Real Estate Weblogging 101: A how-to book-in-weblog-form for would-be real estate webloggers
By: Greg Swann,
Phoenix Real Estate,
Post Archive,
RSS FeedPosted: Thursday, June 21st, 2007, 6:00 am MST
Category: Blogging, Marketing, Real Estate
In commemoration of the Southwest Real Estate Blogging Conference, BloodhoundBlog today launches Real Estate Weblogging 101, a book-in-weblog-form about weblogging for real estate professionals.
The book is built as a WordPress weblog because it seemed foolish to me to write about a deep-linking medium without deep linking. Even so, I believe this is the first time WordPress has been used to publish a book. It seems plausible to me that dead trees are a dead letter, so this won’t be the last book “printed” in an on-line content management system.
In large measure, content for Real Estate Weblogging 101 comes from BloodhoundBlog posts written over the course of the last year by Greg Swann, Teri Lussier, Kris Berg, Brian Brady and Allen Butler. Because the book is written using the “Pages” feature of WordPress, it is built with revisability and extensibility in mind. We anticipate adding appropriate articles to the book as they become available.
From an introductory article to the book:
This is a book about real estate weblogging, but it seems absurd to write about weblogging in the form of a book. The Dan Rathers of the world will finally admit that the old media are obsolete on the day after the last paper-boy dies of old age. The internet is a linked world, and to write about an internet phenomenon without linking is absurd. And the internet is an infinitely revisable world, so to give up the power of instant, infinite revisions seems foolish. Unless you print it out at home, you can’t take this book with you to the beach. But what you can do is pursue all of the supporting links until your understanding of real estate weblogging approaches perfection — where perfection is understood to be a blindingly moving target.The wonderful thing about a book in the form of a weblog is that you can help make it better, too. Just as Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs helped Dan Rather discover this strange new world — no matter how much he might rather didn’t — you can set me right when you find me in error — and I hope you find me in better temper. Where a paper book is static and dead, if you find that something is incorrect or unclear, you can assert yourself in a comment and the defects can be amended. In this respect a book-as-a-weblog is more like successive releases of software. But the software resides on my file server, not your hard disk, so upgrades can happen at any time, with the latest ‘rev’ always waiting here for you.
Even better, you can contribute to this book. Much of the text comes from posts I wrote during the first year of the existence of BloodhoundBlog, but, where my own talents are unequal to the task at hand, I have turned to other webloggers. You can join that company, if you like. If you have an article about some aspect of real estate weblogging that you think belongs in this book, send it to me. To insert new pages into a printed book, in the infinitesimal space between recto and verso, is impossible. But this book is built to welcome new ideas, new techniques, new attitudes and approaches. It is truly organic — born to live by growing.
Subject to undiscovered typos and last minute-additions, the book is finished. Feel free to visit the site. If you should discover a typo — or if you have an article you would like to submit — let me know.
Many of the people reading this post don’t need the help Real Estate Weblogging 101 provides, but many others need that help but don’t know where to find it. You can give future real estate webloggers a leg up by putting this button
on your weblog or web site. Here’s what you need to do: Copy and paste this text into your page:
I think we are setting two important milestones today: We’ve built a practical guide to help would-be real estate webloggers get themselves started. And we have pioneered a new book-publishing medium. Give the site a look and see what you think.
Initial blog reactions to Real Estate Weblogging 101:
- As you might imagine, BloodhoundBlog had its say.
- Arizona Mortgage Guru weighs in.
- Problogger Tom Royce of The Real Estate Bloggers has his say.
- REMBEX founder Todd Carpenter speak up from lenderama.
- Jim Duncan of Real Central VA tracks stats.
- Realtor Genius thinks the price is right.
- The Phoenix Real Estate Guy shines by the light of the Arizona sun.
- Brian Brady comes in from Active Rain.
- Dan Green brings the blog at BringTheBlog.
- Mike Price checks in from Mike’s Corner.
- Realtor Wives sews on our button.
- Joel Burslem at Inman Blog takes us to the Summer of Blog.
- Kevin Boer at Three Ocean Realty speaks up.
- Cherl Johnson at NELA Live was hyperlocal before it was cool.
- Realty Thoughts links in.
- ImmobilienPortale drops in from Germany.
- The Carnival of Real Estate joins in.
- The R Team has a project of its own in the works.
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Related posts:22 Comments so far
In the facing of declining newspaper readership … on a day the Wall Street Journal reports the New York Times is raising its cover price 25% … and a week after the New York Times reported the Wall Street Journal is raising its cover price by 33% … Greg Swann and his colleagues at Bloodhound announce the launch of an immediately-useful, ever-improving, infinitely-free-blogbook, Real Estate Weblogging 101.
Don’t look for this story in the papers. Just as you won’t find the future of real estate success in their classifieds.
Congrats to all. A brilliant achievement.
Congratulations on the launch. It looks to be a great long term project that will help many.
Tom
Truly honored to be any part of this at all.
Greg, You given the RE world a gift, and I hope this brings you tremendous happiness.
[...] First of all, bloodhoundblog.com isn’t profiting on this at all. No one is over there giving criticism of your blog to gain your business, it’s the simply how-to we all needed when we started (and I for one, still need) and for this I believe it has heart, merit, and to be honest, you can trust it. Why? Because the only thing your being sold is a better understanding of what in the heck you’re doing! [...]
Brilliant.
Just an FYI for others, I had to change the “curly quotes” to straight quotes in the button code to get it to work on my blog. Probably some stoopid IE copy/paste thing…
[...] As you might imagine, BloodhoundBlog had its say. [...]
[...] Greg Swann and company have released a new … site… blog….. I actually think it's more of a book really - Real Estate Weblogging 101. An eBook of sorts, though a more apropos term might be BlogBook. [...]
> Just an FYI for others, I had to change the “curly quotes” to straight quotes in the button code to get it to work on my blog. Probably some stoopid IE copy/paste thing…
No, it was WordPress. I fixed it. Thanks!
And: I haven’t put the button here, yet, so thanks for the reminder.
Active Rain doesn’t send trackbacks:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/128739/Real-Estate-Weblogging-1
SWEET! I’m so glad it’s finally public (I’m not a good secret keeper, especially living with a fellow blogger)! This will be much easier than my poor articulation of how to REBlog (or uh… how I have done it anyhow). Lord knows I still need some help!
Thanks, guys!
Regarding the secret-keeping - I think it’s a testament to the RE.net community that Greg’s “embargo” lasted.
[...] Bloodhound Blogs “Real Estate Weblogging 101” Book - [...]
Gregg, you have inspired me to get my own training “book” in order. I downloaded Word Press last night, and played with it till dawn. I wish I would of taken the time to learn it from the beginning.
[...] Bloodhound announcement [...]
[...] THANK YOU, THANK YOU for putting together today’s get-together at The Ranch House. Traveling from Cordes Junction and Rio Verde, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler attendees listened attentively as The Phoenix Real Estate Guy himself, Jay Thompson, defined web-logging and the parameters of a successful blog. Through his words and his powerpoint, he gave us practical reasons to blog and how to attract potential clients. Greg Swann was captivating as he shared about his newest venture - Real Estate Weblogging 101. It was very informative and very well planned. Kudos to you all! [...]
[...] Greg Swann has put together A how-to book-in-weblog-form for would-be real estate webloggers. The book is largely complete, but the beauty of a digital book published using Wordpress is that it can be continually improved. With real estate bloggers popping up all over the place, this should be a great resource for those looking to become real estate webloggers. [...]
Good luck on your new project guys. I’ll be placing your banner as soon as I get a hold of my webmaster.
[...] Gregg Swan, of the bloodhound blog dropped me a line concerning his latest endeavor. Real Estate Weblogging 101 is a digital training manual for aspiring real estate bloggers. Gregg came up with the novel idea of using Word Press blogging software to publish this “book”, allowing updated content to be easily added. Hmmm, a training manual in blog form… what a great idea! [...]
Congratulations to Greg and the Bloodhounds! This is information that I know agents at my company are asking about— a timely release in my opinion. Can’t wait to take a deep dive into it.
[...] THANK YOU, THANK YOU for putting together today’s get-together at The Ranch House. Traveling from Cordes Junction and Rio Verde, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler attendees listened attentively as The Phoenix Real Estate Guy himself, Jay Thompson, defined web-logging and the parameters of a successful blog. Through his words and his powerpoint, he gave us practical reasons to blog and how to attract potential clients. Greg Swann was captivating as he shared about his newest venture - Real Estate Weblogging 101. It was very informative and very well planned. Kudos to you all! [...]
[...] let you know my thoughts next week- but here are my general thoughts in advance.First of all, bloodhoundblog.com isn’t profiting on this at all. No one is over there giving criticism of your blog to gain your [...]
[...] of all, bloodhoundblog.com isn’t profiting on this at all. No one is over there giving criticism of your blog to gain [...]