I recently attended the Circle of Trust Chicago party that was in Chicago a couple weeks ago which is an event that was created for individuals and businesses in commercial real estate to meet and network. This is my second Circle of trust event I have attended because they only recently branched out to Chicago, as this organization originated in Atlanta. Given this was my second time attending I had already had an idea as to what to expect, just casual talk, cocktails and discussions about commercial real estate, buildings, etc. So you are wondering what does this have to do with blogging? Well let me share my ‘Aha’ moment with you.

(L to R) Dana Peterlin/tBL Asst. Community Mgr tBL; Kristian Lee, Schulz Properties; Cynthia Milka, Director New Business Development Alter Asset Management

To my total surprise the hot topic of conversation was about blogs and how important and vital it is to have a blog. If I had been attending this party a year ago, I would have been clueless about blogging. So fast forward to today and I am all ears and into this small talk about blogs and the topic of how blogs help promote you, your services, clients and your company! There was much debate as to whether blogs are worth the time and effort or not and if they really are beneficial. My personal opinion is that yes, blogs are beneficial! Although I cannot articulate this point as eloquently as I will be able in a few more years, I just know, working with and around blogs and for bloggers for a year now and I have a better understanding today about how powerful blogging can be. I am a rookie to this game, as I have only posted one blog in my life, entitled “A Millennials Take on Commercial Real Estate and Other Stuff”, which was just a little over a week ago, so I am no expert. By the way, this is blog #2 for me! However, by writing my first blog, I learned so much, it has actually been life changing for me!

My 3 Blog Dot Connectors

1: It is A Way to Share Your Perspectives and Experiences

How often do we find ourselves reaching out to others for advice and opinions about certain subjects? With blogging it is a great way to share your experiences and perspectives and also view others to see what they have to say about certain subjects. Always keep an open mind! I think learning from others is wise. It saves time, money and resources. Do not go it alone. I notice so many cre folks are alone or independent so they have many great ideas and experiences to share!

2: It is A Great Tool to Help You Network and Grow

When blogging in business, tags are extremely important because it helps bring in readers as it is a laser pointed keyword that helps pull in those looking for what you have to say. Just like Twitter uses hashtags, blogs use tags and categories which are powerful to the search engines. I never realized how these tiny tags could help you grow your network and pull in traffic which is exposure to whatever it is you are marketing. Also, including other people and taking other content and incorporating it into your blog is super powerful. You are helping others and that really helps your network grow. My Aunt has been teaching me that with theBrokerList. Helping others is our #1 motto. The beauty of blogging is that it is open to the public so it draws in everyone in the business of your target audience. So if you are from Chicago and someone in CRE from New York reads your blog, they comment on it and reach out to you and now you have a connection you would have never been able to have before!

3: Sharing Blogs and Commenting on Blogs is HUGE!

Even if you never blog, you can do mountains for your brand and website just by helping others through sharing their blog AND by commenting on their blog. How many people do you know who do not like to be given feedback or complimented or even given some additional educational information? If you comment on a blog, the blogger loves that and believe me they remember you for it and appreciate you so much. In my first blog I ever wrote, I got comments from those I included in the blog and my family, including my Grandma, Mom, Uncles and Aunt. Now that seems cheesy, but it is not! It is so powerful and has inspired me even more. We all need a pat on the back or inspiration to get through our days so it does help you as a business person to gain more confidence! Not only does it benefit others by sharing through Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Pinterest, etc., but you are helping those that follow you to find good content. If you like it and share it, you are helping them weed through the mountains of content out there and take them to some great niche authors they may have never found. Blogging is a tool that can be used in so many different ways to share what you know, it is the ultimate learning experience.

You don’t have to be a professional writer in order to be a blogger, in fact you can write about whatever you like as long as it targets the audience you are going after. The beauty of blogging is you can mold and shape it into any way you want. I think blogging is a great outreach tool that has been under-appreciated for way too long, by the cre industry and I think it is finally starting to become recognized as one of the key ingredients in being a successful cre marketer.

I found this awesome video that really is a great way to understand the debate on is it worth it to blog or not. I hope you enjoy this video by Rand Fishkin of MOZ and Whiteboard Friday.

Photo Credit: “Hand Holding Tablet Pc” by pakorn FreeDigitalPhotos.net