Which Blog Posts are "Selling" in Active Rain? How Posts are Like Listings
Jason Crouch
Like many of you, when I am composing a new blog post here, I wonder if it will resound with the readers. With some of my writing, I am really hoping to strike a chord, and welcome a tidal wave of perceptive, interesting, and funny comments. 
Well, here at Active Rain, as in real estate, you must be prepared for surprises sometimes. Just as I am constantly amazed by which listings sell and which ones do not, I am also taken aback occasionally when I feel that I have written something exquisite, yet it receives a lackluster, lukewarm response.
This makes my 131st post, and I feel like I have hit a nice groove these days with my blog, mixing humor with business, coaching with personal stories, Localism with AR group information, and more.
I wanted to share with you which of my own "listings" have sold quickly and for top price here at Active Rain. In case you are not able to follow this analogy, I wanted to do a retrospective post on which of my blog posts have brought the most points and interest as of today. Perhaps we can learn something from this - who knows? If not, it will at least be interesting to me, and hopefully to you as well.
Let me clarify briefly - I am only going to focus on those posts that were at least somewhat successful. There is no reason to trot the bad ones back out
for another look. With that in mind, away we go.
Please keep in mind that some of the posts below are pretty lame compared to my current work, but I hope that it will show the newbies that there is some hope for you if you are just starting to learn how to blog. I started actively posting here on August 5th, even though my profile was set up months before that. When I started, I had no idea what to do.
Maybe you will spot an interesting title below and check it out, like my own personal Active Rain library. Or, if prefer going to the bookstore instead of the library, feel free to send me a check or a fist-sized wad of cash as a gesture of your appreciation. Either way, you should probably bookmark this, as it is a virtual treasure trove of valuable and entertaining reading (keep in mind that I am stating this not as the author, but as a disinterested researcher).
First, these are my moderately successful "starter" posts (scored 300-350 points):
Oldest business card photo? - this was my first attempt at humor on AR - 300 points
Funny quotes from my son - more humor - 300 points
Worst photo contest - first post of mine with over 100 comments - 300 points. This one actually made me some new friends along the way.
Business from Active Rain? - 304
Using Your Powers of Observation to Sell Homes (Listings) - 305
Odd marketing idea (restaurant) - 305
How it Feels to Lose a $213,000 Commission - 312
Integrity - 317 points - short and sweet - one of my first
Giving of your time, talents, and treasures - 317
Laughter is the Best Medicine - My Funny Children - 328
Texas Looks Like That? A Native Texan's Perspective - 332
Cake in One Hand, Eating it in the Other Hand - You Must Choose! - 334
Are you handling your clients like a phone company handles customers? - 350
Where is Art Linkletter when you need him? - 350
Good Dad, Bad Dad - What I learned from my upbringing - 350
This next group of posts are like move-up homes (351-399):
New Active Rain Group - "Family Ties" - Come Check it Out! - 371 points
Awkward? Maybe. Funny? Indeed. - 374
Radio Ga Ga - The Jukebox of my Mind and Life (The Early Years) - 375
How to Present and Use Buyer's Representation Agreements - 384
Your Chance to Make a $135,000 Referral Fee! - 386
Please Get to the Point Already! The clock is ticking.... - 386
Active Rain - Where everybody knows your name (or do they?) - 387
Three funniest things my kids have said this week - 397
39 Days in the Rain and I am Writing an Offer Already! - 397
Active Rain is Like a Big Co-Ed Dorm - 398
How Much Influence Should Outsiders Have on a Real Estate Transaction? - 398
These fall into the higher-end "blog property" tier (400-500 points):
A Couple of Useful Technology Tools that I Like - 400 points
What Can I Buy in the Austin Area for $600,000? - 400
Bad Day Brings Valuable Perspective - 400
You've Got them in the Car - Now What? - 400
Bad new neighbors - advice? - 401
How to Avoid Getting Sued - My Humble Opinion - 414
MORE song stuff - Am I hard of hearing? My Lazy Ear Syndrome - 422
A Day of Clarity for my Family - 423
Lessons from Terrible Clients - Part 2 - 434
The ER Nurse and the Convenience Store Employee - Where do you see yourself? - 446
Some Suggestions for New Active Rain Abbreviations - Do you LOL often? - 448
What Active Rain Can Do For All of Us - 465
What makes a man a real man? Lessons from my Grandpa - 472
These are my personal "luxury" posts, with over 500 points:
The Secret Ingredient is Empathy - Lessons from the Grocery Store - 517 points
My Friend David - 521
Because of Active Rain I Have Found 47,148 Kindred Spirits - 535
Freshening your perspective (a visit to the nursing home) - 547
Are you helping your clients through the maze, or are you a stumbling block? - 572
"Getting Better" Scenes from Movies - I wish we could use them with clients - 572
View from the broker's desk - what makes a good agent? - 575
A Watched Pot Never Boils - My Perspective on the National Market - 582
"High Property Taxes, Heat, and Tornadoes, TOO? Why would I want to move to Austin, Texas?" - 600 points for this Localism featured post
So, what can I glean from this information? Well, it looks like the very best posts that I have written manage to tie something from my life and family into my career. Five of my nine 500+ posts were inspired by my family in some way, and one of them is about my AR "family".
THE TIME HAS COME FOR A SHAMELESS PLUG. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Check out my group "Family Ties" to see some awesome writing on display, and please bring any suitable stories of your own. You won't regret it. We are a happy bunch!
Thanks very much for reading (or skimming through) this post. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
