abc's of Blogging?

Question

I could use some advice on blogging, period. I'm not a talky person to start with, and also a relative newbie to RE investing. My company is in the process of rehabbing our 1st property and, while I could write about all of the frustrations associated with it, I thought it would be best to have a blog that was upbeat. Is it better to wait 'til it's sold, talk about the experience, reflect on lessons learned, and hopefully celebrate our profit margin, or is it better to simply be posting something, frequently, no matter the tone? Thanks.

Steve L. · Answer

Brad:

I think you have to first determine what the goal of your blog is?

I started mine because I wanted a journal of what was going on and an easy place to point people who ask questions there.  That means if I don't want to update it, I don't have too.  That also means I can write about whatever I want.

Explain your purpose and we can provide better answers.

It probably won't make you a ton of money.

Brad Uricchio · Answer

Thanks so much for all of your responses. One motivation is to get our name out there. Another is that we're doing our 1st rehab without a mentor and, despite our best planning, there have been a few trip-ups along the way. We've got some experiences and lessons to share - and probably find more than a few readers/bloggers who've been through it all, too. Blogging just seems like a good way to get advice, even when, on the surface, it may only sound like venting. Just wanted to make sure that wouldn't be a big turn-off. I'll work on our "angle" and post in the appropriate forum. Thanks again (I'm glad my original post didn't go completely unnoticed!)

Page Huyette · Answer

As someone who teaches people how to set up their own sites and use them to market themselves, I say JUST START.  The advice to decide "why" you are blogging is good --- to help others avoid the mistakes you  made, to show your humorous side in the midst of rehabbing?  Decide on your special angle, and focus on that.  You'll find that  many topics fit this angle, establishing a niche for you.  I would also strongly advise that you get your own domain (about $10/year) and use wordpress.com, not org, which lets you use the Wordpress platform with your own domain.  Hosting your site will run you about $5/month.  Don't forget SEO once you get up and rolling--Good luck to you!

J Scott · Answer

I started my blog many months before I purchased my first property (in fact, I didn't even know what type of investing I was planning on doing).  That was nearly 4 years and over 30 deals ago, and I'm still going strong (though I've taken the last month off for the first time in four years to work on a book on investing)...

The keys to success for me was not being afraid to share *ALL* the details, including the good, the bad and the downright ugly.  Also, being willing to share all the financial details of my transactions has been a differentiator for me, and has helped me build a pretty big following and a good number of daily hits.

I would say the keys are:

1. Personalize it
2. Don't be afraid to go into detail
3. Don't be afraid to share the bad stuff
4. Write often
5. Teach as you learn
6. Figure out a way to differentiate yourself

Thomas Handy · Answer

I've seen a few real estate blogs and one person on the forum took the leap from work to real estate investor a few yers ago.  His blog highlights the good, bad, and ugly.  Like others have said, you have to be in it for the long haul otherwise you're wasting time and money.

I started a blog last March and it's about teeball.  Now I'm on the first page of Google.  It requires reading other blogs, seeing what they're doing, and how you can do it better.  You have to love what you write and just stay focused.

Tom

Jack Anderson · Answer

I would say your best bet is to look into it. Make sure you use Key Words to up the number of people that will visit your blog. Also, like mentioned earlier, video  is definitely a big thing for blogging. I would try that as well. Also, make sure you know what you want to blog about. Somewhat plan it out before you start. Also, you do not have to write too often. Once a day or once every two days seems to be a good amount. I wouldn't go over the top. You could bump up the amount of blogs after you have gotten into it and know what you are doing.

Joshua Dorkin · Answer

As Nick  J. and Steve L. suggested, you really need to figure out your motivation and goals for blogging.  If you're doing it for the wrong reason or if you aren't really motivated by it, I can guarantee that the blog will not last.

I've seen countless new blogs disappear into oblivion over the past 7 years.

What are you looking to accomplish?

Nick J. · Answer

I agree with Steve L. Why are you 'blogging'?

Al Williamson · Answer

Hey Brad,
There are a number of long standing RE blogs that take both angles on content. So I can't recommend a winner. As a blogger myself, I would suggest that a self-professed "newbie" focus on telling their soap opera with a lot of personality. That’ll give you a lot of credibility. (You'll be glad you have credibility when the haters leave you nasty comments.)

Best to you.

Brad Uricchio · Answer

Thanks, that sounds like some good advice for marketing. My of my question, though, has to do with content. Is it better to wait until one has something fun, informative, or happy to blog, or is just as good to use it as a venting of frustrations that can come with this industry.

abc's of Blogging?

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