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I decided almost immediately after reading the first few posts that I would have to judge this carnival based upon what I thought would be a good quality post that would reach the consumer on a local level. After all, that is what real estate blogging is all about right? So, with that reasoning, I tended to lean more towards the posts with community information, and general real estate tips. Other judges may do it differently, but I strongly believe in the local real estate blog, (as you can see from my series on it), and those posts on the local community are really what it’s all about.
That being said… this was a really tough decision. These Project Bloggers have come a long way in just a few short weeks of learning. I’d be curious to ask each of them what kind of business it has stirred up so far.
By the way, in the way of a quick disclaimer… A couple of these posts were submitted over the weekend. I made a mistake when I emailed all the contestants and told them that my deadline was Sunday night for submittal, when the official rules said Friday… my fault. Sorry.
So, without further ado… here are the winners for week 1 of the Carnival of Project Blogger:
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#1. Buying a Miami Beach Condo? Things you Should Know By: Kevin Tomlinson
This was actually the last post I read out of the group, and it immediately jumped out at me. This guy knows his stuff. It’s very straight forward, and has good solid content in the form of local tips for condo buyers in the Miami area. This post in my mind encapsulates the spirit of the local real estate blog. It’s informative, well written, and personal. I also love the link at the bottom of the post for the free Miami Condo Guide. RE bloggers pay attention. These are the kinds of posts that will get you solid loyal customers.
I only have one suggestions for this post. I would have liked to see the title changed to: “Buying a Miami Beach Condo? 10 Things You Should Know.” Then simply number off all of the suggestions. People that read blogs love lists, and it can be an instant hook. Think about how to sell people on the title.
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#2. The Difference Between Flat Fee and Full Service Real Estate Services By: Julie Ferenzi
Julie has given us a really great post here. It’s written in a “How to” format without being too threatening or bossy. She’s made it personal almost in the form of a testimony… and that can be powerful. If there was an award for the best structured post, this one would win. Great pictures, layout, and spacing. It was easy to read because it was broken up so well, and all the important info was bolded.
I would have liked to see a couple more references in the way of links in the post. My guess is that since Julie’s experience as explained in the post had such an impact on her, that she has probably written on this topic before, and may be able to provide some more references to past posts or other helpful documentation. And one other small nitpick: the url doesn’t have the words from the post included. It’s not that big a deal, but it’s unusual for a blog, and including those keywords can give you a slight boost in SEO especially in SE’s other than Google.
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#3. Attention RSM Residents! The 2/5 Marines Need Our Help! By: Kelly Kilpatrick
This is by far the best community centered post of the bunch. It has Rancho Santa Margarita written all over it, and it is a great example of how a local real estate blog can be used as a community information hub. I would venture to guess that Kelly’s blog is one of the only places online where you can get information about this particular care package drive. That is what makes it unique. Also, consider the subject matter: helping our troops, love for people, and community service. You can’t go wrong with posts like this, just take a look at the comments it got.
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#4. Florida Property Tax Reform…Dead…For Now! By: Jackie Colson-Miller
I don’t know what it is about Jackie, but when I read her stuff I just get the feeling that she is a very, very intelligent person. Does anyone else get that? For example, I would guess that this post didn’t take her long to write, and that she just fired of some quick suggestions that are actually quite thought provoking. Anyways… Jackie’s post was impressive. She jumped straight into some property tax reforms she would make in Florida. It is clearly an opinion post that almost seems geared towards stirring up conversation with lines like this: “Do you have a better idea?” And from the comments she received, it looks like she accomplished that very thing. I even sense a little controversy with the subject matter, and that is always a good thing on a blog.
I would have liked to see the layout organized a bit better. Maybe a bolded headline for each suggestion, and then some text explanation below each. And maybe even a play off the list aspect of the post. “6 ways Florida Can Fix It’s Property Tax Problems”. Just a thought.
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#5. More Ghosts in Los Gatos By: Mary Pope-Handy
Here was an interesting post that obviously spiked some people’s interest based upon the comments it received. Writing about something like ghosts or something else unusual is always a great way to get people interested in your local area. This is a good example of how to write from a personal perspective. Bloggers are known for their un-orthodox writing styles, raw edges, and unusual topics. Just because real estate blogs are for generating business doesn’t mean that they can’t include some fun stuff.
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Overall I was extremely impressed with all of these Project Bloggers. It’s really exciting to see them all grow in their writing and blogging skills.
I want to thank Jim from the Real Estate Tomato for the opportunity to be a host. I look forward to many more great posts from these budding bloggers.
Related posts:
- Project Blogger… A Competition For Blogging Coaches
- Long Tail Keywords vs. Short Tail Keywords
- 5 Reasons to Start Blogging Today
- 8 Unique Ways to Use Google Alerts To Capture New Customers
- How to Avoid Suffering From Blogging & Social Media Overload
