Crowdsourcing The Way to Better Print Marketing

Webinar: Crowdsourcing the Way to Better Print Marketing

Last month, we did the first in what we expect to become a series of webinars where the idea is to take ideas that the community gives us and present them to you in an easy to digest format. 

Register for the webinar

Tons of times over the years, we've had you, our members, commit to challenges where we ask you to share some tactic or strategy that you use in your business with success. Time and again you are so willing to share what is working for you because you understand that the foundation of ActiveRain is based on the willingness of our members to share with one and other. Of course, you realize that by sharing, you can expect others to share as well and together, our ideas can help push each of us to better place in our business.

(Or maybe I should say the implementation of our ideas.....because we all know there are lots of great ideas, but those that actually implement them are the ones that benefit)

This month, we are going to crowdsource the way to better print marketing. Every day, millions of Americans make a trek down the driveway, or to the front door, or down the ground floor of their condo to grab the mail. Over the years, the mail has become less and less about personal communication and more and more about companies trying to reach us with their marketing. Of course, as a real estate agent, print marketing and direct mail are still a very viable way of communicating our message to the consumers we wish to serve.

Last month, our members submitted over 100 blog posts that focused on how they use print marketing and some of the tactics and tips that have made them successful with it. On June 27th at 10am Pacific time (1pm Eastern) we are going to bring you 8 of the best tactics shared in that challenge.

Have you ever thought about using print marketing in your business or do you currently use it? This is the webinar for you. Even as many of the marketing dollars in our industry move online, agent continue to use print marketing. Some are doing a much better job than others and we intend on sharing some of the strategies employed by agents successfully using print marketing. In fact, in our Rich Agent, Poor Agent survey, we found that 60% of real estate agents used direct mail marketing in 2011. 

There is no question that in 2013, direct mail and print marketing have the potential to create brand awareness and if done correctly, can help generate traffic to your website and leads for your business. We look forward to sharing with you some of the great ideas shared in our recent challenge. 

The Details:

When: Thursday June 27th, 10am Pacific Time (1pm Eastern)
Where: It's a webinar, so online
Who: AR Community Evangelist Bob Stewart and you
What: Bringing you 8 great crowdsourced ideas for Print Marketing

How: By signing up for the webinar below

Dave Liniger, RE/MAX Co-Founder Talks Life, Real Estate and Having a Plan

Dave Liniger, My Next Step

Dave Liniger, Co-Founder of RE/MAX, joined Bob at ActiveRain University to discuss his recovery from a life threatening illness that left him in a coma for four months. Only 18 months later, Dave is back leading RE/MAX and living a life that his doctor's weren't sure would happen.

How does a man who had it all, was literally on top of the world, recover from a life threatening illness, and even when facing down the possible reality of never again being able to walk, find the strength and courage to say "I will beat this"?

In this interview, Bob and Dave discuss overcoming adversity. Is it possible for anyone to learn the skills to tackle any challenges life and business throw your way? They also talk real estate and Dave gives some invaluable advice to anyone looking to advance their business to new levels. And Dave looks forward a little bit and shares what he thinks is an important in the coming years for agents to consider when looking at technology for their business. 

The entire interview is at the bottom of the post. In addition, we have broken out a few of the more poignant answers to allow you to listen to some of the finer points of the interview.

The Entire Interview

Cater Your Content to Prospect's Online Search

Cater Your Content to Prospect's Online Search

Blogging Boot Camp Class Two

In class one we teach you how to get your content to rank in the search engines. But how do you figure out what you are going to write about? This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online and we dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. As a special bonus we give you the chance to download a PDF with 500 keyword phrases that have been searched in the last 30 days. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Watch the recording now

Download the 500 'Homes for Sale' Keywords now

Catch up on the entire Blogging Boot Camp series

Generating Leads with Your Blogs

Generating Leads with Your Blogs

In this class, Bob Stewart and Market Leader Director of Online Strategies, Jack Markham walk you through how to create a blog post that gives you the best chance of turning your visitors into leads for your business.

• The two best subjects you can write about to get your blog in front of interested buyers in your market
• Fundamental lead capture opportunities for your blog 
• To use your blog to help your own website perform better in the search engines 

Watch the class recording now

ActiveRain Gives You the First 5 Blog Posts You Should Write

New to blogging? Not sure what to write about? Need some help getting started?

Fore more information on the blog post ideas provided in this presentation, follow these links

1. Blogging about Local Events
2. Blogging about Local Businesses
3. Blogging about Your Listings
4. Blogging about Neighborhoods and Subdivisions
5. Blogging Your Frequently Asked Questions

Find more blogging ideas like these with templates in the Blogging Blueprints post

Fundamentals of a Strong Blog Post

Fundamentals of a Strong Blog Post: Boot Camp Class One

SEO, Get Your Blog Posts to Rank on the Search Engines

In this class learn how to get your posts to rank on the first page of the search engines. We talk about the fundamentals of a good strong post in terms of SEO and we also talk about what kind of things are the most effective for you to write about in order to make sure you land on that first page. See a few secrets about what people search for as they get closer to buying. It will be no time before you have a post with thousands of clicks from potential buyers.

Watch the recording now

Links Discussed During the Call:

Setting up Google Authorship
Creating a Custom Google Map
Setting up H1 and H2 Header Tags

Download the action items now

Catch this entire series of boot camp classes on the June Boot Camp Blog Post!

How to Generate Leads with Your Blog

How to Generate Leads with Your Blog

If wielded properly, your blog can be a powerful tool in your online marketing arsenal. But much like a sharp knife, you could just end up with a bunch of cuts if you take a whilly nilly approach to blogging.

Thousands of agents around the country are driving millions of visits a month to their blog posts but the simple act of driving a visitor to your blog post does not ensure that the person visiting your blog will end up as a prospect in your business. A precise strategy should be in place to ensure that the visitors landing on your blog will end up connecting with you in a meaningful way.

In this class, Bob Stewart, ActiveRain Community Evangelist and Jack Markham, Market Leader Director of Online Strategies, walk you through how to create a blog post that gives you the best chance of turning your visitors into prospects (leads) for your business. 

In this class you will learn:

• What are the two best things you can write about to get your blog in front of interested buyers in your market
• How can you determine what keyword phrases you would like to target with your blog
• What things should you do in your blog post to make sure it ranks in the search engines
• What is a fundamental lead capture opportunity you should take when writing these types of blogs
• What can you do in your blog to help your own website perform better in the search engines
  
   

Register to join us Wednesday June 12th at 10am Pacific Time (1pm Eastern Time)

Blogging Blueprint Class: Answering Frequently Asked Questions

I Want Answers!

Every day millions of people go online and ask Google to answer some question that is important to them. Every day you are being asked real estate related questions by your clients. Your blog can be should be the perfect convergance of these two events.

How often do you find yourself responding via email to some kind of question your client has asked you? Probably often. Why would you spend that time educating one client when you could just as easily make that response a blog post and then post it online for that person to read (send them a link to your blog post) as well as have it online for anyone else who might ask that same question of the search engines.

We see this kind of traffic ALL the time on ActiveRain. Consumers go online to find answers to frequently asked questions and they end up landing on a blog post written by a member of ActiveRain. So Let's learn the best way to write blog posts that answer frequently asked questions.

Blogging Blueprint Class: Answering Frequently Asked Questions

In this Blogging Blueprint class we will take a look at how to properly construct a blog post that answers a commonly asked question, including:

• What should your keyword phrase be
• How do people ask questions in the search engines
• What calls to action can we place in these kind of blog posts
• How should we format the blog posts so they look professional
• What kind of questions are people asking

Watch the class recording now




Download the PDF that shows you hundreds of the most recent questions people have asked that have led to blog posts on ActiveRain to give you some good ideas of what to write about. The reality is you are getting these questions every day from your clients and it's not a huge leap to assume that others are asking the same questions of the search engines. 


























Catch the entire Blogging Blueprint series

WOW Potential Sellers and Attract Buyers with Your Listing Blogs

WOW Potential Sellers and Attract Buyers with Your Listing Blogs

With hundreds, maybe thousands, of sites where you can find listings online how likely is it that consumers are going to go to your blog to look for listings? Not very likely. But maybe you can attract them to your blog and then direct them to your website to look at more listings.

In this Blogging Blueprint: How to Blog about Your Listings, ActiveRain Community Evangelist Bob Stewart divea into the most effective ways to blog about your listings. Because after all; this is real estate and our goal should be to sell houses.

We're going to talk about:
-The best way to blog about your listing
- How your blog post can wow potential sellers and convince them you are the one to market their home
- How your listing can help you attract other potential buyers that may be interested in a property similar to your listing

View the sample blog post

Download the HTML code for the sample blog post

Watch the class recording now

Catch up on the entire Blogging Blueprint series

Blogging Boot Camp Classes and Recordings

Blogging Boot Camp

Our fundamental blog training on ActiveRain is our blogging boot camp series. This post is a hub to keep you updated on the most recent recordings from Blogging Boot Camp as well as a way for you to sign up for the next live series of classes for Blogging Boot Camp.

Blogging Boot Camp is a series of three classes that gives you the fundamental understanding of how to get your blog posts to rank, what you should be writing about to get in front of interested consumers in your market and also how to use calls to action in your blog posts to drive traffic to your website and generate leads for your business.

Upcoming Live Blog Boot Camp Classes

Class 1: SEO, Get Your Blog Posts to Rank on the Search Engines

Thursday, June 6th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Watch the recording and download the action items

In this class I'll show you how to get your posts to rank on the first page of the search engines. We'll talk about the fundamentals of a good strong post in terms of SEO and we'll also talk about what kind of things are the most effective for you to write about in order to make sure you land on that first page. We'll also show you a few secrets about what people search for as they get closer to buying. It will be no time before you have a post with thousands of clicks from potential buyers.

Class 2: Learn Keywords that Attract Consumers

Thursday, June 13th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Watch the recording and download the 500 'Homes for Sale' keywords

In class one we teach you how to get your content to rank in the search engines. But how do you figure out what you are going to write about? This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online and we dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. As a special bonus we give you the chance to download a PDF with 500 keyword phrases that have been searched in the last 30 days. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Class 3: Generate Leads with Your Blogs

Thursday, June 20th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Sign Up for Blogging BootCamp 'Calls to Action' Class

This class used to be all about links. And sure we'll still hammer down on links, but we will also discuss some of the other ways that you can get the people reading your blog to take action. At the end of the day, your blog should be all about generating leads and contacts for your business. This class will show you how to most effectively create these calls to action in your blog posts.

Most Recent Class Recordings

Recording and Downloads Class 1: SEO, Get Your Blog Posts to Rank on the Search Engines

SEO.....you've all heard the phrase. It's our ability to get our content ranking in the search engines so that consumers looking for real estate in our market will find us. Depending on what day you're asking, well over 80% of consumers start the home search process online. And they continue to go back to Google throughout the entire journey to find the information they seek. 

The question is, will you be the one they find?

If you take the time to learn how to create blog posts that rank on the first page of the search engine, the answer is "yes, they will find you". The first class in our blogging boot camp breaks down the fundamentals of writing a blog post that ranks on the first page of the search engines.

Grab some popcorn, a cold beverage and put on your thinking cap, we're about to take you through the ins and outs of SEO.

Watch the recording of class one now

Download the action items for class one now

Recording and Downloads Class 2: Learn Keywords that Attract Consumers

In class one we teach real estate professionals  how to get their content to rank in the search engines. This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online. We dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Watch the recording now

Download the 500 'Homes for Sale' Keyword Phrases now

Recording and Downloads Class 3: Generate Leads with Your Blogs

Proper use of links and calls to action in your blog posts can have a tremendous impact on how you convert traffic from your blog into prospects. Links in your blogs can also be a great way to help your own website rise in the search engine rankings.

During the Blogging Boot Camp Class Three: Generate Leads With Your Blogs we discuss:

• How to compel your readers to an action
• Using links to get users where you want them
• What every IDX needs to be an effective part of your blogging strategy
• How many links should be in a post

This session is valuable in your overall online strategy and how to maximize the impact of each post you write. You can find the class example calls to action referenced in class, the action items to help you incorporate what you learned and the class recording below.

Watch the recording now

Example Image Calls to Action

You can download these images by right clicking and saving the image to your desktop

Download the Action Items now



 

Generate Leads with Your Blog Posts

Generate Leads with Your Blog Posts

Proper use of links and calls to action in your blog posts can have a tremendous impact on how you convert traffic from your blog into prospects. Links in your blogs can also be a great way to help your own website rise in the search engine rankings.

During the Blogging Boot Camp Class Three: Generate Leads With Your Blogs we discuss:

• How to compel your readers to an action
• Using links to get users where you want them
• What every IDX needs to be an effective part of your blogging strategy
• How many links should be in a post

This session is valuable in your overall online strategy and how to maximize the impact of each post you write. You can find the class example calls to action referenced in class, the action items to help you incorporate what you learned and the class recording below.

Example Image Calls to Action

You can download these images by right clicking and saving the image to your desktop

 






















Download the Action Items now






Catch the recaps and recordings for this entire boot camp series

ActiveRain Newbies Start Here

ActiveRain Newbies Start Here

Congratulations on Joining ActiveRain!Now that you're here, I invite you to learn what it means to be part of this community and how it will grow your business.     

You can watch the recordings below or check the ActiveRain University Calendar for upcoming live classes!

ActiveRain New Member Orientation

This quick 30-minute class will teach you how to build your network and find great content on ActiveRain.

How to Write a Blog Post

From title to tags, we will cover everything you need to create a blog post. At the end of this class you should be comfortable writing your first blog post or more comfortable writing your next post.



For more classes, check out the ActiveRain University Calendar

8 Ways to Generate Seller Leads

8 Ways to Generate Seller Leads

In this webinar Bob hosts Jerimiah Taylor, a top producing agent from Tuscon Arizona. Jerimiah has positioned his business in the last year to take advantage of tight inventory in his market by aggressively going after sellers. In any market the more listings you have the more prospects you will be able to generate for your business. Jerimiah shares some of the ways he has been generating sellers leads both offline and online.

In this call we discuss:

• Prospecting to FSBO and Expired Listings: What do you say?
• Connecting with your sphere: How do you make sure they refer you business
• Using your database to entice sellers: How can you leverage the leads you currently have
• Using one motivated buyer to find potential sellers
• Craigslist: How can you find interested sellers and also identify FSBOs
• How to Focus on a Niche

And a few other strategies for generating seller leads. 

Target Consumers in Your Market with the Right Keywords

Target Consumers in Your Market with the Right Keywords

In class one we teach real estate professionals  how to get their content to rank in the search engines. This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online. We dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Watch the recording now

Download the 500 'Homes for Sale' Keyword Phrases now

Follow the entire boot camp series with classes one and three.

Next Blogging Boot Camp Starts June 6th

The May edition of Blogging Boot Camp will be kicking off on Thursday May 16th at 9am Pacific Time

The next edition of Blogging Boot Camp will be kicking off on Thursday, June 6th at 9am Pacific Time

If you want your blog to generate prospects for your business, we walk you through three weeks of classes (an hour each week) that are fundamental to ensuring a successful real estate blog. These classes are open to everyone, although in order to use these concepts on ActiveRain, you'll need to have a Rainmaker account. We might even offer some nice promotions on a Rainmaker account throughout the series.

Seriously...you need to take these classes. If you are having some success with your blog, these classes will lead to more. If you aren't having any success being found online by clients, these classes will help you. These are FUNDAMENTALS that you need to understand with your blog.

If you've already taken them once...do it again!! It will sink in better the second time.

As always, the classes do get recorded and distributed to anyone that signs up, even if you are unable to attend the live classes. So sign up to make sure you get access to every class. And also, as always, I'd much prefer that you join me live so you can ask the tough questions and join the Boot Camp group to find some other folks in the 'rain to keep you accountable.

Class 1: SEO, Get Your Blog Posts to Rank on the Search Engines

Thursday May 16th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Thursday, June 6th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Watch the recording and download the action items

In this class I'll show you how to get your posts to rank on the first page of the search engines. We'll talk about the fundamentals of a good strong post in terms of SEO and we'll also talk about what kind of things are the most effective for you to write about in order to make sure you land on that first page. We'll also show you a few secrets about what people search for as they get closer to buying. It will be no time before you have a post with thousands of clicks from potential buyers.

Class 2: Learn Keywords that Attract Consumers

Thursday May 23rd, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)
Thursday, June 13th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Watch the recording and download the 500 'Homes for Sale' keywords

In class one we teach you how to get your content to rank in the search engines. But how do you figure out what you are going to write about? This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online and we dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. As a special bonus we give you the chance to download a PDF with 500 keyword phrases that have been searched in the last 30 days. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Class 3: Generate Leads with Your Blogs

Thursday May 30th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)
Thursday, June 20th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Sign Up for Blogging BootCamp 'Calls to Action' Class

This class used to be all about links. And sure we'll still hammer down on links, but we will also discuss some of the other ways that you can get the people reading your blog to take action. At the end of the day, your blog should be all about generating leads and contacts for your business. This class will show you how to most effectively create these calls to action in your blog posts.

~Bob Stewart, your host

Learn How to Get Your Blog Posts to Rank in the Search Engines

Learn How to Get Your Blog Posts to Rank in the Search Engines

SEO.....you've all heard the phrase. It's our ability to get our content ranking in the search engines so that consumers looking for real estate in our market will find us. Depending on what day you're asking, well over 80% of consumers start the home search process online. And they continue to go back to Google throughout the entire journey to find the information they seek. 

The question is, will you be the one they find?

If you take the time to learn how to create blog posts that rank on the first page of the search engine, the answer is "yes, they will find you". The first class in our blogging boot camp breaks down the fundamentals of writing a blog post that ranks on the first page of the search engines.

Grab some popcorn, a cold beverage and put on your thinking cap, we're about to take you through the ins and outs of SEO.

Watch the recording of class one now

Download the action items for class one now




Follow the entire Blogging Boot Camp Series

Broker's Guide: What to Blog About

The time is now. ActiveRain consists of over 300,000 real estate professionals.  Agents, Lenders, Inspectors, Home Stagers, Social Media Gurus, we have them all. Using AR correctly is a surefire way to slingshot your name, information, niche, area and expertise to the masses.  And not just in a way that is relevant for a day or even a week; small efforts from you will have long lasting staying power if done correctly.

Today's call discussed how you are easily able to trasition into the teacher role by mentoring agents with your knowledge.  Specifically, how to connect with agents in your area, highlight the best training and tools from your office, track potential recruits in your market and share successful stories and benchmarks to attract talent.

Now that you've taken the class and know the information, it's time to blog about your knowledge.

What to Blog About When Recruiting New Agents

• What's it like to be a real estate agent.
• How to get a real estate license in (state)
• Tips to pass the (state) real estate exam
• How to interview potential brokers
• How do commission splits work?
• What does your brokerage offer new agents?
• How much do real estate agents make?

Don't Just Post and Pray

• Craigslist
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+
• Recruiting Link on your website
• Drive people back to your blog posts

What to Blog About When Recruiting Existing Agents

• Make training synopsis available to all agents by making a write-up about what was covered
• Announce upcoming training events
• Review the tools your brokerage is using & explain why it's a benefit to your agents (ie Website, CRM, Marketing System, Signatures, Postcards)
• Community involvement/Volunteering
• Your Agent's success stories
• How to overcome objections
• Problem solving
• Advice for new agents

Don't Just Post and Pray

• Send to targeted agent list via email and direct message on Facebook
• Post though leader articles on LinkedIn
• Share on social media by leveraging lists of local agents
• Highlight in groups on ActiveRain

How to Connect and Find Agents on ActiveRain

• Use ActiveRain's Leaderboard to find agents in your area & subscribe to their blogs
• Leave meaningful comments on their posts
• Subscribe to blogs of people in your area
• Look at State, County and City pages on ActiveRain to see who is actively blogging
• Buy Advertising on ActiveRain Get engaged on ActiveRain First!

Learn How to Reach Potential Customers with Your Blog

At ActiveRain University we have a series of classes that we host that teach you exactly how to blog if you goal is reaching out and connecting with consumers in your market. In these classes we walk through the process of building a blog post that ranks on the first page of the search engines. In addition to helping you get your posts to rank, we also teach you how to go about selecting which keyword phrases you want to target in the search engines and we also teach how to use 'calls to action' in your blog posts in order to turn visitors to your blog into prospects for your business. 

You can sign up for our Blogging Boot Camp classes by clicking on this link. Even if you can't make the exact times, please sign up as we always send out the recordings of each class to everyone that is signed up, even if you can't make it to the live version of the class. 

Watch the Class Recording

How to Blog about Neighborhoods and Subdivisions

How to Blog about Neighborhoods and Subdivisions

In this class we take you through the format of a blog post about subdivisions. These posts are some of the most highly trafficked blogs on the ActiveRain network. If done correctly, they can be a long term source of traffic to your blog, your website and even lead to additional leads and prospects for your business. If done incorrectly, you could potentially be losing out on the opportunity to turn more of the readers of your blog into clients.

We walk you through the lay out of a blog like this, what kind of things you should include about your neighborhood or subdivision, how to include images and maybe the most important piece, what kind of potential calls to action are available for you to use in your blog posts.

By the end of the video we hope you'll be able to create great 'evergreen' posts of your own (you'll have to watch to figure out what that means, but it's one of the key takeaways if you've been blogging for a while or are just getting started) with the aim of generating leads for your business. 

Watch the Class Recording Now

View the sameple blog post referenced in class


Download the sample blog post HTML file

You can download example calls to action from this previous Blogging Blueprint webinar blog post



Check out more class like this in the Blogging Blueprint Series

Sample Post: Homes for Sale in the Kennydale Neighborhood Renton WA

Homes for Sale in the Kennydale Neighborhood Renton, WA

Why Do People Live here?

Kennydale is a beautiful neighborhood of single family homes that is conveniently located just 20 miles outside of Downtown Seattle. It's not uncommon to see neighborhood kids playing the streets of this quaint little oasis in the suburbs during the summer and sledding down snow covered streets in the winter. It's far enough from the main hustle and bustle of the city that residents don't feel like the urban center of Seattle is knocking on their door.

Looking for a home in Kennydale?

Interested in finding homes for sale in the Kennydale Neighborhood of Renton WA? Click that link to find all the currently available homes in this area of Renton.

What's the Neighborhood Like?

The homes you would expect to find for sale in the Kennydale Neighborhood are generally going to range between 1500 and 2000 square feet. Most of the homes were originally built by Quadrant homes back in the late 1980's. The last set of homes in this subdivision were built in 1992. Since then, many of the homes have had updates and it's not uncommon to find homes that have extensive finished basements adding to the square footage of some of these great homes. The smallest homes in the neighborhood start with 3 bedrooms while the larger floor plans have a four bedroom layout with some models putting the master bedroom on the main floor. Most of the lots range between 1/4 acre and a 1/2 acre so there is plenty of room for people to get out and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest weather.

What's Going on Nearby the Kennydale Neighborhood?

Kennydale is located right in revitalized Renton Highlands area of the city. There is a major hospital less than 5 miles from the neighborhood as well as just about every kind of conceivable shopping in walking distance. The Sunset shopping center is just down the street and has everything from a pharmacy to a wonderful local coffee shop. In the evenings you will want to take a stroll down to enjoy dinner at Mac's, a great neighborhood Irish pub. The little Green Lake Cinema plays indie films throughout the year and it's not uncommon to have it sold out on Thursday nights for their 'Film Noire' series. Find out about everything that is nearby to Kennydale including places of worship, banking, shopping, Attractions and recreation and much more on my website.

What Schools will the Kids Attend?

If you buy a home for sale in the Kennydale Neighborhood of Renton WA, the local schools serving this area are Lawton Elementary School, Meeker Junior High, and Blaine High School. To get local school scores and more information about these schools check out the Renton school reports on my website.

Now You Really Want to Find a Home Here, Right?

If you are interested in the current homes for sale in Kennydale Neighborhood of Renton WA click on the link. Our 'for sale' property information is a direct feed from the Northwest MLS and is updated multiple times per day.

The ONE Thing: Get a Sample of the Book

We just had Jay Papasan and Ben Kinney join us to discuss The ONE Thing (written by Jay Papasan and Gary Keller) you can do in your business and your life so that everything else becomes easier on your way to extraordinary results. If you joined us for the call, here are a few samples of the book that were discussed during the call.

Feel free to download these PDF's and give yourself a taste of a powerful way to focus your life and your business. 

(Don't worry, if you missed the call we will have the recording of the call up........but you'll have to wait until Monday.)

Download Chapter One   

In this first Chapter you get what you would expect in most first chapters, some context for the journey you are about to take.                               

Download Chapter Five

In this chapter, one of the Lies that we all tell ourselves is discussed. Jay and Gary talk about the Lie of Multitasking and how much productivity and time multitasking actually robs from you.

Download Chapter Seven

Willpower. We all have it. But what is it exactly? How does it manifest during your day? Do you have control over it? Find out.

Interested in Buying the Book?

You can order the book here

How to Write a Blog Post on ActiveRain

How to Write a Blog Post on ActiveRain

This class covers writing your first blog post on ActiveRain from title to tags!

Are you wondering:

1. How do I add content to my blog?
2. How do I format it to look professional?
3. How do I add links and images to make my post come to life?
4. How do I add video or other media to the post?
5. What selections do I make on the post to make sure as many people see it as possible?

If you have any of these questions, check out the recording.  You should feel comfortable with your layout and please know we're always here for you if anything doesn't click right away.  Use the "Contact ActiveRain" button at the bottom of any AR page for some one-on-one help.

You can take your post from drab to fab with a few insider tips so take a peek at the short video below!

Market Report Blogging Blueprint

Market Report Blogging Blueprint

Since many buyers and sellers are researching the real estate market long before they contact a real estate agent it is important to be the one providing the information.  Your blog is a perfect place to share this information with prospects and get discovered on the search engines.

In this class, Community Evangelist Bob Stewart teaches you what kind of market data people are searching for online, how to get your market report blogs to rank on Google, and how to capture and close leads from market reports.


Watch the class recording now

Example Blog: Home Prices in Redmond WA for November 2012


Download the Blog Template for Market Reports 

Catch up on the entire Blogging Blueprint series!

Blogging Boot Camp Starting April 18th

Boot Camp kicks off again on Thursday April 18th at 9am Pacific Time (12:00pm Eastern Time)

Class #1 has been rescheduled due to technical difficulties to Monday April 22nd at 10am Pacific Time (1pm Eastern time)

If you want your blog to generate prospects for your business, we walk you through three weeks of classes (an hour each week) that I believe are fundamental to ensuring a successful real estate blog. These classes are open to everyone, although in order to use these concepts on ActiveRain, you'll need to have a Rainmaker account. We might even offer some nice promotions on a Rainmaker account throughout the series (and by 'might' I mean 'will')

Seriously......you need to take these classes. If you are having some success with your blog, these classes will lead to more. If you aren't having any success being found online by clients, these classes will help you. These are FUNDAMENTALS that you need to understand with your blog.

If you've already taken them once......do it again!! It will sink in better the second time.

As always, the classes do get recorded and distributed to anyone that signs up, even if you are unable to attend the live classes. So sign up to make sure you get access to every class. And also, as always, I'd much prefer that you join me live so you can ask the tough questions and join the Boot Camp group to find some other folks in the 'rain to keep you accountable.

Class 1: SEO, Get Your Blog Posts to Rank on the Search Engines

Thursday April 18th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Rescheduled for: Monday April 22nd, 10am Pacific Time (1pm Eastern Time)

Catch the Recording and Action Items for Boot Camp Class One

In this class I'll show you how to get your posts to rank on the first page of the search engines. We'll talk about the fundamentals of a good strong post in terms of SEO and we'll also talk about what kind of things are the most effective for you to write about in order to make sure you land on that first page. We'll also show you a few secrets about what people search for as they get closer to buying. It will be no time before you have a post with thousands of clicks from potential buyers.

Class 2: Target Consumers in Your Market

Thursday April 25th, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Catch the Recording and Downloads for Blogging Boot Camp Targeting Consumers Class

In class one we teach you how to get your content to rank in the search engines. But how do you figure out what you are going to write about? This second class shows you some of the ways people search for content online and we dive into the concepts around how we should think about keyword phrases and some of the ways we should target people doing searches online. As a special bonus we give you the chance to download a PDF with 500 keyword phrases that have been searched in the last 30 days. Some simple tweaks for your market and you have enough blog ideas to keep you busy for months.

Class 3: Generate Leads with Your Blogs

Thursday May 2nd, 9am Pacific Time (12pm Eastern Time)

Catch the Recording and Downloads for Blogging BootCamp 'Calls to Action' Class

This class used to be all about links. And sure we'll still hammer down on links, but we will also discuss some of the other ways that you can get the people reading your blog to take action. At the end of the day, your blog should be all about generating leads and contacts for your business. This class will show you how to most effectively create these calls to action in your blog posts.

~Bob Stewart, your host

(I don't know what it is about that picture.......but I like it! Normally I try to make the picture relate to the blog post somehow. Not this time. It's completely random!)

Setting Up Google Authorship for More Traffic

Setting Up Google Authorship for More Traffic

You need to get set up with Google Authorship and in this special ActiveRain University class, ActiveRain Evangelist Bob Stewart will show you why you need to be set up with Google Authorship and also HOW to get your ActiveRain blog set up.

Does getting higher click through rates on your content interest you? Does letting Google know what content you are creating so they can keep track of everything you write sound interesting? You need to get this set up. Just take the 20 minutes to watch the video and do it!

For step by step instructions, visit Setup Google Authorship Through ActiveRain: Super Easy blog post.

Watch Bob Stewart as he walks you through how to setup Google Authorship on ActiveRain and how to make sure it is working!




For upcoming classes like this, visit ActiveRain University Calendar

How to Upload Video

The new Insert/Edit Embedded Media icon makes for a streamlined process.  No longer do you need to grab embed code and paste it into the HTML section of your blog post.

Here's how you use it:

• Find your video on YouTube or wherever it's housed
• Copy the unique url of that video and come back to your blog post
• Click the Insert/Edit Embedded Media icon and a box will appear
• Paste your video's url into the File/Url spot. (The Type and Dimensions will auto populate)
• Click Insert

A square yellow box will appear in your blog post, do not fret.  Once you click 'Post Blog Entry' the yellow box disappears and your video is there for viewing pleasure.

If the video is housed on your own desktop, click the browse button to the right of the File/Url field to browse your computer for the video; just like you do when inserting images.

Check out this quick video to see what the process looks like.