Blogs and Blogging Anna Jester, Product Manager Allen Press, Inc. ALPSP Workshop North American Chapter Web 2.0: Why it matters and what you need to know

What is a Blog? Contraction of “weblog” Website allows easy addition of comments Often maintained by one person Typically covers one specific theme Generally link to other sites, blogs and resources

Contraction of “weblog”

Website allows easy addition of comments

Often maintained by one person

Typically covers one specific theme

Generally link to other sites, blogs and resources

Some Reluctance Why some in STM resist blogging Internet seen as time waster Many use passively, never comment Author you comment about could be your next peer reviewer Fear of being scooped - you might accidentally say too much

Why some in STM resist blogging

Internet seen as time waster

Many use passively, never comment

Author you comment about could be your next peer reviewer

Fear of being scooped - you might accidentally say too much

Lack of Incentive In addition: Currently no professional benefit to commenting on a research article Scientists who blog often already like writing Lack of time

In addition:

Currently no professional benefit to commenting on a research article

Scientists who blog often already like writing

Lack of time

Resistance May Be Futile Collective of all blogs is called the Blogosphere Active Blogosphere defined as: The ecosystem of interconnected communities of bloggers and readers at the convergence of journalism and conversation Yearly State of the Blogosphere Report http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

Collective of all blogs is called the Blogosphere

Active Blogosphere defined as:

The ecosystem of interconnected communities of bloggers and readers at the convergence of journalism and conversation

Yearly State of the Blogosphere Report

http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

Far Reaching Blogs have search engines, too Technorati was the 1 st Technorati tracked blogs in 81 languages in June 2008 Surveyed bloggers and received responses from 66 countries across six continents

Blogs have search engines, too

Technorati was the 1 st

Technorati tracked blogs in 81 languages in June 2008

Surveyed bloggers and received responses from 66 countries across six continents

And the Survey Says Bloggers have been at it an average of three years Collectively creating close to one million posts every day Personal, professional, and corporate bloggers all have differing goals Cover five topics on average within each blog

Bloggers have been at it an average of three years

Collectively creating close to one million posts every day

Personal, professional, and corporate bloggers all have differing goals

Cover five topics on average within each blog

Are You Reeled In? Bloggers employ five different techniques, on average, to drive traffic to their blog Majority of surveyed bloggers currently have advertising on their blog

Bloggers employ five different techniques, on average, to drive traffic to their blog

Majority of surveyed bloggers currently have advertising on their blog

Blogging Statistics 346,000,000 – number of people globally who read blogs 1,750,000 – number of RSS subscribers to TechCrunch , the most popular Technology blog (January 2009) 77% - percentage of active Internet users who read blogs 55% – percentage of the blogosphere who drink > 2 cups of coffee per day 81 - number of languages represented in the blogosphere * Source

346,000,000 – number of people globally who read blogs

1,750,000 – number of RSS subscribers to TechCrunch , the most popular Technology blog (January 2009)

77% - percentage of active Internet users who read blogs

55% – percentage of the blogosphere who drink > 2 cups of coffee per day

81 - number of languages represented in the blogosphere

* Source

What’s Being Said About You? Whether you have a social media strategy or not, likely already present in the Blogosphere 4/5 bloggers post brand or product reviews, 37% post them frequently 90% of say they post about the brands, music, movies and books that they love (or hate)

Whether you have a social media strategy or not, likely already present in the Blogosphere

4/5 bloggers post brand or product reviews, 37% post them frequently

90% of say they post about the brands, music, movies and books that they love (or hate)

How Do I Find Blog Mentions? Google Alerts (Google) http://www.google.com/alerts BlogPulse (Nielsen) http://www.blogpulse.com/ Technorati (Technorati) http://technorati.com/

Google Alerts (Google) http://www.google.com/alerts

BlogPulse (Nielsen) http://www.blogpulse.com/

Technorati (Technorati) http://technorati.com/

Blog Mention Results

Additional Reading How To Find Conversations By Tracking Brand Mentions Lisa Barone

How To Find Conversations By Tracking Brand Mentions

Lisa Barone

You May Want to Track Competitors

Who Blogs

The STM World is Blogging CABI blog has multiple bloggers Launched early 2007 “ Hand picked… and carefully sorted” Regular postings from Content staff highlighting topics of interest or personal opinions Subtle links back to database or other CABI products RSS feed with several hundred subscribers

CABI blog has multiple bloggers

Launched early 2007

“ Hand picked… and carefully sorted”

Regular postings from Content staff highlighting topics of interest or personal opinions

Subtle links back to database or other CABI products

RSS feed with several hundred subscribers

CABI’s Results Google analytics reveal links from many other commentators and bloggers Visitors from Indonesia, Finland, Hungary, Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia, Sudan, Macedonia, Algeria ,Uzbekistan and Armenia Low cost, both in staff time and technology

Google analytics reveal links from many other commentators and bloggers

Visitors from Indonesia, Finland, Hungary, Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia, Sudan, Macedonia, Algeria ,Uzbekistan and Armenia

Low cost, both in staff time and technology

Find Bloggers in Your Discipline Society or publication blog doesn’t have to be written by staff Ask experts in your discipline who already blog Easy to read their blogging resume Example: Publish research about sharks? Might want to ask bloggers from Southern Fried Science (Why Sharks Matter)

Society or publication blog doesn’t have to be written by staff

Ask experts in your discipline who already blog

Easy to read their blogging resume

Example: Publish research about sharks?

Might want to ask bloggers from Southern Fried Science (Why Sharks Matter)

Are They Reviewing Your Content Already?

STM Blogging about Blogging

Conferences About Blogging

Librarian Blogs

TMI (Too Much Information) Q. With so many blogs and websites, how do you keep track of what you want to read? A. Feed readers (also called RSS readers or feed aggregators) Web Based: Google reader , Bloglines , Netvibes Desktop Feed Readers: BlogBridge , RSSOwl , Feedreader

Q. With so many blogs and websites, how do you keep track of what you want to read?

A. Feed readers (also called RSS readers or feed aggregators)

Web Based: Google reader , Bloglines , Netvibes

Desktop Feed Readers: BlogBridge , RSSOwl , Feedreader

Feed Reader Benefits You get an organization tool Content provider gets to make statements such as this one from Quick Online Tips

You get an organization tool

Content provider gets to make statements such as this one from Quick Online Tips

May Know and Provide Feed Reader Statistics Breakdown of which feed readers their 20,000 feed subscribers use Although 4 th most used for QOT , Newsgator Online closed down in August, migrating readers to Google reader

Breakdown of which feed readers their 20,000 feed subscribers use

Although 4 th most used for QOT , Newsgator Online closed down in August, migrating readers to Google reader

Google Reader

Feed Reader Comparison Ask your friends, family, co-workers Download several and try them all out Or, if you or your IT department prefer, check out one comparison of several popular feed readers at: http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2009/08/popular-feed-readers/

Ask your friends, family, co-workers

Download several and try them all out

Or, if you or your IT department prefer, check out one comparison of several popular feed readers at:

http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2009/08/popular-feed-readers/

Analyzing Blog Usage Some things you want to know: Number of page views Number of unique visitors Viewer country (especially important for international publications) Are people linking to your blog

Some things you want to know:

Number of page views

Number of unique visitors

Viewer country (especially important for international publications)

Are people linking to your blog

Analysis Tools Clicky Clickdensity Google Analytics Histats.com Mochibot Pagealizer ShinyStat StatCounter VisiStat WebStats

Clicky

Clickdensity

Google Analytics

Histats.com

Mochibot

Pagealizer

ShinyStat

StatCounter

VisiStat

WebStats

So We’ve Decided to Start a Blog Tips for a successful blog Have a specific purpose Be as useful as possible Keep readers in mind Ask questions so you get responses and comments Differentiate between news/announcements and commentary

Tips for a successful blog

Have a specific purpose

Be as useful as possible

Keep readers in mind

Ask questions so you get responses and comments

Differentiate between news/announcements and commentary

Tips for a successful blog (cont.) Invite a guest blogger Include images, audio and video Select controversial topics to post about Ask specific people influential in your industry to post comments to build credibility and get the ball rolling on responses

Invite a guest blogger

Include images, audio and video

Select controversial topics to post about

Ask specific people influential in your industry to post comments to build credibility and get the ball rolling on responses

Choosing a Blogging Platform A familiar interface helps Common Blogging Platforms

A familiar interface helps

Common Blogging Platforms

Less Common Platforms Wheatblog Squarespace Serendipity Scoop Lycos Tripod Loudblog LifeType Gawker Flatpress Expression Engine Eggblog Drupal Bricolage Blogsmith

Wheatblog

Squarespace

Serendipity

Scoop

Lycos Tripod

Loudblog

LifeType

Gawker

Flatpress

Expression Engine

Eggblog

Drupal

Bricolage

Blogsmith

Let’s Look at Some Blogs Interactive Demonstration Links on Workshop Wiki http://alpspweb2.pbworks.com/

Interactive Demonstration

Links on Workshop Wiki

http://alpspweb2.pbworks.com/