Club Chaos Agents - All Things Hollish, Wacked, and Jacked

In A Digital World, We're Now A Globally Connected Video Culture

Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager (ActiveRain) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:45:50 -0600

No words needed here, this video speaks volumes....and to think it happened during our lifetime!

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Maryland Is Beautiful...

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:19:49 -0600

Maryland Is Beautiful...

The wonderful thing about hanging out with writers who produce Localism posts is the fact that if you read their blogs you kinda know where you want to go and what you want to see when you get there. I had breakfast with Margaret Rome this morning after I checked out of the Hilton and am having lunch with Audrey June Forshey at her office right now. I will be having dinner with the incomparable Lenn Harley tonight. I'll admit to being a wee bit nervous because she's my hero (LOL). I keep hearing, "we're gonna have fun," echoing in my brain. I'm grinning like an idiot in anticipation because we are (LOL). ;-)

I am thrilled to still be here meeting and greeting Rainers. I have a lot of eye candy to share with you from our sight seeing later on. At some point before I return to New York City I'm going to take you on a tour of Maryland and show you what I've experienced with my friends during our down time. I also promised the kids I'd show them something interesting before I return home. They likes planes, trains, automobiles, boats and birds. Lately Noah has been into trees (LOL).

Stay tuned... I got a lot of eye candy already and am still collecting more so this may take a while... I have a checklist but may have to do a few cross offs (LOL). ;-)

I would like to take time out of my calculated wandering about to thank Audrey June Forshey and Maria Carpenter for being such wonderful hosts to me this afternoon (and allowing me to high-jack their Internet accounts so I can say hello to my Facebook and ActiveRain peeps before I get back on the highway).

I would also like to say a big thank you to Margaret Rome for inviting me to such a lovely business event. She is a thoughtful friend and knows how much my shorties love to feed the birds so she took me to a lovely, quiet spot to enjoy them after breakfast. When I get to Lenn's house I'll show you what I enjoyed most about it. They were surprisingly friendly and walked right up to us.

My kids would have loved it. They are gorgeous... simply gorgeous. :-)

Disclaimer: Any comments and contributions provided on ActiveRain.com (or other electronic or print media) does not establish an agency relationship with any third party. Blog posts are intended to be informational only. Please be advised that real estate practices vary in regions and from state to state and market to market. The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice. All parties in need of legal, accounting, tax, or real estate guidance are directed to consult with the licensed professional of their choice. Please seek specific guidance from a retained professional in the specific field(s) required to service your interests. I and/or team blog writers make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site and its associated sites inclusive of but not limited to ActiveRain Group Club Chaos ClubChaosAgents.com CyberMinions.net CTannStarr Outside Blog CTannStarr Localism Blog TannStarr.net UberMental.com

TannStarr.com

Website Linking Strategies- Are Your Efforts Paying Off?

Jeremy Blanton (210 Consulting~ Social Media Advisors) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:41:00 -0600

Website Linking Strategies- Are your efforts paying off?

I wrote the other day How to Get Your Website to the First Page of Google which received an awesome response from many. One of the main points I discussed in that article was the importance of linking in your blog posts. I explained how this can be a vital part of your Search Engine Optimization and if done properly can bring great results.

Many questions were asked in the comment section as well as a few practices that were used by commenters that I wanted to address. Before I get into that, let's do a quick review of what I'm talking about. In that post I said:

"The more sites that are pointing links at your page (especially when titled with the keywords you are trying to achieve) will produce a great return. One easy way to get some great links pointing to your site is to make sure you have added your business site to your profiles on any and all networks you participate in. Links from higher ranking sites help the search engines realize that these sites recognize your website."

Many who read the post I believe stopped reading there & rushed off to their twitter profile, Facebook profile and every other social network they participate on and started adding links. But, if you read on, there was a very important disclaimer that went along with that statement. I said: "One thing for sure, you need to be positive that the links you insert places are actually working for you. Many networks block the search engines from following the links to prevent spam."

A common misconception is that when I place a link online, that link is automatically recognized by the search engines and is benefiting me each time I place it somewhere. So, every time there is an opportunity to place a link, the instant notion is to place one. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying do not place the link just because the search engines are not reading it. I always place a link when there is a place asking me. Even if the search engines do not follow it it still can bring a consumer reading that site to me.

So, how do we know whether the link is a benefit or not? What can we do to check? As I have shared in the past, I am huge fan of using Firefox as my web browser because of the amazing add-ons they have to enhance & help you analyze your online presence. Firefox has an add-on called NoDoFollow. This simple add-on can easily be turned on and off and show you whether the links you are leaving are being followed by the search engines or not. Here is quick video showing you how NoDoFollow works:

Try using NoDoFollow and see how effective your linking strategies are. My guess is that you will be surprised by some of the places that links are followed and not followed.

Anchoring Your Links

Another common mistake I see when inserting links is not setting them as anchor text. What do I mean by anchor text? Anchor Text as defined by Wikipedia is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. Think of them in the most literal play on words possible, they anchor the link down for search engines to understand what that link is supposed to be. So when you are writing your posts, instead of placing a link like this, http://www.eventbrite.com/event/581158260 you would make a link like this: How to Chug Google Juice & Gain 15 Years of Fame. Not only does this assist the search engines in understanding what you are trying to say, it also assists consumers to know what they are about to click on.

If both of those links were placed in a blog post, my guess is that the one with anchored text would be clicked on at a ratio of around 5:1 to the other link. I wrote how to insert links into your blog a few months back, so if you are not sure the proper way to do so, visit the tutorial for assistance. While this seems like a minor thing, if it is done properly over several hundred posts of content, it can really pay off in large dividends.

Titling Your Links

This is another minor step that can help both consumers & search engines understand what you are trying to convey. When adding a title to the link, it does exactly that, titles the link for everyone. That way when someone hovers over a link, a pop-up appears with what that link is supposed to be. So even though the link anchor might be Jason Crouch, and the link is to his profile, the title is completely different pops up when you hover over the link Jason Crouch. Once again, a very minor thing to do that can result in many more clickthroughs and SEO benefits.

I hope this helps everyone have a better understanding on linking strategies. If you have any questions, let me know. And by the way, 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors offers some really great personal coaching taught by myself and Jason Crouch on this subject. We also have a webinar coming up where we will get into this in more detail. Find more info here.

Photo Credit 1HappySnapper(photography)& John of Austin

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am the Co-Founder of 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors. If you would like more information on any of the topics discussed in this blog, please contact me directly.

Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.

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The ActiveRain Open House Was Awesome

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:15:21 -0600

The ActiveRain Open House Was Awesome

I was thrilled to be there not only because spending time with the people living in my computer is always a sweet treat but because Lenn Harley went out of her way to attend the first ever ActiveRain Open House. I am star struck and in awe of this woman. I love the way her mind works and as far as I am concerned no one does hard core real estate the way Lenn Harley does.

While watching Margaret Rome and Lenn Harley chat I felt as if I were in the middle of an ActiveRain Group Club Chaos convention (LOL). The 991 writers of Club Chaos have produced approximately 27,591 blog posts since June 23, 2008. As one of the group's founders, and someone who routinely lurks on their real estate blogs, it was a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend quality time with some of the best minds the real estate industry has to offer. Lenn has a standing invitation to use any picture off of my blog she likes. Very few people get Card Blanche with me (especially with my work because Carte blanche is French for “blank card,” meaning one that can be filled in as a person wishes) but there are several that totally knock my socks off and I consider them family.

BTW, after our business is done we are doing a sleep over on Tuesday. When I check out of the Hilton I will be eventually checking in with Lenn. Yay! She is the copyright queen, a huge influence and my friend so I am doing the snoopy dance with the anticipation of a great visit. I absolutely adore her and am looking forward to being her guest on Tuesday because I am a sucker for sushi, shotguns and girl talk. There is more to me than Hagen Daz. The list is long. Seriously long and a wee bit twisted (LOL). ;-)

Have you ever had the pleasure to meet Erica Rome? She has an amazing musical gift and a wicked sense of humor that really appeals to my quirky nature. I'm into snarky banter and am already prone to say just about anything that is on my mind, so it is always mad fun to mildly misbehave when I am with her (LOL). You can't be snarky with just anyone because some people don't get irony. She's fun, still waiting for me to grow up and I keep hinting I might do that when I'm 50. "Might" being the operative word (LOL). Then again... why should I? I like having fun, giggle frequently and recently discovered kids have a way of keeping you young. BTW, I am having my second childhood with and without the little minions in tow, so I guess that means I don't mind playing with my blogging buddy's kids, even if they are already grown (LOL).

My kids have been teaching me how to frolic and the rule is practice does not make perfect unless you practice perfectly (LMAO). Sometimes, I slip into my practice shoes and have at it when I am really comfortable with the people I am hanging out with. You can not do that with everyone. You have to pick and choose because people tend to try you on for size before they trust you. Newbies, a small word of advice: The best jobs are the ones that do not feel like work and have the added bonus of being something you can share with the people you care about while you make new acquaintances and friends. Find something you love about your profession to hang onto (things can get tough), then make it your business to have fun with it. :-)

In my case, I am very happily addicted to blogging because I realize when my kids get older they'll have so much raw material to share with their hypothetical kids. Sometimes, bloggers can give perspective to history in the making, like with 9/11 eye witness accounts or mourning the destruction of Shea Stadium while learning to embrace Citi Field. Writing is fun for me and I look forward to having pleasant conversations with my readers, friends and family about the stuff that I find interesting. I look forward to sharing DVDs and PDFs with my potential grand-kids because if you get the right mix of professionals together in the same spot at the same time anything can happen... You can learn something from just about any type of story told if you bother to pay attention to what is going on.

Friendships can create magic and inspire comraderie to the point where a writer will drive 255 miles to share a meal and a significant moment. Business trips can become a major source of pleasure if the people you associate with are really nice. I think the ActiveRain Community is a wonderful place to park my digital diary because I think my friends are wonderful and when the shorties inherit the business they may be inheriting some of my best business friends as well. If you don't write about the people that matter to you, how will others know who they are? Sometimes, I wonder how many cases of paper it's going to take to print this puppy out and catalog all those notes. 882 of those 27,591 blog posts belong to me and if this keeps up I may have to create a library to store it in (LOL). ;-)

When you really like a writer you start printing them out and sending links so other people can discover them. Link love can be a lot of fun if you can get your friends and family to meet you at a particular place and time. There is no point in doing social media if you have no intention of ever being social. The cool thing about blogging is that people can take their time to catch up with you when ever they want. I think that's why I really enjoyed myself today. Yes, I did quite a bit of work but I also got to socialize, explore Maryland and play.

Prior, I got to spend a little bit of time with Margaret Woda during REBar Camp and I routinely lurk on her blog, so it was a real treat to see her again in MD at the ActiveRain Open House. Richard Iarossi and I have been chatting through social media accounts for approximately two years. Two days of lively conversation with Richard and I parted company feeling as if I've known him forever.

Bloggers who are transparent writers have a way of making you feel totally at home because you know them through their writing. You hear their voice through the rich texture of their diction and share what they see through their photographs and video clips so when you do get to finally meet you feel as if you just spoke with them the other day and are simply picking up where you left off from a previous conversation.

Realtor Magazine was on hand covering the event. If you ever get a chance to chat with Gabe you should. He's a very nice man who knows what he's doing and does it very well. I am sooooooo into digital tech and always enjoy watching film crews do their thing. One of the things I love about living in New York City is the fact that there is always a movie being made somewhere. :-)

I particularly enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen (the basket of cookies and good company caught my eye).

Margaret Rome selected a country house for the AR open and brought lots of goodies. It's a comfortable place with a huge yard, one I could very easily imagine my kids running amok in. I cell phone e-mailed a few of my buyers to see if they want to come down and take a look while I enjoyed spending some time with Gabe, Katherine and Helen. I am going to Barnes and Nobles after dinner to see if I can find Katherine Tarbox's book. Helen Dellheim is coming to New York City for a visit so we're gonna hook up and I am taking her to Yotveta and Kyoto. There are a few interesting little get togethers being planned and plotted by this group. I like small, intimate gatherings. You can really have a great conversation if there are not too many guests that need your attention. We had a nice turn out and the ebb and flow of visitors made me very happy that I and my TomTom only got lost a little bit. I would have been very upset if I had missed some of my fave writers. I didn't get to make the acquaintance of everyone today because a few people were leaving when I arrived. People kept coming when we started to leave for pizza at the Upper Crust. That was very cool. I think this is a tradition that is really going to take off if today was any indication of the things to come. :-)

I would love to fit this into my business plan because I am still blown away that I went to an open house with Margaret Woda, Dr. Stacey Ann Baugh and Martha Brown... What can I say except that I have a big, stupid cool aid grin plastered on my face (LOL). Tickled pink is an understatement because Martha and I have been Facebooking each other to death talking about one day getting together. I have been waiting to hug this woman for over a year and a half so today was a big deal for me. I finally got that taken care of and will happily admit to hugging several of my friends. It was even more fun to discover new things about them their blogs don't reveal.

Dr. Stacey is da bomb diggity. We have been chatting and laughing all afternoon. I frequently lurk on her blog and we are taking our wee ones on a play date to the zoo and the aquarium. Stay tuned for some very interesting Life With Wee People posts. She has a four year old waiting to meet my three year old, Stephen, the Blur Minion, who is a very adventurous, social little man. This might become a bi-monthly thing because it really is a nice ride and doesn't take that long to go from New York City to Maryland. We like going on road trips so get comfy with the idea I will be making more of them. The shorties need to get out more, stretch those tiny little minds and meet new people. They enjoy seeing themselves online and I enjoy watching them discover new things. The Brooklyn aquarium is an old friend to them so checking out the Maryland one will keep them very busy with the Localism project.

Did I mention I like invading states? I do you know... Frequently. I share a lot but don't tell you everything because I have been hoarding my eye candy and writing chapters. Yes. Blame it on the books (LOL). ;-)

We all know Bridget McGee as the Mortgage Mama. What you might not know is if you get Bridget, Richard and Dr. Stacey together for a conversation you will not stop laughing as long as the three of them are bantering back and forth. This is why I always advocate gravitating towards people who are witty and smart. If you select the right friends your vocabulary will improve and learning something new will make you very happy. Fun people make submitting to the process a no brainer. In the words of Granny Tann: "I will do boring once but I wont do it twice." (LOL)

Martha Brown, Katherine Tarbox, Carolyn Tann-Starr and Helen L. Dellheim... Hmm... I bet you wish you were a fly on the wall for our country kitchen conversations (LMAO).

I have some friends who tried to make it but couldn't. Maybe next time...

For a couple of them I found myself wanting to say you ought not to always be a passive reader only interested in trolling for business but you should come when bloggers invite you to attend free events. We invite you personally because we really want to see you. Social media tweet-ups can be mad fun as well as useful. That's why we have them. Some people think they are not missing anything by constantly ignoring invitations to simply show up and be because they don't see the beauty in allowing people to discover who you are and respond to what they learn and know.

If not for social media I certainly would not be hanging out with the Senior Editor of Realtor Magazine, a bunch of classy bloggers and an amazing attorney.

I'd be running the street with clients (as usual), watching BBC television on Netflix, skyping with my fave Brits, cooking dinner and minion sitting instead of hubby (LOL). I tried to get him to come to MD with the shorties but Mike declined. It would have been nice to let Noah run loose with the camera. He's quite the shutter bug. He would have loved this place. ;-)

Little Dude would have been all for the Christmas shot in front of the fireplace pose (LOL).

My kids would have enjoyed being surrounded by Realtors. They think they are mini-Realtors in the making. I hope the next time I come to Maryland I get to meet Ellie McIntire's wee one. If baby is anything like Mama I am in love.

To know Ellie is to love Ellie. In the blink of an eye we clicked.

I just wish I could figure out how I managed to spend the afternoon with Anne Hruby and not get a single picture. Talk about "Duh???" moment. She sat next to me in the pizza shop and I was going to take her hostage later on but I forgot (LOL).

Talk about having a senior moment (LMAO). She just recently joined ActiveRain and doesn't have a profile picture up. I was going to do something about that tonight. Virgin bloggers are a fun challenge for me and we all know what happens if you get remanded to the Club Chaos boot Camp. You can't go home until you write a blog post. Chicka escaped writer's jail because I got distracted by food twice. Bad virtual writing warden (LOL).

She's teaching a GRI class tomorrow. Hmm... Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (ROTFLMAO)

If you're not or clueless you obviously don't read my blog (LOL). Go here to bring yourself up to speed if you dare. It's fun helping newbies get started blogging. Mid April will be two years for me. ;-)

BTW, the pizza here was excellent.

Feel free to go to the Upper Crust Pizza/Grille located at 9161 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills MD 21117 to find out. This Native New Yorker has absolutely no complaints. It's a cool spot to hang out in and they were kind enough to push a whole bunch of tables together for us.

The first ActiveRain Open House was an awesome experience. The conversations and company was priceless. Looking forward to brokers hosting many more. :-)

TannStarr.com

Do Home Sellers Want the Cheapest Agent or the Highest Price and Best Service?

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:36:47 -0600

I used to be an Estee Lauder girl. Devoted to the line. Couldn't wait for Free Gift With Purchase. But I am now a traitor. I have deflected to Chanel. I used to be a huge fan of Chanel Allure. In fact, one of the sentences I practiced over and over in my head when I first visited Paris was how to ask a shop-owner if she carried Chanel Allure and how much it cost. Yet, I never really used Chanel makeup products. All of that changed last week.

An agent in my Lyon Real Estate office also works at Macy's. Her name is Linda Loli. She's a veteran in the Chanel department, and her make-up always looks great. Sometimes I stop to chat with her while I am downtown at Macy's. She suggested I make an appointment to look at Chanel's product line, so I took her up on it. It's been years since I bought a lot of make-up. And let's face it, I'm not getting any younger; what was a good look in my 40s looks rather silly as I approach my 60s.

Linda says Chanel is the best, and I believe her. In comparison, I'd say Estee Lauder is an A-minus. But I wouldn't have downgraded Estee Lauder if I hadn't tried Chanel. It makes a foundation that doesn't dry out my face and is a liquid-based pressed compact. Chanel also makes a lipstick that doesn't come off. No joke. One end of the tube is a stain, which makes your lips feel yucky, but the other end is a sealer, which gives your lips shine and moisture. You can eat lunch, and your lipstick still looks fabulous. It's an incredible product that I've been wanting for years. Rouge Double Intensite, Ultra Wear Lip Colour.

There's a reason I'm mentioning this to you, a parallel coming up. See, yesterday I received a referral call. A previous client had referred a home seller to me. He wasn't trying to do a short sale. The guy wanted to sell his personal residence as a regular seller. About half of my real estate business in Sacramento is regular real estate sales. Because he had equity, he wanted to get the most bang for his buck, meaning the first words out of his mouth were about finding an agent who charges the lowest amount of commission. He almost apologetically explained that he was planning to interview agents, maybe 3 of them, and wanted to know if that approach was OK with me.

Sure, I responded, because after you speak with several other agents, it will be apparent you're not going to find a better Sacramento agent than me. I welcome comparisons. I say this not out of arrogance but because I believe it. I know lots of agents who don't believe this about themselves. To many, the thought of competition is frightening . . . and it often shows, which is why they lose listing presentations.

Then the seller said he wanted to compare commissions and fully intended to choose the listing agent who charged the least. Well, I charge the most. And I told him that. I justify it because I focus on getting my sellers the highest price and providing the best service. I protect my client's interests. Would he rather get $10,000 more for his home or hire an agent who charges him $1,000 less? His choice. I don't throw my clients under the bus.

I'll give you an example. Last week I received a Request for Repair on my East Sacramento listing. The home inspection noted a Zinsco electrical panel and mentioned that some of these electrical panels could be faulty or dangerous. The home inspector suggested the buyer hire a licensed electrician to inspect it. Instead of getting a professional's opinion, the buyer's agent issued a Request for Repair and asked the seller to replace it. I advised the seller to reject the request and asked the agent to get it inspected by a electrician.

Next go around, the agent submitted an invoice in the sum of $1,800 to replace the 100-amp panel with a 200-amp panel. Nope, the seller will not replace the panel nor will the seller upgrade the panel. I didn't ask the agent to send me a bid; I asked for proof that the panel needed to be replaced. Was the panel faulty? Apparently not. The agent could not produce an electrician's report that said the panel was faulty. And by the way, dear buyer's agent, we issued a Notice to Perform yesterday and expect the release of contingencies today. An hour later the contingency release arrived in my email. Matter dropped.

Do you think my seller is sorry that he hired a real estate agent who charges the most? I don't think so. Just like I don't care that Chanel doesn't offer "free gift with purchase." I'd rather pay a fair price for an excellent product without the hype, smoke and mirrors. I suspect my sellers want the same thing.

Photo: Big Stock Photo

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Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. DRE License # 00697006.

The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available through bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.

Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.

The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.

How to Add Facebook Fanbox to Your ActiveRain Blog

Jeremy Blanton (210 Consulting~ Social Media Advisors) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:55:14 -0500

**THIS TUTORIAL IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO FAN PAGES. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO A REGULAR FACEBOOK FRIEND PAGE**

Since Facebook announced the ability to have your own personal url for your Facebook Pages, there has been an amazing increase in Fan Pages. One awesome feature that has recently been released is the ability to add a Facebook Fanbox Widget.

Like most new and cool things, I immediately had to try & add it to my page. So, I visited Facebook and noticed that the code was giving as a <script> which is not on the approved widget list yet on our network. But, as I scrolled down a little further, I found a version of the code in <iframe> which is supported by the network.

So what are Facebook FanBoxes?

The fanboxes are almost like mini versions of your fan page. It allows people to become a fan of your Facebook page right from your blog. It also shows some of your fans on rotating basis. The other fun thing is that you can bring in your wall from your Facebook page to show what is happening on Facebook on your blog.

How to install Facebook Fanbox on your ActiveRain Blog.

The <iframe> widget is rather generic and if you just copy & paste the generic version of the widget, it will be too wide & look funny on your blog here on ActiveRain. But, like any good community builder, I have taken the time to make the necessary changes so that the widget will look right on your page.

Two Versions for Your ActiveRain Blog.

The first version includes your stream from your Facebook Page Wall into your ActiveRain Blog. The finished product will look very similar to my personal widget over on the right. The first step is to copy this piece of code in it's entirety:

After you have copied the code above, you will then go to My Settings on your ActiveRain Blog. Paste the code into the Blog Description box. Once you have copied & pasted the code into your blog, it is now time to alter the coding to make it your personal page. Start by opening up a new tab on your web browser & bring up your Facebook FanPage. You are going to need to tab back & forth between the 2 pages to get all the information needed to customize your page.

You will notice 3 parts of the code above that I have placed in BOLD print. The reason for this, is that these three sections you must enter your information or the widget will not work properly. Also, it will be very generic & not customized to you.

The first section you are going to change is Your ID Number. This is found by visiting your facebook fan page. Under your profile picture there is a link to add a fanbox to your site. Click on that link. DO NOT USE THE CODE THAT APPEARS NEXT ON FACEBOOK.

Once it opens, you will want to copy 12 digit id number that is at the end of the URL. This is YOUR ID NUMBER.

Once you have that ID number go back to the code and replace the words YOUR ID NUMBER with the 12 digit number.

The next step is to get the link for your page. If you are lucky enough to have over 100 fans already, You have a custom URL. Mine is http://facebook.com/socialmediatips that would be the URL I would place in mine. But, if you do not have the vanity URL yet, your URL would look more like this: http://facebook.com/Real-Estate-Client-Referrals/101152061373. The number at the end of the URL is very important as that is part of the URL identifier so make sure you include it as well. You will paste the entire URL into the YOUR FACEBOOK URL section.

The third & final customization to the code is to title the fanbox widget at the bottom of your widget. I titled mine Social Media Tips, but yours might be Miami Real Estate, or Denver Locals, whatever you want to name it. The choice is yours. I would keep it to less than 5 words.

After making these changes to the code, make sure to click Update to save changes!

Some of you may not wish to have the wall included into your widget out of fear of what some of your friends might say, or to just make things simpler, so I have also customized the widget without the wall feed included. To make this widget on your blog, you will want to copy this code:

As above, follow the 3 simple steps to Customize your widget on your blog by changing the ID Number, URL & Fanpage Name. Once the changes have been made, DO NOT FORGET TO CLICK UPDATE ON YOUR ACTIVERAIN SETTINGS PAGE.

I will leave you with this final thought. While it seems like this is a rather complex & long laborious process, it really is not. I have already taken the hard part out by making the customizations to the html code to make this widget work properly and look good on ActiveRain.

My guess is that if you follow the steps above you can add this widget in less than 5 minutes. When Clint Miller Contacted me yesterday to add the widget to his Real Estate Client Referrals blog on ActiveRain, we were able to have it up & running in about 2 minutes time.

Also, if you are familiar with HTML codes you can make a few more customizations to this widget. For example, you may not want 12 of your friends showing at a time, or maybe you wish for none to be showing. This coding is fully customizable. If you would like some of those changes but are not familiar with HTML codes, let me know in the comments section and I will try to make the changes & post them below. One suggestion is this. Make sure to keep your friends showing on the widget in multiples of 3. If not, you will run into issues.

Lastly, if you have not already joined the ActiveRain Page, what are you waiting for? Use the Fanbox on the right of my page & become a fan today!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am the Co-Founder of 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors. If you would like more information on any of the topics discussed in this blog, please contact me directly.

Also, lets connect on these great social networks:

Insanity Is Watching Your Body Parts Turn Gray (LOL)

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:47:12 -0600

Insanity Is Watching Your Body Parts Turn Gray (LOL)

"Jabon Desodorante Antibacterial" seemed like a harmless phrase. The soap smelled nice. The box says it's from Turkey...

This is what I get for not speaking other languages. The active ingredient is something called Triclocarban. I am assuming that is why my body parts are now turning gray at an alarming rate (LOL).

All I wanted was a friggin' shower after the gym and chatting with my hubby and son's teachers during a call conference.

Now I am a gray chick about to do an open house in 30 minutes. My life is turning into a cartoon. Seriously...

New road trip rule: do not buy exotic soap from Turkey unless someone you know tried it before you (LOL).

Meet me at 1 PM here: 2716 Spring Hill Road Greenspring Valley - Owings Mills if you want to hang out and see if I start glowing in the dark from this. Warning: this is not Photoshop. I am friggin' turning blue gray over here. I need another shower and a new bar of soap. I can't take pictures with Lenn Harley and Margaret Rome looking like I'm casting for Shaun of the Dead (LOL). ;-)

TannStarr.com

Life With Wee People: Call Conference

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:52:39 -0600

Life With Wee People: Call Conference

I love the school my kids are going to. The teachers are really cool and they come up with such interesting ways to help their students. Noah got his assessment done today. Hubby was there while I am in Maryland so they call conferenced me in so I can participate. I learned something new and useful today about Noah. We now have a new project to do with the shorties so I am going to start on it now while I am here and when I get back we going to use some of that eye candy I am collecting to help Noah with his social cues and reading.

I'm thinking scrap book, but not quite. I need to get him to comprehend and describe what it is he is seeing and has seen. Mikey and I have to get his visual tendencies shifting into high gear so his reading and comprehension can improve enough so his school and life experience can become an adventure of meaning.

I guess the first rule to is never assume what they do or don't know. Make them tell you. I see more road trips and joy rides in their future. We are going to be making our own work books where they glue their pictures down and label stuff. I may have to film this because trying to get the non-verbals to explain themselves verbally should be very interesting. I may need some mommy advice from the people who have gone before me. Get ready for some quirky Facebook and YouTube embeds of me teaching the shorties how to read with books they will create themselves (LOL).

I am sitting in my hotel room smiling with glee. Orange County Choppers seems like a good place to start. A motorcycle book would be lovely. We can talk about wheels and colors. The Air Space Museum holds a lot of possibilities as well (LOL).

TannStarr.com

Live From The Hilton At Pikesville: Realtor Magazine Goes To The Gym With Margaret Rome

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:52:07 -0600

Hilton Pikesville

1726 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Maryland, United States 21208

Tel: 1-410-653-1100 Fax: 1-410-415-6232

Live From The Hilton At Pikesville: Realtor Magazine Goes To The Gym With Margaret Rome

I like this place. It's close to everything on my bucket list of things to see and do while in Maryland. It is also an hour from Washington DC so I am going to show you guys the harbor later because I think my kids will get a kick out of seeing it while I eventually make my way to DC for a brief meeting (and joy ride by a few historical sites).

We like the South Street Seaport in Manhattan so how can I not get some shipping eye candy to show off later (LOL). My kids are not just car crazy. They like trains, planes and boats too. This morning was a lovely 40 degrees so I am wandering about in a hoodie and gym clothes until lunch time. We have clear skies and no hint of bad weather in sight so the ActiveRain Open House and Pizza party later should be fun. If you want to blame someone for us having pizza this afternoon you have to blame me for the menu. I am a New Yorker. I like sampling pizza pies when I travel and Margaret Rome (being a sweetie pie of a host) selected a cool pizza spot so I shall be blogging about it before the open (so you guys can find us if you want to come hang out at the ActiveRain Open House and go get a slice later).

Barnes and Nobles and a host of other neat businesses are located in the Woodholme Center. I am a WiFi kinda gal, so I need to know these things when I am wandering the I-95 corridor. When you blog on the fly like I do you are always scoping computer access points. Is it a social media diva thing or digital addiction? I don't know. I can't decide and really don't care as long as I can log in when ever I want to catch up with my friends and family. LifeBridge Health and Fitness has computers you can use so I didn't have to whip out my laptop to see what you guys were doing during my morning workout with Margaret (LOL). Realtor Magazine was on location to capture more digital film and they will be covering the ActiveRain Open House this afternoon. We're cooking up a few more things to do today so if you don't come to the AR open you may miss your opportunity to come out and play. (Am I teasing you? You betcha - LOL).

I love my TomTom but sometimes it has a dumbdumb moment. If not for this sign I would have driven off the complex (LOL).

The walkway fascinated me. Margaret had to explain a storm ripped the green off it's awning hinges (LOL). Here I am thinking, "Wow, I've never seen that before. What a neat design..." I had no idea something was missing (LMAO). I kind of like the way it looks without the green but since I have nothing to compare it to I guess I have to let that notion go. I am a New York Sports Club kinda gal so being here as a guest was a neat treat.

Stating this place is huge is an understatement. I was in machine Heaven. I had to shoot hubby and my gal pal Susana each a text telling them I was having a blast but wish they were here. Sana and I go to the gym with Tamara. Mikey likes to work out in the parks. This place has an indoor three lane track circling the floor so you can run circles around all the work out stations. There's a pool downstairs and lots of other rooms to meet your personal trainer. I got to meet Margaret's. What a nice man. :-)

Gabe and Kate have been doing a marvelous job of collecting footage of a typical day in the hood. Sometimes people forget that Realtors have to get up really early and stay up really late because business takes up our prime time hours. Small business owners are constantly trying to balance work, necessity and play. I love blogging and am always whipping out the camera if I see something I think is interesting. I am so used to being on the backside of the viewer it's a bit strange when you find yourself on the other end with your friends. We have been playing pass the Nikon since I got to Maryland. I have hundreds of shots. I kinda miss having the kids underfoot to help me pick 'em for my blog. As soon as my call conference is done I am going back to work and collecting lots of eye candy. I am looking forward to sharing my day with the wee people.

Stephen, the Minion Blur would have been all over Margaret trying to follow in her footsteps. Shorty is quick on his feet. Dancing in and out of a ladder would have been right up his alley (LOL). Noah would have stuck to gabe like glue. Did I mention his has a digital camera to drool over? ;-)

I always do several miles on the bike as a warm down before I leave the gym. It was nice to discover Margaret Romes ends her workout routine the same way. :-)

TannStarr.com

So you still want to get robbed…

Elayna Fernandez - Marketing Expert - Naples FL (Designed 2 Impress, Inc.) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:08:45 -0600

In an effort to raise awareness of the dangers of broadcasting your location to your social network buddies, telling them you are not home, PleaseRobMe.com is “Listing all those empty homes out there”.

In a very funny way, PleaseRobMe.com lists robbing opportunities in real time.

PleaseRobMe.com Raising Social Media Security Awareness

Recent Empty Homes are listed in a very direct way to let everyone know what they are really saying by disclosing their whereabouts is “Please rob me” because they are announcing to the world that they left their home unattended.

I hope PleaseRobMe.com’s approach finally helps Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz and other social networking sites users to stay away from revealing where they are and where they are not on their tweets or updates.

Here’s a tip I always share: instead of telling your social network friends where you are, tell them where you’ve been! Better yet, you can even post pictures of the event or place where you went to spice it up. This way, you spread the word, and keep safe!

For more information, connect with me:

About the Author: Elayna Fernandez is a proud mother, founder of the Positive Mommies Network, blogging/social media/web design instructor, and marketing/branding strategist.

Thank you for taking the time to reading my post. Have a powerful day!

This article is the sole intellectual property of Elayna Fernandez. Copyright Designed 2 Impress, Inc.

Operating a website is a lot like gardening. It takes a lot of work and regular upkeep!

Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:03:35 -0600

The role of a webmaster is not one of a singular undertaking, but instead, it requires the ability to of the developer to multitask in a variety of disciplines.

And while content is king, and consumes the highest percentage of allotted task time, the more mundane tasks of compliance and maintenance have to be addressed on a periodic schedule.

There is nothing more annoying to website visitors than dead links or missing or incomplete pages. What good is it to succeed in SEO only to lose the visitor because content is out of date or there are too many maintenance issues with the site.

I think that operating a website is a lot like gardening. You have to plant new material on a regular basis, nurture it with SEO and constantly weed out the spurious issues that arise, and remove aging growth that has already bloomed and is past its prime.

And it’s a never-ending cycle that requires dedication and perseverance. And like gardening, the reaping of the benefits may be many months down the line.

And the quality of the harvest will depend entirely on the strict adherence to sound farming principles.

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Coweta Fayette Real Estate Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers, Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser REOS, E-Pro. licensed Auctioneer. 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required visit CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com! Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Get the latest GA Foreclosure List Updated Daily! We Do HUD bids in Georgia! 770-827-6225

Random Maryland Musings

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:54:24 -0600

Random Maryland Musings

I am waiting to say good morning to my kids. They are not due to be up yet. It's kinda strange not having them here with me. I have to do a call conference at 10 AM for Noah so I figure that would be a good time to order breakfast. By the time the tray shows up I should be off the phone and recovering from what ever it is I am about to do to myself in the guise of working out (LOL). I am getting ready to meet Margaret Rome at the gym. We have some more filming to do with Realtor Magazine so this should be very interesting.

I also e-mailed a couple of ActiveRain peeps I'd like to try and see while I'm wandering around during my business trip. I may actually make it to Washington DC today so if we can tweak our schedules I shall have a lot to blog about. :-)

I really want to collect some cool eye candy for the little minions while scoping something fun for them to do when we all come down together. I'm hoping the natives will point me in the right direction. It's been mad fun so far (LOL). I have no intention of being a bench warmer while I am here although the view from this one was particularly lovely. I shall blog about that later because this bench is located in front of yesterday's open house. Today's open house shall be a unique experience because Lenn Harley et al is coming.

It's moments like these when I really, really love my job. ;-)

Gotta run. My shorty alarm just went off. Time to call the hubby and spoof on the wee people. Mornings in my apartment are usually an interesting event (LOL). :-)

TannStarr.com

Kickers Country Club Welcomes the Return of Confederate Railroad and Hank Emerick !

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:30:13 -0600

On May 8, 2010, Kickers Country Club will be the place to be and you will not want to miss this Homecoming Party !

Kickers Country Club Welcomes the Return of Confederate Railroad and Hank Emerick !

Show Time: 10:00 PM

Kickers Country Club is located at:

690 N Riverside Dr. Clarksville, TN 37040

Phone: 931-920-4610

Come on out and welcome the return of Confederate Railroad and Hank Emerick and be part of one of the biggest nights in this history of Kickers Country Club.

Win 2 tickets and a Meet & Greet pass with Confederate Railroad here in Clarksville, Tennessee

Enter Below

The winner will be selected by a random drawing. Tickets will be at the front door the night of the show. Tickets provided by Kickers Country Club. One entry per person.

Think Clarksville * Think Fort Campbell * Think Real Estate * Think Roland

Licensed in both Tennessee & Kentucky. Please don't keep me a secret, if you know anyone looking to BUY or SELL, Please send me their contact informtion and give them my name and number.

View my website at Clarksville Home Information or Fort Campbell Housing

Roland Woodworth is a member of NAR's Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource

Realtor Magazine Dinner With Margaret Rome and some of Maryland's Finest Professionals

C Tann-Starr (TannStarr.com TannStarr.net REMAX People Realty) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:46:00 -0600

Realtor Magazine Dinner With Margaret Rome and some of Maryland's Finest Professionals

Was it worth driving 242 miles from New York City to Maryland? Yup. I love the people living in my computer and any business meeting that ensures I get to spend some quality time with them is a priority for my schedule. If not for Margaret Rome I would not have had the pleasure of meeting Helen L. Dellheim, an Associate Broker and Attorney at Law that knocked my socks off. Her wee people are older than my wee people so I am looking forward to picking her brain about teenagers and real estate. We had a blast comparing notes and I have a lot to learn regarding kids and the industry so I bet you wish you were a fly on the wall for our coversation with Margaret Rome's mentor Ann. To say that was a real treat is an understatement of major proportions (LOL). Besides, I may need a Maryland lawyer because I took a virgin blogger hostage and made her write a blog post before I let her go home (LMAO). I'll be high-jacking my newest Club Chaos bay-bay tomorrow to force her to write another blog post. She's helping me with my Russian since I am away from my gal pal Susana so helping her start to write is least I can do. She joined Club Chaos, Whacked and Diary of a Realtor yesterday. The way I see it, if your first post is going to be a diary entry, the least I can do is help make it interesting (LOL).

Yeah, I know, you didn't expect Club Chaos Boot Camp to take hostages, eh? At least my version of writing jail is mad fun (LOL). Will I be telling you more about the other creative writing inmates volunteering for quirky bouts of creative incarceration with Wordy C? You betcha, but first you need to name these professionals who attended a spanking social media event with Realtor Magazine and Margaret Rome (LOL).

Pssst... it wasn't just a crab cake dinner. We were allowed to order anything on the menu as a guest of Margaret Rome. Half of us ate Italian. I had the double crab cake with spaghetti and tea. It was absolutely marvelous. Good company and great food makes me a very happy blogger. The Olive Branch gets a thumb up in my foodie paradise book of nice places to eat. :-)

Don't forget to go say hello to my writing hostage. It's Anna's first blog post and she may need some kindness therapy to get over being a wee bit shy. Don't worry. Dr Stacey will be around to curb my quirky predilections for making people write in the here and now rather than procrastinate. It appears I may suffer from outside office syndrome and my ActiveRain addictions are contagious (LOL). You too will crave blogging if you hang out with me. I dare you to come to the first ActiveRain Open House tomorrow and not blog about it. ;-)

Rumor has it I may be trying to kidnap Ellie McIntire, Margaret Woda and Lenn Harley. Tune in tomorrow for when our next blogging hostage says...

OMG - is she really a Realtor? Who let her out of New York? Be afraid. Be very afraid... She's thinking about working here on the weekends. Seriously... :-P

TannStarr.com

7 Secrets to Facebook Page Success- Webinar with Mike Mueller

Jeremy Blanton (210 Consulting~ Social Media Advisors) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:35:19 -0600

7 Secrets to Facebook Page Success

I am sure by now we all know that Facebook is an absolute must for your business, but you may not understand why this is so important. Allow me to share a few statistics that might make it more obvious why everyone who is in business needs to have a Facebook page.

General Stats

More than 400 million active users on Facebook
50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
More than 3 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
More than 5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
More than 3.5 million events created each month

Many though get confused by the personal profiles and Facebook Pages which are designated for business. If you weren't aware, Facebook frowns heavily on the use of a personal page for business purposes. In fact, I have heard of profiles being shut down because they were being used for the wrong purpose. A client of mine the other week ran into restrictions on his profile because it had too much business dealings taking place for their liking. They made it almost impossible to add friends, join a page, or even attend an event. The other thing with a personal page is that you are limited toonly 5,000 friends. Facebook pages allow you to have unlimited fans and talk about business as much as you wish. Because of these rules that are in place on Facebook, not only are more and more people joining daily, but so are businesses setting up a page is growing at astronomical rates.

Take a look at some of these stats on Facebook Pages:

More than 1.5 million local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
More than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day
Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans

In a constant effort to provide the best content for our clients, 210 Consulting is bringing in one of the most proficient people on the planet about Facebook Fan Pages, Mike Mueller. Mike has created over 150 custom Facebook pages for clients and is constantly keeping abreast of any changes to Facebook. He has also traveled around the country teaching hundreds the basics of Facebook pages and how to use them successfully.

We are excited for Mike to join us for this FREE 60 minute webinar titled "7 Secrets to Facebook Success" on Tuesday, March 9th at 2PM EST.

To register for this free class, simply fill out the form below. Seating is limited and is on a first come first serve basis. We hope to see you there!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am the Co-Founder of 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors. If you would like more information on any of the topics discussed in this blog, please contact me directly.

Also, lets connect on these great social networks: