BiggerPockets Founder's Blog

Sunday, November 15, 2009

BiggerPockets Bits

• If you've got a Facebook account and have connected to your BiggerPockets account, you've been able to post your new blog posts, forum threads, bulletins, and property listings direct to FB for a few weeks now. You can now post your status here on BP, and it will automatically be shared on FB!

  
  All you need to do it make sure you connect, and you can elect to turn on or off the various sharing features by editing your settings through the SETTINGS & PRIVACY link in the dashboard and then clicking the Facebook tab.

• Learn why greeting new BiggerPockets members is good for business.

   

• Denver Investors, Professionals, etc: Join us for the BiggerPockets Denver: November Get Together 11/19/09 downtown . . . for more information, click here OR RSVP here.

Articles and Forums of the week:

BiggerPockets Help: http://www.biggerpockets.com/help
Donate: http://www.biggerpockets.com/donate.html
Advertise: http://www.biggerpockets.com/advertise.html
Press: http://www.biggerpockets.com/press.html
Manage Your Account: http://www.biggerpockets.com/dashboard

I was just talking with a member who asked how to get more out of using BiggerPockets to build his business, and I made a suggestion that I wanted to share with the rest of you.  Of course, engaging with others is one of the mainstays of successful social networkers.  If you combine that with the need of new people to feel welcome in a community, you've got the perfect formula for success!

Greet New BiggerPockets Members to Quickly Build Your Name and Reputation

This simple activity, repeated a few times a day or week, will help drastically increase your visibility, particularly amongst new members. You will begin to be known as someone who is particularly helpful to others, and if you play your cards right, you'll be one of the first people that others think of when they are looking for someone/something.

Here's all you need to do:

• Stop by the New Member Introductions forum and scan for people who'se posts have few or no replies.
• READ the introduction post and respond to any questions or requests for help.  Let these folks know that they are welcome in the community and that you're happy to do what you can to assist them (and mean it), and then do just that.  Ask them to reveal more about themselves and take a real interest in their background, goals, etc. Of course, visiting their profile to learn more about them before responding is always helpful.
• Follow those threads that you respond to, and be sure to follow up when the initial poster jumps back on the thread.

You'll see that you quickly gain new colleagues (send colleague requests to those people who interest you), and friends here on BiggerPockets.  You'll also see that you become one of those people's go-to colleagues on the site.  This is tactic that works . . . you just need to commit to doing it (and it only takes a few minutes to welcome several newbies).

When deals and other opportunities come up, you'll be there in their memory.

Of course, beyond just helping yourself, you'll be building good karma here on BiggerPockets, and some influence to go with it!

We added yet another minor improvement tonight to BiggerPockets, and those of you with Facebook accounts should be happy!

If you've got a Facebook account and have connected to your BiggerPockets account, you've been able to post your new blog posts, forum threads, bulletins, and property listings direct to FB for a few weeks now.  You can now post your status here on BP, and it will automatically be shared on FB!

All you need to do it make sure you connect, and you can elect to turn on or off the various sharing features by editing your settings through the SETTINGS & PRIVACY link in the dashboard and then clicking the Facebook tab.

Enjoy!

BTW - We've also implemented various minor fixes around the site, including some formatting issues on member blogs, a few forum issues, and other things you will never need to worry about.

We've got more BIGGER and BETTER upgrades coming to the site soon!

Thanks for the continued support and suggestions for improvement.

Josh

We continue to get new press mentions here at BiggerPockets, and I wanted to share the latest with all of you:

I was interviewed early this morning for the KGO Morning News with anchors Ed Baxter and Jennifer Jones (ABC News Radio - San Francisco) regarding the increase in rental vacancies around the country (highest rate in 23 years).  We talked about how tenants now have more negotiating power with their landlords, various incentives being offered to attract those renters, and more.

If you haven't had the opportunity already, please do have a listen by clicking the link below.  The audio file is 1 hour long and you'll just need to fast forward to the 45 minute mark to catch my segment.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE

Thanks for the continued support from our members, visitors, and of course, the press.

Josh