Bob Stewart issued a bribe challenge for posts describing how we use Active Rain to enhance client relationships ~ a fun challenge to take on. One of the main advantages of being an Active Rain RainMaker is the great marketing opportunity to communicate with home staging clients in the Portland OR area.
Most of my blog posts are written for two main target clients: Portland Oregon Homeowners planning to sell, and local Realtors. Since most of my clients search for home staging professionals using Google, having a strong internet presence is critically important. You'd be hard put to find a better means of building your real estate-related web presence than Active Rain!
One of the ways that potential and existing clients can find your blog is to provide links to it in your social media profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook, Zillow, etc.). I also post links to many of my A/R posts on these other forums for wider exposure than the A/R audience. I also add a link to my blog in my email signature so that people can easily connect to my posts when I reply to their inquiries about our Portland home staging services.
The home page of my company website has a link to my Active Rain Blog that has resulted in many views. My A/R Blog serves as my main "portfolio" of staging photos from various projects since I joined A/R in 2007. I've blogged about staging Portland OR vacant homes for sale using 'Before & After' photos, as well as staging occupied homes in the Portland area. I've also blogged about our Portland staging statistics for homes that we've staged this past year, resulting in clients calling me with requests for staging proposals.
Writing hyper-local content posts on A/R targeted to my Homeowner clients recently resulted in new clients finding my home staging tips and advice and then contacting me. One local Realtor read my A/R Blog, saw my Before & After photos, and then referred the president of a local bank to me -- that bank then hired my company to stage four high-end foreclosed homes!
One very effective way my A/R Blog helped me win new home staging clients came about this Spring when HGTV's production company posted a blog on A/R asking for Portland-area first time homebuyers to send in their application to appear on their show "My First Place." I wrote to the author of that A/R post and asked if they needed some design help for their Portland episodes. Shortly afterward, expert Chicago A/R home staging colleague, Julea Joseph did the design work for their Chicago episodes and the producer mentioned that the show's next shooting location was Portland, so Julea suggested that they contact me (since she knew me from my A/R Blog). The producers reviewed my website and A/R Blog and hired me to do 5 episodes of HGTV's My First Place, filmed this past summer -- to be aired in the Spring of 2010. (That was pretty cool ~ thanks A/R and Julea!)
Clients also find me through my A/R profile while searching online for Home Staging in Portland Oregon.
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Room Solutions Staging in Portland Oregon offers expert home staging services to homeowners, real estate agents, builders, banks, and investors. Our proven home staging techniques will help reduce your property's market time and maximize your equity. We prepare your property or listing to look appealing to your target buyer, for the online photos as well as in person. Our owner and principal stager Maureen Bray is a nationally-recognized expert in home staging and enjoys sharing her passion for staging with others. For a complimentary home staging proposal, please contact us @ 503-246-1800.
Licensed • Insured • Accredited • Certified
2013 Top Ten Professional Home Stager of the Year - United States
2012 Professional Home Stager of the Year - Western U.S.
President of the Real Estate Staging Association
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Great post Maureen. Wish mine was going to be as complete. I have a long way to go.
Hi Jim ~ Thanks for your encouragement .... it takes some time to put together but the "juice" will be worthwhile so just get started and you'll be glad you did when you see those bonus points!