I began blogging before ActiveRain, using Blogger.com I even bought a couple of books. One was a blatant guide to blogger, the other was the ‘Bible” for blogging often referred to on early ActiveRain.
Blogger has evolved and is really easy to run. It has attractive, useful templates. You used to have to mess with the code to link to other sites or add RSS. Now, plug-ins are available.
I moved all of my blogs over to some sort of WordPress platform BECAUSE of the account/profile arrangement. On eiher of these platforms, users can have multiple blogs on one account or accounts for every blog.
I have a number of blogs and the profile from one doesn’t apply to the others. On Blogger, to have different profiles, I have to have different accounts. That has at times been up to SIX different emails and passwords to keep track of.
I have a couple sites that don’t accommodate the WordPress.org format, but work find with WordPress.com blogs. I can have them on one account with one ID and one password, but the totally unrelated topics can each have its own profile. Only on the admin page do they come together. Yesterday, when someone from the Mansfield Community Center called to ask recommendations for blog platforms, I recommended WordPress.com for a place to get in, get started and be blogging before noon.
Even though I’m not as proficient at it as I want to be, I do like adding the WordPress.org blog formats to my websites. The website has to be built on a Unix platform (a point that has been a roadlblock for a couple of my blogs)
Because of interests beyond the real estate blogging network, ActiveRain, I like to keep the other blogs up on the Outside. Linking in makes for variety for all of us. All of the items listed, particularly the opportunity to make my own statement were my stimulation to do it. And, I agree with other posts that it is a good idea to have the eggs in more than one basket. Cyndee Hayden’s post AR Blog versus Outside Blog – My list of Pro’s and Con’s has some good points, but I prefer to think of it as a separate project, and not a VERSUS issue. I know the time element can be really tough. There was a good SEO post a few weeks ago by Brad Carroll Setting the Record Straight on Duplicate Content which encourages us to use a little leeway in repeating ourselves in blog posts. The points made sense to me.
Janie Coffey is asking the question about how this works for everyone. For those with Outside “Other” blogs – Inquiring minds want to know….Is it working for you??? Responses begged for here! I believe it will work. I believe that when people read your personal blog for real estate and community and PEOPLE information because they are interested in your area, after the first few times of reading your regular posts, they come to think “Hey, I know someone in Anytown.” The relationship/trust is beginning to develop before you are ever required to put real work into it.
