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PR Newswire offers comprehensive blog measurement tool

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mediasense.jpgPR Newswire announced a partnership with Umbria, a market intelligence company that specializes in blog research and consumer generated media (CGM) for market insight, to provide clients with a comprehensive blog measurement tool that allows them to assess the impact of online consumer conversations about their company, products and brands.

PR Newswire’s MediaSense Blog Measurement, as the service is called, uses Umbria’s proprietary technology, and allows PR Newswire clients to track blog conversations around a press release or a news topic, and monitor how these conversations grow and wane. Umbria’s patent-pending technology is unique in how it analyzes blogosphere discussions and provides a graphical assessment of the conversation tone and participant demographics.

“The advent of citizen-generated media has both delighted and confounded public relations professionals,” said Dave Armon, chief operating officer, PR Newswire. “As the leading communications service provider for corporate, government and public policy PR officers, PR Newswire views bloggers and their readers as additional key audiences, and this new tool provides our customers with actionable feedback on how their messages are resonating with audiences in the blogosphere, which is 75 million blogs strong and growing.”

Originally posted on May 3, 2007 @ 11:56 am

Blogger, Name Thyself

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Build your blogger brand - brainstormOkay, maybe you don’t think that a blogger needs to build a brand. But in light of the response that the infographic on the You’re Brand One? post received, it’s evident that branding is important for some bloggers. That is, if you plan to either earn a living from your blog professionally or indirectly. (Darren Rowse has a great post about making money because of your blog.) In which case branding is a necessity, be it a cool, memorable brand name, an infographic, or even just a picture of you.

If you want to blog professionally, even if just to promote your consulting or other services, I highly recommend getting a domain name with your name in it, or some variation. Set up a blog and make that your brand, to promote all your online and offline activities. You may even want to use a blog name that isn’t your name. Remember that you have to compete with websites plus 70 million blogs. Or is it 15 million? Who knows. Fact is, you need to stand out, and there are many aspects to building a popular site (promotion, content, posts, etc.), but branding yourself is the glue that ties it all together.

For me, I want to be the geeky diagram/ screencast guy. Hence my brand “Internet UltraGeek”. But here’s something to consider: I didn’t bother registering internetultrageek.com because I don’t like the way it looks. This should be a factor when you decide on a brand name. For example, noted web designer Chris Pearson uses Pearsonified, which I think is great. It’s more than his name, it’s a brand. Be creative when you set up your “brand” blog. And you don’t have to post every day. Each post should be well thought out and relevant to your brand. Once a week is probably sufficient.

If you need some branding pointers, NameWire, a blog about product naming, has a post on personal branding, with links to other relevant articles including, yes, my own. Though have a look at the rest of the blog and you’ll realize how much thought goes into naming a product or service. Or at least, how much effort should go in.

Originally posted on May 4, 2007 @ 2:41 pm

BlogHer opens registration for 2007 conference

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blogher.jpgBlogHer, the web’s leading guide to women bloggers, announced that registration is officially open for BlogHer Conference ’07: A World of Difference. This event offers bloggers and those interested in blogging a rare opportunity to engage, network with, and benefit from the collective wisdom of the BlogHer community.

BlogHer conferences feature an interactive format designed to inspire conversation, and connections. “In 2007, we continue our tradition of hosting a conference that this diverse community has built,” says Elisa Camahort, BlogHer Co-founder and President, Events & Marketing. “BlogHer ’07 is a hands-on learning and networking opportunity, designed to help new and experienced bloggers leverage technology to follow their passions and gain additional exposure for their blogs and expertise.”

The BlogHer Conference is sponsored by GM, Yahoo!, Google, and Dove and take place at the Navy Pier in Chicago on July 27 and 28.

Originally posted on May 3, 2007 @ 1:31 pm

Red Sox star pitcher offers $1M on his blog

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curt.jpgRed Sox star pitcher Curt Schilling lashed out at the media in a scathing 1,300-word post on his personal blog and offered $1 million to anyone who would prove that it was not blood that blotted his sock in the 2004 playoffs.

Schilling’s sock was put into question when Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne said Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli had told him it was paint, not blood, done for a publicity stunt. Thorne later said that he had misreported what he overheard. Despite this, Schilling still ripped Thorne and the media through his blog.

Anyone interested in Schilling’s offer? Go look for the sock first as Schilling said he put it in the laundry. Now he suspects a Yankees clubhouse employee still has it.

Originally posted on April 28, 2007 @ 3:49 pm

Social network focuses on happy posts

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Its mission is simple and wrapped up with its motto: “Share a story. Change a life.” Happy Posts has struck a chord with the Internet community as the new hangout place for positive and uplifting content. The site, a radical change from what normally is seen online, is an open forum for people to share positive stories from their lives.

“Every day, we are hit from all sides with negativity,” said Mark Hager, founder of Happy Posts. “We wanted to create a place where anyone from any background could tell about the good things that happen to them. We’re not concerned about where you’re from, what you do or what you believe,” Hager said when asked about their target demographics. “We’re looking to create a grass-roots movement with the sole purpose of creating the world’s largest repository of every day miracles.”

Originally posted on April 26, 2007 @ 9:28 pm