A newly published Social Media Directory for business has a section dedicated to blogging. Though Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter dominate the social networking discussion, blogging remains a powerful way for businesses to speak directly with people who look for answers on the internet.
The number bandied about is that about 67% of people first research on the internet before making a purchase. We just know that's going to increase.
Martin Brossman is the publisher of the Brossman's Social Media and Online Resource Directory for Business, with contributions from about a dozen North Carolina based professionals, with editing and research by Dave Baldwin and Anora McGaha.
Twitter expert and social media guru, Wayne Sutton, contributed to it, as well as Whitney Hill of Carolina Web Consultants, Michele Courtney of TriangleB2B, Pat Howlett of inSideNetworX, the company behind inSide919.com and the inSideAreaCodes.com network of local small business communities... that's just a few of the contributors.
Here's the full list.
Martin Brossman, Success Coach/ Trainer/Author – ProNetworkingOnLine.com
Anora McGaha, Writer, Editor, Publicity Consultant – AnoraMcGaha.com
Beverly Mahone, Author, Media Expert, Speaker Talk2Bev.com
Dave Baldwin, Freelance Writer, Editor, Consultant – Dave-Baldwin.com
David Williams, Unlimited Web Solutions – UnlimitedWebSolutions.com
Deidre Hughey, Founder, The Buzz Builder – TheBuzzBuilder.com
Greg Hyer, Founder, LinkingRaleighNC.com - LinkingRaleighNC.com
Heather O’Sullivan Canney, Social Coach, Speaker – HeatherO.com
Jay Izso, The Internet Doctor – InternetDr.com
John M. O'Connor, Executive Career Coach – CareerProInc.com
Karen Tiede, Principal, Red Tuxedo Red-Tuxedo.com
Michelle Courtney, Editor, TriangleB2B Magazine – TriangleB2B.com
Pat Howlett, Founder, Inside919 Community – InSide919.com
Wayne Sutton, Social Media Consultant – Wayne-Sutton.com
Whitney Hill, President, Carolina Web Consultants – InternetPeople.net
There's a Tweet-Up and Book Launch on Thursday August 20th, 2009 at the New World Coffee House in Raleigh. Join us and if we haven't met already, introduce yourself.
What's exciting about a new social media directory?
More to come.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Read Write Web Reports: Twitter Tweets Not Searchable after 1.5 Weeks
In August 11th's ReadWriteWeb Post called 10 Ways to Archive your Tweets, Sarah Perez reports that our Tweets on Twitter can only be searched for 1.5 weeks!
So much for researching topics through Search on Twitter!
So much for researching topics through Search on Twitter!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Blog Populator: $5 to post a comment to your blog
A new service has surfaced, this one called "Blog Populator" where for $5 per comment, you will get savvy attention getting comments posted where you want them to draw more visitors to your blog sites.
Hmm. So should I start asking for $5 to post my comments on other people's blogs?
Got to hand it to them, it's creative.
They are owned, as they write, by Rufus Space Industries, INC. "the single largest content producing company online." And they claim all US writers.
Hmm. So should I start asking for $5 to post my comments on other people's blogs?
Got to hand it to them, it's creative.
They are owned, as they write, by Rufus Space Industries, INC. "the single largest content producing company online." And they claim all US writers.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Twitter Effect: Twitter is where the conversation is happening
My husband is now on Twitter. I created his account, and an avator, with some help form wonderful free services online. Now he's learning what companies are doing. Has some sharp ideas. He's a sharp man.
I tell him Twitter is where the conversation is happening. People tell about it on Twitter. They may write a blog post or an article, but they tell people about it on Twitter.
But it is only 140 characters long! he insists, so how could it be where it is happening.
That's just it I think, it's fast, quick, headlines. That allows us to quick scan. Bite size morsels for our bit and byte speed world of TV, microwave, cell phones and computers.
We may blog and write else where, but right now, it all passes through Twitter.
Twitter, as with many of these forms, formats, will surely evolve, whether or not by the same name, but for now, it's very live and very current. It's like watching CNN, the two rows of text that keep scrolling below the images.
Should you be looking? If you're interested. If it's too much, don't. We have more choices than ever. Just be at peace with what you chose, or chose differently.
I tell him Twitter is where the conversation is happening. People tell about it on Twitter. They may write a blog post or an article, but they tell people about it on Twitter.
But it is only 140 characters long! he insists, so how could it be where it is happening.
That's just it I think, it's fast, quick, headlines. That allows us to quick scan. Bite size morsels for our bit and byte speed world of TV, microwave, cell phones and computers.
We may blog and write else where, but right now, it all passes through Twitter.
Twitter, as with many of these forms, formats, will surely evolve, whether or not by the same name, but for now, it's very live and very current. It's like watching CNN, the two rows of text that keep scrolling below the images.
Should you be looking? If you're interested. If it's too much, don't. We have more choices than ever. Just be at peace with what you chose, or chose differently.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Twitter Tugging
Since starting with Twitter, there's so much to explore in the bite sized bits that get posted, that it's taken my focus away from the blogosphere, into the twittersphere. Still so many applications to check out. Definitely needs something like Tweetdeck to see conversations more easily. Discovered Mr. Tweet tonight that gives you statistics about your tweeting, and recommends people to follow based on people you already follow - that's helpful.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Feedburner's PingShot Automatically Pings for you
Feedburner has PingShot which you can set to automatically ping different blog services so they have the latest updates from your blog(s).
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Feedjit's Geo Blog O Sphere: Geoblogosphere
Feedjit is an online FREE service which provides real time displays of site visitors by city, state, country (with flag) and often, the google or other search that led them to your site.
As I've written before, if it weren't for Feedjit showing me that I had visitors (however short their stay, and once I got stats for my blogs, I saw how very many do the "flash-through", the zero second visit), I wouldn't have had enough feedback to continue. As a new blogger as one gets up to speed, there is the "dead zone" (to use a phrase popularized by the Verizon ads about where normal cell phones can't get coverage, but Verizon can) a time when it seems like no one will ever find the blog, and Feedjit gives you instant viewing that traffic does come.
NOW, something NEW!
Feedjit is NOW reporting on the most visited blogs in your area, or state, or the country!~
The GEOBLOGOSPHERE!
This new, dynamic, online report drives TRAFFIC to your site as people are curious about the blogs that are receiving traffic.
Feedjit, it's a friend of bloggers!
AS FAR as I can tell, free WORDPRESS blogs CAN NOT (yet?) use "Javascript" widgets (see this).
So, if you want to use FEEDJIT, you might have to be a BLOGGER blogger.
As I've written before, if it weren't for Feedjit showing me that I had visitors (however short their stay, and once I got stats for my blogs, I saw how very many do the "flash-through", the zero second visit), I wouldn't have had enough feedback to continue. As a new blogger as one gets up to speed, there is the "dead zone" (to use a phrase popularized by the Verizon ads about where normal cell phones can't get coverage, but Verizon can) a time when it seems like no one will ever find the blog, and Feedjit gives you instant viewing that traffic does come.
NOW, something NEW!
Feedjit is NOW reporting on the most visited blogs in your area, or state, or the country!~
The GEOBLOGOSPHERE!
This new, dynamic, online report drives TRAFFIC to your site as people are curious about the blogs that are receiving traffic.
Feedjit, it's a friend of bloggers!
AS FAR as I can tell, free WORDPRESS blogs CAN NOT (yet?) use "Javascript" widgets (see this).
So, if you want to use FEEDJIT, you might have to be a BLOGGER blogger.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Technorati has Live Search Words Feed?
Look at this live feed from Technorati of search words!
View technorati.com
Nov 23 update. On second thought, it's not clear that this is a dynamically updating feed. I'm seeing the same words scroll through over and over. What's the deal with that?
View technorati.com
Nov 23 update. On second thought, it's not clear that this is a dynamically updating feed. I'm seeing the same words scroll through over and over. What's the deal with that?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My Blogging Subscriptions
We're all at different places in our blogging work, and we all have different interests and angles. The blogsphere is vast too, so we need to network with others to cover the field and stay abreast of things.
Here are just a few of the blogs I subscribe to keep informed. I don't always have time to read the, so I might catch 30 - 45% of the posts, but I am always rewarded when I do check them out.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Feedburner Stat Problems
Feedburner's been the name to turn to for managing and reporting subscriptions to blogs.
From their FAQs, here's what they say they do:
FeedBurner is a Chicago-based company that provides media distribution and audience engagement services for blogs and RSS feeds. Its Web-based tools, including an extensive feed and blog advertising network, help publishers promote, deliver, and monetize their content on the Web and make feed-based content more accessible and manageable for its end users.
Today, checking my feeds on Feedburner, all my subscriptions, such as they are, were zeroed out.
Researching the topic, I found this thread about the same problem in August.
Will have to research some more, and find out what they say about it.
There's also FeedBlitz to check out, and others for sure.
From their FAQs, here's what they say they do:
FeedBurner is a Chicago-based company that provides media distribution and audience engagement services for blogs and RSS feeds. Its Web-based tools, including an extensive feed and blog advertising network, help publishers promote, deliver, and monetize their content on the Web and make feed-based content more accessible and manageable for its end users.
Today, checking my feeds on Feedburner, all my subscriptions, such as they are, were zeroed out.
Researching the topic, I found this thread about the same problem in August.
Will have to research some more, and find out what they say about it.
There's also FeedBlitz to check out, and others for sure.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Pinging Services
Pinging is about letting services know that you have updated content on your blog.
Here is a 2005 post about pinging services from Quick Online Tips.com covering the services below. I'll look for a newer list, don't have time to check which of these are still active.
Autopinger
Blogflux Pinger
BlogBlip
Feedshark
King Ping
Pingates
Ping.In
Pingomatic
Ping The Empire
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Comparing Free Blog Hosts: Articles and Posts
Most of the professional blog sites I've seen are hosted in WordPress. As a blogger who came up to speed on Google's Blogger.com blogs, knowing what people are getting at WordPress is VERY IMPORTANT.
Here's the first of hopefully many more comparisons.
Pulsed July 2007 Post Updated July 2008
This post is a comparative chart. As usual, the comments hold invaluable additions.
This Webmaster-Source post is from June 2007 and adds Live Journal to the comparison of free Blog Hosts:
Free Blog Services Rated: Blogger, Livejournal, Wordpress.com
comparing wordpress blogging with blogger blogging
Here's the first of hopefully many more comparisons.
Pulsed July 2007 Post Updated July 2008
This post is a comparative chart. As usual, the comments hold invaluable additions.
This Webmaster-Source post is from June 2007 and adds Live Journal to the comparison of free Blog Hosts:
Free Blog Services Rated: Blogger, Livejournal, Wordpress.com
Top Ten Reviews has a 2008 Comparison of Blog Services (Hosts).
It has a chart to make comparison quick and easy. The compared services are listed in order of their ranking:
Wordpress.com - "Gold"
Typepad - "Silver"
Blogger - "Bronze"
Yahoo360
AOLJournals
Windows Live Spaces
Xanga
LiveJournal
Vox
MySpace
According to the chart:
According to the chart:
- Blogger has the best design tools
- WordPress and TypePad are tied for the best promotion and tracking tools
- Yahoo 360 is top ranked on ease of use, with close ties for second between WordPress, Blogger, AolJournal, LiveJournal and Vox
- The chart shows Word Press, TypePad and Blogger (and a few others) having plug-ins/widgets - which doesn't show just how many more widgets there are for Blogger.
- Among the top 3, Blogger is weakest, they show, on stats, but Google Analytics should be available for free, so I don't know why Blogger would be weakest on stats. I don't use Google Analytics though, because I'm using great free stats from StatCounter. Quick plug for StatCounter, they make it real easy to keep track of analytics if you have multiple sites.
- Help! Though there's a lot of information in blogs and forums about Blogger, there is no live help to be had that I've found. Whereas, on WordPress, emails asking for help - which is something I often need in WordPress, get answered swiftly. So how do you weigh out, not needing much help in Blogger because it is so easy, versus the less intuitive WordPress! Bottom line, you need to know both!
- What I don't yet know is why people would pay $5.00 a month (rounded up) for TypePad. What is it that the monthly fee offers?
comparing wordpress blogging with blogger blogging
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Weblog Explosion
Look at these statements about blogging as reported in Business Blog Writer. (Probably from 2007, as the Technorati graph they show was from 2007.)
This is mind boggling!
This is mind boggling!
Lists of the Best Blog Directories on the Net
The key question to ask about marketing a blog may be: "What are the best blog directories to register my blog in?"
Here are a couple of the lists I've found on the net. Each list is missing key details - for example, some of the "free" ones, aren't free, there's a fee, but it's a great start. (There's an opportunity for a more thorough listing, and it would be a great blog topic, probably worth an annual fee to have access to an ongoingly updated list.)
Best Blog Directories - Free & Paid
Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites (August 2008)
RSS - Blog Directories
Visit Blogs and See What Blog Directory Badges They Have
Another way I've learned about directories is to randomly search blogs in blog catalog, or just blogger and look at what directory badges people have, click on them, and see for myself.
Here are a couple of the lists I've found on the net. Each list is missing key details - for example, some of the "free" ones, aren't free, there's a fee, but it's a great start. (There's an opportunity for a more thorough listing, and it would be a great blog topic, probably worth an annual fee to have access to an ongoingly updated list.)
20 Essential Blog Directories to Submit Your Blog To (2007)
Best Blog Directories - Free & Paid
Best Blog Directory And RSS Submission Sites (August 2008)
RSS - Blog Directories
Visit Blogs and See What Blog Directory Badges They Have
Another way I've learned about directories is to randomly search blogs in blog catalog, or just blogger and look at what directory badges people have, click on them, and see for myself.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Google's Blogger Has Changed its Gadget Page
There've been changes on Blogger, the Blog hosting service of Google.
When you're in your blog, and you click on CUSTOMIZE at the upper right corner of the window, you now see "Add a Gadget" on the top of your sidebar. When you click on that, the window that opens up is newly redesigned. I just noticed it last night.
When you're in your blog, and you click on CUSTOMIZE at the upper right corner of the window, you now see "Add a Gadget" on the top of your sidebar. When you click on that, the window that opens up is newly redesigned. I just noticed it last night.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Internet Research
It's quite like being a ocean biologist, being an internet researcher. One finds new species daily, and many of them. And maybe unlike real life, the species are increasing.
What are the numbers? How many millions of people log into the internet daily, are there hundred of millions? How many in what languages? And of those, how many are people who are creating new widgets, new social forums, new directories, new search engines... and what other creations that I haven't yet learned of. Are there millions? Or just hundreds of thousands? Or maybe just tens of thousands?
We're weaving a knowledge (and less-than-knowledge) web of information, and daily people are finding new ways of connecting disparate parts of these nodules. It's quite fascinating, to some of us.
What are the numbers? How many millions of people log into the internet daily, are there hundred of millions? How many in what languages? And of those, how many are people who are creating new widgets, new social forums, new directories, new search engines... and what other creations that I haven't yet learned of. Are there millions? Or just hundreds of thousands? Or maybe just tens of thousands?
We're weaving a knowledge (and less-than-knowledge) web of information, and daily people are finding new ways of connecting disparate parts of these nodules. It's quite fascinating, to some of us.
TWING?
A discussion forum search engine.
That's a search engine that helps you find discussion forums.
Or if we put it yet a third way, it's about searching discussion forums.
And the more ways we put it, the more chance someone will have of finding this little post when they search on the internet.
Maybe these phrases would also be helpful:
discussion forum list
list of most of the discussion forums
where can I find discussion forums
how to search for discussion forums
listing discussion forums, list of discussion forums
great search engines
speciality search engines
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Blog Herald Also Requests Blogger Cleanup from Google
Just found The Blog Herald - any blog about blogs and the blogosphere (and a little more!) - should know about a blog called The Blog Herald.
But even more interesting is an article about "SPLOGS" and a request of Google to clean up the mire of less than legitimate blogs out in its BLOGGER world with the BLOGSPOT addresses.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
When Tragedy Strikes Bloggers Write
This past weekend in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, a beautiful young woman, mother of two young girls was reported missing. A body was found Monday night. It was identified as Nancy Cooper, the missing woman Tuesday. And the safe, family centered town that just was in national news as the 5th fastest growing in the nation, is galvanized.
The search for Nancy on Saturday, Sunday and Monday was the largest one the Cary police had ever experienced. So many volunteers showed up. Tuesday when the body was identified, the search for Nancy was over, but a search for who killed her had just begun.
As someone who lived in Cary, and who lives nearby, as someone who years ago refused to let fear stop me from walking, running, and exploring, during the days she was missing and before the police said this was not a random act of violence, I experienced a level of fear that I have felt when walking alone when I hear something strange. The kind of fear I felt one day walking under a bridge on a back way to my car to save time, when I realized I was putting my life at risk, because there were no other people around. The kind of fear that was confirmed when I picked up my child from daycare right in the neighborhood there and heard that a woman was raped the day before, in that same neighborhood, near the bridge I walked under.
My head hurts. I keep checking the web and the news for updates. My friends are sending me emails and calling to discuss our responses, and what we might need to change in our lives. It is as if there were poison in the air. And we don't even know Nancy or her family personally. We just live in the same community.
It is rewarding to read comments on news stories and on blogs that offer prayers and condolences to the family and close friends of Nancy. It is hard to know that during this same weekend there were murders locally, and another beautiful young woman was killed by an underage drunk driver. Hard to know that there is so much other suffering going on, but this one dominates, because it is unsolved, and so close to home. If I, who don't know the family, feel it hard to see how the news shifts from Nancy's story to the weather and sports, how must those closer to her feel. I want the world to stop and take account of this. And yet the world keeps turning.
So I write, and other bloggers write. Some are neutral. Some write their suspicions and judgments. And there are not only blogs to read, but news stations, news blogs, news collectors, and discussion forums.
Blogs:
Most importantly, the blog set up for Nancy Cooper.
Learning Matters - offers an invitation to friends and neighbors to discourage the media from continuing the barrage of images and speculation by keeping a silence
AC360
Running Wild, My life as a runner
Le Tricotage
Nic Blog
On the Spot: David G Simmons
Friends of Debbie Key
Homestead Harvest
Realm of the Lint Queen
Topsy-Turvy World Weblog
Death Chic(k) a blogger who is also a runner
Bonnie's Blog of Crime, post made it in the top 100 most read WordPress posts for July 16.
The Dreamin Demon
Eyes for Lies Blog
The Women on Guard Blog
Crimetime (from Texas)
There are also news blogs:
Fox's On the Scene Blog
From Fay to Z
NC Wanted
News stations:
ABC
News14
WRAL
Fox
And news collectors:
Now Public
News Block
And Online Forums:
Scared Monkeys
Web Sleuths
The search for Nancy on Saturday, Sunday and Monday was the largest one the Cary police had ever experienced. So many volunteers showed up. Tuesday when the body was identified, the search for Nancy was over, but a search for who killed her had just begun.
As someone who lived in Cary, and who lives nearby, as someone who years ago refused to let fear stop me from walking, running, and exploring, during the days she was missing and before the police said this was not a random act of violence, I experienced a level of fear that I have felt when walking alone when I hear something strange. The kind of fear I felt one day walking under a bridge on a back way to my car to save time, when I realized I was putting my life at risk, because there were no other people around. The kind of fear that was confirmed when I picked up my child from daycare right in the neighborhood there and heard that a woman was raped the day before, in that same neighborhood, near the bridge I walked under.
My head hurts. I keep checking the web and the news for updates. My friends are sending me emails and calling to discuss our responses, and what we might need to change in our lives. It is as if there were poison in the air. And we don't even know Nancy or her family personally. We just live in the same community.
It is rewarding to read comments on news stories and on blogs that offer prayers and condolences to the family and close friends of Nancy. It is hard to know that during this same weekend there were murders locally, and another beautiful young woman was killed by an underage drunk driver. Hard to know that there is so much other suffering going on, but this one dominates, because it is unsolved, and so close to home. If I, who don't know the family, feel it hard to see how the news shifts from Nancy's story to the weather and sports, how must those closer to her feel. I want the world to stop and take account of this. And yet the world keeps turning.
So I write, and other bloggers write. Some are neutral. Some write their suspicions and judgments. And there are not only blogs to read, but news stations, news blogs, news collectors, and discussion forums.
Blogs:
Most importantly, the blog set up for Nancy Cooper.
Learning Matters - offers an invitation to friends and neighbors to discourage the media from continuing the barrage of images and speculation by keeping a silence
AC360
Running Wild, My life as a runner
Le Tricotage
Nic Blog
On the Spot: David G Simmons
Friends of Debbie Key
Homestead Harvest
Realm of the Lint Queen
Topsy-Turvy World Weblog
Death Chic(k) a blogger who is also a runner
Bonnie's Blog of Crime, post made it in the top 100 most read WordPress posts for July 16.
The Dreamin Demon
Eyes for Lies Blog
The Women on Guard Blog
Crimetime (from Texas)
There are also news blogs:
Fox's On the Scene Blog
From Fay to Z
NC Wanted
News stations:
ABC
News14
WRAL
Fox
And news collectors:
Now Public
News Block
And Online Forums:
Scared Monkeys
Web Sleuths
Blog-Savvy Organizations Provide Buttons, Badges and Logos for Free Publicity
It is exciting to see how many organizations offer buttons, badges and logos for easy download on websites and blogs. It is also interesting to notice how many have not yet set up for that.
If I'm not mistaken, this site, just announced on a cable newstation in the Triangle region of North Carolina, did not offer any blog or web friendly downloads that would advertise their service for free. earthshare.org was mentioned in an advertisement this morning, and when I visited their site, I did not see any way to link to it, short of an ordinary word link that I would create. As a blogger, good causes, and attractive buttons, badges and logos are things I look for to add value and appeal to my blogs. I wrote the company inviting them to provide this resource, if they didn't already have it.
I was able to save their logo to my harddrive, and then insert a link to their site, but less experienced bloggers might not find their way to that.
Interact, a well-established respected agency serving those who experience violence and abuse in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, likewise did not show any online buttons, badges and logos for free PR on online sites. I also wrote them.
If I'm not mistaken, this site, just announced on a cable newstation in the Triangle region of North Carolina, did not offer any blog or web friendly downloads that would advertise their service for free. earthshare.org was mentioned in an advertisement this morning, and when I visited their site, I did not see any way to link to it, short of an ordinary word link that I would create. As a blogger, good causes, and attractive buttons, badges and logos are things I look for to add value and appeal to my blogs. I wrote the company inviting them to provide this resource, if they didn't already have it.
I was able to save their logo to my harddrive, and then insert a link to their site, but less experienced bloggers might not find their way to that.
Interact, a well-established respected agency serving those who experience violence and abuse in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, likewise did not show any online buttons, badges and logos for free PR on online sites. I also wrote them.
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