A couple of weeks ago, I posted on the HomeGain blog a 9-step list on how to adapt a micro-blogging approach to a blog.  I agree the steps describe a completely different way of creating an online presence than through the traditional "write a three paragraph blog article" 2-3 times per week. This alternative method focuses on developing a more continuous (even hourly), active online presence that consumers interested in breaking local real estate news may want to follow. Since it's a new marketing approach, I expect a lot of debate.

Louis of HomeGain counters on his Active Rain blog that none of the AgentView agents have implemented the approach... that's because the method is brand new. We've been working with 150 bloggers and agents on developing this "social media marketing" strategy (partially documented at our #domus Twitter-based collaborative group), so we expect to see proof of concept shortly.

Here's a "reblog" of the HomeGain blog article (again, thanks to Louis and his gang for developing a great blog):

Here’s some quick advice for AgentView real estate agents to manage that new blog you may not know what to do with:

1. Blog articles are great but they do take time to write. Generally, the first ideas new bloggers have for topics - how-to’s, hyperlocal news - have been done before by other bloggers. It’s hard to differentiate yourself starting up a blog.
2. So do something different. Think like a journalist; watch out for real-time housing market news and be the first to report it.
3. Take notes at the tour marketing meetings, subscribe to the feeds of local online news and real estate publications.
4. Think in sound bites. Whenever you hear something interesting, write a sentence or two in the blog. Be efficient, don’t take more than 3 minutes per idea. Use a cellphone to write it if you’re in a tour meeting or open house.
5. When you see an interesting article online, cut and paste the article title and create a link to it.
6. If you write down several ideas per day, you soon accumulate a whole portfolio of ideas and facts that will be displayed on the blog. This content is just as revealing about how you develop business and help clients as blog articles.
7. You become a go-to source for your market. Prospects will come back again and again to see your new “sound bites”. After all, you’re the only one reporting on a daily basis… this is compelling to a committed home buyer or seller. Analogy - if I’m doing a stock purchase, I’d much rather analyze it in real time on Marketwatch.com than pick up the current Business Week magazine.
8. You’ll soon realize you can expand on the sound bites to construct more detailed blog articles. You’ll lose your writer’s block.
9. Finally, it’s easier to automate the whole process of “reporting” using a variety of micro-blogging and bookmarking applications like Twitter , Friendfeed, Tumblr, Delicious and Diigo. This is another story.