Good fortune #1: I was named as one of the 25 Most Influential Bloggers in Real Estate by Inman News. Can you believe it! I thought @LaniAR (also named on the list) was pulling my leg, but it’s true! I will say, this is obviously a subjective list, but nonetheless, I share this achievement with 24 other rockin’ bloggers, and of course with my MTO co-authors Reggie Nicolay and Chad Johnson. According to Inman News, “This annual list of most influential real estate bloggers recognizes those bloggers who are well-known, well-read and have a knack for stirring up discussion and debate on important, timely and relevant topics for the industry.”  I was included in the “Marketing & How-to” section along with Dustin Luther and Jim Cronin.  Check out Jim’s blog for the complete list of bloggers.

Good fortune #2: I scored a book deal with co-author Mary McKnight! I’ve actually been an author for some time now (minus the actual published book). When I was in 5^th grade I wrote, “Mrs. Edney’s Kidnapped Class”, the story of a Wheel-a-Fortune winner turned music teacher who kidnapped an entire class to create a Russian choir. Anyway, my teachers always told me I have one wild imagination! And thanks to Mary, we now have a book deal and are feverishly writing, “Sacrilicious: the Art of Shock & Awe Marketing”. The book will hit shelves in ’09 and cover social media marketing strategies to make your hair stand up, but in the mean time you can take part in the outrageousness at our pre-book blog: Sacrilicious Marketing.

Good fortune #3: I was a speaker BiztechDay in San Francisco and nobody ran out of the room! Oh contraire, there were so many peeps they had to sit on the floor around the stage. BiztechDay was attended by over 500 entrepreneurs looking to better infuse technology into their business. Organizer, Edith Yeung, had the idea for this event in July. She rallied sponsors and rockin’ speakers like Tim Ferriss and George Wright. My partner in crime for the event, Rick Rochon of Adsymetrix, and I shared the basics on how to create a Web presence for your business.  For those of you that attended and wanted a review session, I have posted our power point below. So review away…but be sure to let me know if you have any questions pertaining to your own business goals.

One thing you should keep in mind when being bombarded by numerous social media sites……you need to have a PLAN. So select the type of media you will use consistently (blogging, podcasts, video, etc.) and share on various social profiles across the Web. Like any good planner, you will need to reassess how the strategies you’ve chosen are working for you. So make time to REVIEW your plan and make needed adjustments along the way.

NOTE:  A special thank you to Tim Ferriss! He is a super genuine guy and left me with rockin’ tips and motivation to complete my first book.  Anyway, as we approach the much anticipated Election Day, I thought you might want to know how Tim Ferriss plans to cast his vote! View his answer here! And remember…Confucius Say: “ROCK YOUR VOTE!”

MTO is gearing up for the Inman Connect SF. In fact, I’ve been invited to speak on the Blogger’s Connect panel entitled, “Growing Pains: Taking Your Blog to the Next Level“, alongside these A-list rockin’ real estate blog experts Dustin Luther, Jim Cronin, and Daniel Rothamel.  The RE 2.0 guru himself will be there as moderator, yes, you know him….Jeff Turner.  So over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing tools and suggestions for taking that next level leap. But of course I’ll be leaving the meatiest of it all for those of you attending the Connect. So, I hope to see you there!

Anyway, our blogucation cannot begin without a self assessment, a blog assessment really. The best teachers assess at the beginning and the end of an assignment or goal. How else will you know if you made any real strides? To start, you will notice that the following assessment is organized in 2 sections, Internal Factors and External Factors.  To examine your blog best, you should focus on these 2 areas.

Internal Factors are actions, tools, and strategies you put into play on your blog to give it life, display your expertise and target your audience. These may include your voice, design, blog posts, organization, comments, etc.  External Factors are actions, tools, and strategies you use to reach outside of your blog, create interaction, and hopefully bring readers back to you.  These may include, but not limited to: IDX Search, email newsletters, commenting, podcasting, video, social networking, etc.

Take the “Does my blog REally rock?” Assessment (Directions: Print this article, read each question, and write your yes or no answer next to each one. If you’re old school, grab a piece of paper and number 1-6 twice, then write down your answers. Keep your eyes on your own paper. )

Part 1 – Internal Factors (Looking in at your blog.)

1. Are you speaking to your target audience?
2. Do you speak in an authentic voice?
3. Are you sharing content that your target audience cares about?
4. Is that content compelling, remarkable, or helpful?
5. Is your blog design professional and pleasing to the eye?
6. Do you keep up or add to the conversations on your blog?

Part 2 – External Factors (Looking out from your blog.)

1. Besides commenting, do you foster community interaction? (i.e. Neighborhood Wiki, Q & A Forum, Instant Messaging, Local Sponsors & Interviews, etc.)
2. Does your blog provide additional content, features, or tools to supplement your voice? (Podcast Advice, IDX Search, Mortgage Rates, Calculators, Neighborhood Maps, etc?)
3. Do you incorporate any type of social media with your blog? (Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Zolve, Real Seekr, etc.)
4. Do you regularly podcast or vlog?
5. Do you have a call to action? Do you capture leads? (i.e. email newsletter, IDX MLS Search, e-book sign up, online trainings, drawings or contests, etc.)
6. Are you sharing content in a way that nobody else is?

Note which question(s) you answered “no” to. Circle that question or questions. Now we have something to work with. Turn the question you answered “no” to into a statement. For example, if you answered no to “Do you speak in an authentic voice?” your goal would now read as “Speak in an authentic voice.” If you answered no to, “Do you regularly podcast or vlog?” your goal would now read as “Regularly podcast or vlog.”

It’s not rocket science, but it is a quick and easy way to identify blogging weaknesses both internally and externally. So, now that you’ve identified your core blogging weakness, it’s time to get focused. Whether you have an internal or external area to improve upon or take to the next level, I’ll be here next week with ideas and support for your new blog goals.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…