BloodhoundBlog.com

Perfectibility in weblogging: Revising yourself to genius

By: Greg Swann, Phoenix Real Estate, Post Archive, RSS Feed
Posted: Sunday, March 18th, 2007, 11:41 am MST
Category: Blogging,Marketing,Real Estate,Weblogging 101

I replaced Teri Lussier’s photo this morning. I’m talking about the little thumbnail photos you see running down the sidebar. Guys are easy to crop, because our hair is short. But in my original crop of Teri’s photo, I left her too much hair — which left her with way too little face. No big deal. I went back into the original photo and made a tighter crop. Now her face is approximately the same size as the other contributors.

But that practical example comprises what may be the most important lesson of weblogging (or even of life): If something’s not right, fix it. This is an inherently revisable medium. Changes go down the memory hole, so there is always the peril that someone will change something in order to deceive or occlude. But we gain the corresponding power to chase a convergent series of minor corrections to something that just might blow a kiss at perfection. Most big things are accretions of little things, and, if the little things are right, the big things are that much easier to handle.

It might be Sunday, but I have a homework assignment — for Teri and anyone else who might want to play along. I’m doing a diagnostic interview with Teri to find out where she is on the weblogging ziggurat. Teri’s assignment is to write a BloodhoundBlog post defining what she sees as the challenges facing her as a new real estate weblogger, detailing her desired end goal from real estate weblogging and offering some ideas of how we might get from one to the other. This is really just a writing assignment, so no one should feel too constrained. If you’re playing along at home, you can post as a comment to this post or do something on Active Rain or on your own weblog.

Here’s a hint for Teri or anyone who wants a gold star on their essay: Revise yourself to within hailing distance of perfection. On the other hand, don’t kill yourself. Aim for the best work you can do in an hour. Why? If you’re spending hours trying to compose perfect weblog posts, you might be more profitable knocking on doors.

In coming days we’ll go over Teri’s current status and start doing some real homework — building timeless content for Teri’s new weblog.

Damn! Doesn’t that sound like Design on a Dime or Sell This House on HGTV? I think we’re going to need to make screencasts!

Our story so far: If you’re studying Real Estate Weblogging 101 from home, be sure to peruse these mission-critical posts:

Technorati Tags: blogging, real estate, real estate marketing

Weblogging without chains: A BloodhoundBlog Unchained introductory podcast to viral, hyper-specific real estate weblogging

Blogoff Post #50: Real estate weblogging? Write about blogging . . .

2 comments

2 Comments so far

The Wondering Real Estate Weblogger : Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area Real Estate March 19th, 2007 9:52 am

[...] Greg Swann threw down the very gentlemanly gauntlet; create a weblog post that comes within shouting distance of perfection in under an hour, and take as its subject the challenges faced by a new real estate weblogger. No mean feat is that. Examples of near-perfection, and many more of not-even-close, can be found in the myriad real estate blogs that swarm in cyberspace. However, I am nothing if not inspired by a challenge. That must be the case, or I would not have begun the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area Real Estate blog, or joined Active Rain. [...]
Kelly Kilpatrick March 21st, 2007 11:59 am

Near perfection in one hour or less. Definitely thought provoking. Definitely something to work toward. In my amazing two-week blogging career I’ve discovered that once one’s in the practice of writing, thoughts seem to come more quickly. I’ve got a long way to go to reach that 60-minute mark. But now I have a goal. Thanks Greg!