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BLOGGLE YOUR MIND ™
Effective Social Media Marketing
Without Being Overwhelmed.
INTRODUCING THE HUB AND SPOKES SOLUTION. ™
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WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING IMPORTANT ?
• A few reasons…………………………….
 82% OF HOME BUYERS START THEIR SEARCH ON THE INTERNET
 WORD OF MOUTH HAS JUST BEEN GIVEN A MEGAPHONE
 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS HERE TO STAY
 IT IS INEXPENSIVE MARKETING
 FAST WAY TO BUILD YOUR REPUTATION
 SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS
 THE BIGGEST MARKETING REVOLUTION EVER
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IS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
A FAD?
OR IS IT A REVOLUTION?
WELCOME TO THE
REVOLUTION!
Some pages of this manual are repeated
twice in different locations. This is for
the convenience of readers so they
won’t have to hunt for information
throughout the manual when they are
focused on learning the blog information.
Focus on blog training begins on pg 53.
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FACTS THAT MAY BLOGGLE YOUR MIND
 By 2010 Gen Y Will outnumber baby boomers. From Socialnomics—Social Media Revolution on YouTube
 96% of them have joined a social network.
 Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web.
 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media.
 It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users.  If Facebook were a country it would be
the worlds 4th largest
 It took TV 13 years to reach 50 million users.
 It took the internet 4 years to reach 50 million users.
 It took IPOD 3 years to reach 50 million users.
 Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months
 IPOD Application downloads hit 1 billion in 9 months.
 2009 US Department of Education study revealed that on an average online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction.
 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum.
 80% of companies are using Linkedin as their primary tool to find employees.
 The fast growing segment on facebook is 55-65 year-old females.
 80% of twitter usage is on mobile devices. People update anywhere, anytime. What does that mean for bad customer experiences?
 Generation Y and Z consider email passé’.
 YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world. It has over 100,000,000 videos.
 Wiki is an Hawaiian term = Quick WikipediA has over 13 million articles. Studies show it’s more accurate than Encyclopedia Britannica, 78% of these articles
are non-English.
 There are over 200,00,000 million Blogs. 54% of bloggers post content or tweet daily.
 Word of Mouth is now WORLD of Mouth.
 25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user generated content. 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and
brands. Do you like what they are saying about your brand? YOU BETTER…..
 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations: Only 14% trust advertisements.
 25% of Americans in the past month said they watched a short video….…..on their phone.
 In the near future products will find us via social media…THE FUTURE IS NOW!
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THE HUB AND SPOKES
SOLUTION
Your Website/Blog is the Hub—This manual & class will tell you why
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THE HUB & SPOKES SOLUTION
In this solution we are going on a journey. The simile is a bike and your
transportation. Your journey is your business journey and the purpose of our
journey is in helping you.
Your bike needs tires. Your tires need a wheel. When you have enough spokes, the right kind of
spokes, your journey can be a success. Critical to your bike moving forward are the wheels and
tires.
Key to the functioning of your tires are the wheels.
Key to the wheels is the Hub and spokes.
Your bicycle tire will collapse without a hub and enough spokes. The more spokes you have, the
better. Your Hubs And Spokes Solution describes the hub and the right spokes. It explains how to
install and implement them. To be in balance it needs traditional marketing spokes and social media
spokes.
This manual details, documents, and explains a comprehensive but minimum solution for any
business, professional, or person to maximize their success. We know you will expand, or
customize upon it at some point. But in the meantime it need not overwhelm you and it will not be a
waste of time. These aren't just web options. Yes, they involve the web, but they also involve other
methods of marketing.
We encourage you to implement some of each of the two types of spokes often. We recommend you
not exclude any of those we detail in this manual.
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The Hub And Spokes Solution ……..continued
We trademarked ―The Hub And Spokes Solution‖ because of the experience we have gained through our blog networks:
NeighborhoodsUndressed.com and AblogAboutIt.com.
For over 3.5 years we have experienced the value of a well produced blog. We know how to make it simple and effective.
The blog is an easy to manage landing page. It is the voice of you or your brand. It is a perfect place to send all prospec-
tive clients/customers/potential customers. It is perfect if done right. The blog has search engine benefits, but the
greatest benefit is its role as the HUB of all your marketing.
The Hub And Spokes Solution (both by our interesting and memorable brands and by your interesting and memorable
articles/photos) works as silent leverage on behalf of your brand and your business.
The single most important marketing decision you can make is to commit to publishing a blog as your HUB.
As in a bicycle wheel, the hub is the center, spokes link into it, enough spokes and it runs well. Also as in a bicycle a well
balanced wheel makes the bike run smoothly, a well balanced marketing hub keeps your marketing running smoothly.
The personality of you and your business, your experiences, your budget, your preferences all blend in The Hub And
Spokes Solution. Each component you choose to implement will link to your hub, your blog. As we teach, even if your pro-
spective customer is not ready to buy from you they will remember you when they are ready.
We recommend and teach specific spokes to include. They are proven to be effective. Many are viral in nature, spreading
the word throughout the internet. So not only is your brand proliferated by you, it is spread by others. The leverage of
your blog/hub working 24/7, of all marketing spokes sending people to your hub, and of others virally assisting is now a
proven value if done right.
We include the word ―solution‖ because we believe it is the solution.
We aren’t experts, we are just doing it. We are part of the solution.
We know how to teach what we have done.
It is implemented inexpensively, less than a cost of 1 typical advertisement.
It needs a small amount of time, after a learning curve.
It can reduce marketing costs.
It can bring direct results.
It is proven.
It is simple.
It is hot, a revolution.
It is available now. The time is now.
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TRADITIONAL MARKETING SPOKES
THESE ARE NOT NEW! THESE ARE YOUR OLD TRADITIONAL MARKETING. SOME HAVE REPLACED ALL
THEIR MARKETING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BUT IF THE TRADTIONAL WAYS HAVE WORKED
FOR YOU IN THE PAST, CONTINUE TO DO SO. MOST WILL FIND A MIX OF BOTH WILL WORK BEST.
The Bloggle Your Mind ™ solution will have you execute social spokes each month. You decide how many.
1– Put brochures about your blog in as many places in your town as you can, i.e. businesses, libraries, city hall,
motels, etc. Spend some time each day face to face. Explain how your blog promotes the community, invite them
to visit it and be open to a real estate conversation. Take suggestions on what to post.
2- Attend a Chamber of Commerce Meeting and talk to at least 6 people, mentioning your blog. Get either their
Website, Twitter, or Facebook address as a minimum.
3- Attend local community events: an Art Show, Public Concert, City Council meeting, etc. Engage at least 1
person and accomplish the assignment in # 2 above.
4- Make someone famous. (4 times this month) A concept taken from Jim Warner of http://
SnohomishCountyUndressed.com. Jim has gone to the local Grocery stores produce manager, local soccer
practices, and other places to meet people. He introduces himself, tells them about his blog, makes friends, of-
fers to make them famous on his blog, and gets their email info to send them a link to the published article he
writes about them. Mark Clawson goes to businesses and offers to write about them. He gets free dinners at
restaurants at times as he discusses what to write. Matt Thomson calls every new member of the Chamber with
a similar offer. Larry Cragun invites them to join his network.
DIFFERENT SPOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
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TRADITIONAL MARKETING (C0NTINUED)
Social media need not replace all of your traditional marketing efforts. Some will reduce or
eliminate expensive print media. It is your choice on this point, of course.
We do recommend you stay in touch by email using email blasts like those provided by
Constant Contact. This need not be time consuming. Your database is still your potential gold
mine. Each new person you connect with is usually open to your request to add them to your
database. I ask those who I connect with if they mind me keeping in touch with them by email
occasionally. I tell them I will let them know relevant things going on. I don't remember
receiving a no. I also live by my word, seeking to email valuable content rather than the old
hard sell.
Your marketing spokes will lead to your blog/website which will lead to
business.
The Bloggle Your Mind ™ solution suggests you execute regular marketing spokes.
Choose your favorites, but at least send out one email a month to all of your contacts refer-
ring them to 3 interesting articles you have posted on your blog.
Mail or pass out at least 100 brochures: face to face, with a smile, and courage—looking to
add names to your database.
Make sure your signature on your emails sent have an invitation to visit your blog or connect
with you on Facebook. Invite people to be a fan of your Fan Page once it is up and with some
content.
DIFFERENT SPOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
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TRADTIONAL MARKETING SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
Marketing by Email.
Again we remind you, the goal is driving people to your BLOG/WEBSITE. Through your blog/website they will silently follow you. You
keep them coming back because you write often the way the Solution teaches. In this way you become their friend in the computer. It is the
current way for consumers. They can voluntarily save your page as a favorite or add your blog (subscribe) to their Google reader. They will
surface and contact you when they are ready. Many of us have had people who followed us for 1 to 2 years before contact.
Email is the least expensive way to keep in contact with your sphere of influence. A monthly email can do wonders in keeping you on their
mind.
We recommend those who have no email system or find their current one unsatisfactory, visit www. RealEstateUndressed.com and sign
up for the trial of Constant Contact. We use it, it is easy and has a great assortment of templates. Constant Contact stays on top of email
rules, provides details to the results of your email and has additional modules you can use, such as surveys. People can opt out of receiving
your emails If they wish. You can also track how many people open them, etc..
TIPS to make it easy to do:
Last month on IssaquahUndressed.com (our blog) we wrote 12 articles bringing our total to about 600. Like eating an elephant, we did it a
bite at a time. The result, people that find us have a lot to find and enjoy about Issaquah (our town).
We selected 3 articles to from last months posts and sent out 417 emails (with one click) to our database mentioning a small portion of the
article and providing links to the full blog articles. We sell real estate. The day after the email hit we received a call from a buyer we began
working with. The email blast included Sandy, the loan officer of our local bank. Sandy had the client at her desk when the email came in.
Sandy loves our blog and started showing our new client all about it. Now the client is also our client.
Below are 4 articles we will send out in our next email blast. It won’t take long to produce. It will keep all 417 thinking about us for their future
needs, or for friends future needs.
The Articles:
New Overlake Clinics In Issaquah. Show of support.
Short Sales Considerations
Baby Tiger Catches Human
Issaquah Grange Supply, An Intriguing Place for 75 years.
The Grange Supply is also on our list. They have an undressed brand blog. We have trained multiple writers from their staff.
The Solution emphasizes email. Beyond this important piece use any other marketing you choose. Just be sure and drive people to your
blog/website. If it works for you, also send post cards or print. The important thing is build a database and contact them regularly.
DIFFERENT SPOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SPOKES
Here we mean social media sites. We encourage you to open a Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and Flickr account. That means you will need a nice but not too expensive
digital camera and at least a low price Flip Camera for video. (Near $125.00) If your
wife is like mine you may need two, she isn’t into sharing the cameras.
If not done already, open a Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube account. Add a Fan Page to
your Facebook account. Set up your profile in Google.
Again, the purpose is to let your Media Spokes lead to your Blog/Website which will
lead to business.
The Bloggle Your Mind ™ solution recommends you execute regularly on social media
spokes. (The below are suggestions, you may allocate differently) For example:
1- Post a Facebook post each day that forwards to your twitter account. Do it right.
2- Or spend 10 minutes a day adding people to follow on Twitter. (not just anybody)
3- Spend 15 minutes on both Facebook and Twitter building relationships.
4- Be serious about inviting people to be your Facebook fans. (Fan Page/business)
5– Make 2 videos a month and post them to YouTube after posting them on your blog.
6- Post photos to your Flickr account. (properly)
By properly we mean : Fill out the profile about you, include the address to your blog, tag all
entries, and complete your resume’ type information.
DIFFERENT SPOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
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YOUR BLOG IS YOUR HUB.
All Other Social Media are the Spokes.
WHY IS THE BLOG THE HUB?
A: Done right it will capture an audience that will be faithful to you even though you aren’t aware they are visit-
ing. They will become your friend in a different way, a friend in the computer. Your blog is your voice. It will be the
voice of authority on an interesting topic. That topic may be a neighborhood, city, or town or a topic.
B: All face to face conversations should do the same. Create a simple brochure, or use ours as a template, that you
take everywhere you go. Our blog is http://issaquahUndressed.com. So how do we answer the question, ―What do
you do?‖ ― We write a blog about Issaquah and area Real Estate. IssaquahUndressed.com.‖ People are interested, it
leads to a Real Estate conversation.
The conversations go smooth and naturally. Your job is to attend, to mix, be friendly, be interested in the other folks,
Carry on conversations. This makes it easy. Don’t be all about you.
All your Social Media should drive people to your blog/website.
All of your other marketing efforts should invite people to visit your blog. These are the 2 types of Spokes:
Online Social Media and Traditional Marketing.
Yes, your blog is your hub. Review these rules below.
10 rules for a successful, power house blog.
1– Speak/write with the voice of authority. People are attracted to confidence. (Be not Cocky)
2– As a Realtor it is best to be your own writer, People will do business with you because they identify with you, trust
you, like you, or respect you. You are the one they will identify with and trust. This way you will get them.
3- Use good quality photos in almost every post you publish. It is an important part of your blog post. Check out
both IssaquahUndressed.com and GigHarborUndressed.com for good examples.
4- Write for viewers not Google, but learn what Google Likes. We teach that.
5- Posting daily is the Ultimate, 2 times per week the minimum.
6- Don’t write two blogs. There are many reasons for this.
7- Don’t write for your peers, write for your potential consumers.
8- You can write on an individual free blog platform but being part of our network is superior.
9- Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Actually, don’t be afraid.
10- Treat your blog as a soft sell. Have contact information but no hard sell, even if you love what you do. Just be careful
to not be too commercial. That is boring and will drive people away.
Bloggle Your Mind
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PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION
Our offered solution is to provide you a proven way to make, participating in, even leading conversa-
tions that are effective. By joining in, you connect with others, future customers perhaps. By con-
necting you expand your network of those that refer people to you. With Social Media Marketing
your network expands exponentially without you even being aware of it.
We know the feeling of apprehension. Knowledge is power. When you know what to do, It can be more
than rewarding, it can be fun.
We know the feeling of being overwhelmed. The social media, blog, internet world is often overwhelm-
ing. It is vibrant. It is moving at light speed. Every day new tools, new ideas are being introduced. Start
with the Hub and Spokes Solution. It gives you a basic blueprint. It will provide you the know how to
implement a strategy that works and that is not overwhelming. Sure, you can do more but at least do
this.
We know the feeling of being the 50th real estate agent to join the local Chamber of Commerce. Com-
prehending social media can make you a unique and interesting member. It is still good to join the local
Chamber of Commerce and get involved. Go to meetings. Attend networking events. Go to local events:
museum openings, plays, art walks, concerts, fund raisers, city counsel meetings, school board meet-
ings, church meetings, and anything else going on. It will get you out and give you interesting things to
write about on your blog/website that show you know your community. Take a brochure about your
blog with you. It is a effective opening to a conversation and connecting with possible future
clients.
The web can be a waste of time. The wrong conversations can really be a waste of time. Some conver-
sations can be counter productive. The goal of our solution is for you to grow and attract a regular
following. You attract followers by providing value. You attract followers by engaging with people,
making friends. We call it making friends in the computer. These conversations need not be lengthy.
Your goal will be to develop followers that check in on you daily. Then these people have followers
that will find you through them. That’s why it is said to be viral.
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The WHY— OK, NOW WHAT?
Perhaps you have had to deal with personal doubt and disbelief. Such as ―I’m not a writer‖. Or, I’m not a
techie. Have you resisted social media? It didn’t make sense. You didn’t see the point. You considered
Social Media buzz was a fad.
How about blogging for business? Have you felt you didn't need it, you have been successful without it. Or,
you tried it and it didn’t work. How about, it’s too hard to learn. Or, it takes too much time. It’s a waste of
time. Those making blogging work are techies, the young ones, it’s for them.
Take note, Inman News wrote, “ those that don’t blog will be sorry some day”.
OK, we are out to Bloggle Your Mind ™ as we show you how to succeed without being overwhelmed and
without wasting efforts. We know what you want:
 The phone to ring. Customers to walk through the door.
 Lots of business. Referrals, Good ones, lots of them.
 Leads, at least leads that want to buy—and at little or no cost.
 No prospecting. No embarrassing conversations.
Is this your story? Sadly, many are negligent about building and keeping a current database, keeping in
contact with people who knew them and/or did business with them in the past. There is great value of
keeping in touch regularly. Social Media makes that a lot easier. Have you ever had an old client from 15
years ago discover you were living in the community he had just bought a 1.25 million dollar home. We
have. The email he sent was very sobering. ― He said he would have used me, he apologized, he didn’t even
know where I was. YUK!
Do you need more business, more repeat clients, more ways to get your name out there, more serious
clients who know you are good at what you do? Social Media Marketing can help in a big way. There is a
learning curve. This manual is meant to help you succeed by learning what you must know and do.
We are out to Bloggle Your Mind ™ as we show you how to succeed without being overwhelmed and with-
out wasting efforts.
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THESE ARE BLOGS ? YES!
 Craig’s list
 Google News
 Yahoo Home page
 Flickr
 Twitter
 Facebook
 BizNik
 Linked In
 Real Estate Shows
 YouTube
Part of the magic of what is happening is that it is both simple and complex. The best com-
puter program is one that is made to look easy. The paradox is that in making it look easy
often takes the most difficult programming and conceptualizing. Being easy is the result of a
lot of hard work.
The complexity of it all is that there is always something new. I don’t know it all, and neither
will you. Tomorrow will be different than today. The smart guys, experts in technology, just
keep creating something cool. That’s OK. As an example: you can benefit from Twitter without
understanding: Tweetdeck, Seesmic, Hootsuite, Tweetlater, Twitterlocal, Twello, Nearby
tweets, Twitterati, Tweetfind, Twiterpix, Tweetdeck, Twitbacks, or Twitterific…. Though you
might want to at some point.
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GOOGLE PROFILE-GOOGLE LOCAL
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SETUP YOUR GOOGLE PROFILE & GOOGLE LOCAL
1st things FIRST: If you don’t have a Google Account, open one:
https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount)
When logged in: Complete the profile information and make sure you provide contact
information. You control what that is.
Then go to the Google local business center: >>>
At this site you click ―Add new business‖
From there you simply enter the name,
location, and important details about you and your business.
Note: Many businesses will be listed for you to claim. If yours is not listed then follow
their simple instructions.
1. Why Setup Your Google Profile? By doing this you decide what people
learn about you, AND why they may want to find you. The more information you
provide, the easier it will be for people to find you.
2. Why Setup Google Local? It is a free search listing for local customers to
find you, the products you offer, and the services you provide. You can create a
business listing and provide your contact information. You can even create coupons
and display photos and videos. A big reason is you want to control the Google local
search for your business. Claim it before another does.
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FOCUS ON TWITTER
Twitter is one of the easiest of social media to set up and to use. You are limited to 140
characters so it doesn’t take a lot of brain power to start. There is a lot of twitter junk out
there but just ignore that and find its power for you. It is free. www.twitter.com
You can get to this video by going to
http://help.twitter.com/portal
But you can also get here by going into
http://twitter.com and scrolling to
the bottom of the page and clicking
on HELP. Yes, if you need HELP it is
there if you ask or CLICK. This page
tells you a lot and answers a lot of
questions you may have.
Twitter walks you through the set up from the get go.
Click on getting started—Set up your Username—Do your profile—Put in your Profile Biography—
Put in your WEBSITE/BLOG—Picture— Choose a design for your background—YOU ARE DONE.
The best way to begin is just to dive in, write something, get the hang of the system before you plan your
strategy. Then begin following and being a follower. Let the magic begin.
Don’t worry about understanding #hashtags, Re-Tweets (RT) @replies, Direct messages (DM) etc. for
now. You can find all that in the HELP section. Or at www.Mashable.com
 WHY? It’s free, easy, allows you access to millions of prospects.
 Find out about any subject
 Build your brand. Be visible. Direct traffic to your Blog/Website
 Establish credibility
SOCIAL MEDIA WORK
 Stay current in your industry BEST AS A SOFT SELL
 Receive feedback, meet new prospects and referrals and more.
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SILLINESS ON TWITTER
We are not interested in what someone has for lunch, is bored or just got up
from a nap! PLEASE!
No doubt you aren’t either. The same with FACEBOOK and many other social
media. Don’t let that fool you. Ignore the SILLINESS and tune in to powerful
tools to drive customers, business and interested people to your web-
site/blog.
TWITTER is a powerful marketing tool. Begin and learn.
DON’T ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Post things that will attract the right people to you.
1. Important- who you follow and who follows you.
2. Follow people who are possible clients, people in your industry, area, things
you are interested in. Many will follow you back, then some of their
followers follow you and so on and so on. You can learn how others do it.
3. You can follow anyone. You can block anyone you don’t want to listen to.
4. Stay in touch with clients, attract new clients, give valuable info, receive
valuable info. Hmmmmmmmmm? They
5. CREATE YOUR PROFILE & CONTACT INFO changed the question to
What’s happening?
6. PROVIDE LINKS TO YOUR WEBSITE/BLOG My advice is still the same.
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MASHABLE IS MARVELOUS
Find answers to many questions about Twitter, Hashtags, or retweets
from MASHABLE. Or just about any subject involving Social Media.
There seems to be endless twitter tools. Surprised it is so powerful?
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FACEBOOK: You’re probably already on it. Right?
We suggest it, if not. It is kind of fun to connect with people you
know, used to know, would like to get to know. AND it never hurts
to make sure they all know what business you are in. You would
be amazed at how often they don’t.
You want all your contacts on Facebook to be your FANS and
come to you when they need to buy a product or service you
offer, don’t you? And send others to you, too. That is where Fan
Pages come in.
Go to www.facebook.com
and Sign Up. It is FREE.
Make sure you fill out your
profile and blog site.
If you are already on Face-
book, want a Fan Page and
can’t figure out how to do it,
ask any teenager OR just go to our next page.
They don’t make it easy but it really is. A Facebook Page is the
same thing as a Fan Page. You may not be a celebrity but if you
have a business you do want FANS. Continued
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FACEBOOK PAGE = FAN PAGE
www.facebook.com will bring
you to this Sign Up. It is also
where you log in if you already
have an account.
It is also the first step in
creating your Fan Page.
1. Go to facebook.com
2. DON’T LOGIN
3. Click Create Facebook Page
4. Fill out the form
5. Click Create Page, it will
then have you enter your email
and another security box then
with one more click you will
have your fan page (or
Business Page if you call it
that) Proceed to develop it.
Look at other businesses fan
pages for ideas. AND
See this icon at the bottom of the page, click on it to go from
Facebook to your Fan Page.
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FACEBOOK: Inviting people to follow your FAN Page
1. Invite people in your
email signature. Use a 3. Write an article about
tiny.cc or tinyurl.com to the focus of your fan
make it smaller. page with a link to it.
2. Place an invite on
your website/blog. 4. Place a photo link
on your blog sidebar.
5. Use the share button on your
facebook wall and invite with a link 6. Do a search for groups that
and the focus of your page. are established in areas of
your interest and join them.
7. Send an email Invite them to be a fan.
invitation to your
database.
8. Use the ―suggest 9. Place a facebook
to friends‖ link on the advertisement
left of your fan page.
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Some pages are duplicated in the Blog section for easier access
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DO YOU THINK THIS POST WOULD BE VERY
INTERESTING WITHOUT THE PHOTO?
PHOTOS ARE AN ATTENTION GETTER. YOU KNOW, A
PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. WE CULTI-
VATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUGAR MT. ZOO. TO
GO TO THIS POST ON OUR BLOG: http://tinyurl.com/yjo572q
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USING FLICKR for PHOTOS+
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT FLICKR
Go to www.flickr.com Yes, it IS spelled funny
Sign up for Free OR Pro
Click on The Tour on top left, 8 options: Account—Just click
1. What is Flickr? Best online photo management
2. Upload - Photos and videos Learn to do from desktop, email, phone
3. Edit– Crop, etc. (I prefer my editing from Picture Project)
4. Organize– Make sets and collections- How and why to Tag
5. Share - Groups and privacy control
6. Maps– Where your photo is taken (if you want)
7. Make Stuff– Cards, albums, prints
8. Keep in Touch - With family and friends (business)
Flickr is another way social media helps you be found if you do it
right. Photos have to be public for this to work. We have 7000 photos
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1. From Flickr’s HOME page, top right, click on Upload Photos and Video. It
*
will bring up the window below.
2. There are many different ways to get your photos from your computer
into flickr. You can experiment with the ones below. We like this one be-
cause you can drag and drop a whole batch of pictures quickly. Click to add
this uploader to your computer. Put a shortcut on your desktop.
*
After you have downloaded your uploader (!) Open your
computer’s photo program AND the Flickr Uploader. Select the
Photos you want to move to Flickr and drag and drop them into
the Uploader from your photo program.
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PHOTO FLICKR BLOG
HOW TO GET A PHOTO INTO YOUR BLOG FROM FLICKR
1. Select desired photo from your Flickr account
2. Double Click on photo
3. Click on All Sizes
4. Select size, usually medium
5. Scroll down to #2. Grab the photo's URL—copy
6. Go back to your blog’s back end
7. Click on Add Media box, under the Title
8. Click on top tab ―From URL‖
9. Paste URL in Source box
10. Click on Insert into Post DONE!
There are other ways and other
options but these are the basic
steps.
#7 Click
box
#9 Box will appear,
#8 paste URL
#10 Click insert to post
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DRAG photos from your
computer into this
Flickr Uploadr
Here you can add title, description, tags and add to
an existing set or create a new set. I already had
a set for Cats, so I added these new pictures to that
set.
Sets allow you
to organize and
find your
pictures.
Click Upload
to begin the
transfer
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If you had put in the tags, titles and description as instructed
in the previous page you won’t have to do it here unless you
wish to change to more specific info for some pictures. You
can always do it later but these are the only times you will
have all photos from an upload on one page, so it is a little
easier. Click save at the bottom. You’re done.
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USING OTHER’S FLICKR PHOTOS
SOME OF THE PHOTOS ARE LICENSED FOR YOUR USE, “WITH CONDITIONS”
Flickr is a great tool, but it is also a great source of photos. Here are the steps to
find and use photos legally. Remember, using others photographs without written
permission is illegal and has been known to be costly to some pirates:
1. Go to Flickr.com and login: .
2. Do a search for your topic: In this example I will
search for “dogs” Click Search
3. Flickr will deliver 1000’s of dogs: Cute as they
may be - you probably can’t use them.
4. There are almost always many you can use: To get to those you look for ―Advanced
Search” to the right of the normal search bar and
click it:
5. Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Search
Page: and find the Creative Com-
mons section of the page. Click the box
that says “Only search within Crea-
tive Commons licensed content: and
then click search. Plenty of photos
usually come up on most topics. Select
the photo you like by clicking on it.
Click all sizes.
6. Read the conditions, i.e. you will have
to give credit to the owner, not use to make money, not alter it, & give them the right
to use yours. There are different licenses, with different rules. Know
them!
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FOCUS ON YOUTUBE
CiUn inc ©
 Sign up for a YouTube Account at http://www.youtube.com FREE
 Make sure you do your profile so if you want your business to be found it will be. To set
Profile up, in top right corner click on your name, in left hand column, click arrow, on pull
down select Account, on left under overview click on Profile Setup. Enter info in each
category. Don’t forget your website/blog.
 Direct viewers to your website/blog.
 Your Video Camera should come with instructions on how to edit, prepare and post your
video/movie. Or follow instructions on YouTube.
 We post videos relevant to the community we live and work in. Your ideas may be different.
 After posting, click on EDIT and add Tags and Categories, VERY IMPORTANT!
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WHY YOUTUBE?
OK, so it’s the second largest search engine, so what?
It’s the second largest search engine, that’s what, or that’s why. People have gravitated to
short relevant videos for almost every topic you can imagine. Even videos on your topic.
People are searching here, you want to be found here. It’s an important spoke to your hub if
your profile is filled out and includes a link to your blog.
Post a video on YouTube and get hits. Post your profile and blog site on YouTube and your
blog/website gets hits. Need we say more? Yes, I guess we do.
First an example: Kathleen took a video with her trusty $125.00 Flip Camera of baby Tigers at
our local zoo. Tigers like to use their pool as a bathroom. She caught one of the little guys
pooping in the pool and named it that. In three months it has had 1012 views. How is that for a
way of leveraging one simple video that was fun to take and made a fun post on our local
blog/website? Recently, she has had 25 views for a video called Fascinating Fish, 44 for How
Was Your Weekend, 52 for Tiger Habitat at Cougar Mountain Zoo, 43 for Salmon Jumping the
Ladders, 136 for Almos and Taj, and 21 for Man Saves Salmon. Not huge, but that is over 1000
views from 7 of her posted videos, leading to our IssaquahUndressed.com blog.
With a tool as simple as JING you can post videos you make on your computer. Tag them
and they can be found at your YouTube site.
PS: Google owns YouTube.
i.e. Make a video about your business, results for a client, events, tips, have a contest,
conduct a tour of one of your listings, a video about your town, or a ―how to‖ about something.
Then comment on others video topics, post links to your youtube videos on twitter, etc.
Make sure you have your name, company and contact info on your video.
Flip makes this easy.
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OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
SOCIAL MEDIA—WITH NEW ONES
ADDED EVERY DAY.
GET STARTED—
WITH THE BEST AND
STAY TUNED IN………...
OUR OPINION IS THAT BLOG/WEBSITES ARE THE BEST AND THE HUB (0R CENTER) AND
FACEBOOK (FANPAGE), FLICKR, YOUTUBE, AND TWITTER ARE THE BASICS. IF YOU LEARN
THESE IT WILL BE EASY TO ADD OTHERS THAT FIT YOUR NEEDS. THIS IS AN
UNSTOPPABLE REVOLUTION. IT WILL GROW BIGGER AND BIGGER WITH MORE TARGETED
AUDIENCES.
BLOGGLE YOUR MIND IS A CRASH COURSE TO GET YOU GOING,
GOING, GOING.
THERE WILL BE NO STOPPING YOU NOW!
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We don’t want to boggle your mind, we want
to Bloggle Your Mind, It’s a good thing!
KEEP THE SPOKES IN PLACE—
BALANCED SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
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TOOLS TO HELP
There are many tools to help you with social media
marketing and more will arise. Twitter has over 65
applications that help. Different people value different ones.
We will add ones we think are helpful after the
Basics. Many you will find as you participate. Here are a few.
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JING: PHOTOS & VIDEO FROM YOUR SCREEN
FREE
Create A Link
Sits
hid almo
you den o st
rd n
esk
top
http://jingproject.com/
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Another Cool Tool, bit.ly
Yes, bit.ly ………………...NOT bitly.com
Turn this: http://issaquah.neighborhoodsundressed.com/2009/11/18/it-is-not-
about-turkey/ into this: http://bit.ly/NotTurkey . Great for Twitter posts.
As published on our neighborhoods undressed fan page:
This tool is a must. Not only does it give you a short URL, but if you sign up
and log it, it will track your stats.
The example above shows there were 13 clicks when I published it on our
fan page.
Note that it was republished (forwarded) by others, giving that one post 35
clicks. How many did that post reach? It could be thousands of people if
someone posted it on twitter or a highly watched fan page.
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SEESMIC SAVES THE DAY
Seesmic is a way to view your Twitter, Facebook
social media from one screen. No need to go to
each one separately. Keep informed of those
Important
people you
track. It works
even better if
you have 2
screens.
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WHY DO A GOOGLE READER ?
1- Your Google Reader will
be a handy way to follow
blogs you are interested in.
Do a search for Google
reader.
2- Register and then look for add a subscription.
3 - Type the web address of the blog
you want to follow and click add. >>>
You can assemble an
unlimited number of
blogs to follow. All arrive
conveniently at your
reader shortly after they
are posted by the author.
The format gives you the
summary as you see on
the left. You see this
without being on the blog
site. If you click the blog
title or the article you are
actually forwarded to the
site as a visitor.
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YELP. REAL PEOPLE. REAL REVIEWS
Have you ever been ripped off or had a bad shopping experience? Have you ever
wanted to help someone else avoid that experience, sound off where it counted? Do
you research before you purchase? Do you ask others for references? If so think Yelp.
If you sign up for Yelp you will join the over 6.5 million people a month that go there for
reviews and ratings for restaurants, businesses, and service providers. Yelp is a top
250 visited site. Not bad. And what are they saying about you? Nothing? Well we can
and we should fix that. As we begin to explain how to get help from YELP we ask you to
consider what we believe is the driving force of this revolution, which is summed up in
one word, ―transparency‖. People don’t want to be a lead. The days of filling out a form
and having their phone ring over and over and over is dying. Referrals count. Knowing
the provider counts. Being able to study you, learn about you before approaching
you, counts big.
So join us now as we step into the world of Yelp, seeking to add another online stake of
credibility for people that might want a little more information before they give you a call
or drop in on your business.
1. Go to Yelp.com and open an account. You must have an account to review others.
This is critical for credibility. You can see the profile of the reviewer. I am a
writer of a local Hearst Newspaper Real Estate Professionals blog. I used to write a
lot, not much anymore.
2. Go through the process of writing your first review.
3. Next is the most important part: getting reviews about you and
linking to the reviews from your blog/website. HELP from YELP
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YELP. REAL REVIEW ABOUT YOU
1. Make a list of people you know will give you a favorable review. Try for a dozen.
2. Send them an email asking for the review with your thoughts guiding what they might say.
This isn't as much a steering the review as it is helping them get started. Once they start
editing your text they are likely to make a lot of changes so it really reflects their
thoughts. It does help to get them started. I do this whenever asked to write a letter of
recommendation to a potential employer. It just helps. By the way, you may have to en-
courage them to join Yelp, and you should offer to Yelp them.
3. Go to all of your websites and link to your Yelp profile.
Now watch out. Yelp has their own automated algorithm designed to create credibility. They
may not post all of those who recommend you. For example, if the reviewer is not actively in-
volved with Yelp it may not be posted.
The way to overcome that is to create a page on your blog/website that has a Jing photo of
the review. The reason is the review may not show up on your Yelp page but it still
remains on their page. The end result is actually better.
Like all good things this takes a little time, but the reviews last forever and provide those who
are considering you a reason to step forward.
An example of a Yelp review on the Issaquah
Grange Supply
If someone writes something negative about
your business on Yelp, you will know it and can
respond and perhaps see changes you need to make or fix. YELP CAN HELP!
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MY WEEKLY SCORE CARD
Take at least __ hours
in meeting new people
that say yes to keeping
Take & post in touch by email.
at least 1
video
Spend ___ hours per week
I have sent an email to
paying it forward, making
my database this month.
New friends, etc.
Write Write___ articles
daily on per week on my Link Fan Page
my fan hub, my blog etc to blog
page. posts.
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YOUR BLOG IS YOUR HUB.
All Other Social Media are the Spokes.
WHY IS THE BLOG THE HUB?
A: Done right it will capture an audience that will be faithful to you even though you aren’t aware they are visit-
ing. They will become your friend in a different way, a friend in the computer. Your blog is your voice. It will be the
voice of authority on an interesting topic. That topic may be a neighborhood, city, or town or a topic.
B: All face to face conversations should do the same. Create a simple brochure, or use ours as a template, that you
take everywhere you go. Our blog is http://issaquahUndressed.com. So how do we answer the question, ―What do
you do?‖ ― We write a blog about Issaquah and area Real Estate. IssaquahUndressed.com.‖ People are interested, it
leads to a Real Estate conversation.
The conversations go smooth and naturally. Your job is to attend, to mix, be friendly, be interested in the other folks,
Carry on conversations. This makes it easy. Don’t be all about you.
All your Social Media should drive people to your blog/website.
All of your other marketing efforts should invite people to visit your blog. These are the 2 types of Spokes:
Online Social Media and Traditional Marketing.
Yes, your blog is your hub. Review these rules below.
10 rules for a successful, power house blog.
1– Speak/write with the voice of authority. People are attracted to confidence. (Be not Cocky)
2– As a Realtor it is best to be your own writer, People will do business with you because they identify with you, trust
you, like you, or respect you. You are the one they will identify with and trust. This way you will get them.
3- Use good quality photos in almost every post you publish. It is an important part of your blog post. Check out
both IssaquahUndressed.com and GigHarborUndressed.com for good examples.
4- Write for viewers not Google, but learn what Google Likes. We teach that.
5- Posting daily is the Ultimate, 2 times per week the minimum.
6- Don’t write two blogs. There are many reasons for this.
7- Don’t write for your peers, write for your potential consumers.
8- You can write on an individual free blog platform but being part of our network is superior.
9- Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Actually, don’t be afraid.
10- Treat your blog as a soft sell. Have contact information but no hard sell, even if you love what you do. Just be careful
to not be too commercial. That is boring and will drive people away.
Bloggle Your Mind
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RESPECT COPYRIGHT LAWS
Q: What photos of others can someone use in your own articles?
A: (a) You cannot use others photos without a license. Flickr has many licenses options that owners may select to
allow you to use their photo. The license always has conditions to the license which you must observe. Three common
conditions are: 1- not for commercial use, 2– provide credit to the owner, and 3– to not alter the photo in any way. Make
sure you know what the options are in Flickr (or elsewhere) before you use another’s photos. They are listed in
Flickr.
Q: May I copy and publish another persons articles? Even if I give
them credit?
A: Let’s be clear on this. Fair use copyright laws do allow you to take a small portion of an article and
link to the original article of another. CiUn Inc’s policy is that you are allowed to post up to 1/3 of
the article providing you link to the blog/website of the article. You are not allowed to reprint the
entire article. It doesn’t matter if you give them credit or not. Reposting an article without permission is a
copyright violation, plain and simple. CiUn Inc requires their bloggers to uphold copyright laws.
Note: There have been successful precedents that have blog writers vigorously pursuing those who steal
their content. They have been successful with a process that starts with a demand from their attorney
offering a cash settlement of a few hundred dollars for an immediate resolution. The demand has a stated
schedule that leads to thousands of dollars for a resolution that is not immediately consummated.
If that is not enough Google penalizes blogs that have duplicated content. It can affect the entire
CIUN inc. network.
In like manner this manual is distributed for the sole use of those purchasing this manual or registering
for and attending a ―The Hub And Spokes Solution™‖ Social Media Marketing Lab. CiUn Inc. retains the
rights to produce, publish, or copy this manual and retains the ownership rights, including its
modification and distribution.
CiUn Inc. authorizes Certified Event Planners and Certified Instructors to distribute this manual. These
authorized planners and instructors are listed at http://ciuninc.com/ It is not to be copied or
distributed accept under license from CiUn Inc.
Bloggle Your Mind and The Hub & Spokes Solution are trademarks. CiUn inc ©
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THE UN DRESSED
THE P OWER OF
TWORK O F BLOGS
NE
Those who join our network immediately benefit from
the power of our network, which provides tens of
thousands of natural links versus those of an individual
website or blog
INFORMATION TO
RO VIDES VALUABLE
THE NETWORK P O PPORTUNITIES,
N D RELATIONSHIP
TH E COMMUNITY, A OUR BLOGGERS
LEADS A ND BUSINESS TO
continued
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THE POWER OF OUR NETWORK...continued
RealEstateUndressed.com, NeighborhoodsUndressed.com and local blogs such as IssaquahUndressed.com work to
connect our customers, who are realtors, loan officers, or other businesses with their community.
The network provides valuable information to the community, and relationship opportunities, leads and business to our
bloggers.
Those who join our network immediately benefit from the power of our network, which provides
tens of thousands of natural links versus those of an individual website or blog.
Our track record has astonished many experts as to the POWER we have in Google searches.
We license our brand, we train, we coach, we host. We make it easy and effective. We can bring you more
business, even provide additional income opportunities.
We are CiUn Inc. Consumer Information UndressedNetwork or commonly known as the Undressed Network. Quirky, G
Rated, but people remember the name. We invite you to try the undressed marketing genius. Visit a few of our
Undressed Blogs: www.IssaquahUndressed.com www.GigHarborUndressed.com
www.SemiahmooUndressed.com www.CreativeWorkSpaceUndressed.com
These sites will give you an idea how some of our bloggers get connected to their community. Each has their own voice,
purpose and personality, but have POWER in the Undressed Network.
Three additional areas that may be of interest:
The technology:
Our blogs are custom built on a MU WordPress platform by 3 experts specifically for our Network
(CiUn Inc).
We teach our clients how to write for Google. Having the results you seek is more certain as part of the
network than on your own.
We host our own systems on individual servers which avoids restrictions that WordPress places on
individual WP hosted blogs.
The People in the network:
Much of what we teach in Hub And Spokes we have learned from the experiences of ourselves and our
clients. That type of knowledge base is extremely valuable. That will grow as the networks grow. We have
found that being a part of a network fosters sharing.
The Brands: AblogAboutit.com and Undressed.com allow individual branding while participating in a common brand.
Consider the power in just having one blogs online vs. thousands.
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MAIN BLOG PARTS
BASICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNDRESSED BLOGS
The important thing is to have a few things up and then to start driving fu-
ture customers and friends to your blog. Loyal readers happen
1. Posts: Articles are posts. They are your voice & your expertise.
2. Links: They are in your sidebar, articles & photos.
3. Photos: The ―hooks‖, catch the eye & and keep people returning
4. Tagline: A simple statement and Google tracks it.
5. Sidebar: A place for interesting links.
6. Link Bar: (Blue Bar) Prominent area for links.
7. Description Paragraph: (or community description) A summary of the
site + Google tracks it.
8. Pages: Like a post but are visible only at the top of the sidebar.
9. RSS Feeds: Explained separately
10.You: You are the most important part of your blog. TAG LINE 4
PHOTOS 3
LINK BAR 6
#7
POST 1 PAGES & SIDE-
BAR 8, 5
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BLOG INFO- WRITING FOR CONSUMERS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
 The faster you get it up with good content the better.
 The more you often you post the better / minimum of 2 times a week. (IT IS BETTER TO DO MORE)
 Provide much local content before adding greater area info.
 Think about what you would like to know about a town you might be considering moving to, or visiting.
 Local, unique to the neighborhood posts, add character.
 Generally let the pictures speak – with short written info, easier for you – easier for the reader.
 Learn as much about your town as you can. You will be surprised at what you don’t know.
 Good blogs don’t happen over night – you are building your reputation and credibility along with your towns.
 Join the Chamber of Commerce (or equivalent) and participate. Use the brochure about your blog to connect
with people.
 Grow connections with those you do business with, i.e. your bank, auto repair etc.
 Make your blog have broad appeal.
 Read the site links you link to – they are full of ideas and information, about events, etc. Also check the links to
make sure they work.
 Avoid divisive and controversial issues – you are not a newspaper.
 One of the great things about blogs is that they are active and changing and interactive.
 It’s all about content.
 Pay attention and search – be an expert on your town or topic.
 Enlist others to write articles
 You can apply these things to a business or topic if you are not doing a neighborhood
You are never done! That is why your readers come back and back.
How to Gather Information / Sources of Information
Everywhere you can think of, keep your eyes and ears open. Pay attention throughout the day.
Newspapers Newsletters (local, neighborhood) Neighborhoods in your town
Websites Area real estate information Events
Notices of events School sports / area sports Employment sources
Businesses New developments Links – Chamber, Parks & Recreation, etc, etc.
Pamphlets Chamber of Commerce Hotel Pamphlets
Merchants Mortgage Information Restaurants
Clubs Bus Routes Weather
Traffic Libraries Museums
Magazines Always drive around and carry your camera in your car or purse.
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WHY PHOTOS ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BLOG
PICTURE TAKING FOR YOUR BLOG
Pictures are a very important part of your blog. This page will give information on why, but how is
covered in a post specific to that purpose, that shows how to take the pictures and get them into your
blog.
You will need a good digital camera. All photos on the prototype IssaquahUndressed.com were done
with a point and shoot camera. We kept it simple. You need one that can be easily used, small,
unobtrusive, easily charged and one capable of taking many shots at a time (several hundred) without
recharging. If you take a lot, you will come up with a few good ones for your blog. The photos you take
will need to be uploaded into your computer, AND THEN PUT INTO FLICKR TO GO TO YOUR BLOG
You can choose a camera that has a program to put into your computer that allows you to edit, crop,
lighten, etc. the photos you take. You do NOT need to be a professional photographer. However use only
your best on your blog.
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially if you’re in real estate, most people don’t like to
read a lot of text but want to find out about a community without a lot of effort.
Pictures of neighborhoods (good real estate info, especially with price ranges) houses, parks etc. are
best done in the spring, summer or fall. Pictures we took in the winter looked very bleak and uninviting.
Get all of your neighborhoods done and then in the winter you can focus on other things such as holiday
events, home shows, sports, museums, school events, restaurant lists and reviews.
FLICKR IS MORE THAN A PICTURE MANAGEMENT PLACE, AND MORE THAN JUST A WAY TO GET
PHOTOS INTO YOUR BLOG. FLICKR IS A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT CAN BRING ATTENTION TO YOU AND
YOUR BUSINESS. AGAIN, FILL OUT YOUR PROFILE, CHECK OUT OTHER FLICKR USERS AND GROUPS.
MAKE SURE YOU TAG, DESCRIBE AND TITLE YOUR PHOTOS, AND PUT THEM IN SETS. WE HAVE BEEN
FREQUENTLY ASKED BY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IF THEY CAN USE OUR PHOTOS. ANOTHER OPPOR-
TUNITY TO CONNECT WITH POSSIBLE CLIENTS. YOU CAN JOIN GROUPS AND START GROUPS, AND
BE FOUND BY FLICKR SEARCH.
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DO YOU THINK THIS POST WOULD BE VERY
INTERESTING WITHOUT THE PHOTO?
PHOTOS ARE AN ATTENTION GETTER. YOU KNOW, A PICTURE
IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. WE CULTIVATE A RELATION-
SHIP WITH THE COUGAR MT. ZOO. TO GO TO THIS POST ON OUR BLOG:
http://tinyurl.com/yjo572q
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YOUR BLOG IS RSS
You don't need to know RSS, just understand its power.
Pretend you understand the technical ramifications of RSS. I confess I don’t. Yet, I have been
talking and using RSS for years now. I am still awaiting the magic definition. If I were a
techie I would get it. I’m not. Maybe you aren't either.
That’s OK. You only need to know 5 things about RSS.
1. It’s important.
2. It’s cool.
3. It’s here to stay.
4. Things published by RSS can’t be taken back.
5. It can make you rich.
Did # 5 get your attention? It was supposed to.
Here is the way I would describe it. RSS is the amazing technology that sends what you write to the world. Instead of
you going to a website to read an article, the article comes to you. You push the publish button and everyone that wants
to read your article or study your topic, or even find your site is likely to see your article without going to your website.
It is like it pushes your website to the world.
Here is how Wikipedia describes it. I like my definition better.
RSS (most commonly translated as "Really Simple Syndication" but sometimes "Rich Site Summary") is a family of web feed for-
mats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.[2]
An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed",[3] or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as
publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers
who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can
be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-
device-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs.
The user subscribes to a feed by entering into the reader the feed's URI – often referred to informally as a "URL" (uniform resource
locator), although technically the two terms are not exactly synonymous – or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the
subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads any updates that it finds,
and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.
RSS formats are specified using XML, a generic specification for the creation of data formats. Although RSS formats have evolved
since March 1999,[4] the RSS icon (" ") first gained widespread use between 2005 and 2006.[5]
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GOOGLE READER CAPTURES RSS
1- Your Google Reader will
be a handy way to follow
blogs you are interested in.
Do a search for Google
reader.
2- Register and then look for add a subscription.
3 - Type the web address of the blog
you want to follow and click add. >>>
You can assemble an
unlimited number of
blogs to follow. All arrive
conveniently at your
reader shortly after they
are posted by the author.
The format gives you the
summary as you see on
the left. You see this
without being on the blog
site. If you click the blog
title or the article you are
actually forwarded to the
site as a visitor.
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RSS FEEDS IN YOUR BLOG
1. LOGIN
2.
There are two
3.
columns of
widgets in here.
You are only
concerned with
the RSS block.
This way of installing RSS in your blogs side-
bar is a way of adding fresh content.
You can have the latest articles from other
blogs or with many newspapers as an
example. It is automatic. continued
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RSS FEEDS IN YOUR BLOG
ADD INTERESTING, AUTOMATICALLY FRESH, & RELATIVE, CONTENT TO YOUR BLOG
4.
Double Click the box
5.
after you have moved it
and it will open to this.
6. This last part has you click edit and this box will open. Fill in the boxes. It might take some
experimentation to find the feed. It must be an RSS feed, usually the RSS address ends in
/feed/. Here are a couple of examples we copied that work:
From A Local Newspapers online feed:
http://www.issaquahpress.com/category/sports/feed/
From another Issaquah Undressed blog:
http://issaquah2.neighborhoodsundressed.com/feed/ continued
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YAHOO NEWS IS RSS
RSS—REAL SIMPLE SYNDICATION IS USED IN MANY WAYS.
This entire page is organized with RSS feeds
delivering content from another RSS driven website.
Many famous websites you currently visit are probably
functioning thanks to RSS.
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GOOGLE TIPS TO HELP FIND YOU
Google is amazing at analyzing websites. Note that their goal is to deliver the most credi-
ble search result. Its algorithm is designed to determine what your blog/website is truly
about. It is able to conclude what is natural and what is contrived. For that reason your
first task is to write naturally. If you are writing about Issaquah, use but don’t overdo the
word Issaquah. Too many repetitive words would be unnatural and Google will assess that and
punish your site. In like manner if you are writing about real estate, don't clog an article up
with every real estate word you can think of. It not only will offend your primary target, the
reader, it will offend Google. We had our template built for Google by experts of Google
and WordPress. Note the areas we point arrows to. They are a series of important places
for you to define your site for Google. (see first picture on next page) Note how there are
important places on the website/blog that you can tell Google what your site is about. After
that write to your topic. Of course if you are writing about San Francisco it is natural to write
about nearby areas. Don’t fret, that won’t hurt you if you consistently add San Francisco
content.
When you post articles you have the same opportunity. Your article title should reflect
the same in your topic. If your title says Issaquah Tigers, your article should also have the
word tigers in it. Your site has Issaquah all over the place and you need not be redundant with
that word. Tags are a way to tell Google this is about the topics you think those search-
ing online should find relevant about this article. Try and make a habit of at least 3 tags per
article. Bold words that are important. Link to other articles you have written that are
relevant. This is a big plus with Google. Be friendly with others on line, link to them if they
post a related topic. They might find the opportunity to do the same with you and that is a
good thing. Take time to review old articles. If you see a way to update them, do so. It is telling
Google, hey something important is here. That is also a good thing with Google. Don’t change
the dates of your articles.
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GOOGLE TIPS Continued…………..
Here are some back end illustrations. In the illustration below you are looking at the blog’s
back end manage section. It shows the categories and tags. Note that in many cases it is
appropriate to use multiple categories. Often people hit your site with a topic in mind. They
will research every article on the topic. Note the multiple tags to help Google pick your site
and article to deliver to the front of the search. Note that what we are teaching here is all
real and natural. We don't play games with Google. We use Organic search.
The arrows show this article tagged “shops at Issaquah Highlands”. That was wise as
people might be searching that phrase and this article is now on page 1 for that search.
This makes the point that by writing your article for readers you end up being found by
Google for searches you hadn’t planned for.
The Hub And Spokes Solution does not depend on Google but it values Google. The bene-
fits of being found may pay off way down the road and by knowing this and by your taking a
little extra effort you can reap the benefits.
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THE 8 MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS
OF YOUR BLOG
1. Writing articles, 2 to 7 2. Adding photos to your
times a week. Budget 1 hour posts. VERY IMPORTANT!
3. Installing ―Links‖ in your 4. Using ―Links‖ in your
sidebar. posts.
5. Writing for the consumer 6. Writing for Google: Just
the basics
7. Pages: Like Posts Yet Are 8. Using Your Blog With The
Different. Rest Of Your Marketing
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BLOG BASICS: TRAINING & MANAGING YOUR BLOG
YOU HAVE ORDERED YOUR UNDRESSED BLOG AND HAVE A URL — YOUR BLOG HAS
BEEN SETUP —YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A USER NAME AND A PASSWORD — IT’S TIME
TO BEGIN: WRITING A POST AND OTHER GOOD STUFF
1. ENTERING INTO YOUR BLOGS BACK END—IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND COLUMN
CLICK ON LOG IN
2. A BOX WILL POP UP. PUT
IN YOUR USER NAME AND
YOUR PASSWORD THEN
CLICK ON LOG IN
YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO
THE DASHBOARD, THE
ENTRANCE TO YOUR BLOGS
BACK END
NEXT
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THE DASHBOARD—YOUR ENTRY TO CONTROL
THERE ARE MANY PURPOSES YOU HAVE ACCESS TO FROM THE BACKEND. THIS PAGE WILL DEAL
WITH YOUR FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TASK:
HOW TO WRITE A POST: CLICK ON EITHER THE QUICKPRESS OR “NEW POST”
QUICK PRESS IS FOR QUICK DRAFTS, WITHOUT MANY OF THE OPTIONS—FOR MAIN WRITING PAGE
CLICK “NEW POST”
YOUR SPACE FOR WRITING WILL APEAR. THERE IS A SPACE FOR YOUR TITLE AND A SPACE FOR THE TEXT WITH OPTIONS IN
THE BAR ABOVE. IT IS A SMALL SPACE BUT EXPANDS TO HOLD HOWEVER LARGE A POST YOU WANT TO WRITE. IT IS A BIT
DIFFERENT AND TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO, SO START OUT WITH A SMALL TEST POST. YOU ARE NOT WRITING TO WIN
A PULITZER! EASY DOES IT! EXPERIMENT. DON’T SWEAT IT AND DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY.
*
*
A BLOG IS INFORMAL AND YOU WRITE LIKE YOU TALK.
I DON’T PLAN POSTS OUT AHEAD, JUST LET IT FLOW. AND YOU CAN CHANGE IT!.................................
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TAGS, CATAGORIES AND PUBLISHING
TAGS ARE WHAT MAKE YOUR ARTICLES, PHOTOS AND YOU SEARCHABLE AND FINDABLE. THEY ARE
GOOGLE JUICE. THESE BOXES ARE TO THE RIGHT OF THE
WRITING BOX
Write as many tags as you want, separate the
tags by a comma, click Add, they will appear
below. You can delete or add more.
YOU CAN PUT YOUR POST IN MORE THAT ONE CATEGORY. THAT
WAY YOUR POST CAN BE FOUND MORE THAN ONE WAY. THESE
CATEGORIES APPEAR ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN OF YOUR
BLOG’S HOME PAGE. ALL POSTS IN A PARTICULAR CATEGORY
COME UP FOR THE VIEWER IF A CATEGORY IS CLICKED ON. IT IS A
LINK. YOU CREATE THE CATEGORIES AND CAN ADD MORE AT ANY
TIME.
A VISITOR TO YOUR BLOG CAN PURUSE THE CATEGORIES LISTED
TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION YOUR BLOG WILL
HAVE.
AFTER YOU HAVE CREATED A POST, TAGGED IT, AND CATEGORIZED
IT YOU ARE READY TO PUBLISH IT TO THE WORLD.
CLICK PUBLISH
DON’T KEEP PRIVATE IF YOU HAVEN’T SET YOUR DATE & TIME,
THE POST WILL GO LIVE IMMEDIATELY
IMMEDIATELY! AND YOU’RE ON!
OR IT WON’T WORK ON THE
BLOG
TO SET THE POST TO GO LIVE AT A FUTURE TIME OR DAY, CLICK EDIT AND PUT IN DESIRED DATE & TIME.
NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WRITING SPACE IT GIVES THE WORD COUNT. THIS WILL TELL YOU HOW
MANY WORDS YOU HAVE IN YOUR POST. NICE TO KNOW. IT IS GOOD TO HAVE AT LEAST 150. SOMETIME WE
DO, SOMETIMES WE DON’T. IT ISN’T A LOT. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE A GOOD POST.
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WRITING A POST—continued
A. Login to your blog B. Click on New
Post
1. C. Give it a title
3.
2.
E. Categorize &
D. Write an article, add a Click Publish
photo
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1. From Flickr’s HOME page, top right, click on Upload Photos and Video. It
*
will bring up the window below.
2. There are many different ways to get your photos from your computer
into flickr. You can experiment with the ones below. We like this one be-
cause you can drag and drop a whole batch of pictures quickly. Click to add
this uploader to your computer. Put a shortcut on your desktop.
*
After you have downloaded your uploader (!) Open your
computer’s photo program AND the Flickr Uploader. Select the
Photos you want to move to Flickr and drag and drop them into
the Uploader from your photo program.
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DRAG photos from your
computer into this
Flickr Uploadr
Here you can add title, description, tags and add to
an existing set or create a new set. I already had
a set for Cats, so I added these new pictures to that
set.
Sets allow you
to organize and
find your
pictures.
Click Upload
to begin the
transfer
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If you had put in the tags, titles and description as instructed
in the previous page you won’t have to do it here unless you
wish to change to more specific info for some pictures. You
can always do it later but these are the only times you will
have all photos from an upload on one page, so it is a little
easier. Click save at the bottom. You’re done.
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USING OTHER’S FLICKR PHOTOS
CiUn inc © SOME OF THE PHOTOS ARE LICENSED FOR YOUR USE, “WITH CONDITIONS”
Flickr is a great tool, but it is also a great source of photos. Here are the steps to
find and use photos legally. Remember, using others photographs without written
permission is illegal and has been known to be costly to some pirates:
1. Go to Flickr.com and login: .
2. Do a search for your topic: In this example I will
search for “dogs” Click Search
3. Flickr will deliver 1000’s of dogs: Cute as they
may be - you probably can’t use them.
4. There are almost always many you can use: To get to those you look for ―Advanced
Search” to the right of the normal search bar and
click it:
5. Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Search
Page: and find the Creative Com-
mons section of the page. Click the box
that says “Only search within Crea-
tive Commons licensed content: and
then click search. Plenty of photos
usually come up on most topics. Select
the photo you like by clicking on it.
Click all sizes.
6. Read the conditions, i.e. you will have
to give credit to the owner, not use to make money, not alter it, & give them the
right to use yours. There are different licenses, with different rules. Know
them!
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PHOTO FLICKR BLOG
HOW TO GET A PHOTO INTO YOUR BLOG FROM FLICKR
1. Select desired photo from your Flickr account
2. Double Click on photo
3. Click on All Sizes
4. Select size, usually medium
5. Scroll down to #2. Grab the photo's URL—copy
6. Go back to your blog’s back end
7. Click on Add Media box, under the Title
8. Click on top tab ―From URL‖
9. Paste URL in Source box
10. Click on Insert into Post DONE!
There are other ways and other
options but these are the basic
steps.
#7 Click
box
#9 Box will appear,
paste URL
#10 Click insert to post
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CUSTOMIZE YOUR RIGHTHAND & LEFTHAND PHOTOS
These are those on each side of your slide show. Put in your own.
Go to your blogs Dashboard (see pg.70) 1. Click on Settings. (left column) 2. Then
scroll down and click on Neighborhoods Undressed Customizations
Paste Left Hand URL
Paste Right Hand URL
5.
(You also put your Home Search URL here. See top box)
3. Select a photo from your Flickr. Click it, then double click it, Click on All Sizes,
Select the Medium Size.
4. Scroll down and
Copy the URL, then
5. Paste it in the
place above for
the right hand
photo. Then select
another photo for
the left hand photo
and repeat.
Don’t forget to
SAVE. Done!
URL
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CUSTOMIZING THE SLIDE SHOW IN YOUR BLOG
Your blog will come with default photos and slide show. You will need to put in
photos that show YOUR community. Your Slide Show will also come from Flickr.
Any of your sets can be used as the Slide Show. Make sure to organize a set with
info pertinent to your topic and with a good variety of good photos. You can
change and update any time you want. We like to update our side photos and slide
show every couple of months.
1. Login, go into your blog’s Dashboard (backend) —Click on Plugins (left column)
PUT IN YOUR FLICKR USER NAME
Box for Flickr.com
Username
2. Click on Slide Show– A list of all your Flickr sets will come up. Have one
prepared to be your slide show. Click box to the left of the of the slide show’s
name.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and Click box to the left of
Refresh my Slideshow
Then Click “Update Slide Show Setting” DONE
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MY COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION
Just under the Blue Bar is a space for you to put the most pertinent description
of your community or your reason for your blog if not a community. Below is an
example. What you put should catch people’s attention, Give your contact info
and even mention the main zip codes you will be blogging about.
To get to the place where you put in your description, again go to your blog’s
backend. 1. Click on Plugins (on left side of backend)
2. Then Click on My Community Description
3. Write your description in the box provided. 4. Click Update My Community Description *
*
Warning: You cannot correct the text in the box after you have updated it. Keep a copy of the text
elsewhere for reference. Make changes there and copy and paste into the text box. *
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TITLE AND TAGLINE
Your Title, of course, is unique to you. Ours, here, is Issaquah Undressed. The Tag Line sits
just below the title and makes a short statement of definition and contact info. To put in
these two items, go into your blog’s dashboard/backend.
1. Click on Settings left side again —General Settings will come up
2. Put in your Blog’s Title
3. Put in your Tagline (for an example, see www.issaquahundressed.com)
4. Scroll down, Click on Save Changes at bottom of page.
You can change these in the same way. You probably won’t be changing your title, but it can
came up fairly often to have changes to your tagline. Perhaps you have added another
writer or you just found a better way to say it. Easy to do. Repeat the above instructions.
JUST BECAUSE THE TAGLINE IS LITTLE, DOESN’T MEAN IT ISN’T
IMPORTANT. HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAY IN A FEW WORDS? YOU
COULD EVEN HAVE IT AS A SLOGAN PEOPLE WOULD REMEMBER. THE
TAGLINE IS VERY GOOGLE FRIENDLY.
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EDIT POSTS and other things,
…….Links, Categories, Pages, Tags, etc.
This is where you go if you want to make changes in any of these items. Posts are most
often in need of management. Suppose you find a big GOOF in one of your posts and you
want to fix it. In your Dashboard, Click on Posts, Select the post that needs revision.
From Edit Posts in your Dashboard (Backend) you can view all published posts, even if they
are set to go live a few days hence. By clicking on the post Title you can go in and edit
your post, add categories, tags, whatever you need to do. We INSIST you NEVER
delete a post that has been live because it can cause a blank page to come up if someone
has tried to view it from information that has come up on Google. Google hates that.
If you have scheduled a post to go live at a future time, under status it will say
Scheduled, if you click on Scheduled you can get a preview of how it looks live. YES!
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WHAT IS AKISMET? WHY DO I NEED IT?
Akismet is a Spam Blocker that captures spam. It
will capture what it thinks is spam. (click spam) You
don’t have to read it, just delete it by scrolling to
the bottom of your dashboard screen and click
delete all spam.
Getting Comments is a good thing, unless it’s spam. It is pos-
sible for spam to hit your comments folder. We have set your sys-
tem so comments from new visitors are moderated by you. Click
You do have the option of making all comments be moderated be-
fore going live. Just click settings > discussions > and click ―An ad-
ministrator must approve the comment‖ option.
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THE BAR: WE CALL IT THE BLUE BAR THIS IS A PLACE YOU WILL PUT YOUR
MOST IMPORTANT LINKS, WHERE YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO CLICK & VIEW. IT IS JUST ABOVE
YOUR COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION ON THE HOME PAGE. THIS SHOWS HOW TO SET IT UP.
FIRST You must TURN ON Menu Management!! ONE TIME ONLY.
After you log in, go to Plugins> Installed> Menu Management> Just
click Activate. Then proceed as below:
Click: 1. Menu Admin You will see Menu Management: The Bar is a
Menu Group.
Click on Add Menu Item
What do you want in your Blue Bar, a mortgage link, home search,
your fan page? You would acquire each URL of the items you want
people to be able to link to. This is the most visible links on your
blog. They should be the most important.
These new menu items are links: Name them and place the URL
(address) you are forwarding the link to.
Above are the URLs for the links in a BAR. Only so
many characters will fit, so be selective and
choose the best.
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