My phone rang Friday. The phone doesn't ring very much in this market.
On the other end, a man identified himself by his last name.
"I found you on the internet," he said. "I have three mobile homes, all of them free and clear. I want to refinance one of them to help my daughter out.
Turns out he lives near me. We set an appointment, and Saturday afternoon I visited him.
I wanted to hear how he found this particular lender (me!) on the internet.
What I found will change the way I title and tag my blog posts.
The gentleman, 81 years young, didn't find me because of my Lender credentials. He googled "financing manufactured homes in Tucson."
He found my Active Rain post "I'm Financing a Lot of Manufactured Homes. Amazing!" He didn't have to look far. There it was, #3 on page 1. Who says the Greatest Generation hasn't adapted to the internet?!
I'm relatively new to the Google thing. I know I'm going to dig deeper into it real quick! And I'm going to use titles and tags for my posts which will be seen both by Google and by my intended audience!
RECAP: Lessons Learned
1. Blogging can answwer the demand "Show me the money!"
2. Consistent blogging pays off. I've been doing this only since July of 2007.
3. "Find a need and fill it" applies to a wider spectrum of age groups than I'd been targeting.
4. It pays to pay attention to articles on "Tags" and "Search Engine Optimization" on Active Rain.
Please comment on other lessons that you see here. I've learned that I don't know what I don't know. That's where interactive readership has been a real blessing to me.
And that's the real estate opinion of this Tucson, Arizona mortgage lender!
Mike in Tucson
edit: My lead turned into a new relationship, resulting in a loan application this morning, and a new referral for an Active Rain loan officer in Clackamas County, Oregon. My clients and I looked her up together on AR, and emailed the referral--their daughter in OR!
Mike this is wonderful news and inspiring for others, keep up the good work! I've learned to use the spell check button, have you? :)
Peace!
Patricia, thanks for stopping by to comment!
Charles, ditto to you!
Gary, I cuoldn't fnd anie mispsllings. My grammar wouldn't pass muster, but that's intentional. Makes for better reading, and it captures the Broca region of the brain for better retention. Far and away my favorite writer, Roy Williams (The Wizard of Ads) has a great post on this. :)
Kotambu, I'm glad that you're starting to have fun. I'll subscribe to your blog and reciprocate! Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Lisa, thank you! I'm off to read your blog.
Mike in Tucson
Karen, I'll email you separately; congratulations on your AR listing app't!
Missy, it's always a joy to visit with you. Thanks for commenting.
Donna, thanks for commenting. I'm talking about tags, not tag lines. More on that later.
Mike in Tucson
Roberta, Bill & Barbara Jo, and Marlene,
I just stuck my head in the door here to see what's going on. Thank you each one for your encouragement and readership. You're blessings in my life!
Mike in Tucson
It's exciting when what you are doing, works! Even just the content gets picked up well. I just got off the phone with an agent in New Mexico. He asked me about one of my properties that he had picked up off of localism. Well that one is sold, but I have others similar to it!
Greg, that's the way it works! Thanks for commenting.
Eric, we can't win if we don't play. Baseball is like sales in that you cannot score on defense.
Dan, that's one I hadn't thought of--using my name as a tag. Gotta start.
Judi, Thanks for reading and commenting. Localism gets the goggle juice too!
Brian, I appreciate your visits!
Mike in Tucson
Mike,
Glad you are getting a payoff. Blogging does work. Keep on going!
Mike.. Thanks, every article I read about blogging as a prospecting tool, reaffirms my conviction to keep on keep-in on. There is so much I don't know about it, that sometimes I am overwhelmed by the effort.
Then along comes a success story like yours, and I have new energy.
Mike - CONGRATULATIONS on your Star!! Much deserved, I might add!
It's so true...find a need and fill it! That's really all we have to do.
Mike - Great blog. This is the kind of information I am trying to share with my fellow agents at our office; to help bring them into the technological nexus that will transform our business. Those that embace it will not only survive but will flourish!
www.gmacpn.com/shagee
Could not agree more, it is well worth your time here, and really blogging in general!
Yay! Another great success story from AR! And a reminder that we never know what a potential client will type in when they're googling...
As a lender like yourself, I am thrilled to learn of your success. Thank you for sharing how your client found you. I have yet to have that great success story, but I hope I am able to write a post like this soon. Congratulations
Folks keep asking, "Lenn, where are these buyers coming from?"
I keep telling them, I blog for them.
Yet, no one I know has even started.
Go figure.
Congrats! I watch what the keyword searches are for both my AR blog and my outside blog. Then if I don't have a post that addresses the keywords as clearly as it might, then I write an article that does. That way, the public decides what I write about.
I liked Dan F's use of his name. Sneaky! I get lots of candy/cookie recipes for using my "name".
Holy Cow! I've never been this behind on comments! Thanks for the star! Okay, here goes...
Maureen & Dmitri, thanks for stopping by to comment! See you soon on your blog.
Corie, it does get the blood pumping! We need encouragement every single day.
Linda, thanks for commenting. See? More encouragement!
Steven, it was good talking on the phone with you about your team. Much success!
Calie in Chandler, the feature came as a surprise! The post was up for a couple of days, and then Bang! Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Joan, I'm happy to spread the love! You're another encourager, you know.
David, it's exciting to have someone read a post and pick up the phone to call.
Lane, REALTOR for Car People, if I were a car today, I'd be a Maserati. Okay, I'd have to lose some weight... LOL
Christine, the tags were "mike in tucson," "mortgage lender" and "tucson mortgage." Google picked up two word sets from the title, "financing" and "manufactured homes" (I'm Financing a Lot of Manufactured Homes. Amazing!), and the word "Tucson" from the meta-tag. They're all important to Google.
Sandy, keep it up! I've only been blogging for three months, and I'm having a blast!
David & Lisa, not a thing in the world--Nothing!--is a waste of time if you have an idea and a plan. Hang out with people who have ideas and plans, not just ideas. Who knows what you will accomplish?
Ronald, ditto! Keep on blogging!
Kelly, this really is an awesome tool. Much success!
Mike in Tucson
And while I was reading and commenting, more comments!
Janet, where is your business coming from in this market? Feel free to link back to your website from your comment; it's terrific!
Lenn, there are those who do things, and those who talk about doing things. I just visited your profile, and you're obviously a doer!
Elaine, thanks for visiting and commenting! Your last name is my brother Dan's middle name. He got the same grief. LOL
Sandy, back atcha! Thanks, kiddo.
Mike in Tucson
Sandy, I haven't seen her yet this week. I'll sing happy birthday to her, though.
Faina, type the name of your post exactly as you wrote it, into the Google search field. See what comes up.
Gail, I'll go to your latest blog post and leave a message on tags.
Edit: Oops! Lynda, you got in there while I was commenting! It's good to see you again. Thanks for the encouragement.
Mike in Tucson
Mike,
Great post and congratulations on the lead!
Dave
I've been working on my tags...I had a ton of them but according to one of the AR pros (I can't remember who right now) you should have only a few that you use.
Bob & Carolin, I hope so! Thanks for commenting.
Renee, the interesting thing about blogging is that our stuff doesn't have a time stamp limit. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find a comment on something I had written weeks ago. This lead is a case in point. The client found me three or four weeks after I wrote the piece. Thanks for stopping by.
Dave, it's good to see you again.
Donna, ditto! Thanks for vititing and commenting!
Gita, you are one of my favorite writers. Thanks for stopping by.
Cynthia, I'm in the same boat. I need to re-do most of my tags for greater focus.
Tracy, my coach used the acronym FFA. Find a need. Fill it. Ask for the order. I like your "niche" version. Thanks for commenting.
Therese, it's always good to see you. Come back often.
Elizabeth, thank you for the encouragement!
Mike in Tucson
That's great! And a newbie like me is very grateful to see this testimonial to the power of Active Rain. I've invited all my realtor collegues and my lender, settlement attorney and home inspector... My lender hasn't joined yet - I'm sending her this web page!
Ginger
Great work Mike. One thing I might add is that you would in theory only want tag names that are applicable to the post so as not to 'tick off' the Google bots surfing your blog. It seems like from the tage you put on this post that "deer", "golf", and "rainforest" aren't quite similar to your post.
Looks great though!
Hi Mike,
I am new to AR and this is very encouraging, from now I will be sure to type things in my tag line!
Jeannie, thank you!
Pamela, tags are the words or phrases you see just below the blog post, next to the field that shows the number of comments. In this post, I used six, starting with "real estate opinion," and ending with "mike in tucson." To the right of the post you'll see the words "tag cloud." Click that to see what tags I use most often. The more times I use a particular tag, the more likely that Google will find me when someone enters that word into their search. Try going to Wikipedia and see what they have to say about it.
Ginger, let me know when your lender comments!
Daniel, thanks for stopping by to comment.
Chad, the tags to the right of the post here on Active Rain are all of the tags used in any of my 70-some blog posts. The ones pertinent to each post for Google's purposes are right underneath the post. "deer, golf and rainforest" don't have anything to do with this one, but if you click on those words, you'll be taken to the post where they appear. Thanks for commenting.
Katie, glad to help! I appreciate your comment, and look forward to seeing you again.
Mary, thanks for the encouragement.
Sal, it sure does work! I need to go read your blog.
Rob, where did you come from? I'm glad to see you. Thanks for commenting.
Mike in Tucson
Hi Mike,
I'm just beginning to read the wonders of blogging. You have inspired me to learn more. Are you coming up to the Round Table Discussion in Scottsdale Monday morning? If so, I look forward to meeting you and hopefully...picking your brain a little. I just staged my daughter's home in Tucson and go there frequently.
Love your enthusiasm about blogging. Keep up the good work!!
Debbie
Rooms Rearranged
Chandler, AZ
Mike, it is the reason we are here, is it not? I need to write better titles and tags. You have given me that all needed "kick" in the rear. Thank you.
Bill Roberts
Debbie, I'm not familiar with the Roundtable in Scottsdale, and you aren't signed in, so I'll search for you in a moment after reciprocating on the other comments. Thanks for commenting.
Bill, I'll be over to your blog today! Thanks for stopping by.
Fran, blogging doesn't replace advertising totally, but when's the last time you pored over the classifieds in the local newspaper? Much success to you!
Mike in Tucson
Hi Mike!
Now that's the way ya' do it! Congrats to you on all counts!
Mike,
Thanks for showing how Active Rain will payoff. I have been on now about 6 weeks and enjoy every minute. I keep restructuring my blogs to make sure the content is that which will get great feedback and have what is needed for me and others to learn.
Have a great week!
Lisa and Robert, thanks for the encouraging comment!
Dan, Keep at it! This is a great tool to have in your toolbox.
Mike in Tucson
Edith, you're welcome!
Missy, I didn't know. Thanks for commenting; I'll go check it out!
Mike in Tucson
Kim,
It sounds like you're on that track already. All it takes is determination and followthrough. I'll check out your blog.
Mike in Tucson