Author: Kay Cleaves

Blog Idea Generation Part 2: Synthesis

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Synthesis is defined as the combination of ideas or concepts to form new ones. Analysis is breaking down ideas into their distinct components. When it comes to creating content for your blog, synthesis is your best friend. Blogging is about connecting with your readers in a way that will make them hit the "share" button. Synthesis is the process you use to show how your ideas, products or services are useful for individual customers. After all, every organic "share" on a social media site means a little less money you have to spend promoting yourself on your own. By combining your blog's concept with a selection of topics that appeal to the many diverse interests of your readers, you not only wind up with a near-infinite source of ideas, but you guarantee that your content remains relevant over time.

Today we'll be reviewing how to use synthesis to create article ideas for your own blog. Continue reading Blog Idea Generation Part 2: Synthesis

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Kay Cleaves

Blog Idea Generation Part 1: Scope and Tone

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Recently I've started to get a bunch of comments on these articles from friends. This is fantastic, as every blog author hopes to receive some sort of feedback on their work. However, the comments of late have centered around a theme of "I have no idea how you keep coming up with topics for an apartment blog." Some established bloggers would take this as a sign that they've stayed on one topic too long. Those seeking to establish their professional cred would blather on about how easy it is to generate topic after topic, week after week. Well I'm neither of these things, so here's the upshot: it's tough, it requires consistent effort, and I really have no choice in the matter when it comes to topics given that this is a corporate marketing effort. However. I will take the hint.

For the next month I will set the apartments aside for a four part series on how to create and maintain a longterm single topic blog. Today we'll be focusing on the initial planning process that I went through before I created a single article, back in 2014. We'll then take what I did and expand upon it so that you can hopefully apply it to your own blogs. Continue reading Blog Idea Generation Part 1: Scope and Tone

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Kay Cleaves

Distrust and Mistrust

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There has been a lot said in recent news about various elements of society, both local and global, acting to create an atmosphere of suspicion and aggression within U.S. society. The Russians are currently the focus of much collective wrath based on testimony that there was a Russian government-sponsored effort to create "news" items, memes and posts on popular social media sites, riling up certain elements of the U.S. population in an effort to spread misinformation and mistrust. This is something that has actually been occurring for some time, and it certainly isn't the exclusive province of the Russians. Propaganda is a weapon in the arsenal of any small group looking to affect the momentum of a larger population, and not one to be discounted or underestimated.

As the owner of a company that admittedly makes money because people have trust issues, I wanted to take a moment to mention that there is a slight but important difference between distrust and mistrust. Both have the same end result: a mindset of distrust or mistrust means encounters with others cannot begin with the assumption that they are acting in good faith. Every interaction spurs the instinctive fight-or-flight reflex. However, distrust is earned, while mistrust is assumed. Continue reading Distrust and Mistrust

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Kay Cleaves

Dead Tenants: A Post-Mortem Post-Mortem

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Happy Halloween week, folks. In the spirit of all things ghostly, ghastly and gross, this week we'll be talking about what to expect when a renter dies during the course of their apartment lease, from both a neighbor's and a landlord's perspective. Fair warning: this article is not for the squeamish or those who have just eaten. If this describes you, consider revisiting one of our articles from previous Halloweens, such as our list of the top 10 horror movies set in apartments, or or guide to Trick or Treat Alternatives for Chicago Renters. Continue reading Dead Tenants: A Post-Mortem Post-Mortem

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Kay Cleaves

On Candles and Spotlights: A Parable of Real Estate

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Marta and James Chandler grew up with their mother Simone in Carbonville, a neighborhood on the west side of a big city in the US. Candles were the lighting source of choice in Carbonville. Every night as Marta walked home from school she could see candle after candle in the windows of her neighbors, lighting her way back to her own candlelit home.

Candles had their drawbacks. They were temporary and fragile. They slowly vanished as they were used. The slightest gust of wind or clumsy handling would extinguish them. Sometimes someone would get a little crazy and knock over a candle, setting a whole building on fire. If you didn't know how to light them properly you could burn yourself. Outsiders thought the Carbonville residents to be a bit peculiar. "Always setting their houses on fire. Such a pity." Continue reading On Candles and Spotlights: A Parable of Real Estate

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Kay Cleaves