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"Content Is King" But There Is More To Blogging

June 20, 2007 By 2 Comments

This week’s radio show that Tris and I did at Blog Talk Radio had a topic that was dear to our hearts. Content in blogging is king, but it is not the only thing there is to blogging. Many people believe that you can set up a blog start putting content on the blog and suddenly the company is a success. This is just not true. Blogging is more than just words on a web page or words typed into a blog platform. Blogging is so much more than writing cool content.

We discussed this at length today in our podcast. You can listen to the podcast or download it to get our take in what blogging is and what we define as a blogger and their duties.

Blogging is understanding not only how to write really good content, but understanding the back side of the platform, with using analytics, using RSS feeds, and many of the tools out their that will help you produce good content. Blogging is more of a whole concept and job description and a expertise. What expertise does a blogger bring? We think they are Community Managers or Social Media Managers. What do you think a blogger is and what do they bring to the table?

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Filed Under: Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Mediasphere Radio, Professional Blogging, RSS, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media

Everyone Needs Good Metrics: Google Analytics Makes It Easy

June 16, 2007 By 2 Comments

 You might think web/blog metrics are only for the geeky set, but really the days of arcane and generally useless stats are pretty much gone.  This post from Beth Kanter explains how GA is helping a small non-profit meet the needs of their clients:

As part of some research for a screencast on Google Analytics for NTEN, I gave a shout out to folks asking for examples.  (BTW, if you are looking to learn more about how to use Google Analytics, I highly recommend the Webinar that NTEN is offering next Wednesday with Avinash Kaushik.)

Laura Whitehead, Chief Officer at South Hams CVS responded with lots to share.  Here’s how she is using the tool for decision-making.  What is amazing is that she has obviously created a data driven culture in her organization.  Thank you Laura for sharing your knowledge! Source: Beth’s Blog: How Laura Whitehead of South Hams CVS has created a data driven culture in her Nonprofit using Google Analytics

After using lots of different metrics apps, I’ve settled on Google Analytics and FeedBurner’s feed and blog stats (of course FeedBurner is now a part of Google).  Why?  These apps are easy to “install” on a blog (generally just inserting a bit of code into the footer of the template), run on their own (GA is delayed by a day and FB’s blog data is live, feed 24 hrs), and easy to understand.

Jeremiah has been looking at metrics too…I’ll have to listen/watch his show to if I have anything to add to his recommendations.

Filed Under: Blog Metrics, Blog Tools

Can WordPress Compete Against Moveable Type?

June 10, 2007 By 1 Comment

I was reading Anil Dash’s post today about the launch of Moveable Type 4. My blog life was born using the Moveable Type Platform. At the time I began blogging, I was of the opinion that MT was the one and only platform for me. It was the choice of many of the top bloggers and had many features that I wanted. When I buy things I do lots of research and checking things out then make my decision based upon my findings. This is what I did when choosing my blogging platform.

Along came WordPress and I heard some great things about that platform. Contributing to a number of blogs over the years, I have seen many different applications, and once I used the WordPress system, I was sold. What was different from Moveable Type? To me it was more user friendly, and the most important reason was spam blocking. I was having a horrible time with Moveable Type’s spam blocking ability. I spent more time deleting spam comments and trackbacks than I was actually writing the posts and reading comments. WordPress was my answer to that problem.

Now Moveable Type has released its newest version of its application, Moveable Type 4. I wonder if they are as user friendly as WordPress and I also wonder about the widgets/plugins/features and whether they have the same coolness as WordPress. I waffled about maybe testing the MT4 Beta, and quickly looked through the site and saw the features offered by MT, and then I finished with the last navigation tab, “Pricing and Purchase”. I was able to quickly make my decision, because one word I did not see…FREE. Until MT decides to offer their application to us commercial users that are on a tight budget, I guess I will have to say that MT will never compete with WP.

 

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Filed Under: Blog Consulting, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Corporate Blogs, Media, Partnerships, Professional Blogging, Services, Social Media, The Site

Mediasphere Radio: Beginning Blogging 101

June 8, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Tris and I had a great time talking about how a business or individuals can get into blogging. We talk about the very basics and things to think about and tips on how to get your company up and blogging.

You can go and listen to the show!

Tags: , Bloggers For Hire, , , Hiring Bloggers, Jim Turner, Mediasphere Radio, One By One Media, Professional Bloggers, , , Tris Hussey

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Metrics, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogonomics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Client Sites, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Mediasphere Radio, Search Engine Optimization, Services, Social Media, The Site

Where.com Secures $11M Funding and a New Blogger

May 21, 2007 By Leave a Comment

We are proud to announce that a new client of ours, uLocate Communications, recently received an $11 Million round of funding through Venrock, Grand Banks Capital and Kodiak Venture Partners, and they will be using that funding to further their new and exciting mobile platform at Where.com. In addition to the funding, One By One Media and Bloggers For Hire will be providing them a professional blogger to jump into the Where.com application and use it as a consumer and to post about his experiences and thoughts on the application.  Where.com’s platform is very exciting, as is stated from the press release:

WHERE is the first application development platform that addresses the major challenges facing developers and operators in the mobile application landscape. Built on the same framework that powers MapQuestâ„¢ FindMe and Helio’sâ„¢ Buddy Beacon, WHERE delivers the promise of marrying mobile technology with GPS. As a result, consumers have a wealth of content to choose from, effectively personalizing their mobile GPS experience. WHERE helps you find the people, places and things that matter to you.

Walt Doyle, CEO and President of uLocate is also a participating blogger which makes this company a very forward thinking company that I expect great things from them anbd not just because they have chosen our company to assist them in their blogging efforts, that’s was just a bonus.  They understand the power of blogging and want to expose their platform to as many developers and other consumers as possible.  They understand the communication tool that blogging provides and have implemented their online plans to include this powerful tool.  This company is going places, and I’m glad we get to be a part of it.  For further info you can see the full press release.  Follow along and see how Where.com will rock your mobile experience.

Tags: uLocate Communications, , Grand Banks Capital, Kodiak Venture Partners, Where.com, One By One Media, Bloggers For Hire, , FindMe, Helio’s Buddy Beacon, , , Walt Doyle, , , CEO Blogs

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Tools, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Client Sites, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Services

One By One Media Enters The Social Mediasphere

May 16, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Last week I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio, and Tris has now had a discussion on WebPro News via video.  It seems that we here at One By One Media have made the cross over into what we are calling the Social Mediasphere. 

We have decided since we are doing more and more with the Web 2.0 tools out there and are trying and mastering new techniques for joining the new revolution of tools for marketing advertising and PR for our clients, to also begin our own Social Media show over at Blogonomics.net. We are just now in the early stages, but we will be doing a weekly podcast of the happenings in the social media area, and will be doing live casting of events and other fun things.  Please take a moment to bookmark the site or add it to your feeds and we will be delivered to you when the site is up and running

Tags: , Tris Hussey, WebPro News, One By One Media, Social Mediasphere, , , , , , , ,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Marketing, Media, Services

Matt Mullenweg on CNET–insight into a Web 2.0 genius and pioneer

May 15, 2007 By 1 Comment

Jim and I consider ourselves lucky to count Matt Mullenweg as a friend. Over the past several years I’ve had the chance to talk with Matt over dinners etc and every time I learn something new and am even more amazed by him.

Who is Matt Mullenweg? He is the father of WordPress. Yes, it’s now open source and lots of people, including other folks Jim and I know, are working on it, but Matt started it all. He is also the author of several key WP plugins maybe most importantly Akismet. Akismet is the uber anti-spam plugin for WP and MT. Matt talks about why he hasn’t made it open source and some of his other thoughts on Web 2.0 in this interview with Rafe Needleman of CNET.

This is certainly worth a watch (okay I listened).

 

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Filed Under: Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Business Blogging

The New Digg Effect – What This Means For Social Media

May 2, 2007 By 3 Comments

After watching the story unfold about the blog post that appeared on Digg that was dugg over 15,000 times and appeared on page one of Digg.  The Digg Effect as it has become known is a phrase given when this phenomena occurs.  Many times if a story becomes popular enough it will appear on page 1 of Digg and the result is traffic soaring to the point of bringing most servers to their knees and crashing many sites.  This Digg Effect has taken on new meaning for me since seeing the resulting revolution that unfolded.

For me, the "New Digg Effect" is the power of social networks and communities.  This can be used for good or for bad actually.  In my opinion, posting something on a site that breaks the law or goes against a terms of service rules can be a very bad thing.  Mob rule takes over in this new action.  This is not necessarily unique in the instance of Digg, but its popularity was shown and the number of people that can influence an outcome was apparent here.  As I read a comment by Paul Montgomery at Tech Crunch it came clear to me that this could be a New Digg Effect:

I agree with the users on this one. They win. I just wish they could turn their power on some issue that actually mattered. (emphasis added)

That made me think of the power that social networks and communities could wield in other areas. The viral effect of this new medium.  It made me think of things like the Amber Alert System, and then I began to think of the power a mob could have on a Presidential election in online communities.  I’m not sure if the New Digg Effect has me running scared at this point or in awe how quickly something can travel from shore to shore and continent to continent when a group wants something accomplished.   Social Media and the online communities carry a new torch at this point.  Like Paul Montgomery said, let’s use this New Digg Effect for something that really matters.

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Law, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Findability, Marketing, Media

The Brogan “Extended Conversation” Manifesto – Web 2.0 Delivers Our Message

April 26, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Chris Brogan has written a great blog post today about extending the conversation.  He says that he believes that all of these web 2.0 tools that are available are for helping to extend the conversation.  I have to agree with Chris.  He touches on something that I think is the gist of Shel Israel’s new book about Global Neighborhoods.  Web 2.0 has allowed us to reach out and communicate like never before.  I have experienced it on a personal and business level myself. 

He makes a great point about how we are merely just a somewhat big cocktail party all talking to each other without reaching out to a broader audience.  We reside in a bowl or a bubble and we can only hear ourselves.

We’re all just talking to each other, which is swell, but if we want to be relevant, we’ve gotta climb the slippery, shiny, invisible sides of this big bowl we’re all standing in, and we’ve gotta get out there into the crowd. If I had this graphic, I’d post it. The graphic would be a guy throwing a bowl of shiny goldfish into a busy crowd. Think about that a moment. We’re all just goldfish in a bowl until we get there, into the people’s world.

I love this analogy because some days I feel like I myself am trying to climb the sides of the bowl to get to the outside to get the message to those that I can see through the bowl but they can’t seem to hear me.  I shout and shout and they walk on by like that zoo exhibit of the penguins underwater in Happy Feet (yes, my life is all about animated movies).  If I could only get through the protective glass and grab them and shake them.  Make them hear me.

I have begun to leave the virtual life and the echo chamber to get out into the real world and speak to people about Web 2.0 and the social media.  They have heard about blogs now which is different from this time last year.  The MSM has helped deliver the term and the message.  Of course, they have done this kicking and screaming, as is still shown by Jeff Jarvis as Chris mentions with NBC not allowing the Presidential debates online.  What happened to equal access? The funny thing is, NBC will broadcast it and it will be reported and written about by bloggers long before the MSM can possible publish their thoughts.

Controlling how you reach people is an illusion.  With the new Web 2.0 applications and uses being employed, they will find you whether you intend them to or not.  As Jeremiah Owyang was presenting at his panel at the ad:Tech conference in San Francisco, it became apparent that we as web 2.0 experts cannot agree on this issue.  I agreed with some on the panel and others not.  My style and message was even different than the people involved in Jeremiah’s chat.  It became clear then that we are not all singing from the same song sheet.  This in my opinion is a great thing.  It brings variety and diversity to the message. 

Finally, Chris Brogan asks the questions, "Should we even try to reach out?"  My response is a resounding YES.  Our problem is we are not sure ourselves what message we are reaching out with to be able to sing the chorus as Chris so aptly put it.  I think as we increase the integrity of the Web 2.0 foundation, we will begin to see our message take shape and it will allow us to break free of our "Bubble".  The chorus will get louder and the harmony will be great music.

[Photo taken from Chris Brogan]

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Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Conferences/Trade Shows, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Search Engine Optimization, Services

Why Blogging is the next “News Channel”

April 20, 2007 By 2 Comments

While reading Brad Linder’s blog post about What Local News is Missing, and his review of Rio Pesino of Podtech.net’s interview of local people on the street, it became apparent to me that my news source is Blogging.  Blogging provides me with as much coverage of local, national and even global news that I need.  Blogs even provide me with information about local weather, sports, and business news.  I can find all of what I need to get me the information to satisfy my query.

On the other hand, I paused to think about the woman that could not afford a computer and did not have access to the Internet.  This is a big problem.  She is not a small fraction of the cross section of people out there.  They still rely on the free news they get.  She gets her news from a newspaper, or the local news station.  The problem with that scenario is she only gets one point of view.  She reads the same columnist each day, gets the same view from the news anchor on her local television station.  Where is the diversity in that?  How is she able to interact with them by comments, and chat and IM and other forms of communication.  Roosevelt promised a chicken in every pot, perhaps now is the time to have someone step up and promise a computer in every home and free Internet service to whoever wants it. 

Tags: Brad Linder, Rio Pesino, Podtech, , , ,

Filed Under: Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Politics, Findability, Marketing, Media, Services
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