Sleepless in Sturbridge

Recap of Week 2 Blogging For Business Networking Class in Worcester

Blogging For Business Networking Class - Week 2

Week 2 we had a great turnout in class.  This week we focused on becoming a RainMaker & How To Shoot Up The Search Engines.

What Is A RainMaker?

  • A Blogger with an Outside Blog on ActiveRain
  • Blogs are open to the public and not just members
  • Get the full benefits of "Google Juice" as we like to call it

What Happens To RainMakers?

  • More Exposure with Outside Blogs
  • Google Juice - Very important to find consumers, leads & prospects
  • Domain Name Branding - Free domain with subscription
  • Multiple templates and styles to format your Outside Blog
  • Undoubtedly 100 times more business from blogging

Power of Branding YOU versus Branding Your Company

  • Consumers hire a person, not a brand
  • Brand your strengths & services (they are not the same company wide)
  • Not every 2 professionals are the same - emphasize this to your advantage
  • People change companies, don't be stuck reinventing yourself if this happens to you

Tips For Shooting Up The Search Engines

  • Block time each week to consistently blog
  • Make an outline of the week's blog topics in advance when possible
  • Keep your eyes open for useful information to share with your audience
  • Read other blogs and magazines with related articles
  • Use clearly identifiable keywords throughout your blog - 2-4% keyword density is the magic number
  • Make use of your tags
  • Fill out the name & descriptions for your photos
  • Promote your blog on other websites
  • Write about hyper-local content
  • Make your posts very detailed to what you're writing about and try not to be too broad

ActiveRain Points:

225 Points Per Blog (Max. 10 per week)

25 Points Per Comment on other blogs (Max. 10 per day)

25 Points Per Re-blog

100 Points for Logging In

Points for Contests

Points for Inviting Members

LAST CLASS:  Tuesday, September 7th @ 6:00PM TOPIC:  Adding Style to Your Blog Adding Great Images Embedding Video Adding Style & Color to Your Blog

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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0 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 31 2010 07:57AM

A Happy Past Client's Testimonial! =)

A Happy Past Client's Testimonial!  =)

Testimonials are an important part of business.  This week I've shared an easy way to get them in my post HOT TIP For The Week To Improve Your Business - post closing surveys.  I sent out a batch this week and noticed one of my sellers unsubscribed to it so I immediately sent them an email to make sure it wasn't because they were unhappy with our services.  Here was his powerful testimonial response:

"James and you were excellent and we would happily refer anyone to you.  The process was smooth (very surprised) and both of you kept in contact with us, while the other Realtors would not respond to our e-mails.  You both did more work within a short period of time for us than 2 other Realtors couldn't do within 2 1/2 years.....I'm sure Kim filled u in on the history.  We were very pleased with your feedback and listened to us with ours.  Please don't loose that.  Thank you again and I'm sure Kim would agree.  Keep up the good work.  Communication is important.
Dom Sulfaro"

Kim and Dom were a pleasure to work with.  They found us online after unsuccessfully being on the market for several years with other REALTORS.  They owned a very unique property that took some good marketing and pricing strategies to get noticed and sold.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve you Kim & Dom!  

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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11 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 30 2010 10:18PM

HOT TIP For The Week To Improve Your Business

HOT TIP For The Week To Improve Your Business

How has business been for you?  Are you following up after each closing to get feedback and make sure you did a great job and if not, that you can learn and do better next time?  You should be! 

I am taking some real estate coaching and one thing that I've heard before, but never started doing was post closing surveys.  Literally took me 10 minutes to create one for free on www.SurveyMonkey.com and then send it out to all of my recently closed sellers.  It's 10 questions that could make you do a much better job in the future, provide you with testimonials for your website and give you more ammo to bring on your listing appointments.  If you do a great job, what better way to get proof of that than in black and white writing that you can use on your marketing materials? 

If any of you are currently doing post closing surveys, what site are you using for them and how do you like it?  What kind of questions do you put on your survey?  Here's a sample of mine:

Would you feel comfortable referring me to a friend or family member? 
What would you rate our services?  (1-10 or give multiple choice answers like poor, good, excellent)
Could you please provide me with a short testimonial that we could put on our website?

Try it out and see how it works for you.  Once it's setup the first time, it will be much easier to send out to future closed clients.  Good luck! 

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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30 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 28 2010 10:15AM

Speechless Sunday - View From Our Trip Up Mt. Washington

On Top of Mt. Washington

This photo was taken this past week at Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.  We took a family trip to North Conway to take the kids to Story Land.  Mt. Washington has always been one of my favorite sight seeing places to visit.  One day I hope to take the train up the Mountain, but my 4 year old wanted nothing to do with that this time! 


If you are looking to buy real estate in the White Mountains region, check out my friend Steve Loynd's White Mountain Blog.  He's a local expert in the area and knows just where you want to be.

 

Looking to buy or sell a home in Central Massachusetts or Northeastern, CT?  We'd love to help!  Visit us online at www.JCKCRealty.com, call us at 508-365-3567 or email us at jckcrealty@gmail.com.  We look forward to serving you!

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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10 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 22 2010 10:15AM

Calorie Counting - Does It Work?

CALORIE COUNTING - DOES IT WORK?

I have always been a reasonably fit person, even throughout 4 pregnancies, but I am finding I do not have as much time as I used to for working out each day.  I still like to do some exercise on a regular basis, but I need something more.  I'm used to eating anything I want, and I'm not a very healthy eater!  Does calorie counting really work?  I have a weight loss goal of losing 10 lbs. and toning up a bit.  Last night I started a routine on my Biggest Loser Nintendo Wii game and it seems achievable in 8 weeks or less.  Part of the routine does include healthy eating choices and I've downloaded 2 apps on my Droid phone to help me keep track of my calories each day.  Not sure which I'll end up sticking with, but wanted to see which platform I'd like better.  Both have the availability to go online on a computer or on the application on the phone to track food. 

The first application I signed up for is called Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal.  I liked this free application because it is clean and fresh looking.  Very easy to see what calories you've eaten so far and what you have left for the day.  It lacks the bar code scanner, but I haven't figured out how much I'd be using the scanner yet so I still want to track this one for a few days.  Right away this app asks you to setup an account that you can use online. 

The second application I signed up for is called Calorie Counter by FatSecret.  This app has the bar code scanner which I used on my Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal this morning and it was very simple to do.  It scanned it in, added it as my breakfast and added the calories from it.  If you want to use this app online on your computer, you will have to manually sign-up for it from your phone.  Not hard to do, but not automatic like the first app I downloaded. 

I will keep you updated on what app works best for my goals and maybe it can help you, too.  What do you do to lose weight and stay fit?

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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5 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 22 2010 09:48AM

Week 1: Blogging For Business in Worcester

Week 1 of our Blogging For Business Networking Class was a success!  We had a great turnout of interested bloggers and newbies looking to learn more.  We had people from several other industries.

Week 1 we focused on where to start with blogging.  I went over the 3 most popular places to blog and focused on my favorite - ActiveRain.  ActiveRain is a great place to blog for people in the real estate industry because it is simple, established and Google loves them.  I've been blogging on ActiveRain since January 2007 and I can't say enough good about my experiences here in the Rain.

I've tried WordPress and Blogger, but nothing keeps me coming back for more like ActiveRain.  Whether you're simple like me where you'll find the WYSIWYG very helpful in writing your blog posts or you're advanced and can understand how to write and customize your blogs in HTML, AR is for you. 

Yesterday we went over the basic necessities for any blog:

  • Catchy Title - Something that best describes what you're blogging about
  • Content - Good content with key words and phrases spread throughout
  • Tags - Keywords or search phrases that will help your blog be found by people searching on Google
  • Links - You want to have links that will bring readers to your website or Facebook fan page so they can engage with you further

We also talked about what to put into your ActiveRain Profile:

  • Detailed biography with your work experience
  • All Contact Info - Email, Websites, Phone, Office Address, Twitter and Facebook pages
  • Links and/or pictures of your listings or sold properties
  • Specialties & Designations
  • Client Testimonials

Some Great Topics To Start Blogging About:

Market Stats
Home Staging
Short Sales
Foreclosure Market
New Construction
 Community Events/Local Businesses

I'm very proud of the class participants that are already taking the first steps into developing their blogs.  I look forward to working with you as you progress and look forward to all of us helping each other grow.

Next class is Becoming a Rainmaker & How to Shoot Up the Search Engines.

Please join us for the next class in Worcester.  We are meeting from 6-7PM Tuesday, August 24th at 324 Grove Street - Worcester Keller William

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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6 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 13 2010 02:56PM

Wallpaper Woes

 

Via Kathryn Maguire (Rose and Womble Realty Company):

Whenever I am working with a home seller, and the home has a lot of wallpaper, I usually recommend that they remove it prior to the first day that it is listed.  When I bring this up, I am usually greeted with a great deal of resistance.  Here are a few reasons that I have heard for not removing wallpaper:

1.  The wallpaper has a story behind it...it brings back happy memories for the sellers. They remember the pains they went through to pick the perfect pattern that would go with all of their furniture and decorations.  

2.  They paid a LOT of money for that perfect wallpaper!

3.  It is too much of a pain to remove.  Removing wallpaper does require the application of chemicals or steaming the paper off of the walls.  And after the paper is removed, the walls underneath may need to be patched and touched up in order to restore a smooth finish.

However, kind seller, please remember that wallpaper is an extremely personal choice.  This fact is demonstrated by the myriad of selections whenever you go into a home decor store. There are thousands and thousands of choices out there to match the unique tastes and preferences of the homeowner.

So my question is this:  Do you want to limit your buyer pool to that one buyer who loves the wallpaper as much as you do?  Of course you don't.  When you put your house on the market, you must market to the broadest audience possible.  I am not trying to be difficult, I just want what you want:  To SELL your house.

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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7 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • August 08 2010 08:10PM

IF YOU HAD A DAY WITH THE RAINCAMP CREW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO???

IF YOU HAD A DAY WITH THE RAINCAMP CREW,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO???

Sunday morning I woke up and was prepared to head to Rhode Island for a family cookout.  I got a call from my colleagues Jason and Seth to join them in Boston to meet The Ben Kinney and show him around.  I jumped at the chance!  I'm a HUGE ActiveRain fan and have been with the site since January 2007.  I quickly changed my plans and was on my way to Boston. 

Driving there I had no idea what to expect.  What would I say to Ben?  Would he be funny?  Would he want to talk about ActiveRain or would he be sick of it?  When I arrived in Boston I met up with the guys at P.F. Chang's restaurant where they were just finishing up lunch.  I sat in the booth next to Ben and introduced myself.  He was very quiet.  Actually, I described getting him to talk like pulling teeth. 

We were all sitting there trying to think of what we'd do for the day in Boston.  I suggested a Duck Boat Tour, but no one was having it.  They were too cool for school!    Ben wanted to do something that wouldn't be too hot since it was in the low 90s and humid that day.  I don't remember who suggested it, but we ended up on our way back to Ben's hotel to get a few of his crew and go to Cirque Du Soleil. 

That's where I met Kerrie and was reunited with Doug (aka RainMan) and Michael (aka Zillow Man) that I met at a Tom Ferry seminar a few months ago.  Cirque Du Soleil was AWESOME!  Unlike anything I've ever seen.  The way they can move is just so unnatural!  After a great show we ate dinner at the Legal Seafoods Test Kitchen where I bumped into my good friend Steve Loynd, an awesome blogger from the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  From there we went back to the hotel bar for some drinks and dessert. 

Kerrie's one cool chic!  She checked out my blog and complimented me on all of my hyper local stuff I post.  She gave me some tips and she's just so welcoming, it's refreshing.  Ben is a real genuine nice guy.  He's a wealth of knowledge and does a great job sharing that with the world.  You can tell Doug and Michael love what they do.  Both are always smiling and always so nice to chat with. 


Thank you RainCamp crew for the highlight of my week!  It was a magical weekend and I can't wait for the next opportunity to get to hang with them.




THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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36 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • July 28 2010 09:53AM

Boston RainCamp Top Tips & Useful Tools You May Not Know - Part 2

Boston RainCamp Top Tips &
Useful Tools You May Not Know - Part 2

Hello everyone!  Sorry for the little delay in posting part 2 of my Boston RainCamp series.  I was trying to pay more attention so I wasn't stumped when I was called on again and I also had the opportunity to speak on the agent panel.  The second part of the day was jam packed with tons more stuff that I couldn't wait to share with you all!  Here goes it:

Google Alerts - I use Google alerts currently to keep track of every time my name or business name is published somewhere on the web.  A good example was when the Worcester Business Journal published a technology article featuring me, I was immediately alerted by Google and was able to click the link to find the article.  You can have alerts setup for any words, phrases or names that you'd like.  

Google Voice - Get a free telephone number that you can use for everything.  You can set it to ring your home, mobile or office number.  Ben told us how he uses it to ring all of his buyer's agents at the same time and whoever answers it first gets the lead.  Do you think they answer their phones?  I do!  

NameCHK.co m - Use this site to check for your user name on 100s of social networking sites so you can secure it if it is still available.  

GeoChirp - GeoChirp is a great tool to use to help supplement your Twitter account.  You can do radius searches around you to find local tweeters and follow them.  You have a 50% chance of getting them to follow you back.  

Logotournament.com - For about $200 you can have several companies competing to create the perfect logo for you.  

SEO Quake - Investigate the search engine optimization for websites.  

Yahoo To Count Links - Having links to your website is a very important part of getting it to rank.  If you go to Yahoo and in the search type:  Link:www.YourWebsite.com   you will see how many links your sites have.  So far I had 859 links on my www.JCKCRealty.com site.  Not bad thanks to blogging!  

Thanks again to Ben Kinney & crew for an awesome RainCamp in Boston!  I can't wait until you're all back in the area to come again!  

To read Part 1 of Boston RainCamp's tips and tools, click on the link. 

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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7 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • July 27 2010 08:04PM

Boston RainCamp Top Tips & Useful Tools You May Not Know - Part 1

Boston RainCamp Top Tips & Useful Tools 
You May Not Know - Part 1

The first half of RainCamp went over a lot of useful tips and tools to use to help increase your business online.  To my surprise, a lot of them have not heard about and haven't been using.  I wanted to share these with you and I will feature a part 2 after the second portion of the day to add even more.  

Google Wonderwheel - For all of you people with ActiveRain accounts that think you can't blog because you don't know what to write about, think again!  Google Wonderwheel will show you what phrases have been searched locally to you and you can write your posts around these phrases.  This will get you some massive Google Juice.  Why not try it?

Slydial.com - Very neat!!!  Will allow you to input your phone number and the number you wish to call, then it will call that number for you, go straight to voicemail and show up as a missed call on that receiver's phone.  This will save you lots of time if you're looking to leave someone a quick message and don't wish to catch them in person on the phone.  It will look like you called, without really making the call.  This is going to come in very handy for me!  

HitTail - Ever wonder what keywords are doing the most work for your site?  This will allow you to search the top keywords on your websites.  Very valuable to keep working on your SEO on Google.  Help drive more traffic to your site by being informed.  

Goldmail - Send video emails to prospects that may not be responding to traditional emails.  You can get very creative here to help draw out some interaction.  I'm going to start implementing this into my business right away.  Video blogging and emailing are becoming more and more popular.  Jump on the train!
HitWise - Keep track of all of the top sites ranked by number of hits.  Sites like Realtor.com, Zillow, YouTube, etc. are ranked among some of the top, but that can change.  Make sure to adjust your advertising accordingly to get the maximum return on your investment.  

Klout.com - Use Klout.com to see how much influence you have on your Twitter account.  Make sure you're getting interaction and using Twitter effectively and not just tweeting to the wind.  

I hope that you were able to use some of these useful tips and tools in your business.  I love learning new things and finding what works for my business.

 

THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Kathleen Cooper
JCKC Realty Keller Williams
508-365-3567
www.JCKCRealty.com
www.Facebook.com/JCKCRealty

 

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16 comments • Kathleen Cooper, Broker, SRES, REALTOR® • July 26 2010 11:45AM