How personal do you get in your blog?

[Jay Helms]

I've read the articles and many guidelines on being safe when blogging and not releasing any extremely personal details. I get that, but to help show my family is involved in our community, I'd like to post about some of our events/activities. So how much is to much? Obviously I'm not going to post DOBs, Passport photos, SSNs (the pedigree info) but I'd like to feel comfortable posting about my families hike down a certain trail without putting us at risk or being paranoid. So how much is to much? I'd love to see some examples and your feedback. 

[Dayo Osibamowo]

Nice question asked there Jay Helms . I started blogging last year and I've been asking myself this same question since then. Just like you said, it's very easy for some kind of paranoia to set in; however, I just do it. I've realized that overthinking and trying to come up with a "safe" story I usually gives me writer's block syndrome (which unfortunately lasts for at least 2 weeks) LOL

Our business is mainly lease options so what I try to do is relate my funny and cheesy life experiences to my lease purchase knowledge.

I'd advise that you just do what feels OK to you. My mentor says to me "your business is a secret, therefore you gotta put yourself and what you do out there"

I'd be glad to share my blog with you but I'm not sure we are allowed to post links on Bigger Pockets.

Dayo F Osibamowo
Springfield IL

[Brian Gibbons]

I think your blog should talk a little bit about being a "solutions provider for homesellers and homebuyers" if you want to make money with the blog. Making friends and talking about what's important to you personally and with your family I don't know I think it's warm and fuzzy .

 I don't want anybody to see pictures of my kids or no I have kids and what they do 

It's got to do is protecting my private life

The best way to use your blog  to make  money in real estate investing is  to talk about the problem and the solution. 

As an example, let's say you got a pretty house in a good neighborhood with no equity. I wiould talk " The Numbers"

 Even if it is a hypothetical situation you can talk the Numbers. 

Here's a common problem: 

you try to sell with an agent doesn't work out. The listing is expired. You have 5% equity in your house and your agent lists the house for more than the comps

What's the next step to fixing your house problem? 

 well if I was your real estate advisor, I would talk a little bit about what else you can do .

-You can hire a property manager and rent it out

- Or you can rent it out yourself as a for rent by owner 

- You can listed as a FSBO

- Or you can do something really creative like rent to own 

Rent Own means that you will help somebody buy the property by renting it first and then getting a mortgage and buying it from you at full value

Another possible solution is an investor can take over your payments . Whatever your PITI is, plus maintenance, be paid by the investor

Both these solutions might be your best option, especially if you have urgency, like going to another job out-of-state or out of the area 

 Contact me and I'm happy to walk through your property and write up a written proposal usually within 24 hours of seeing your property "

[Darryl D.]

I guess my question to you is what's the purpose of the blog?

- to make money?

- to establish a identity?

- to build trust?

- to create leads?

Once that's defined, I think it's easier to create a formula of how much personal info to share.

[Joel Colvos]

We use instagram to promote a certain PNW geographic area where our family frequently hikes and camps. I'm over on the paranoid side of not letting out any photos of family or personal information AND our properties in that area are listed back to an LLC with a PO Box so it would be difficult to trace it back to me personally.

However I had someone recently do exactly that and traced it back to my personal Facebook page which I found a little creepy.  There are some people with waaaaay too much time on their hands.

[Jay Helms]

Originally posted by @Darryl D.:

I guess my question to you is what's the purpose of the blog?

- to make money?

- to establish a identity?

- to build trust?

- to create leads?

Once that's defined, I think it's easier to create a formula of how much personal info to share.

Great questions Darryl. Actually all 4 :). But if I listed in priority I see the path to success as (1) establish an identity (2) build trust (3) create leaders (4) make money. Do you currently blog and what is your strategy?

[Jay Helms]

Originally posted by @Joel Colvos:

We use instagram to promote a certain PNW geographic area where our family frequently hikes and camps. I'm over on the paranoid side of not letting out any photos of family or personal information AND our properties in that area are listed back to an LLC with a PO Box so it would be difficult to trace it back to me personally.

However I had someone recently do exactly that and traced it back to my personal Facebook page which I found a little creepy.  There are some people with waaaaay too much time on their hands.

Great stuff Joel. I'm leaning toward your train of thought. Do you mind providing me your blog site or instagram id?

[Darryl D.]

Originally posted by @Jay Helms:

Originally posted by @Darryl D.:

I guess my question to you is what's the purpose of the blog?

- to make money?

- to establish a identity?

- to build trust?

- to create leads?

Once that's defined, I think it's easier to create a formula of how much personal info to share.

Great questions Darryl. Actually all 4 :). But if I listed in priority I see the path to success as (1) establish an identity (2) build trust (3) create leaders (4) make money. Do you currently blog and what is your strategy?

If that's the case, I would say 60% business 40% personal. Most of the reason for the 40% is from building trust, you want people to know you're a human not a humanoid-realestate-salesman, lol. Now the content of the business portion is a different story. That also needs to be defined because if you're selling yourself too much in that 60%, it kills the trust factor. 

I do a nice amount of brand consulting so more setting up strategies for other people/companies blogs than working on my own, lol. My blogging is 90% personal but based on business (ex: giving my personal outlook on the business I'm doing), if that makes sense...

[Joel Colvos]

Great stuff Joel. I'm leaning toward your train of thought. Do you mind providing me your blog site or instagram id?

I tried PMing it to you, I think it worked?