Bliss Sawyer's Marketing Blog

Blogs are the new website

Great advice from Terri Murphy... 

 

Girlfriend reminder

I'm headed to Chicago in a few weeks to talk about blogging and also learn more about twitter, facebook, activerain and how to put them all together.  Karen Deis is sponsoring this Social Media retreat and it looks like it will be a blast...  hope to see you there!

Masterminding is one of the best ways to brainstorm with other women who are in the same business that you are in! Yes, that's right, this event is exclusively for women!

Yes, the rules of the game are changing.  Everyone is experiencing the challenges associated with these changes.  Connecting with other women might just be the kick in the assets that you need to adapt and stay in this business for many years to come!

• Experience speakers and topics guaranteed to keep you on the cutting edge
• Network with other women who have navigated their way to success 
• Join the Diva Sisterhood and get discounted registration fee 
• Read testimonials and what others have said about past retreats 
• Invite your favorite women real estate agents (and they pay the same fee that you qualify for)

Mortgage Girlfriends Mastermind Retreat

 

365 Things to Do Follow-Up

Back in January I posted about a facebook/blog idea. You can read all about it at Love, Love, Love This Idea!!  Kelly Waugh with Fairway Mortgage in North Carolina and Kathy Byrnes with ReMax Executive at the Lake shared their marketing idea for their site 365 Things to Do Around Lake Norman.

They created this great business card to spread the word about their site.

Front of card:

 

Back of card:

Do you blog???

In May I am speaking at the Mortgage Girlfriends conference in Chicago on blogging and am reaching out for your help.   If you blog for work or can recommend a blog that would be of interest to Loan Officers please share.  We all blog a bit differently and can learn from each other.

I will be adding this blog list to the side bar here for your reference.  I'll also be sharing a few blogging tips as I get my presentation ready to go, so if you haven't started blogging yet, this might be a great time!

SEND OVER YOUR BLOG LINKS!!  Comment below, send me an email or message on Facebook.

 

 

Blogging help....

My friend Dan Green over at Bring the Blog has just released the latest and greatest version of his service.

Highlights of the new release:

1. Posts directly to WordPress in Publish or Draft mode
2. Adds tags, slugs, excerpts and categories to every post for better SEO
2. Adds city, state and neighborhood keywords to every post to make content more "local"
3. Is working with a completely new look-and-feel
4. Lets members post to multiple blogs from one Bring the Blog account

We've also made some billing system enhancements but that's about as unsexy as you can get.

As a reminder about what this is all about,Bring the Blog is a blog-for-you service for real estate and mortgage professionals. They write and post relevant blog content to your members' blog every business day. They've been operating since 2006... which is about 20 years in the virtual world.

Are you doing the important things?

I've discussed marketing and biking before... but today I realized how easy it is to get out of the habit of doing the important things (and of course, I'm going to relate it to biking :)  I love to bike, but I haven't been biking much lately.  Why, you ask? Well...

1. I've been busy.
2. I've been a little under the weather.
3. It's been windy.
4. It's been hot.
5. I've been busy. Again.
6. There was a full moon this week.

Get my point?  There really hasn't been a good excuse to give up something I value so much.  When I bike I am able to:

1. Be outside, which is an energizing thing for me
2. Stay fit.
3. Eat more junk food.  (which is more important to me than staying fit)
4. Clear my head.
5. Fill my head. (seriously on this one - I got a GREAT idea today, I just have to make sure it is compliant and I'll pass it along to you!!!)
6. Get away from the grind of what I do and see it with a clearer vision when I get back.
7. Give my kids a reason to brag about their mom.  ("my mom's so crazy, she bikes HUNDREDS of miles every day."  I overheard this from one of my kids once - of course I didn't correct the slight mileage error.)
8. Have more energy.   To write more blog posts.  About biking.  And marketing.

This example is much like your marketing.  How often do you NOT do those marketing tasks that are important, but not necessarily urgent?  There's always an excuse... but it probably isn't a good one.

Here's an assignment for you (just realized I should have saved this for Monday's Coach - oh well, you have two assignments for this week.) 

Make your own list.  First, list the reasons you ARE NOT marketing and then list the reasons you SHOULD BE marketing.  Then go do it!

And just in case you were interested... here's a few picts from my ride.
The bike.  Yes, sometimes I like it more than my kids.  

Go Texas Tech!
This is a fence company and I LOVE that cedar smell. 

Yes... if you stand on a tuna can, you CAN see Mexico.

Cotton is ready to be harvested and yes, it does feel just like a cotton ball.

To all the bloggers out there

Blogging is a great way to gain credibility and do a bit of on-line networking.  But blogging is hard... it takes time and lots of work to continually write new (and hopefully interesting) content.  Without that, you won't have readers.  You can keep blogging, but it's probably just for yourself.  And maybe your mom.

I've been blogging for over three years now and have found it to be a fantastic way to not only reach out, but to also improve myself.  I am ALWAYS searching for ideas to share and in doing so I have learned much and grown in my marketing skills.

If you have a blog or are thinking of adding a blog to your marketing arsenal, click here for ideas on why, what and how to blog.  If you would like a humorous approach on how to build traffic to your blog then take a look at this article -  97 Ways to Build traffic...

btw - my faves on the above mentioned article are 27,41,50,56,81,94,95,96.  Those definitely aren't the ones that made me laugh, you'll have to guess which ones those were.

Blogging advice

 
Blogging is a fabulous way to connect with referral partners, clients and potential clients.  (And hey - your mom will be proud).  I've been blogging for two years and appreciate the doors it has opened and the opportunity it gives me to reach out in such a consistent and creative way.  Here are a few suggestions to help make your blog more successful:

• Your blog is a place to connect with your audience.  Write about what is important to you AND write about yourself.  People want to do business with a friend. Be friendly and open in your blog.
• It's ok to be creative.  Add in a bit of humor now and then.  A funny picture, a joke or video that will appeal to others.  Keep it clean and enjoyable to all.
• Provide links to other websites and blogs that complement your business and will enrich the lives of your readers.
• Keep it short.  Most blog readers (myself included) are looking for a quick read.  Something valuable in a short space.  Strengthen your reputation as an expert through the information you provide.
• Use pictures and graphics.  We are visual by nature and connect to pictures.  You grab attention by the title of your post and any graphic with it.

PS:  Stay tuned for the launch of my next Live E-class.  Blogging is going to be one of the topics and I will teach you "when to blog, what to blog and how to get readers to your blog".

PPS:  This week'sCompetitive Edge Newsletter has a more extensive article on Blogging.  Subscribe for only $36/year!

PPPS:  If you have a mortgage blog - comment below and share the URL so others can see what you are doing!

To blog or not to blog?

Blogging.  It's the craze in the business world right now.  Many loan officers are asking if their business needs a blog.  From my personal experience, I have had a great time with my blog and feel it has a huge impact on my business.  With a blog, readers can get to know you on a more personal basis and you are able to strengthen your reputation as an expert.

The most difficult part is keeping your content fresh and up to date.  If you are interested in starting a blog... I recommend you get some help.  Bring the Blog is run by my friend Dan Green and is specifically designed to help you have the perfect blog.  Bring the Blog bills itself as an "Associated Press for Blogs", adding daily content to help you fill your pages.  And it's not generic, either -- it's pretty terrific stuff. You can see a live demo of the content Bring the Blog pumps out every single day at:  http://demo.thewrittenblog.com/.

Add in some personal stuff, testimonials, local housing news, etc. and you have a fabulous blog to attract business.  What are you waiting for?  Get blogging!

Mortgage Girlfriends

Another exciting idea from Karen Deis.  If you are a woman in the mortgage business, this blog is for you!  MortgageGirlfriends.com is a site where you can exchange ideas, get advice from other women and pretty much let everyone know what's on your mind.  Sorry men, but mortgageboyfriends.com just didn't sound right. 

Register and let's share ideas.   Karen is also developing a series of forums for women in the mortgage industry  planned throughout the country and when you register, you will be notified when and where they will be held. 

Blogging made easy!

Blogging has become popular with mortgage lenders looking to increase their visibility and become known as an industry expert.  (see even more reasons why you should blog in my Mortgage Originator article.)

For loan officers that want to blog but don't want the hassle of learning a new technology, a new service called Bring the Blog (http://www.bringtheblog.com) makes blogging easier than ever before.

For $399 annually, Bring the Blog gives you your own Web site, the easiest Web interface I have seen, and they even go the extra mile by writing new content for your blog every business day.  If you've ever said "I'd love to blog, but I don't have the time" -- Bring the Blog is your answer.

As a company, Bring the Blog offers a completely free 15-day trial and they also make a "demo account" available where you can give the product an actual test drive.  https://www.bringtheblog.com/login.php?user=demo&password=blogging. 

Once you test the product, I know you'll love it.  You'll also love the $100 discount you get as a reader of my blog -- be sure to use referral code BLISS07BLOG.

Click, click, click and you're done.  Blogging has never been so simple.

Thanks for the feedback on blogging!

I wanted to share an email I received this morning from Chris Crowe on his blogging experience.  Great stuff to hear if you are thinking of starting a blog.  Thanks Chris for sharing!

Bliss, Thank you for the inspiration you provided in your MOM online article about blogs. I've created my own blog (www.chris-crowe.com) as a result of your ideas in your article. Dan Green and I have communicated and I'm considering his service (Bring the Blog)  I couldn't believe how easy Typepad was! Anybody who is committed to updating regularly should do this, just not the loan officers in my area!

Last week at my Rotary meeting, we had a speaker who gave a presentation on a 900 unit development they are in the process of getting off the ground. After the meeting, I went up to him and asked for one of his cards. Instead of being a typical loan officer and asking for business, I told him about my blog and who my target audience was (customers and realtors). I said that I wanted to feature his development in a blog entry and link when he gets the project approved. Well, I don't have to tell you that I stood out from probably anyone else he talked to that day. The moral of the story: A blog is a good excuse to talk to someone and a way to stand out from the competition.

Thanks again for all you do for the industry, through your company and MMG.

Chris