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My RE BarCamp DC quick take-aways…

October 29, 2009 By Doug Francis

#rebcdc
Image by brokersaunders via Flickr

Real Estate BarCamp D.C. (#rebcdc) took place on Tuesday and it really was an all-star cast. At one point I sat in a session with Daniel Rothamel and three other AgentGenius.com writers (darn, I should have called TMZ)… so the celebrity sizzle was there. Did you miss it?

Seriously, BarCamp was filled with a solid group of people teaching and discussing their passion for the Internet and social media tools. The group shared relevant ideas and concepts, plus engaged in fun social interaction and sometimes outright laughter. Some of my best discussions came between the intense sessions and made me look, yet again, at the work I have done so far on my blog. I personally enjoy having face to face meet-ups because they give me a chance to learn from others, share my experiences, and discuss what people are doing to make their blogs relevant to their intended community.

Real estate agents need to sharpen their focus…

Having a sharp focus is essential in attracting readership and getting recognized by search engines. It seems almost like a game to rank on the first page on Google for a particular term, but since I get calls every week from venders who ask if I want to be on page one for a specific keyword term, I understand that it is no game. The top tier is essential, but if you disappoint a reader then you might as well be on page six.

Getting there, wherever your there may be, requires you to write posts (articles) that relate to the theme or general gist of your blog. Have a purpose when you write! Keep in mind that the people at Google and Bing are fairly smart, so writing a post that says “Annapolis, Maryland luxury homes” in every sentence will send up a flag that you are on the level of a spammer. If you write, then robots will find you.

The first quick adjustment that I made after RE BarCamp DC was hiding my unruly Tag Cloud. Tag clouds were “the rage” way back in January. Between session I spoke with Bobby from Dakno Marketing and MrWilliamsburg (not wearing colonial garb) , and concluded that the tag cloud was taking up valuable real estate on my page and made little sense to “first-time”, unique visitors. Plus, I actually never look at tag clouds on other sites. Do you?

Gone.

The second action was to gain control of my Blogroll. Over the past year I have added a number of sites to the list, actually too many. Again in a between-session conversation with Ken Montville, it became obvious to me that the Blogroll did not make any sense to my target audience especially those looking at the site for the first time. For example, readers may have assumed that Bill Lublin (who I am talking with in the photo above) worked in my office, and then clicked on his name to see his blog in Philly. Bill’s okay but I want them to stick with me!

A key take-away was to look at the site through a reader’s eyes, be clear and avoid creating confusion.

contactmebuttonIn another discussion, we talked about a “call-to-action button” so readers can contact you immediately. On my site, they needed to look for that in my pages. My blog uses WordPress and I found a plug-in or widget so I could add an easy to spot button on the right side column, and I plan on refining this feature (ideas anyone?). Again, adding an easy to spot Contact Me button and giving it the headline Have a question? makes for much easier navigation. Again, less confusion.

I almost felt like this gathering was a bit under the radar since we have 25,000+ agents within a two hour drive who could have attended and there were maybe 125 (and not all real estate agents… see photos). Some of those agents are pretty Internet savvy too and would have added to the discussions on hype-local blogging, SEO, using video, short sales, understanding social capital, technology, Inman and things that have been profitable additions to your blog.

To check out the next RE Barcamp, take a look at the schedule.

Related articles
  • Four Takeaways from BarCamp Miami 2012(jeffzelaya.com)

  • 5 Things Realtors need to know about Phil Dunphy(dougfrancis.com)

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: RE BarCamp DC, real estate, rebarcamp, technology

About Doug Francis

A Realtor specializing in unique and new homes around Vienna, Virginia, Doug started writing a first-hand blog about his everyday real estate experiences a decade ago. In depth, helpful and fun has always been the objective. Outside real estate, he was profiled in a commercial for Verisign's "Where the World Clicks" campaign, and was quoted in Money Magazine's Best Places to Live article on Vienna. He's a Boston University graduate who feels morning coffee is non-negotiable.

Being able to guide my clients through many real estate sales, either moving out, moving in, or just across town, has been a rewarding experience that helps when discussing a plan with a future client.

Being able to help them focus and understand our proven sales plan always eases their anxiety of this looming personal task. And, putting it into bite-sized steps always helps them get where they really want to be.

My background… I’ve been an active licensed agent in Virginia for 25 years, work at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in McLean, and sell homes in all price ranges. I donate to the town tree replacement fund, participate in a neighborhood citizens association, and try my best to stay in shape.

Questions? Email doug@dougfrancis.com or call me at (703) 304-6827 to discuss your plans. Cheers!

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About Doug Francis

I am a Realtor with TTR Sotheby's International Realty® just outside Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. I have been a full-time Realtor licensed in Virginia since 1991, and cover a big territory specializing in the Vienna real estate market and custom homes for sale.

I have unique knowledge of digital real estate marketing, and my marketing starts here. My elite clientele has been attracted to my results-oriented strategy for years, and I am accepting new clients now.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact me at 703-304-6827 or email me at doug@dougfrancis.com anytime!

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