A guide to using the most popular features on BiggerPockets.com, the premier real estate investing social network -- home of 97,000+ members and 350,000 monthly unique visitors.
Learn how to set up a profile, blog, connect on the forums, and much more via this guide.
3. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
CreaDng
a
Profile:
The
Basics
Once
you
sign
up
for
an
account,
you
will
then
be
sent
to
the
dashboard.
From
this
screen,
you
can
edit
your
profile.
Tabs:
Click
on
the
tabs
to
fill
out
each
secDon
of
the
profile.
EdiGng
your
profile:
You
can
edit
and
update
your
profile
at
any
Dme
by
clicking
on
the
profile
tab
in
the
leZ
margin.
STANDARD
SIGNATURE
Forum
Signature:
This
informaDon
will
appear
at
the
bo[om
of
your
forum
posts.
As
you
navigate
the
forums,
you'll
noDce
that
some
people
have
a
fancier
signature
than
others,
including
a
PRO
SIGNATURE
company
logo.
All
members
can
create
a
basic
forum
signature,
but
to
get
the
signature
with
your
company's
logo,
you'll
need
to
upgrade
to
a
Pro
account.
To
find
out
more
details
click
HERE
-‐-‐
3
-‐-‐
4. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
CreaDng
a
Memorable
Profile
Tip
#1:
Change
the
default
avatar
photo
Note
BiggerPockets
profiles
have
been
from
designed
to
give
you
the
opportunity
to
Josh:
share
informaGon
about
yourself
and
There’s
nothing
that
your
business
with
the
rest
of
the
says
“I
don’t
care”
or
community. “I’m
not
willing
to
put
in
the
effort”
than
someone
who
A
few
advantages
for
filling
out
a
complete
sDcks
with
the
and
accurate
profile
are: default
generic
avatar.
Search
engine
opDmized
*
Uploading
a
clear
headshot
will
Take
a
minute
and
(profiles
can
be
found
on
all
major
differenDate
you
as
well
as
make
you
change
this
upload
search
engines,
unless
set
as
private) instantly
recognizable
to
other
users
to
something
that
Connect
with
like-‐minded
people browsing
the
site. represents
who
you
are.
Highlights
your
experience,
goals,
needs,
wants,
and
acDvity
on
BiggerPockets People
like
to
connect
with
other
people.
Uploading
To
help
you
get
the
maximum
exposure
and
a
photo
of
yourself
reach,
we’ve
compiled
a
list
of
the
best
Dps
makes
you
and
your
profile
more
on
how
to
complete
an
EFFECTIVE
approachable.
BiggerPockets
profile
-‐
one
that
people
will
look
at
and
prompt
interacDon.
-‐-‐
4
-‐-‐
5. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
CreaDng
a
Memorable
Profile
Tip
#
2:
Be
Truthful Tip
#
4:
Be
Detailed
Include
the
following
key
elements
in
your
profile:
background,
It’s
okay
to
omit
personal
informaDon
you
experience,
goals,
a[ributes
and
desired
connecDons.
Be
sure
to
include
don’t
feel
comfortable
with
sharing,
but
by
keywords
that
indicate
your
various
interests
/
areas
of
experDse
(e.g.
lying,
you
start
all
of
your
new
buy
and
hold,
flipping,
wholesaling,
etc.).
relaDonships
off
on
the
wrong
foot.
You
will
have
ZERO
credibility
if
people
find
out
that
you’re
just
another
person
pretending
to
be
something
that
you
are
not.
Tip
#
3:
Be
Professional
Remember,
first
impressions
go
a
long
way.
If
your
profile
is
muddled
with
grammaDcal
errors,
slang,
profanity
or
other
offenses
(such
as
using
ALL
CAPS),
people
are
going
to
take
that
into
consideraDon
when
deciding
whether
or
not
to
connect
with
you.
What
are
you
waiGng
for?
Get
back
on
BiggerPockets
and
make
sure
your
profile
makes
the
grade!
-‐-‐
5
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6. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
The
BiggerPockets
Dashboard:
Your
Network
The
BiggerPockets
Dashboard
will
change
the
way
you
connect
and
communicate
via
our
network.
The
dashboard
is
a
place
where
you
can
privately
connect
directly
with
your
colleagues
and
followers.
Whether
you
want
to
post
updates,
share
links,
or
market
to
your
network,
the
dashboard
is
perfect
for
that
personal
interacDon.
“It
is
your
own
closed
social
network
right
on
BiggerPockets!”
@MenGon
your
Colleagues
Share
a
post
with
your
Add
links
or
Images network.
Note
From
Josh:
A
great
way
to
loop
your
colleagues
in
a
thread,
blog
post
or
a
forum
discussion
is
to
uDlize
the
@men%on
tool.
To
use
the
@men%on
tool,
simply
type
“@”
into
a
forum
post,
blog
comment
or
a
status
message
and
then
enter
the
first
le[ers
of
Respond
to
statuses,
the
user’s
first
or
last
name
and
select
from
the
drop-‐down
menu.
arGcles
and
images
by
leaving
a
comment.
QUICK
TIP:
You
can
access
the
Dashboard
from
any
part
of
BP
simply
by
clicking
on
the
BiggerPockets
logo
in
the
top
leZ
corner.
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6
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7. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Networking:
Colleagues
&
Followers
Colleagues:
Colleagues
are
your
direct
personal
connecDons
on
BiggerPockets.
You
can
communicate
with
them
on
your
dashboard
as
well
as
send
one
another
private
messages.
In
addiDon,
if
you
set
your
profile
to
private,
your
colleagues
will
be
able
to
see
the
details
you
post
there,
whereas
followers
and
others
will
not.
There
are
three
ways
to
add
colleagues
to
your
network:
1. 2. Click
on
the
Send
3.
You
can
add
Colleague
colleagues
by
Request
or
clicking
on
the
the
Follow
Connect
link
link
from
the
BP
• Do
a
”people
search”
for
below
their
forum
Member’s
someone
photo. profile
page. • In
the
search
results
click
the
Follow
link
next
to
the
person
you
want
to
add
When
sending
a
Colleague
Request,
be
NOTE
sure
to
send
a
note
with
your
request.
To
FROM
increase
the
odds
that
your
request
will
be
JOSH: accepted,
explain
why
you’re
hoping
to
connect
with
them.
Followers:
When
you
follow
another
user,
it
gives
you
the
ability
to
view
their
acDons
in
your
Dashboard's
Ac%vity
Feed.
This
will
enable
you
to
see
whenever
they
post
a
blog
entry,
write
an
arDcle,
post
a
property,
update
their
status,
add
a
follower/
colleague,
make
a
comment,
etc.
The
main
difference
between
followers
and
colleagues
is
that
colleagues
have
the
exclusive
ability
to
send
private
messages
to
one
another.
AddiGonally,
if
a
person
has
their
profile
set
to
private,
followers
won’t
be
able
to
see
their
informaGon,
whereas
colleagues
would.
QUICK
TIP:
Think
of
colleagues
as
a
mutual,
2-‐way
relaDonship,
whereas
followers
are
merely
a
1-‐way
relaDonship.
-‐-‐
7
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8. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
The
Dashboard:
Exploring
the
Grey
Nav
Menu
The
dashboard
centralizes
all
the
most
important
funcGons
you’ll
need
to
uGlize
BiggerPockets.
For
ease
of
use,
we
are
going
to
focus
on
the
three
most
uGlized
secGons
of
the
panel.
PROFILE:
Clicking
on
this
will
allow
users
to
access
addiGonal
opGons
regarding
their
profile.
NETWORKING:
This
allows
users
FORUM:
Using
the
forum
panel
is
a
great
way
to
stay
on
top
of
latest
posts
to
manage
their
current
connecGons
as
well
as
follow
the
topics
you
are
on
BP.
most
interested
in.
Perhaps
the
most
useful
opGon
from
this
menu
is
the
“men%ons”
link.
This
page
shows
members
where
on
BP
someone
has
menGoned
them
(e.g.
forums
post,
blog
comment,
status
thread,
etc.).
-‐-‐
8
-‐-‐
9. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Exploring
the
Blue
NavigaDon
Menu
To
get
you
up-‐and-‐running
as
quickly
as
possible,
we
are
going
to
focus
on
the
most
uGlized
features
of
the
blue
toolbar.
You
can
access
the
Forums
and
Member
Blogs
just
by
clicking
on
the
Discuss
link.
From
the
Learn
menu,
you
can
access
the
BiggerPockets
Blog
and
News
&
Headlines.
Manage
your
BP
account
from
the
The
No%fica%ons
tab
advises
Account
tab. you
when
someone
has
requested
to
follow
you
or
to
be
your
Colleague,
as
well
as
when
you
have
menDons.
Access
your
inbox
and
write
new
private
messages
from
the
Inbox
tab.
-‐-‐
9
-‐-‐
10. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Managing
Your
BiggerPockets
Account
ConnecGons:
Clicking
this
opDon
will
allow
users
to
sync
their
BP
account
to
Facebook.
Doing
this
Edit
Profile:
will
enable
members
to
do
the
following:
Access
your
profile
*
Login
instantly
se#ngs
via
the
Edit
*
Verify
your
idenDty
to
the
BP
community
*
Share
your
BP
acDvity
with
your
Facebook
Profile
tab.
friends
Upgrade
to
PRO:
Click
on
this
tab
to
review
the
various
membership
opDons
and
to
upgrade
your
membership.
-‐-‐
10
-‐-‐
11. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Managing
Your
BiggerPockets
Account
Seengs
and
Privacy:
Allows
users
to
manage
their
noDficaDons
and
set
parameters
on
what
other
BiggerPockets
members
can
view
of
their
profile.
Control
email
no%fica%ons Set
privacy
parameters
Upgrade
to
a
PRO
Membership
You
can
also
update
your
password
via
your
seengs
menu.
-‐-‐
11
-‐-‐
12. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Ge#ng
to
Know
the
Forums:
The
Basics
With
hundreds
of
thousands
of
discussion
posts
and
over
60,000
topics,
the
BiggerPockets
Forums
are
the
most
uDlized
resource
on
the
site.
Here
are
a
few
Dps
to
help
you
maximize
your
experience.
Accessing
the
Forums:
You
can
access
the
forums
Viewing
OpGons:
Once
you
are
on
the
forum
homepage,
you
will
have
several
opDons
from
any
part
of
the
website
by
hovering
your
cursor
for
navigaDng
through
the
content.
If
you
want
to
see
ALL
FORUM
CATEGORIES
just
click
over
the
Discuss
opDon
on
the
blue
toolbar
or
from
the
View
All
link
near
our
forum
category
navigator
the
forum
acDvity
tab
on
the
dashboard.
Recent
Discussion
Tab:
Allows
users
to
view
the
latest
forum
posts
on
BP.
My
Watched
Topics
Tab:
Allows
users
Unanswered
Tab:
Allows
to
follow
a
topic
or
forum
thread.
users
to
view
which
forum
My
Discussion
Tab:
Allows
posts
have
not
yet
been
To
“watch”
a
new
topic,
click
the
Monitor
users
to
view
the
forum
posts
commented
on.
Topic
box
located
at
the
top
of
each
thread.
they
have
previously
commented
on.
-‐-‐
12
-‐-‐
13. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Ge#ng
to
Know
the
Forums:
FAQ
How
do
I
start
a
new
forum
topic?
2.,
Go
to
the
main
forum
page
and
click
the
Create
3.
Select
a
topic
from
the
drop
down
menu.
Fill
in
all
1.
Search
the
forums
to
make
sure
your
a
Topic
bu[on
and
you'll
be
taken
to
the
new
post
required
fields.
Then
you’ll
be
able
to
preview
your
quesDon
hasn't
been
asked
before.
form
page. post.
Select
the
Post
Topic
bu[on
to
make
your
post
go
live.
How
do
I
reply
to
a
forum
post? How
do
I
edit
my
forum
post?
If
you're
logged
into
the
site,
just
go
to
a
AZer
adding
a
post
to
the
forums,
you'll
have
10
minutes
to
edit
your
posts.
You'll
see
forum
discussion
that
you
want
to
reply
to
an
Edit
Post
link
for
that
10-‐minute
period.
Clicking
that
link
will
let
you
edit
your
and
click
the
Quick
Reply
or
Advanced
post.
AZer
the
10-‐minute
period
lapses,
you
will
only
be
allowed
to
Update
your
post.
Reply
bu[on.
edit
update
To
find
out
more
FAQs,
visit
the
BiggerPockets
Knowledgebase
by
clicking
HERE
-‐-‐
13
-‐-‐
14. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Private
Messaging
on
BiggerPockets
Note
From
Josh:
What
is
a
PM? When
you
send
a
Colleague
Request,
make
sure
to
include
A
PM
is
a
private
message.
Using
this
feature
will
allow
members
to
addiDonal
informaDon
about
yourself.
This
send
messages
to
colleagues
and
followers.
PMing
your
colleagues
is
a
will
increase
the
chances
of
someone
great
way
to
stay
in
touch
with
your
network
on
BP. accepDng
your
request
and
will
also
provide
them
with
some
addiDonal
context
on
you.
NOTE:
Users
can
PM
either
a
single
individual,
or
mulDple
contacts.
How
do
I
send
a
PM? Composing
a
PM
There
are
three
ways
to
send
PMs.
Once
you
click
on
the
Send
PM
link,
you’ll
be
redirected
to
the
You
can
send
one
directly
from
the
Compose
Message
page.
From
here,
type
in
the
first
few
le[ers
of
Forums
,
the
user’s
Profile
page
and
your
desired
contact’s
name
and
click
one(s)
that
apply.
from
the
Inbox
tab.
Send
a
PM
from
a
Forum
post.
Send
a
PM
from
a
user’s
profile
page.
Send
a
PM
from
the
Inbox
tab.
-‐-‐
14
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15. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
CreaDng
Your
Own
Personal
Blog
One
of
the
greatest
aspects
of
becoming
a
member
of
BP
is
that
you
have
the
ability
to
contribute
to
our
wealth
of
content
by
sharing
your
experiences
and
knowledge
with
the
rest
of
the
community.
We’ve
created
an
easy
way
for
you
to
contribute
to
the
community
with
our
member
blog
network!
You
can
create
a
blog,
manage
your
posts
and
reply
to
comments
–
all
from
the
Blog
drop-‐
down
menu.
A
few
benefits
of
Blogging
on
the
BiggerPockets
Blog
Network
1.
Increased
Credibility:
Anyone
can
blog
on
BiggerPockets,
but
only
the
best
content
is
highlighted.
By
providing
top
content
to
your
peers
and
our
readers,
you
increase
the
odds
that
others
will
get
to
know
and
trust
you
and
your
business.
The
best
of
the
best
is
actually
highlighted
in
our
weekly
newsle[er
as
well!
2.
Its
FREE:
Other
prominent
real
estate
blogging
plavorms
charge
you
to
make
your
content
viewable
and
visible
to
non-‐members.
Our
user
blogs
are
public
facing,
and
it
costs
you
nothing
to
begin!
3.
Large
Built
in
Audience
Means
TRAFFIC:
BiggerPockets
has
close
to
100,000
members
and
hundreds
of
thousands
of
unique
visitors
each
month.
That
means
that
you
don’t
have
to
work
hard
to
build
up
an
audience
/
readership.
-‐-‐
15
-‐-‐
16. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Benefits
of
Becoming
a
PRO
Member
We
created
the
BiggerPockets
PRO
account
to
give
members
the
ability
to
improve
markeDng
opportuniDes
on
the
site.
Here
are
a
few
of
the
key
features
that
come
with
a
PRO
membership:
An
Enhanced
forum
Signature,
Including
Your
Company's
Logo
While
regular
members
have
the
ability
to
include
a
line
of
informaDon
in
their
signature,
PRO
members
get
an
addiDonal
line
where
they
can
add
addiDonal
informaDon
(email,
phone
and
website
link
are
standard);
AND
the
best
feature
of
all
is
Pro
members
can
post
their
company
logo
at
the
bo[om
of
all
forum
posts.
Easily
Find
New
Leads
Using
Your
BiggerPockets
Stats
In
the
Dashboard
of
our
PRO
members,
there
is
a
secDon
under
the
Profile
tab
devoted
to
Stats.
This
opDon
allows
our
Pro
members
to
view
the
latest
visitors
to
their
profile,
blog,
and
each
property
lisDng
on
BiggerPockets!
This
informaDon
provides
our
members
with
a
powerful
tool
for
scouDng
new
leads.
-‐-‐
16
-‐-‐
17. Getting the Most out of BiggerPockets.com
Benefits
of
Becoming
a
PRO
Member
Contact
Made
Easier
as
a
PRO
While
regular
members
are
restricted
to
send
a
PM
to
colleagues,
our
PRO
members
can
send
a
PM
to
any
BiggerPockets
member
(provided
they
are
not
blocked
by
that
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