5. Amy Chorew. The TechByte; TheDigitalRealtor/ActiveRain. Amy also writes for AgentGenius.

6. Kaye Thomas. ManhattanBeachRealty Beach City Real Estate. Move2Manhattan Beach

7. Jessica Riffle Edwards. CarolinasFinest/HotPropertyBlog .

8. Susie Blackmon. Bucking The Real Estate Trend.

9. Elaine Reese. Central Ohio Real Estate News.

10. Genea (Gena) Riede. Sacramento Real Estate Voice.

11. Kim Wood. West of Philly Burbs. ActiveRain blog. Part of the TechByte team.

12. Monika McGillicuddy. New Hampshire Real Estate Blog. Monica also has a delightful photo blog, The New Hampshire View Finder.

Ladies Congratulations on being named on this incredible list of women! Past winners can be found here

Thinking of selling your Buffalo area home? Interested in finding out the current market value of your single family home, condo or investment property? Then call Colleen Kulikowski at (716) 650-0051 to discuss what is happening in today’s Western New York Real Estate Market. We would be happy to give you a personalized Comparative Market Analysis for your home or assist you to purchase a home. View additional WNY Market Area Statistics here.

Does Article Size Matter?

2009-12-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

I do a lot of writing on the Internet. I also do a lot of reading. Occasionally I read a post that affects me. Over at the Case Western Reserve Univeristy, Web Development Blog, Heidi Cool posted an interesting post, Copy Writing: Long vs. Short, Does it Matter that got me thinking...

Does the size of your articles really matter?

Personally I find this interesting topic and I have had many conversations with my friends regarding this topic. I personally can be a lengthy writer, but there are times that a short post works for me.

In this post is some of the best advice I have heard in a long time "There's really no one-size fits all solution. Instead the best thing to do is to tailor the length of your Web pages or printed matter to the situation, then offer opportunities for more details as necessary. If you've given the reader enough information to make an informed decision you've done your job."

If you have presented your material, organized it in a logical manner and engaged the reader the size of the article really doesn't matter.

Enough said!

YouTube Video | Here Comes Another Bubble

2009-12-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

Ah the Internet. What would we do without it? Always looking for interesting and innovative things to write about. In Real Estate, it is easy, you can write about neighborhoods, statstics and tips for Buyers and Sellers.

There are times you write serious stuff, and other times you just share. This is one of the share moments.. I got a few chuckles out of it.

Enjoy!

OMG! My Blog has been hacked!

2009-10-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

OMG! My Blog has been hacked!

There are few things that scare a Real Estate Blogger; having their site hacked ranks right up there. Apparently I have some good company as an Internet Expert had their site hacked recently. My Buffalo Real Estate Blog is my business, and it has been compromised.

Nightmare on Elm Street

Two weeks ago a call from a client alerted me that the Buffalo Real Estate Blog was being redirected to a movie site--one about horror movies. A quick call to my web host, they were able to resolve the issue and correct the situation. The Blog was clearly hacked and now secured by password changes. Back to business rather easily, but there was something lurking beneath the surface.

Scream 2

It took a week before the dreaded warning for every search on the Blog appeared: Visiting this site may harm your computer! This after having the Blog redirected to a Horror Movie site. Someone clearly has too much time on their hands. The Blog is banned on Google, Firefox and Stumbleupon and every time you would search in the search results would have the Visiting this site may harm your computer warning. Can you say Internet Hell?

Misery

I am a Realtor, I have clients that I need to show homes to in an hour, I don't have time for this. I had no idea what to do to fix the situation, all I could do was put my faith in the Hosting Company.

While the hosting company does deep scans of the site, they suggested that I check the links on my site and wait. Wait and check links? Do they really understand the severity of the situation? Check the thousands of links on over 1100 pages? Seriously? Later they tell me that all of my slide shows from Slide.com might be the problem. They are as clueless as I am.

To give you an understanding of the severity of the situation, at this point this Blog is sitting at the top of search results on Google with the Visiting this site may harm your computer warning at the point when home searchers are at the peak of the searches before the end of summer. A good 60% of my traffic comes directly from Google. Sitting at the top of the search engines with countless keywords with this message. This is a real-life horror show that is every Real Estate Blogger's nightmare.

The Exorcist

Find the code, Google removes the warning. Finding the bad code was much like finding a needle in a haystack. If you get Visiting this site may harm your computer error on your site here are some resources to assist you in fixing the problem to get you back into Google's Index:

Change your web hosting and FTP passwords every 30 days!

Check your site on http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=yoursite.com

Simply replace yoursite.com domain name with your domain to check your site

Go to your Google Webmaster site and see if you have any messages from Google regarding violations. My only clue was a message that I was in violation of terms of service because of Malware. The Malware was never on my server, it was being called from another site using Java script.

Check out Dasient Web Anti Malware, which can give you important clues to what is causing the error messages.

Tips for those using Wordpress

Do you have the most recently supported version? You will need to update. There is a catch here. If you don't upgrade the version in the manner they proscribe by your Web Host; you are not going to get a lot of support.
Immediately change not only your password, but your Administrative ID
Institute changing your password every 30 days
Start by deactivating all your plugins. Hackers like to hide code in them. Use the tool from Dasient to check to see if the code is gone. If you get the all clear from Dasient, you know where the bad code is.

Now systematically reactivate each plugin. Once you discover which plugin has the code, check the code of the version you have to the one on the download site.
If it is the same, don't use the plugin, if it is different, delete the version you have and reinstall the plugin.
If it clean after the reinstall you have fixed the problem.

Also of great assistance was a site that has great information http://25yearsofprogramming.com/blog/20071223.htm, and if you ever are hacked, it is full of helpful information about how to prevent and correct the problems of having your site hacked.

Sixth Sense

It can take days to have your site reconsidered. Prevention is important and a disaster plan in case your site is hacked. It was difficult to find the source of the malicious code which was buried in two plugins, and links. Once removed the Blog is back on Google without the dreaded warning. Important questions that you should ask before you have an issue:

Would you be able to resolve this type of problem? Would you know where to start?
How often does your web provider make backups and how long do they keep them?
How does your provider handle software upgrades?
When was the last time you changed your password? Make sure that you use a unique password for your hosting site to all others. That way if the password is compromised you limit the extent of potential damage.
Can your hosting provider resolve these issues in a timely manner? And what exactly could be considered timely? Did you know that many consider 72 hours timely?
How is the technical support of your Hosting site?
Who would you call in case of an emergency? And what do they consider an emergency?

Scary nightmare to be sure. I never really liked horror movies, if I want a thrill I think I will go ride the Mind Eraser at Darien Lake.

January Writing Ideas

2009-01-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

January always seems like a place to start fresh. It is the beginning. Most people feel very hopeful about the upcoming year. We all find it hard to write about topics that are important to our communities. So here is a collection of things that you might be able to write about….

There are two US Federal Holidays in January.

New Year’s Day – January 1
Write about New Year’s Resolutions
How about writing your own year in review?
Start writing monthly reviews for your own BLOG.
Football is another popular event
Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday – January 21

Other Observances in the Month of January:

Bath Safety Month
Birth Defects Prevention Month - www.modimes.org
Blood Donor Month - www.aabb.org and www.americasblood.org
Cervical Health Awareness Month - www.nccc-online.org
Clown Month
Crime Stoppers Month
Gourmet Coffee Month
Diet Month
Glaucoma Awareness Month - www.preventblindness.org
Hobby Month
Letter Writing Month
Poverty in America Month
Retail Bakers Month
School Board Month
Soup Month
Stamp Collectors Month
Tea Month
Thyroid Disease Awareness Month

Weekly Observances in January include:

Second Week of January
School Crossing Guard Week
Law Enforcement Training Week

Third Week in January
National Activity Professional's Week "will celebrate a special week for a very special group of people, the nation's Activity Professionals. These are dedicated women and men who help to enrich the daily lives of older adults in long term care facilities, retirement homes, day programs and senior centers."
Jacees Week

Fourth Week in January
Catholic Schools Week
Glaucoma Awareness Week
Healthy Weight Week - www.healthyweight.net
Kiwanis Week
Junior Achievement Week

Specific Days in January

January 1 – Last Day of Kwanzaa www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org
January 2 – Science Fiction Day
January 3 – Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
January 4 - Spaghetti Day - www35.123greetings.com/events/spaghetti_day
January 8 – Rock & Roll Day
January 14 – Clean off Your desk Day
January 15 – 1967 was the first Super bowl Game
January 16 – Gulf War began in 1991
January 18 – Arbor Day in FLORIDA www.arborday.org/states/index.cfm?state=FL
January 19 – Bald Eagle Appreciation Day - http://keokuk-ia.com/tourism/bald.htm
January 27 – Thomas Crapper the Plumber.com www.theplumber.com/crapper.htmlwith research about Thomas Crapper Sir Thomas Crapper - Real or Myth - Plumbing History: www.plumbingworld.com/historythomas.html
January 29 - Puzzle Day

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T16:14:00.001-08:00

Real Estate Writing Ideas for October

2008-10-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few that might inspire you to write this month for your Real Estate Business:

National Book Month - Write about your local library
National Breast Cancer Month - Write about your city's cancer center
National Child Care Month - Write about all the local Child Care Centers
National Spinal Health Month -- Write about local Chiropractors
Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month - ASPCA and Iams Dog Food - write about your local dog shelter
Country Music Month - Write about country music happenings in you area

There are also some interesting Weeks that you might want to write about for your Real Estate Business in October:

First Week in October is Get Organized Week - Write about home staging and cleaning out the clutter - Does your community have a company that comes in and organizes for people? Write about them!
The second week in October is also School Lunch Week - This is a great opportunity to write about the local schools. Perhaps do a spotlight article on one of the "School Lunch Ladies" or if you have kids, go have lunch with them at school, take a few pictures and write about the experience.
National Radon Week is also the fourth week in October. This is a perfect time to write about Radon and how to detect in a home and a great time to write an informational piece that home owners and home buyers can use.

And then there are the specific days that you could write about for your Real Estate Business:

October 8 - Columbus Day. Write about the local Columbus Day Celebrations
October 13 - Navy Day. If you live in a naval community this might be a great opportunity to write about it
October 19 - National Mammography Day. Write about your local Mammography Center
October 22 - Xerox introduced the copy machine in 1938. Write about your local copy center
October 31 - Halloween. There are tons of things to write about Halloween.

Credit Score Blues...

2008-03-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

Published by your Real Estate Expert, Colleen Kulikowski

Recently we wrote an article entitled “Can I buy a home in Niagara Falls with bad Credit?“ And a question came up from a reader that caught me off guard “What is a Credit Score?” and then the next question that sprang up was “why is it so important?”

Here is a useful video from CreditDVD, which does an excellent job both explaining What is a Credit Score and why it is important to all consumers wishing to use credit to fund their purchase. The video is a bit cheeky, but it explains in very basic details how your credit score will affect your ability to purchase with credit.

Read More at: Do You have the Credit Score Blues?

Excellent Lesson from the Blogging Experiement

2007-12-16T03:48:00.000-08:00

The Simpsons: Lessons on Blogging written by Ben Cook over at the Blogging Experiment has some very interesting insights.

What great advice! I especially could relate to the points he makes in this article regarding writing and the popular Simpson's cartoon:

Plans Will Fail

How many times doe we plan to do something and it not result in what we want? Does the result that we get give us something better? Is it really a failure?

Donald Trump had many failures -- is that a bad thing?

What it means to be successful is to learn from our failures and move forward.

Don't complain about failure, find a positive spin on it and share with your community.

Get the Community Involved

With the Internet, it is interactive. You have to stimulate the interaction. Perhaps it is using Social Media sites.

Be willing to enlist the assistance of guest authors to broaden the scope of your material

Create the interaction, a contest, a poll, perhaps a challenge

With that you need to reach out to the community and participate too!

Don't forget to acknowledge the participation of your readers

Attention to Detail

This is very important, how many times have you checked the spelling of a post only to come back two or three days later and see a glaring error? What does your audience think when they see this?

Are you writing the types of material that your community desires?

Are you taking time to comment on other bloggers sites?

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Password Management and Writing for the Internet

2007-12-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia " A password is a form of secret authentication data that is used to control access to a resource. The password is kept secret from those not allowed access, and those wishing to gain access are tested on whether or not they know the password and are granted or denied access accordingly."

With the wide variety of websites that require a sign-on and password, the process can be overwhelming. How does one manage their writing and keep all of these Sign-on ID's and passwords straight. What if someone hacked into one of your accounts? Could they get into everything of yours?

Password Security Thoughts for the Day:

Is is one that some could easily guess?
How many sites do you use the same login id and password combination?
How many sites are you using different logins, but yet the same password?
When was the last time you changed your password?
Is Your Password sitting under your keyboard or mousepad?
Does your work, Social Networking sites, Website, blog, Email, Banking and other accounts all using the same password?
The most important question I have for you -- How safe is your password?

Guilty of the above? Are you in need to do some Password Fixing? I have good news for you! You can correct the situation before it becomes a problem.

What Makes a good Password?

One that has a combination of letters (and a combination of upper and lower case), numbers and special characters (*&^%$#@)
use a password that you can type quickly, without having to look at the keyboard. This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by watching over your shoulder
One that does not make sense
Don't use your Social Security Number, License number or Telephone number in your password
Must not have more than 2 characters repeated in a row - thus "ABCaaa" should not be used
One that contains at least 8 characters
Don't use any form of your Login Name as part of your password, or your first or last name for that matter
Definitely not things like your name, your birthday, 12345, ABCDE, Password
A password that is changed at least every 30 days, 14 days is better
Don't put it under your keyboard, mouse pad, telephone, store it in your Rolodex under P, or worse yet on a post-it note on your monitor, and don't carry it in your wallet! What if it were stolen?

A secure login password could be defined as one that does not fit into any would-be intruder's "universe" of intelligible words, or permutations thereof. In other words, an ideally secure password must appear as noise, totally random characters, devoid of any information. Do not incorporate into a password any information which is known to others, because this information can make life just that much easier for an intruder. Names of people, streets, dictionary words, new events, are all known by others and can be guessed.

The W. Magical List of Women Bloggers

2007-11-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

There is a trend to discover Woman Bloggers.

The other night I got a Google alert that caught my attention. It was a mention from Toby Bloomberg.

Before she posted her list, I had a really nice conversation about trends that are happening in the Internet. She had mentioned to me about a powerful list of Women Bloggers and how many Bloggers were either adding to the master list or starting their own.

In her post The W Magical List of Women Bloggers she mentions "The W List - or the magical list as some have called it - is a way for women to celebrate women .. a way for women to support women .. a way for women to be ourselves."

Here are a few of my favorite Women Bloggers:

Toby Bloomberg - Diva Marketing

Laurie Manny - Long Beach Real Estate Home

Got Writer's Block?

2007-11-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Writer's Block as described by Wikipedia as

"Writer's block can be closely related to depression and anxiety, two mood disorders that reflect environmentally caused or spontaneous changes in the brain's frontal lobe. This is in contrast to hypergraphia, more closely linked to mania, in which the changes occur primarily in the temporal lobe.... It is widely thought that writer's block is part of a natural ebb and flow in the creative process"

Many times writers find that they lack inspiration to write and are frustrated in the process. Writing for the Internet does not mean you are exempt from Writer's Block. Many times you just need a spark to generate ideas. Or other times you might be wrapped up with Keywords. Back in August I created a contest on the social network ActiveRain called ActiveRain Contest Laurie Manny Challenge where I got people to look outside of our little world at ActiveRain and get some ideas. The weeks that followed that challenge the writing of many of the members grew and it was fun to watch as other's learned from the process.

So what can you learn from this experience? Well first off it can give you new ideas. The next time that you find that you are stuck, why not take up the Challenge and check out a few of the many Internet Writer for ways to recharge your writing.

When I need a boost, I pick an outside BLOG and then I read a post or two, then I go to a link to another BLOG, and I will read there and then link off to another BLOG. Before I know it I am reading in places that I never thought about and I am learning new things...

The greatest benefit from one of these little explorations? I have a renewed passion for writing and I am full of fresh ideas...

Here is a list of BLOGs that you might want to check out:

Copy Blogger Customers Rock

Realty Thoughts How To Change The World

StarPower InmanBlog

ShoeMoney ProBlogger

Real Estate Marketing Hot Property Big Time Listings

Bob Vila Blogger's Blog Home Improvement BLOG Sellsius Real Estate BLOG

Seth Godin's BLOG Bigger Pockets 1031 Exchange

Travel Blog Simpler Real Estate Investing BLOG

Appraisal Scoop Off Beat Homes Curbed LA The Golf Blog

Kitchen Remodel BLOG Vlog Soup Real Estate Convergence

TrumpBLOG BawldGuy Talking

Transparent Real Estate Negotiating Tip of the Week

Business is Best At The Top How To Change The World

WorkerBeeBlog Real Estate Bubble Get Staged to Sell

Freakonomics BLOG The Real Estate Bloggers

The Real Estalker Condo Domain

1938 Media Home Inspection BLOG

Soapbox Appraisal Blog StickyFigure

Hope that some of these might inspire you!

December Writing Ideas

2007-11-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Usually I write this at the very end of a month just before the month starts. But with Thanksgiving and all your holiday preparations and plans, you may find that you will not have a lot of time to write in December. Perhaps you might like to get ahead and write a few posts before the rush of holidays! Then all you have to do is go in and post them.

December is a month about holidays! There is so much you can write about your local community during the holidays. There are several to celebrate this December! You have Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s in December.

I found this helpful resource regarding the holidays, perhaps you will find something interesting to share with your readers:

Christmas – December 25

Fun Facts
Christmas by Martha Stewart
Family Fun Christmas Crafts
Christmas Gift Ideas
Christmas Resources
Christmas Recipes by epicurious

Hanukkah – December 5-12

Chanukah
Hanukkah Resources
History Channel
Hanukkah ideas from the Food Network

Kwanzaa – December 26 – January 1

Kwanzaa Resources
Books about Kwanzaa
History Channel

New Year’s Eve – December 31

New Year Resources
New Year’s Eve in Time Square
New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

How about writing about:

Christmas Trees – in your community is the best place to get your tree from the Boy Scouts, or are you fortunate enough to live in an area where you can go and cut your own tree? Are there lots of options in your area? Do you go to the same place year after year? Why not write about it?
Where to get cookies like Mom made without the fuss. Growing up in WNY my mother would go to one of the cooking schools and get Sugar cookies to decorate. We got to do all the fun without all the work.
Do you have a butcher in your area? How about a Turkey Farm? Perhaps spotlight them in your writing this month. Perhaps you have a special Farmer’s Market that you go shopping at?
Where to see Santa Claus.
A list of holiday concerts in your community
A list of Churches and their holiday schedule?
A list of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah celebration in your area?
How about writing about all the places you can go for Christmas Dinner and where to call to make reservations?
How about a Catering Service that delivers that perfect holiday meal to you?
How about a list of places to purchase the perfect bottle of wine in your area?
What about the florist that does spectacular floral arrangements?

December Celebrations happening all month long:

Bingo Month is a popular game in many communities with it being a very popular fundraiser for local schools and churches. Why not write about Bingo in your community?

Hi Neighbor Month

Write a Friend Month

Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (US National)

This is a great opportunity to write about local taxi and car services.
Perhaps highlight Mother’s Against Drunk Driving Organization in your area!

Also of note the Second week of December is Coats for Kids. Many communities band together and collect coats for kids.

Daily Celebration happening in December that you might want to write about include:

December 1 – World AIDS Awareness Day perhaps write about a local AIDS Center, just write to give some link love to these organizations.
December 3 – National Roof over your Head Day
December 5 – International Volunteer Day. Is there an organization in your area that coordinates volunteer opportunities? Write about them. Know of several places seeking volunteers, how about giving them some free publicity.
December 5-12 - Hanukkah
December 7 – Pearl Harbor Day is also Civil Aviation Day
December 9 - Christmas Card Day
December 12 - Poinsettia Day
December 17 - National Maple Syrup Day
December 19 - Look for an Evergreen Day
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Boxing Day & the first day of Kwanzaa
December 29 – The formation of the first YMCA in the USA happened today in 1851 in Boston MA. Almost every community has one, why not write about it and highlight it?
December 31 – New Year’s Eve

November Writing Ideas

2007-11-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

November 4 - Daylight Standard time resumes. Traditionally this is the time to change your smoke detectors batteries.

November 6 - Election Day.

Write a post about all the polling places in your community.
Write about your local election issues - get the voters out!
Meet the Press premiers in 1947

November 10 - Microsoft releases Windows NT in 1993 which meant they entered the 32 bit world of computing. And Another American Icon debuted in 1969 - Sesame Street.

Write about WiFi hotspots in your community
How computers have impacted our lives or how about writing the beginnings of Windows software?

November 11 - Veteran's Day. A veteran is a soldier who has served his/her country. Why November 11? World War I ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month. Originally named Armistice Day in 1918 and after the Vietnam War it was changed to Veteran's Day. In 1921 an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

So how is Veteran's Day celebrated in your community?
Do you know a soldier who is in your community currently serving that you can honor?
Do you have a Veteran's hospital in your area? Write about volunteer opportunities.
Help our Troops Call Home with a prepaid calling card
Send a hand made card through Cards for Soldiers
Soldiers overseas sometimes have down time and look for ways to fill that time. Many military libraries are very limited -- Find out how you can help with Books for Soldiers
Start a drive to raise things for Soldiers serving in the Middle East.
This is also the first day of American Education Week - this is a great time to put a spotlight on your community's schools. November 14th is Educational Support Professionals Day, and November 15th is Educator for a Day.

November 15 - America Recycles Day. This is a great opportunity for you to write about ways people can help the environment. It is also the Great American Smokeout.

List of ways to stop smoking
Helpful recycling tips
List of Recycling Resources for your community

November 22 - JFK Assassinated. With John F. Kennedy as president, this country was full of national pride and hope. In the spirit of that thought what could you write about in your community that reflects that idealism? It also happens to be Thanksgiving Day this year!

Do you have a school that is named after JFK? Why not write about it?
How about write about volunteer groups in your area and things that they are doing to make your community a better place.
What are you thankful for this year?
Give cooking tips for the family turkey
Share a tradition or recipe from your family with your readers.
Give a list of restaurants that are open for Thanksgiving and the numbers to make reservations.
Give a list of food banks that your readers can donate to.
Organize a group of people to work at a Shelter on Thanksgiving.

November 23 - Black Friday. The busiest shopping day of the year. Why not write about the local shopping mall.

Weird and Wacky Days in November:
November 1 - Plan your Epitaph Day
November 2 - National Deviled Egg Day
November 3 - Housewife's Day
November 16 - Button Day
November 24 - Use even if seal is broken day
November 30 - Stay at home because you are well day

Monthly Celebrations in November:
Aviation History Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month
National Model Railroad Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Latin American Month
Adoption Awareness Month - The Saturday before Thanksgiving is National Adoption day starting the National Week of Adoption Awareness Week.
Alzheimer's Disease Month
Child Safety and Protection Month
National Sleep Comfort Month
National Diabetes Month - The first week of November is Diabetes Education Week. Does your local hospital have any special programs going on? Hospice Month - The fourth week in November is Family Caregivers week
Native-American Heritage Month

Think Differently!

2007-07-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine if your advertising was different...

When is the last time you have changed up how present your listings? If your advertising is not driving traffic to your website or blog perhaps you are doing something wrong...

If I see Motivated Seller, or Charming Home in one more ad, I will scream! Imagine just what the consumer is thinking!

Instead of Priced To Sell or Just Reduced: Try

Fun Location!
Small but practical!
Inviting home welcomes you...
Memorable!
Lives up to your expectations!
Imagine the possibilities...
The appeal of small;the impact of big
The price is right!
Just think -- you could be the owner of this home!
Premium quality and affordably priced!
Dreams do come true, let us show you how!

Hope this inspires you!

Happy Birthday Wall Street Journal!

2007-07-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

Today I watched CBS News Sunday Morning there was a brief mention of the Wall Street Journal.
I always enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal. When I lived in the Metro New York area and commuted into the city, I made a friend with someone that introduced me to the Wall Street Journal. Initailly, I would pick up the NY Post my friend would pick up the Wall Street Journal.
We would each read our paper and at the end of the train ride, we would swap papers. Most times suggesting the other to read one or two particular articles. After about a month of reading the Journal, I was picking a variety of publications that expanded my views of the world of business.

It was after about a year that he mentioned how excited he was the day I picked up something other than the NY Post. The Wall Street Journal became a staple of my reading. It was a habit that I got out of moving to Florida. I shifted to reading news on the Internet, reading more local material. Everytime I travel though I pick up a copy of the Wall Street Journal...

The Wall Street Journal was what I read the rest of my commute to work. It was a habit that I got out of moving to Florida. I shifted to reading news on the Internet, reading more local material. So Happy Birthday Wall Street Journal! I am most grateful for all that I have learned from you!