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New and Improved ActiveRain Leaderboard

I reblogged this post to give some additional exposure to the new ActiveRain Leaderboard.  This in my opinion is a nice supplement to the City/State pages that use to feature the ability to find specific individuals in various States under a selected category. Great job on the post Kerrie, thanks and kudos!  :-)

Via ActiveRain Corp.:

We are pleased to announce the new and improved ActiveRain Leaderboard! We couldn't have done it without the amazing feedback of our Community over the last couple of days. Thank you all so much!

ActiveRain wanted to create the best possible layout for all of our members.  A place where you can easily see how you rank within all of AR, your state, your professional group etc.

The new style is sleek and sexy...take a look.

ActiveRain Leaderboard

As you can see, I have narrowed my search down to Real Estate Agents in All States.  You can also add state, county, and city for more localization. 

If you are roaming around and your name is in the list you can hit the "show me" button on the bottom right and it will take you to the page you rank on with your profile highlighted. Please keep in mind that if you are not a Loan Officer in New York and you have that specific search open, the "show me" button will not appear.

The new design will make it easier and more convenient to find what you're looking for;  whether it be a referral or simply to see where you rank amongst other members.

Another great tool is that you can access the leaderboard from your main profile.  If you click "My Home" on the top right hand side of AR you then see your smokin' hot photo with a few stats below.  The "Rank in State", "Rank in County" and "Rank in City" all link to the leaderboard.

ActiveRain is always working hard to stay on top.  We try our best to provide you with the tools you need and are asking for.  The new ActiveRain Leaderboard is our newest addition.

We hope you like it!

Kerrie Greenhalgh

 

 

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36 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • July 21 2010 11:46AM

Who's Calling The Shots on ActiveRain - The New "Called Shots" Feature

We have a new feature which I'm sure many of you have already noticed on your "MY HOME" pages. 

Since we released the new "SUGGEST" for feature button, we've been getting a really good response from members helping us to find and report suggested content for the ActiveRain Feature Board.  You'll notice today that we've placed a new metric "CALLED SHOTS" counter in the status area of each members "my home" page. This little tracker tool will tally a total of how many posts you suggest that actually get featured.

Calling a shot simply means you've selected a post by another member that you feel should be featured. 

To do this, you would have to have clicked on the "SUGGEST" button in the upper right corner of their blog post.  If you suggest a members Blog post to be featured, and it is selected, then you will have "Called The Shot" and get the kudos.  When a member accumulates enough "Called Shots" they'll earn a new badge.

In order to prevent gaming, members may only suggest a maximum of 5 posts per day, so be careful calling your shots, don't waste them, we may have some additional surprises and rewards for those members "calling the most shots" around here. 

Thank you for helping us keep the network growing and for keeping the community fun!  Your support in suggesting features has been awesome, and is making a huge difference for our moderators and for the variety and quality of content that our visitors and traffic are being exposed to while visiting ActiveRain.



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137 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • June 29 2010 09:59AM

ActiveRain's NEW "Suggest For Feature" Button

Today we launched a new button on ActiveRain.  The "Suggest Feature" button.  

With the volume of great content and fantastic Blog posts being submitted daily from our RainMakers, we have created a new and powerful tool that allows members of the community to make suggestions for posts and articles they feel should be featured on our home page. This is a very powerful new tool, and with great power, comes great responsibility.  :-)  It is similar to the new Facebook "LIKE" button that we recently added.

As long as I can remember, the controversy of what does, and does not get featured has seemed a mystery or at best, a guess.  ActiveRain's moderators have done a fabulous job in my opinion of sifting through the thousands of daily posts that go up on our network.  It is a very difficult and time consuming task, and it's no longer humanly possible for us to review every post submitted by members for a potential feature.

The ActiveRain Community has been built and established based partly on our members "ideas and suggestions" and we're not changing our culture now!  We are looking to our members, and the thousands of eyes (instead of just the few of our own)  to suggest and submit to us, any posts you feel are worthy and have good content for our Feature Board.  Now YOU (our community) can help us moderate and play a significant huge role in what our community stands for and represents. 

By clicking on the new button, you'll be endorsing that member's Blog post, and sending us a link to consider for the coveted and infamous golden star.  When you click on it, nothing will happen except the button will turn Grey.  Behind the scenes, it will send the link to our staff for their review and possible selection.  So here's your chance to help run the ActiveRain Feature Board.  There is no limit to the amount of posts you can suggest to be featured, but you can only select the same post one time.

You may also notice that the "Flag" this post icon is no longer available at the bottom of each Blog post, we're currently working on a replacement option for reporting members concerns and flagging posts.

Our hope is that before members suggest a post, they'll keep in mind the culture, "The ActiveRain Weltanschauung" and the "Community Guidelines" upon which this network and vibrant community were created and built.  What "BEST" represents not only ActiveRain and our community, but what Best represents us as an Industry.  I truly believe that giving more of this decision to our members via this new option will benefit us all as a whole. 

YOU have been "The Voice" of AR since its inception, and now YOU can be the "Eyes and Ears" as well.  As we start relying more heavily on member suggestions, you may notice a change in the type of posts that make up the feature board. We're looking forward to your responses and responsiveness, and we're also excited about witnessing where this will take us in the future with the ActiveRain Feature Board. :-)

 



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148 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • June 01 2010 05:35PM

How To Create and Maximize Your ActiveRain Blog Post

How To Create and Maximize Your ActiveRain Blog Post

The AR community has grown and evolved with thousands of new members, millions of posts, some really cool features, and great SEO and consumer traffic.  Many of the members who sign up and join ActiveRain start off very excited and ready to Blog, but then find themselves stuck.  We have many members who ask What Should I do Next?

Having a profile setup and then just lurking around the community, not knowing where or what to do next, seems to be an age old trend.  "What should I Blog about?"  "I don't have the time!"  "I'm not a writer or blogger!?" and "Why Should I Blog?" are just some of the common questions and concerns I hear time and time again.

It's time to get some answers.  It's time to get your "Blog" game on!

ActiveRain members have created a very powerful on-line resource for both members and consumers that is second to none.  There is ton of information here covering a wide variety of topics and discussions.  So where do you find out what makes the ActiveRain Blog Post different than any other Network or Blogging platform out there? 

What tools and options are available and how do you use them?  How is Blogging on ActiveRain different than blogging on Wordpress or Blogger?  Do you have questions like these and are you trying to make cents sense of it all?  In just one hour, we're not just going to tell you, we're going to show you.  If content really is King, then knowledge about content and "How To" must be Queen!

What's taken years to learn (through trial and error) will be shared with you in a "flash" of time, if you want it.

Click Here To Learn How To Create and Maximize Your AR Blog Post

* The Blog Cycle and Purpose - Connecting All The Dots
* What's The Difference Between a Website and A Blog
* Finding "Your" Blogging Voice and Transparency
* The Keys to Building Your Blog Resourse Library
* Where to Find Unlimited Content for Blogging
* What To Write and Blog About and Why
* How to Create Powerful and Inviting Blog Titles
* What Makes Bad Content vs Great Content
* How to Generate MORE Traffic and Leads
* How to Track Statistics and Use Analytics
* Strategy on Using Keywords and Tags Effectively
* Why Achor Text and Back Linking Are Crucial
* Using Channels, Groups, and Topics as Tools
* What is The Truth and Power of the ReBlog
* The Evolution of Posting Listings - What's Changed
* When, Why, and How Often To Create New Posts
* Using Syndication to Get Maximum Exposure
* Understanding SEO on ActiveRain and Outside Blogs

The purpose of ActiveRain and this vibrant network is to provide a community atmosphere where Industry Professionals can network, have fun, learn from each other, share their knowledge and experiences, and grow their business via referrals, SEO, and Blogging.  If you're new to ActiveRain, or you've been lurking around for months now, or you've left AR and now you're back, or maybe attended a RainCamp and you're just not sure what to do next, I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity and join us.  It all starts with YOUR Blog!

Important Note: This training is open to any and all members. Some tools and information we'll be sharing will only apply to RainMaker memberships. We'll explain the differences, and also provide you the opportunity to explore the "RainMaker" membership with no risk or obligation if you're interested.

EDIT 6/1/10 10:00pm 
"Try This Link To See If You Can Watch The Recorded Session"



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77 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 31 2010 01:08PM

Top 50 Google Tools for Business

The Top 50 Google Tools for Business

This compilation is for all of you out there who use Google for searching and SEO, but may not be aware of all the other tools and services that Google has to offer for your business.  My inbox used to get so many questions about many of the links and tools below, it seemed like a good idea to bring them all into a single location for your review and use. 

I know you'll find some of this information helpful or useful to you and your Business.


Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

  1. Google Alerts – Get email notifications from any keyword or phrases used on the web.
  2. Google Buzz - Start and share conversations about the things you find interesting.
  3. Google Blog Search – A sophisticated way of searching the web specifically for Blogs.
  4. Google Books – Google has a ground-breaking agreement with authors and publishers.
  5. Google Business - All of Google's On-line Business solutions for small and large Business.
  6. Google Checkout – Find it online, purchase it with Google’s Checkout tool.
  7. Google Chrome – The fastest and cleanest Web Browser for PC’s and MAC’s.
  8. Google Custom Search – Create your own custom search engine for your Website/Blog.
  9. Google Desktop – Take control of PC or MAC Desktops, find anything faster and easier.
  10. Google Dictionary – Don’t knock it till you try it, watch out Webster.
  11. Google Directory – The Web organized by Topic and placed into Categories.
  12. Google Earth – Explore and share the World in 3D. Add your photos and Videos.
  13. Google Finance – Track and Edit your Portfolio, Charts, and Graphs.
  14. Google 411 – Dial Directory Services and Information from any phone for FREE.
  15. Google Health – Organize all your medical records and store them on-line.
  16. Google Images – The Ultimate Image search on the Internet.
  17. Google Maps – The best way to map out directions and share with others.
  18. Google News – All the news you’ll ever need and find in one location.
  19. Google Patents – Every US Patent is search-able with the full text.
  20. Google Product Search – Find any product in one location instead of searching sites.
  21. Google Scholar – Looking for a specific paper or Scholarly articles, find them fast.
  22. Google Toolbar – Allows you to add search, share, and contribute to your fav browser.
  23. Google Trends – For those who want to know details about search engine trends.
  24. Google Videos – Used for searching only Video and Vlogs on the Internet.
  25. Google Web Search – Still the #1 search engine tool with the #1 advanced features.
  26. Google Web Search Features – The best search tool for movies, music, books, etc.
  27. Google Code – This is a developer tools, used for APIs and other resources.
  28. Google Labs – One of the best Online Tech Playgrounds on the Web.
  29. Google Blogger – Create your own Blogspot Blog, it’s easy and free.
  30. Google Calendar – Setup and use a Global Calender that you can share with others.
  31. Google Docs – Create spreadsheets, presentations, documents, and more.
  32. Google Groups - Use Groups to connect with others and share ideas and discussions.
  33. Google Knol – Write a Knol and Share what you know with others. Learn too.
  34. Google Mail – Google mail has so many great features for email, and it’s FREE.
  35. Google’s Orkut – It’s a Google Social Network, stay connected with others.
  36. Google Picasa – Upload and store, find, and share your photos and images.
  37. Google Picnik - The newest online Photo and Graphics editing addition to Google.
  38. Google Reader – Delivers everything you want to know from the web back to you.
  39. Google Sites – Create your own websites and group wikis for private or public use.
  40. Google SketchUp – Allows you to Design, Build, and Create 3D models and images.
  41. Google Talk -  Talk to friends, send IM’s, communicate with others via computer.
  42. Google Translate – Helps you and visitors to view any site in any language.
  43. Google’s YouTube – The second most searched site in the World. Youtube.com.
  44. Google Mobile – Take Google on the Road, & don’t leave home without your phone.
  45. Google Maps for mobile – Just as good as GPS, view maps, directions, get un-lost.
  46. Google Search for mobile – Search the web from your phone anytime from anyplace.
  47. Google Pack – Get the entire Google Pack for your PC or MAC.
  48. Google Voice – The best way to manage phones and services FREE. (invite only)
  49. Google Wave – The future of email and real time collaboration. (invite only)
  50. Google Wonder Wheel - A Wonderful Wheel of relavant search terms.
Take a few minutes to explore what some of these great tools can do for you and your business, then make sure you keep an eye on Google in the future, their development team creates and produces new products at the speed of light.

Did I miss any?  Do tell!  What is YOUR favorite NEW Google Tool or Product?

Stay on top of everything Google is Doing – GOOGLE

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115 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 30 2010 09:53AM

ActiveRain University Training Calendar

The ActiveRain University, ActiveRain's BEST KEPT SECRET.  But Why?  Why would anyone not want to attend some or ALL of the FREE classes being offerred?  Your business and personal schedule is the only reason I can see that some might not be able to take advantage of these sessions. The other thought that has crossed my mind, maybe some folks just don't know these are available, especially new members, and those outside ActiveRain?

Please help us get the word out!  With an average of 300+ people joining AR again daily, you can help us spread the word a couple of ways.  Reblog the original post and calendar, use the "Like" button to share on Facebook, use the email envelope option to send to a new or associate member, or just tell someone about activerain.com/university.  There's even a link to this calendar on the ActiveRain Main HomePage.

Just look at some of these classes coming up and who's presenting them.  These are some of the Top Producing and most Influential people in Real Estate and Social Media.  ActiveRain University is also currently working on the "Professor Roster" which will feature ALL the guest speakers and presenters along with their credentials, bios, and contact information.  I hope you'll pay it forward and let others know.  Friends don't let other friends drive on the Internet unless they're educated and informed, here's a great way to do that!  :-)

Via ActiveRain University (ActiveRain University):

ActiveRain University offers a wide variety of on-line Real Estate and Social Media training sessions/classes for Real Estate Industry Professionals. Classes are designed for new and experienced members of the Real Estate Industry.  Come learn about the various tools on ActiveRain, enhance your Social Media skills, learn about successful business applications, and grow business using the knowledge, experience, and tools used by other TOP PRODUCERS and experts in all aspects of Real Estate.

Click On ANY Class Below To Register or Get More Details!

We offer FREE classes and special guest speakers every week. Come Listen, watch, engage, and learn from some of the most influential people and teachers in Real Estate who will share their tips, valuable tools, and teach you the secrets of their successes.



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36 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 20 2010 01:18PM

Using Gmail Email as a Blog Post and HTML Editor

Using your Gmail Email as a Blog Post and HTML editor.  

First of all, what in the heck would make someone think of this?  Same way the Reese's Peanut Butter cup was created!  It was a total accident. (at least that's what they wanted you to think)  Somebody dropped and got their chocolate dipped in someone else's peanut butter and there you have it!  The Reese's Peanut Butter cup. 

Today, I did the same thing, dropping my email onto this Blog post, and realizing how easy it is to create a post using your gmail email editor.  You can add "live" links and anchor text, images, photos etc using gmail's "Compose Mail" option.  You can change font colors and sizes and more.  Just copy and paste from your email to your Blog post, (email it to yourself as a backup, or to be used again sometime in the future)... and that's it. 

It was a breeze. 


 You can use the Toolbar in Gmail's editor to customize and add some Fun to your posts.


The process is easy, there's no hidden HTML codes that won't work with the AR Platform, and to be honest, some of our best Blogging content, ideas, responses, and experiences are sitting right within your email IN or OUT boxes. I don't suggest you do it all the time, but as you can see, creating a post like this is different and even kinda fun!!

Use the mini-animations and graphics from the favicon toolbar as well.


It's Pretty cool if you ask me, or at the least, something different.  (well, maybe I over did it a bit on this one!)

I hope this email Blog Post finds you all well,   it might be useful to those who can't use scribefire or some of the other HTML third party applications and software's out there to create cosmetically different and customized posts for their AR Blogs. 

(This post is dedicated to and created for AR member Laura Coffey)  Great to meet you @RainCamp LA.


Warm Regards,

Brad 


   Brad Andersohn - Community Manager
P. 707-646-1876  E. brad@activerain.com
My Blog | My Profile | My Web

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PS. This entire blog post was created using my Gmail email editor!



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103 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 17 2010 05:09PM

ActiveRain University - Welcomes Some Very Special Guests

ActiveRain University is starting to really make some headway!  Our classes are proving to be beneficial and impacting the lives and businesses of those finding the time to attend our FREE online training and support campus.  We have had over 5500+ Industry Professionals register to attend these classes over the past couple of months, and we're getting more interest, attention, registrations, and attendees than ever before.

If you haven't been checking the ARU Campus Schedule, here's a quick reminder to do so on a regular basis.  We have some really exciting classes coming up with some awesome and very influential Industry speakers and presenters. The ARU Campus doors are open to ALL Industry Professionals.  I hope you'll take advantage of the FREE education and information we are working so hard to provide you.

Here's Just A Few of the Upcoming Classes You'll Want To Attend:

Thursday, May 13, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Kevin Kauffman and Fred Weaver will be teaching a 5-part series about Short Sales. "The Short Sale Power Hour - Session One" These classes will be very educational and take all the myths and mystery out of the Short Sale process. This Thursday will be the first in a series of informational webinars that we're making available to those who want to master the "Short Sale." Your best bet is to simply...REGISTER

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Katrina Benton, a third generation a Top Producing REALTOR from Prudential, will be joining us to share how she's "Cashing In On Social Media" in an Industry surrounded by new and powerful Technologies.  Her specialty and focus will be on "Lead Capture" and "Lead Conversion", something every on-line business individual needs to master! If you have challenges getting, converting, or managing leads, you might want to... REGISTER

 


Friday, May 21, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Stefan Swanepoel is the Real Estate Trends Master and Expert. He's recognized by the Industry as a Top Leader in and amongst his peers and associates.  Stefan is joining us to discuss and share "How Social Media Starts to Develop it's Place in Your Business." Stefan is currently ranked in the Top 50 most Influential Real Estate Professionals and Speakers by Inman.com. I suggest you... REGISTER

 

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Laura Monroe from Creative Agent Solutions will be sharing "Managing Your Business Virtually" a must for any and all Real Estate Professionals who want to get more done "virtually" using the tools and technology that are currently available. If you're not sure what a "Virtual" business can and should look like, you better... REGISTER

 

Thursday, Jun 3, 2010 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT
Kendra Todd, Winner of NBC's Apprentice needs no introduction.  Kendra joins our professors at ARU to share "How To Brand Yourself as an Expert and Build a Six-Figure Real Estate Business." Her experience and knowledge on the topic have been tested and proven.  She shares facts, not just ideas, and gives tips and tools on Building a Brand and Business that will succeed! She's an ALL-Star Speaker, Presenter, and Top Producer.  My Advice is to... REGISTER

 

I hope you'll take the time to join us and these very special guests.  You've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. You owe it to yourself!!  Also, if you're a part of any organization outside the ActiveRain community, please help us spread the word that ARU is all about providing help, support, training, technology, and coaching.  We want to arm you with the information and education regarding a wide variety of tips and tools that are needed required to be successful in this fast paced, ever changing Real Estate Industry.  

~ Come Learn, be Inspired, and Thrive ~



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57 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 12 2010 09:33PM

Systematize Your Business - ActiveRain University

So by now, most or ALL of you have heard of ActiveRain University.  Our newest project with a focus to bring even greater value to ActiveRain members and to the Real Estate Industry as a whole.  Our goal and mission at ARU is to provide you FREE training and support on a variety of topics and technologies that will help you with your online marketing, networking, social media efforts, and growing your business.  It's all about sharing and learning how and what other successful professionals are using and doing to be successful.

This week, Jared James is coming to share "How To Systematize Your Business"

Jared James is the CEO & Founder of Jared James Enterprises.  He travels around the country speaking to and coaching REALTORS. As a REALTOR®, he's built one of the largest and fastest growing Real Estate Teams in New England, was inducted into the RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and was voted by the over 2 million readers of the International publication REALTOR® Magazine as their Web Choice Award Winner.

Jared was recognized as the favorite REALTOR® in the Country among the 30 under 30 issue.  After making the transition to become a full-time coach and speaker, Jared’s debut book “Enjoy Success Today: How to Start and Build a Thriving Business… and Still Have a Life!” became a best-seller and his coaching programs have helped countless numbers of REALTORS looking to take their business to the next level and not spending 24 hours a day doing it.

Some of what you'll learn:

* What good systems do
* What systems to implement into your daily business
* How to implement these systems
* How these systems will help you make more money and spend less time to do it

* Providing Structure and Order to your Business
* How To Appear You Are Doing More than you Actually Are
* Making your Clients feel Comfortable, Knowledgeable and at Ease
* Free up your Time Allowing you to Grow on Many Levels
* How to Enable Yourself to Implement New Ideas more Proficiently

Thursday - May 6th, 2010
10:00am - 11:00am PDT (1:00pm EST)

We've had some really outstanding sessions so far featuring some very talented and experienced guest speakers and presenters. Coming up in the weeks ahead we'll be doing a few series trainings like: "How To Brand Yourself as an Expert and Build a Six-Figure Real Estate Business" featuring a surprise and very special guest speaker.  We'll also be doing a series on "The Short and Long of the Short Sale" a four-five part series that will make YOU the Short Sale expert using tested tools, techniques, technologies and systems used and shared by other Short Sale experts.

Visit The ARU Calendar for Other Upcoming Training and Classes



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48 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • May 01 2010 01:04PM

How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps

How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps

We had over 700 people register for the Youtube Video and Blogging Classes we held over at ActiveRain University this last month. In these sessions, we covered how to create and use video more effectively for your Blogs and websites. We shared some cool tips and important tools regarding the use of video and how to get the most out of Youtube's new look and their added features.

The one thing we didn't have time to teach was "How To Embed Your Youtube Video into Google Maps", then How to embed the "Interactive Map" with your video into a Blog post or website.

SO HERE'S THE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MANY OF YOU WHO ASKED:

You'll need a Youtube account, if you don't have one, set one up, it's FREE.  You'll also need a Google Account to sign in and save your maps. If you don't have one, set one up, it's FREE too.

Step 1: Upload your video to Youtube.com

Step 2: Select the video you want to embed into Google Maps

Step 3: Copy the embed HTML code from the Youtube Video
(it should look something like this)

Step 4: Go to maps.google.com and click the "My Maps" Link

Step 5: Click on the "Create New Map" link

Step 6: Search the map to find the exact location where you want your video to appear
            (zoom in close to find exact location)
Step 7: In the "Edit" mode, click on the placemark icon and place it on the map

Step 8: Click on the "edit HTML" link and add youtube embed code into description box.

Step 9: Give your marker and description box a "Title" and click "ok" and then "Done"

Step 10: Your video will now appear on Google Maps and can also be viewed on Google Earth

Now, to embed the saved Video and saved Map into your Blog or website, click on the "Link" located in the upper right corner and copy the embed code from Google Maps.  Next, place the embed code in your Blog post (using the HTML tab) or on your website and save.  This will put the interactive map including the video into your post or on your web-page.  Visitors can now watch the video from within your interactive map, and never even leave your post or site.

The best part is that even if you don't embed the iframe map into your Blog or website, the video is still attached to Google Maps and can be viewed by anyone who clicks on the video from within the Google Maps page.  Here's what the completed project will look like in a Blog Post.  Try doing this with your community videos, your virtual tours, your travel videos, any video you've created that you want to show up on Google Maps.

Be sure to turn down your volume if you hit play, this video is pretty loud.


View The Black Hole - The Glory Hole in a larger map



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77 comments • Brad Andersohn ~ Community Manager • April 25 2010 02:00PM