Daytona Real Estate Training

Midori,

We are all legends in our own minds - what a great phrase. Let's see if you get it featured. Good luck

Mildori

I feel that earning a gold star is an achievement. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Midori, hey!  I am a freakin' legend!  And I do love all of my little gold stars!  Cute post.

...in life its not always what you know but who you know..."

I like to say It's not who you know but who knows you!

 My favorite post about no more gold stars was highjacked. It took on a life of it's own.

Midori, You will always have be a star on ActiveRain!

Midori, you always make me smile.  I can't believe this, but I am not subscribed to your blog!  I am recitfying this right now!

Midori, we wouldn't be here if we didn't like a little attention.  Your stars are well deserved.

Stars?  I see stars in everyone here who shares their knowledge and experience! They are all my mentors, and I will be someone elses mentor down the road...

.... I think you just stated what many were thinking my friend ;o)

Cheers !

Midori,

I came back to see if my prediction worked. For now it didn't. I sometimes think I can predict this, and it works maybe half of the time. At the same time it happens that I think this is the greatest blog of all, and it does not get attention. Tried to flag some great blogs, never saw any of those I flagged featured.

Midori - thanks for mentioing something new and relevant about Featured Posts - i.e., the extra traffic and Google Juice.

OK, OK you have figured me out and yes in my mind I am many things and yes legend is somewhere on the list.  The legend part seems to surface when I see a GOLD STAR!!

Good grief! 

Of course, gold stars are important. 

Of course, we love the attention they bring. 

Of course, we love the Google synergy.

Only a cave dweller would deny that we all feel a little tingle when we get a gold star. 

For the record.  I LOVE GOLD STARS.

Do I get enough.  NO. 

Do I get a lot of comments.  YES.  However, most of my comments come from my wonderful subscribers.  Thanks goodness for folks who read my blog.  That, of course, includes many members of the public. 

I think the point is that people who didn't get featured are insufferable whiners, not that getting featured isn't a cool thing. I like getting featured. It makes my day. I just sort of let it go when I am not on the front page. 

I always love to read your posts - and you will find that most who are complaining aren't getting them.  I had one feature so far and it came when I least expected it.  Keep up the good work and as always I enjoyed reading your post today!

Hi Midori, of course everyone likes to see their name or face on the feature board when we log on.

But, I never thought about the PR 5 rank. LOL

MIDORI- Loved the post- you have such a wonderful of saying what we all feel is true. We love the recognition the gold star brings.  It reminds me of Sally Field winning the Oscar..."They love me, they really love me"

All eyes are upon you today...ENJOY

The majority of the featured blogs I read, deserve it. Congrats on the feature! :)

Midori:

This is refreshingly honest. Of course we all enjoy the recognition of the gold stars. And, the higher page range is icing on the cake.

Midori, love this post, and you made us all be truthful to ourselves. We are all just like you writing away and hoping others will enjoy it and you will get that badge of success.  We are in agreement with Jon Zolsky.  We too have flagged many many posts in hopes to see it featured, but nah it doesn't get featured.  Will try once again Midori, because you did good! We are flagging this one!  Good Luck.  

I like featured posts.  I am honestly bummed when I do create what I consider a brilliant post and it goes unnoticed, just getting soggy in the rain.  LOL.  But then when I do get a feature, it excites me and I feel like Sally Field at the Oscars.

I just need to not get myself all depressed when I am lost in the hundreds of daily posts....

I never thought of the PR5. 

There is a certainly a thrill to discovering your post has been featured.

Some people whine; some people are not living for stars. It's as simple as that. Many Rainers, myself included, spend more time on other (our own) websites so some of us tend to look at things a bit differently. Do I love my stars?? Of course. ;-)

I do cherish my stars... Stars are like dates back in high school - when one happened, enjoy it for the moment.  Then start seeking the next!

And now you have a featured post on Monday morning! Does that give you even more Google juice?

My featured posts were members only, so I don't know how that would work for Google ranking.

And some people had big enough egos even before they got on Active Rain, this only gives them an opportunity to feed their own legend even more.

Getting a gold star is fun but it is never something I revolve my blogging around. The most boring posts (market reports) are what bring business and show your local expertise. Doubtful they will bring a gold star though:)

You have to believe you ARE the best...you are working to be the best....yes indeed...competitive by nature...it is part of what makes us the best !

Ahhh...yes...the featured post.  I dare to dream the (im)possible dream. lol

I think everyone secretly wants to at least one featured post. 

Midori:  thanks for the great read!  Wishing you many, many, many more gold stars and featured post!  We can all truly be a legend in our own minds - keep writing!!

-Karin

I agree with Bill ....he knows the public doesn't look at features or gold stars....market reports are for the consumer to see the data in their area...if they aren't a member of the network...they wouldn't know what they mean. Market reports get great Google ranking without being featured or gold. I never received a call because my post was featured but I do get business because they see the reports...nothing wrong getting them if you want your peers to see them...heck ...I have 78 of them myself. It's all about what you are looking for.

Hi Midori, truth be told, we all love those gold stars.  But that Google ranking stuff is the real magic! 

I agree that the content for consumers is the most important content on my ActiveRain blogs too. Consumers  don't care about stars or comments.  They are just looking for WIIFM.

Congrats on getting your Gold Star. I hope it turns into many listings and sales for you.

Great stuff,  it made me smile. I am a legend in my own mind because I know I am the best agent to sell your home. LOL 

Midori - You are already a legend !  But I guess a few more featured posts cannot hurt !!  We are working on catching up but have  A LOT of catching up to do.  Great stuff !!!  Blog on : )

I agree that featured posts are very valuable to the specific blogger.  But think about how it gets featured.

This post isn't any better now that it's featured than it was before it was featured.  Did having it be featured change any of the words?  But now that it's featured it has a new aura of importance just because one person gave it a gold star? 

I don't know who makes the selections but all I am saying that it is just one person's opinion.  Should we really respect and value the opinion of those who get to push the gold star button without knowing anything about them?  Maybe someone's letting their 5 year old kid make the selections.  Maybe someone with a sick sense of humor is making the selections. So it is what it is. 

The gold stars feel good.  I have not had many but I want another!

I love my little gold stars, I only wish they were for something brilliant instead of embarassing moments.  LOL  That's my new goal...a gold star for something truly brilliant.  :)

Nice post.  We are all legends in our own minds - I agree!

Midori - This is refreshing to hear that people actually write post with the intention of hopefully getting featured. Unfortunately, a lot of people here think that could they could never be featured, because they are not one of the chosen few who have been here since the beginning.

As usual Midori, another well written post.

Hi Midori! I have to admit I do like a gold start every now and then. I have spurts of creativeness and a good post follows. I'm not competitive but I do like to win.

Yes, we are all legends in our own minds, that's for sure. Some more than others. Just take a look at some of the photos on business cards we all see. Wow. Talk about legends in their own minds, lol. I hope I'm not one of those. Hmm, maybe I am. I'll go ask my mother and see what she thinks.....lol

Midori: Thank you. Sometimes being a legend in your own mind is ok. Just as long as we don't become an insufferable boor!

I like to call it a legend that will last a lunch time.

Midori- Thank you for coming out! I am never ashamed to say that I love my gold stars! 

I will never forget the first one I got, I hardly new what it meant:) But I knew it was special and boy did it get me a lot of subscribers and traffic! That post still 2 years later gets me calls from agents who want to hire us to help them with their expired mailings copy! 

People who complain and say they don't matter and want to get rid of them are just jealous and don't understand pagerank, google and the value of traffic! I love getting that link on the from page of a pagerank site of 6! How often does that happen in the internet world? 

And my gold stars tell me that I am adding value to AR members. If I write something very important that others will benefit from than more people will benefit when it is featured. I am very competitive with myself and with others. I love to win! No shame in that at all! Katerina

Well, I hope it all works out for you.

Midori - I sometimes write posts that I think are worthy and they don't get featured. I also know some other prolific AR contributors who email out their latest blog to all subscribers and ask to be featured. I have often wondered if that is effective. Do you ever do that or do you just roll the dice?

It worked to motivate me in elementary school (gold stars).  Why wouldn't it work now?  Now, to get my first feature...

WOW, great post!  My motto is "everything works and nothing doesn't" that is what I try to live by,   My posts are either listings, thoughts, embarassing moments, like the time I let a little boy poop at an open house and the toilet overflowed thru the ceiling into the kitchen....... how do you explain that?

Love the post - of course I would love some gold stars! Have loved them since I was a kid.

Congrats on another feature...keep up the great work.

You mean, I am not a legend?  The gold stars are fine.  What ever it takes to get us on here to share our experiences is worth it.  The information shared on AR is great.  Gold stars for everyone!

That's not my goal, but hey, who doesn't like positive feedback?  That's how I see it - gold stars are positive feedback. 

Great post and very very true, everyone loves a little bit of attention. Thanks for telling it like it is.

Yes, Midori, we are all gold star hogs...we crave them as if they are the life blood of our existence...Ha! But like someone else already said (in other words), if we don't get featured, it doesn't bring our world grinding to a screeching halt.

I love gold and I love stars....... =  gold stars are the best!

Enjoy!

Patricia/Seacoast NH

Hello Midori, don't disagree that we all like those feature stars I think the case in point was VARIETY.  I'm tired of seeing the same faces & opinions getting picked for the newsletter as an example.  Also, how can someone be featured with no comments right out of the box with a fresh post?  Maybe you can get the answers? 

When you wish upon a star....
Makes no difference who you are.
Anything your heart desires,
Will come to you....

A little attention is nice, but a lust for approbation can be unhealthy and sad if we aren't getting it from the people who really matter. Stars have their place: Active Rain & Disneyworld. I enjoy visiting both places, but I wouldn't ever want to live there or (on) here.

I love FEATURED posts.  I'm kind of new here and have been reading lots and lots.  I usually go right to the FEATURED posts...I trust that the content will educate me and the comments will be lively.  Thanks Active Rainers.

I have had 11 featured posts and was suprized at each one I had.............

It always makes me smile.......... Thanks for reminding me how important a featured post is, Midori..

=-)

Midori,

It's a shame none of us are as good as our own mind thinks we are.

Way to go Midori.  Tell it like it is.  I LOVE being featured!  Love it, love it, love it.  I also love seeing my points going up up up.  YEAH.  Even it it didn't put me near the top on Google, even if it didn't bring me more business.  It just feels GREAT!

Midori - Drum roll.......congrats on yet ANOTHER well deserved gold star.  These are certainly worth collecting and indeed something to be proud of.

You get the gold star for doing good work.  Things haven't changed much since elementary school!

Kathy

I got my Gold Star when I least expected it.  I would like to have more but if I don't I'm happy just being a part of for the time being.  Congrats on another STAR!

Midori - I love it when I get a featured post!  It's far less often than I want!!!  We gotta be rockstars SOMEHOW!!!

Thank you for the featured post.. :) 

The point of my post was to show the benefits..and the what could be I mean the page ranking of AR alone makes me want to write featured material..but really truly its about our own personal best.....and also real estate agents ...don't have a problem tooting their own horns. We are all legends in our own minds.

We are so modest in many ways and then so in your face.

I could care less who makes the featured selections..it could be a monkey but the benefits are big.  Featured posts = better visability =more readers =better SEO=hopefully pulling traffic to your site and pulling in a few buyers and sellers.

I don't spend the hours and hours on AR like I used to..but because of the time I spent on AR its been well worth it and the rewards show up every day in a variety of ways...closings...listings...training opportunities..copywriting.  I'm loving it..was it from featured posts?  Could be but I can't say for sure but the source often times has been online or specifically Activerain. 

Margaret- you are so right and I got that reality check last year at NAR..I met someone for the first time and they said they knew me...I actually captured it on video..it was classic and a future post! :)

Lenn-featured posts are like shoes??? You can never have too many!  Big fan and your gold stars are well deserved.

Missy-yes the page ranking rocks..the deeper you go more than likely the page ranking drops..

Allison-loved the line...when I need some ego boosting I might have to repeat that in the mirror. :)

Susie-the past few months I have spent more time on my site...when I have the time.  :)

Linda-regardless of what people say you have to have a big ego to be in real estate.

Bill I think you write the best market reports and while you think they are boring you have given me some great ideas.  I do read your market reports....for me I do write to attempt to get featured its my own personal best~ everything I do...I do my best..end of story and I am sticking with it.

Neal you are right I am sure they could care less about featured or gold stars but the visibility makes it so people can find you very very easy!

Maureen-I train agents that is why AR is important to me...I sell real estate too!  I've been working thanks to my AR posts even if I do not write a lot of consumer content.  Just closed a short sale and 2 more to go.

It's nice to meet a Legend! Cute post and I had not thought about the SEO of a Featured post yet!

Midori, you are right, that life so much is all about a popularity contest. Look who's popular today from Daytona Beach? LOL. Congrats!!

I think most of us think this, but you had the guts to say publish it!

You certainly deserve the featured post for this!

I Love it!!!, you are Brilliant Midori not only as a Writer but in Understanding how SEO works.

Hi Midori, We received one of those stars for our first post and it was a HUGE thrill for us.  So many of the people who commented on that post became bloggers we followed (you were one), and we are thankful to have met them. --Sara

Hi Chris-I've been soooo busy myself and have been a lousy ambassador or even blogger for that matter!

Tim- to me I could care less...its an added bonus of an already great site.  Even if there were no such animal as featured posts I would still post here. 

Lizette-I compete with myself and that is enough to keep me on my toes! :)

Lina-if you blog that's brilliant :)  and big in my eyes. 

Diane-I chuckled the whole time I wrote this post.  I found it true and humorous at the same time.  Glad you could appreciate it.

Elizabeth-I am noticing different faces on the dashboard.

Paul-smiling big

Christina-NO I do not email people my post and I don't really appreciate when people do except when its a contest announcement oh except when Carolyn from Club Chaos emails me...I know its going to be a good laugh or when someone writes a post about me...I like getting those emails so that I know to take the time to comment.  Sometimes I am lousy at commenting.

Lyn-I think they are gaging featured posts based on the post itself and not the comments.  I've done the week in review a few times...the mortgage week in review and bloggers choice selections...if you really want to see what it feels like to feature posts do volunteer to do one of the above...I am a moderator for bloggers choice selections and we are long overdue...join the group and I'll give you the instructions if you are interested.  Lola Audu is the group founder. 

Charlotte Gold Stars = maximum google juice :)

Jessica-LOL glad to see you stopped by

Ted-thanks for the chuckle

Cheryl-these days I have a one track mind SEO

I love the features... and NEVER understand them.  I get featured and don't know why... and then I put up a post that I think is worthy...  nothing. 

Of well.

Hi Midori,

Great post!

You're either a winner or a loser, just look in the mirror. See you at the Tech Mtg.

Hi Midori - It's nice to get a little extra attention from the dashboard once in awhile, but the long-term benefits we gain along our blogging journey will always outweigh one shooting star.

I'm not too excited about getting featured posts.  That mostly has to do with the fact that I don't have time to acknowledge and deal with all of the comments. Then inevitably someone writes a post indicating that it is improper to not reciprocate comments, etc...  The acknowledgement is always nice. It's the consequences of being featured on AR that can be daunting...

I get the PR5 thing, but I can see for folks like you, BB, Katerina that have coaching services as well as do real estate that it can be a huge boon to your business to get your name out there on the dash.  For regular agents that get their bread and butter from Localism posts, the feature matters less because they don't feature consumer driven content as much.

How could any one not want a gold star?  Aren't we all human?

Other than the accomplishment, you point out many other good reasons to want the gold stars.

Midori,

Wow, it still worked. I mean my prediction that this post was going to be featured. Goo. Congratulations

Where else could anyone find 166,293 LEGENDS

Where else could anyone find 166,293 LEGENDS all in one place?

Nice post.