Most of us live where we live because we love it (although some do because of circumstance). Rick and I love Miami and celebrate it almost every day. It makes such a difference to love what you do and share that passion with others…..I guess that’s why I like blogging so much.
If you look around real estate blogs, you will find that a lot of hyper-local blogs have a fun feature where they let their guard down, we have Miamism Fridays and actually encourage our readers to send in “Miamisms”. Our blog is not a year old yet, but can tell you that people stop us to tell us that they look forward to reading our Friday posts.
I would love to hear what others are doing that is “out of the box” to encourage interaction and to have a little fun in your blog? I can tell you that the trick to these fun posts is consistency!
Here are some great examples:
- April Groves does Turn Around Tuesdays
- Athol Kay does Pimp my Listing Photo (amongst other things)
- Our own Lani Anglin does Bubble Gum Interviews (which I am sad because I have never been interviewed <snif snif>)
- Jay Thompson does Site of the Week
- Agent Genius has Thursdays WTF (which is a bit random and not consistent……WTF?)
- Teresa Boardman has Friday Fun
**please add links to your blogs when you share so that we can go take a peek**
Bill Lublin
May 23, 2008 at 11:03 am
Ines – Your post made me feel better –
Lani never interviewed me either, and you and Rick and way better looking and have that whole Wind in the hair Miami thing going – All I have are soft pretzels, cheesesteaks and the Philadelphia Eagles 😉
Barry Cunningham
May 23, 2008 at 11:06 am
We are launching a “What’s Cooking” feature. Gets us out speaking to local restaurants, interviewing them, letting them spread the word and a free meal to boot! Cross promotion is righteous!
Ans as Ines knows..we have some unreal restaurants to talk about down here.
Lani Anglin-Rosales
May 23, 2008 at 11:32 am
Ines, Bill- your day will come and you’ll be sorry you ever brought it up, the interviews have ruined many a career 😉
Barry- I LOVE that! We’ve had great success on our hyperlocal blogs with featuring events especially at music venues and restaurants, let us know how it goes!
Ines
May 23, 2008 at 11:40 am
Bill – Philly Cheesesteaks RULE!! I would do a “where’s the cheesesteak” bit on your blog and photoshop an inconspicuous sandwich in known Philly places…..that would be a lot of fun.
Barry – that really sounds like a great idea – I do restaurant reviews on Miamism (just did one yesterday for Burrito Grill) and it’s usually restaurants where owners are involved and welcome the consumer. Some of them, in return, place a “miamism.com” window cling somewhere on their window fronts. Good Luck with that……and yes we have awesome restaurants.
Lani – I’m sure I will regret this 😉 …..or NOT!
Benn Rosales
May 23, 2008 at 11:44 am
Sometimes Friday gets here and I am like ahh wtf?! What happened to Thursday?!
Jonathan Dalton
May 23, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Clearly you’re not one of my 3 loyal readers else you’d have known about the Friday afternoon theme music.
This one’s for you, Ines …
https://www.allphoenixrealestate.com/05232008/friday-afternoon-theme-music-may-23/
Rich Jacobson
May 23, 2008 at 1:16 pm
While many of us let our hair on our blogs a bit more than we probably should, I think it’s a great idea to create a regular weekly feature to attract more readership and participation. Local interaction, Baby!
Ines
May 23, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Benn – I know what you mean, but put it in your schedule for God’s sake!! you can have a Thursday Theme without a Thursday Post! or delegate it my friend…..there are plenty of us here.
Now Jonathan….THAT’s what I call a fun post!! I do have you in my feed reader, now I just have to get there.
Rich – you know all about local interaction……your crab says it all!
Ricardo Bueno
May 23, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I still haven’t come up with something as clever as “Miamism” or “Turn-Around Tuesdays” or…you get the idea.
I probably need to find something that brands itself around “Bueno.” Any ideas? 😀
Jonathan Dalton
May 23, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Rich – letting your hair down isn’t all bad, as long as it’s not done to excess. Helps the readers see a more intimate side of the writer which in turn can help them build that connection.
Ines
May 23, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Hi Ricardo, since you are in mortgages and rely on Realtors to give you business – you could identify a “good guy award” to someone around the country – or people within the industry.
“Bueno’s agent pick” or Bueno con Ricardo. If your readers are more local, think of something silly or fun in your town – Bueno AWARD! Buenos Dias. You could also keep it general and switch it up a bit (the award may go to a local cop or pizza guy or even a meter maid)…..OK……I think I’ll stop now.
Jonathan – I’m with you there!
Benn Rosales
May 23, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Ines, last time I checked Thursday is still on my calendar! =]
Athol Kay
May 23, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Actually I cursed that I had not thought of “Miamism!” when I saw it on your site Ines. It’s effortlessly good every time.
Ricardo Bueno
May 23, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Ines: Muchisimas gracias! Talking it out with someone usually gets the creative juices goin’…
Ines
May 23, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Very funny Benn!! very funny….
Athol – how about “connecticutisms”??? 😀
Ricardo, I’m sure I can keep going
Chris Shouse
May 23, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I am really going to have to think about this. I have not felt real fun lately. Can anyone give me some ideas on fun things for my sight?
Ines
May 23, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Chris – with hyperlocal blogs it’s not easy to get advice – but I can tell you I love your flower shots. It could be as easy as Summerlin’s Friday Flowers (it doesn’t have to be on Fridays either – pick and day and stick to it) – ask readers to share their flower shots and maybe a story to go with them.
You could even share one of the photos from your photo blog with your main blog once a week. Look what Athol does with the bad MLS pictures…..people from everywhere send him stuff.
Ricardo Bueno
May 23, 2008 at 10:54 pm
orale pues…don’t let me stop you 😀
Kathy Drewien
May 23, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Love the spontaneity of Miamism Fridays! Your post prompted me to get started with Saturday Stories.
Chris Shouse
May 23, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Ines that is a great idea and Friday’s Flowers would be perfect. Thank you. I will start next Fri.
Irina Netchaev
May 23, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Ines, what a great idea! I’ll need to put my thinking hat on and create something similar.
Jamie Geiger
May 24, 2008 at 12:32 am
Great idea, I guess I am kind of doing it with my dogs- I am a Foster Mom for Basset hounds and bloodhounds and have posted a couple of times about that- so I think I can come up with Hound Day or something along those lines and share stories and pictures of my new hounds and the funny things they do- I really need a great video camera
Athol Kay
May 24, 2008 at 7:53 am
Ines… I’ve thought of “Connecticutisms”, but it’s a horrible mouthful, plus I don’t think I can pull off your peppy sense of fun about it. Mine would be dark stuff like “Snow: We lived here our whole lives and we still can’t drive in it” and pictures of crashed cars. Or “Construction on I-84… since 1982”.
Maybe Connecticutitis…
ines
May 24, 2008 at 11:20 am
BUENO is in DA Haus! – 🙂
Chris – sometimes it takes a little brainstorming to get those juices flowing, let me know what you come up with.
Jamie- that’s an amazing idea – and if you can engage other “foster parents” to share their stories, imagine the power!
Athol – HA HA!! you are right about the mouth full, connecticutitis is hilarious (sounds like a horrible infection), although I don’t think you need any more theme days on your blog – every time I stop by I have fun and your sense of humor and personality shines through.
ines
May 24, 2008 at 11:27 am
Kathy, I skipped you purposely – what a great start and I am so happy that this post inspired you. Your link was broken, but here it is – Saturday Stories
Vicki Moore
May 24, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Ines – You are so creative you’re infectious. I love your ideas.
ines
May 24, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Thanks Vicki!! 🙂
Mariana
May 24, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Ah! Once upon a time I had an off-topic day, but I haven’t done it lately … I may have to pick it back up! (And I agree with Vicki. Ines is one ofhte most creative people I have ever known-but-not-met-in-person…)
Chris Shouse
May 24, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Ines this is what I decided to do if it works I spent the day researching people on flickr who take pics of Summerlin. Instead of just flowers I think Summerlin Saturday and have people submit their favorite Summerlin pic. hoping that just by contacting those people it will start the ball rolling. If worse comes to worse I could always take an ad out in our hometown paper. Hoping that word of mouth will start it rolling and be enough to keep it going. What do you all think?
ines
May 24, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Mariana – I did go into your blog remembering you did something funny and couldn’t find it…..so go do it! (and thanks for the creativity part…….I need an OUT!!)
Chris – I think that’s a beautiful idea. There’s a local non-re blog that actually includes flickr pictures of miami without having to contact them. So it would be easy to supplement those days people don’t send you stuff.
Teresa Boardman
May 25, 2008 at 5:38 am
Thanks for the link. My Friday fun post has helped me get listings. Who knew?
ines
May 25, 2008 at 8:09 am
Teresa, that’s what I’m talking about – and let me not get started on your Churches either. I think you have inspired many of us into coming up with different ideas and to not be afraid of being ourselves in our blogs……and……most importantly…….consistency!
Barry Cunningham
May 25, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I can’t see the Bentley in the picture! Must mean miamism Fridays and being an architect are working for you. 🙂
ines
May 25, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Barry, no….it means you just have to take my word for it about the Bentley 😉
Barry Cunningham
May 25, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Fuhgettaboutit..your word is taken!