Written on January 3rd, 2005 at 02:01 pm by Darren Rowse
Translating Blogs
The Multi Lingual Blog (Blogos) has an interesting post examinging Translation in the Blogosphere.
‘Now that millions of individuals around the world are being empowered, if that’s the right expression, by blog software to file reports from sites that the news media cannot always reach, or expose and share their personal lives in interesting new ways, or engage in intense discussion about issues of moment, far from the exclusive institutions of the nation state, the language barrier suddenly looms up like a wall of ice from the sea of words. How can we free the meanings encoded in those alien tongues?’
This is another of those ‘gap areas’ where I see opportunity for some enterprising person or group to provide some tools that would be snapped up by thousands of bloggers around the world who want to expand the reach of their sites (whether they be purely hobby blogs or professional ones).
I’ve previously experimented with free translation software like Babel Fish or Google’s Translation Tools - but I’ve never been completely satisfied with them. I’ve recently seen a number of bloggers who have people translate their articles by word on a voluntary or paid basis - but this is a slow and arduous task.
The other end of the spectrum is how to monetize your translated pages. Many advertising programs will not allow you to put your ads on non english sites. Adsense now has a number of languages available for its ads, but it can get quite tricky to set them all up if you have multiple versions of the one page.
I’m keen to hear how others have tackled the issue of translating their blogs? Have you seen good models of it? What tools work for you? What don’t? Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below - share the knowledge so we can all improve our work.
Written on January 3rd, 2005 at 02:01 pm by Darren Rowse
Why Blogs Can Boost Your Business
Blog for Fun and Profit (who has posted some good articles over the past month or so) has a good post on 5 Important Reasons Why Blogs Can Boost Your Business here is Reason 1:
‘Your Markets Are Getting Smarter, Faster, And More Organized
With all the attention blogs and RSS has gotten in 2004 it is a sure bet that blogs will be even bigger news in 2005 as we move forward with defining more effective business uses for blogs. This one thing is for sure, thousands of blogs are created every day. The last statistic I’ve seen quoted by Technorati.com is that 23,000 blogs a day are created which is equal to about 1 blog every 3 seconds that joins the World Live Web….’
Continue reading 5 Important Reasons Why Blogs Can Boost Your Business
Update - They’ve just added another 5 reasons why blogs can boost your Business
Written on January 3rd, 2005 at 01:01 pm by Darren Rowse
The State of Blogging in America - Stats Released
The Pew Internet and American Life Project have announced study results into the state of American Blogging. Get the full PDF study here. Some of their results include:
- 8 million American adults say they have created blogs (around 7% of the population);
- blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users (ie around 32 million American blog readers);
- 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online;
- 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs;
- 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is.
Interesting results that fit pretty well with the anecdotal evidence I collect from conversations here in Australia also. Most people still don’t know what a blog is - but when you dig a little you find that many people have actually been reading them without knowing what a blog actually is.
Jeff has some good things to say about this study - especially this analysis of their demographics findings:
‘Some demographics. Blog creators are likely to be:
: Men: 57% are male
: Young: 48% are under age 30
: Broadband users: 70% have broadband at home
: Internet veterans: 82% have been online for six years or more
: Relatively well off financially: 42% live in households earning over $50,000
: Well educated: 39% have college or graduate degrees
None of this surprising: It’s a profile of early adopters. That was the profile of internet users a few years ago but today, internet users are better reflecting the country. This is the profile of internet creators; this, too, will go more mainstream. But the effort required to create will always separate those who instead read. And the reading numbers are growing even faster as the audience for blogs explodes:’
Written on January 3rd, 2005 at 01:01 pm by Darren Rowse
Blogs go Mainstream…. Again
The BBC announces that Blogs are taking on the mainstream - ‘Web logs or blogs are everywhere, with at least an estimated five million on the web and that number is set to grow….
But this year the focus has been on blogs which cast a critical eye over news events, often writing about issues ignored by the big media or offering an eye-witness account of events.
Most blogs may have only a small readership, but communication experts say they have provided an avenue for people to have a say in the world of politics….
US research think-tank Pew Internet & American Life says a blog is created every 5.8 seconds, although less than 40% of the total are updated at least once every two months.’
Looks like its that time of year again when all the articles come out to predict that this is the year of the blog.
Written on January 3rd, 2005 at 10:01 am by Darren Rowse
Google PageRank Update Under Way
As we predicted a couple of weeks ago - it seems that Google is now doing a PageRank Update. As with the back link update a week or two back this will take a few days (a week or more some suggest) to settle down. Google have chosen to do these updates over the Christmas break which of course is good for some as its traditionally a quiet period - however it makes it difficult to discern how their new results are impacting your blog.
Good luck all!
Written on January 1st, 2005 at 07:01 pm by Darren Rowse
Blog Herald Predictions for 2005
The Blog Herald have just predicted their Predictions for blogging in 2005 which make interesting reading (although the first three they admit they’ve been predicting for a couple of years now).
Anyway - some of the predictions are quite relevant for those wanting to make money from blogging so they are relevant to enternetusers - particularly predictions 5,6 and 7.
5. Blog advertising will boom - YEAH bring it on!
6. The better blogs will be purchased - I agree - we’ve talked about this a few times at How much is your blog worth and Blog Farming
7. Other will pool their resources - ie we’ll see more networks for bloggers emerge to compete with those like Weblogs Inc. Again I agree and have seen a few examples of this recently. They’ve got some catching up to do though!
Read the rest of the list at The Blog Herald Predictions for 2005
Written on January 1st, 2005 at 05:01 pm by Darren Rowse
The 2005 Business Blogging Awards
Jeremy and Darren over at Inside Blogging have decided to hold the very first ‘Business Blogging Awards‘ which is already causing some excitement on a number of business blogs that I saw on my rounds today. They are accepting nominations here until January 24 at which time a panel will whittle down the number in each category so that voting can begin on January 26 (ends Feb 9).
This is a great project as it will identify and highlight some quality bloggers and will lift the profile and standard of business blogs everywhere.
They have a massive 33 categories for you to nominate your favorites in and are even open to you suggesting more! This is going to be fun. Get over there and nominate your favorites now!
Written on December 31st, 2004 at 04:12 pm by Darren Rowse
Favorite Pro Blogging Resources of 2004
Well it is New Years Eve here in Australia and I’ve been holed up in bed for the last few days with the flu. All I’ve really been able to do is a few short bursts of blogging and a lot of thinking about life, the past year and what is ahead (as well as a lot of coughing, spluttering and popping pills).
I got to thinking about the year that has just been and about some of the great blogs that I’ve discovered in recent months that have been useful on this career path. I thought I’d ask and compile a list of answers here to the question:
‘What have been your most useful pro blogging resources (blogs, rss feeds, websites, forums etc) in 2004?’
What resources inspire, education, motivate, teach or support you the most and why?
Here are a few of my recent favorites (in no particular order):
Big Money Tips - This is a blog that I would love to see updated more regularly (and judging by the comments on each post I suspect I’m not alone). It’s written by ‘Scrivs’ from 9 Rules Network who has been making a pretty decent living from his blogs (with online shops attached) through affiliate marketing and contextual ads. His archives contain heaps of worthwhile information and tips and the design of his blogs leaves my mouth watering.
Blog Business World - Wayne Hurlbert would have to be one of the more encouraging, approachable and empowering business bloggers that I’ve found. I like how his posts don’t go over one’s head but are easy to read and pretty well thought out. Wayne gets involved in others projects and is keen to share what he’s learnt.
Webmaster World - The forums on this site have taught me more in the past few months about SEO, Contextual Ads and a variety of other webmaster topics than I’ve probably learned anywhere else online. Yes there are a few ‘know it all’ types on there - but there are also a lot of genuinely nice people who know a thing or two about the web that don’t mind giving a hint or two. In a similar (and smaller) way Digital Point has been a valuable spot for me this past few months.
Micro Persuasion - He’s on holidays at the moment but Steve Rubel’s insights are well worth checking in for on a daily basis. I know I’m not the only one reading his stuff because he is regularly quoted by bloggers of all shapes and sizes. He covers everything from PR, to blogging, to participatory journalism. Looking forward to him getting back from his holidays soon (although his fill in guy is good too!).
Blog Herald - this blog is quality stuff and on my daily reads. It isn’t just about business blogging but takes in a pretty wide spectrum of blogging news and always has something worth reading posted on it.
Ensight and Inside Blogging - I’ve become a bit of a fan of Jeremy this year. I like the creative and outside of the box approach that he takes with his blogging activities and always take notice when he posts. I also appreciate his approachability despite his busyness. Jeremy and his offsider Darren take a keen interest in not only their own business but are on the look out to work with others.
Radiant Marketing Group - Paul Chaney is another blogger that I have a lot of time for. He’s pushing boundaries and working at exploring new frontiers for blogging. He’s got his finger on the pulse on a number of areas and always has something worthwhile to say. I’m looking forward to what he’s going to do in 2005 and am interested in collaborating with him.
Figby - I’ve only just discovered Michael in more recent times - largely because he’s another blogger who is interested in dialogue and interaction (he’s a regular commenter around here). Michael recently emailed me with his history of webmastering/blogging and has a wealth of experience in making a living online. He runs a variety of blogs and websites and is someone that I’m fast coming to respect in the closing weeks of 2004.
G’Day World - you’ll probably click this link and get to a page that says ‘bandwidth Limit Exceeded’ which says something about the popularity of this podcast. G’day World is run by two fellow Aussie Bloggers (its nice to hear another Aussie Accent echoing around the blogosphere) by the name of Cameron Reilly and Mick Stanic. I really enjoy their podcasts not only for their accents but because they are really knowledgeable not only about blogging but other emerging media - and they don’t present as up themselves - but rather come across as a couple of guys enjoying good conversation about something they are passionate about. They’ve got some great interviews coming up too with some standout bloggers. I’m looking forward to meeting them at Blogging Conference in Melbourne early next year.
So I’ve shown you mine - now you show me yours! If you want to do it in comments below feel free - otherwise blog it and leave a comment with a link to your post and I’ll link to it here in the main post.
Written on December 31st, 2004 at 10:12 am by Darren Rowse
Message Cast - Live Message Alerts
I’m testing Live Message Alerts on this blog at the moment which enables you the reader to receive an alert every time I post new content. You can choose to be alerted either on you msn messenger, via email and/or to your mobile device. You have to have an MSN passport to be included in the program. The system uses my RSS feed and is currently in Beta. Let me know how it works for you if you sign up for it. You can do so via this button.
Written on December 31st, 2004 at 10:12 am by Darren Rowse
10 Emerging Trends for Bloggers to Watch in 2005
The Scotsman has one of the more useful predictions for 2005 lists that I’ve read over the past week or so. They write about the 10 trends that will shape 2005. I think its a worthwhile list for enterprising bloggers to consider - it might just give you a hint or two for some new directions for the year of blogging ahead. Here are the 10 trends with a few of my comments of explanation and dreaming on each.
1. Age complexity - Kids are growing up faster and adults are behaving more like kids. A number of successful blogs already tap into this - for example Gawker’s Kotaku is one that springs to mind - targeting adult males with a blog about games. In fact a few of Gawker’s blogs seem to be tapping into this playful zone.
2. Gender complexity - Distinctions between the genders continue to blur. Whilst I’m not sure this is just something for 2005 (its been going on for years) I’ve noticed in the past couple of years some interesting developments in our own community. For example I’ve noticed more groups for dads who are stay at home parents, there has been an increase in emphasis on beauty tips/ plastic surgery etc for males etc. I’ve not seen too many blogs tapping into either of these markets yet - maybe something to explore?
3. Lifestage complexity - Increases in people living alone, not getting married, not having kids. The definition of ‘family’ is definitely changing. Again there is nothing new about this - its been a trend of the past decade or so. I’m not sure how an enterprising blogger would tap into this one - any ideas?
4. Income complexity - (sounds like 2005 will be a ‘complex’ year!) - People are scrimping and saving in some areas to enable them to spurge in others. So on one hand discount supermarkets are booming but so is the market for Luxury items and the Travel industry. Luxist is a blog that is tapping into some of this with its main focus being Luxury in all its forms. Maybe another approach could be a blog about scrimping and saving?
5. Individualism - a growing desire for personalization and a continued emphasis upon ’self’. The choice that we have these days is incredible - take a walk down the isles of your local supermarket and see the hundreds of options that you have for different types of toothpaste or cola drinks. Each different variety is targeted for different individual tastes. In a sense blogging and RSS taps right into this trend. Now we no longer go to the news stand to buy a generic newspaper or magazine that we have no involvement in in what is presented to us - instead we can each tailor the news we want to read by subscribing to a completely unique mix of RSS feeds. Technology that helps people do this simply is an area that I suspect we’ll see continued leaps forward in over the next year.
6. Homing - individuals and families are spending more and more time on their homes. I don’t know about where you live, but the last two years have seen TV show after TV show about renovations, gardening, DIY etc. Hardware shops are booming as people jump onto the home improvement bandwagon. I’ve seen a few ‘home improvement’ type blogs around but few seem to be doing more than recording their own personal renovations experiences.
7. Connectivity - This covers everything from our increased connection to technology (when was the last time you didn’t get online or connect with someone on your cell phone etc) through to the desire that people have for community and belonging (quite ironic as we’re also into individualism) , through to our desire to tap into what is happening on the other side of the world. Take a look at the way the world has tapped into what has been happening in Asia this week and you’ll see the advances in connectivity that we’ve experienced in the last few years. Again there are a lot of blogs already tapping into this trend and blogging in and of itself really is all about this. I actually think this is one of the key reasons that people both read and write blogs - there is something inside of us that wants to have a voice and to connect with others.
8. Sensory experiences - Extreme experiences are in. In the 80s and 90s I think the major focus for many people was about accumulating ’stuff’ - in this decade I see a lot more people accumulating experiences. No longer is it just cool to have a great apartment filled with cool furniture - today to be cool you also have to have travelled, skydived, bungee jumped from a skyscraper, eaten blowfish in Milan, dived with sharks and circumvented the globe solo in a bathtub. Not only that - the senses are in. If you haven’t read the wonderful book Lovemarks can i suggest you stop reading this article now until you’ve gone to Amazon and ordered yourself a copy. I would put it in my top 2 or 3 books of the year and its all about marketing in a way that engages the senses. I think its highly relevant to blogging and myself am wanting in 2005 to make my blogs a more sensual experience for my readers (does that sound kinky?).
How do we tap into this as bloggers? There are already heaps of blogs that do - for me there are opportunities in how we design our blogs but also in choice of topics. Recipe blogs, photologs, video blogs, podcasting - these all attempt to engage the senses.
9. Convenience - Multitasking, drive-through, convergence devices (ie my PDA can also be my phone, a gaming device, a camera and an MP3 player) and fast food are just a few of the ways we tap into convenience. Life is fast, we need a quick fix and we want everything now. Again blogging taps into this but I suspect we’ll see more technologies emerge in the coming year that take blogging to an even higher level of convenience. People are working on ways to get their blogs readable on PDAs and mobile phones, more and more alert systems are popping up that enable your readers to be notified the moment you post - will can only increase.
10. Health - the health industry is and will continue to boom. Studies have show that people are more concerned about health and well being than ever before. The organic food industry here in Australia is booming, natural health, mineral supplements, probiotics, personal fitness etc are all industries that are getting more and more attention. Already many blogs are rising to the challenge in these areas and I suspect we’ll see a lot more emerge in 2005.
So there you have it - 10 trends that Professional Bloggers might want to consider as they gaze into the crystal ball of 2005. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and suggestions of how you and others you’ve observed have tapped into some of these (and other) trends already. Maybe some of us could collaborate on some of them even.
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