Close your eyes, cross your heart with both arms, click your heels together several times, and chant "Feature Fairy, Feature Fairy" over and over.

   Just kidding!  The features are chosen by AR staff.  There appears to be no rhyme or reason.

I decide that.  Keep working, Steve.  :)  

That's the million dollar question that we all ask Steve. 

 Call Feature Fairy 

It's done by the AR staff as far as I know, but not sure who or how many

Good quality writing on topics that will appeal to members are likely to be selected, but there are lots of these so the true criteria are hard to know. Keep plugging away

Steve,

Fred Griffin said it well, we call it the Fickle Finger of Featured Post.  Don't worry about it, just keep writing... A

One of the secrets is to not ask  

The other secret is to write good content, something that will start a conversation, something that will stimulate others. 

My best advice is to not worry about it and continue to write to your audience and if it happens, great.  If it doesn't, great too because a gold star doesn't make the phone ring!

We have all asked that question and one thing to help your chances is to write really good content that will be of benefit to the community. Don't copy anyone else's materials and be sure to format it so it is easy to read with a large enough font to read. Then sit back and see what happens. There is really no magic formula and some get featured and you may wonder why and others you will totally agree with.

It will not make one rich. There are virtually 100s of blogs posted daily. The big brother has just so much time to read them.

The content has to be politically correct. It is a numbering game. What constitutes quality relevant content is in the eye of the beholder.

Keep blogging..

the smart ass answer is : its google analytics :  the real answer it isnt much different. it is done by a human, based upon readers and members viewing etc.. 

The age-old question in AR... it's the AR gods who decide. Then again, Fred Griffin gave you a pretty good answer, as well.

Most of us wonder the same thing. I have seen posts go Featured before anyone even comments on them. Then I see some folks get every other post featured and others with very good content overlooked.

Once I saw a "featured" given for a post by a "popular" AR member about a new side walk he put in on the side of his driveway, I was flabbergasted. So your guess is as good as ours.

Write something that will benefit a wide audience. I like to write about real estate issues in my area, and often times I will write in a general way, so it appeals and can be helpful to people in other markets. Those seem to get attention and sometimes featured. 

Let me know when you find out!

There are blog Gods who do it behind the scenes. I am not sure who they are...

Steve,

this is the biggest mystery of the Rain. We try to solve it for years. 

Good Question.... it seems to happen way more for some than others... we used to be able to suggest a post was featured but they took that button away... Good Luck!

Steve Snyder - apart from being a good post, you got to be lucky....(just kidding!)

To tell you the truth; I don't know anymore Steve.

The is the numnber one question on this sight.

I think everyone is wodering about this, Let us know if you find the answer

I wish I knew.  I know staff at AR features posts.  The feature fairies, as we affectionately call them, are unknown to the AR Community at large. If you find out ... please let the rest of us know.. okay?

I bet that if you write a very interesting post it will be featured Steve.

Not sure, but have been blessed a few times!

I'll go with Amanda & Jarad Christiansen's answer. Too funny.

Take a look at the things that you could write to make your phone ring, then do the opposite.  The reality is that I've had lots of Feature posts in writing here for 6 years, but those posts are NOT the ones that are business productive.  The posts I write about subdivisions, new construction, our patio home niche, etc., THOSE are the posts that make us money.  They don't get many comments, but I'll trade paychecks for comments any day.

The other part is as some said, just pure luck.  You can write great content, but if your posting time doesn't align with when AR Staff and Feature Fairies are looking, it's easy to get missed.  The more followers you develop over time, the easier it gets to be noticed.  It's often a chicken/egg thing.  People that get featured often are known to consistently write well, so perhaps their posts are more likely to get noticed.

Good luck!

Ok follow these steps...

1. Close your eyes
2. Spin around clockwise three times
3. Clap your hands once - if you do it twice, wait 5 minutes and start again
4. Spin around counter clock wise 2 times - if you get dizzy sit down before your fall down
5. Write and publish your blog post
6. Close your eyes and Voila...

There are approx. 200 other posts that probably didn't get featured either - it's up to the gods that exist at AR.

Steve - Your guess is as good as mine.

All I know is that AR Staff decides, but I don't know the criteria.

You have to sleep with the Feature Fairy.  Just kidding. A well-written post with good graphics and a catchy title will usually grab its attention.  And you never know.  It took me a long time to get my first one.

I've often wondered about that.  The AR staff decides and there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.  I've seen some absolute crap that barely counted as a blog and had limited appeal get featured and I've seen some brilliant content with mass appeal not get featured.

I do not know.

Good question, Steve.  Everyone has an opinion, but no one knows for sure.

AR management and/or its designated persons decide which posts are featured.

An age old question on ActiveRain -- kinda like "what is the meaning of life?" except without the chance for a greater understanding and deep discussion. A gold star may attract some additional eyes and comments here but they rarely make the telephone ring.    

The age-old question... there are some good posts on the subject; try researching. Basically, I think it needs to be viewed as being of value or educational or just super cool or who knows?

Good question and asked often without a really clear answer. Features are chosen by the AR staff, to the best of my knowledge, and they try to include a little of everything and from a variety of members. That being said, there are always members who are very strong writers, write original or pertinent content, and are then featured more often than most.

I wish they would have a feature button that if so many people think it is worth hitting than you are feature.

say a Hail Mary....

The AR Gods/Goddesses decide, and I do not know that answer!  I do not write numerous Blogs and actually ask more questions in the Q & A.  You will get quick, informative, answers, and there is usually always humor involved!  I've written on topics real estate related and just ordinary topics that are of interest to me here in the desert.  None have been featured, and I hope that one day, one will be!  I know that you will get a featured Blog - hand in there Steve Snyder!! 

You will need to bribe the AR staff then maybe your post gets featured or just write great content.

You just joined Features anonymous. Your name is Steve? Hi Steve! (all)

Steve Snyder Keep writing good quality posts with good content and you will get featured.

Write outstanding content. 

Requirements for feature recognition are elusive. 

It's sort of like a Zestimate - closely guarded algorithm & secret lol .

what William Feela said...