I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has read my posts, commented, linked to me or subscribed to my RSS feed in the past couple of years. I really appreciate it and hope that you have found my ramblings and tweets of interest.

And now for a shameless plea… If I am lucky enough to have a place on your blog roll I’d be extremely grateful if you could take two minutes to update it with my new web address.

For the past few months we have used Twitterfeed to herald new blog posts by Speed staff using the @speedcomms Twitter feed, but recently we have experienced problems with Twitterfeed’s service going down quite regularly. So we are now experimenting with Google’s service.

The ‘socialize’ feature uses Google’s new URL shortening service named goo.gl to push blog posts out on Twitter almost instantly. If also offers a couple of interesting options that are above and beyond what Twitterfeed currently offers. It allows users to turn the keywords that they have tagged their blog post with into hashtags, which can help more people to discover your tweets and blog posts by using Twitter Search. The service can also reduce the size of your tweet, making it small enough for other users to retweet and share with their followers.

But there do seem to be a few teething problems at the moment. As not all blog posts are tagged with keywords, some blogging platforms such as WordPress tag them with ‘uncategorized’. Currently Google classes this as a proper keyword and has been tagging tweets with the #uncategorized hashtag.

Will scores of users now migrate from Twitterfeed to Google? Only time will tell, but I suspect that many users will give the new service a try the next time that Twitterfeed goes down.

(Cross posted on the Speed Tech Blog)

Here are two easy steps to make your blog mobile friendly. This script should direct visitors who visit any of the pages on your blog to a main mobile blog site. It is possible to create a fully mobile blog site by creating a specific stylesheet for mobile users using CSS but this is more complex and I haven’t fully worked out how to do it yet. But will blog about it if and when I do.

Step one
Create a mobile blog using Mippin.

Step two
Add the following code inside the head tags. Remove the asterisks and add your mobile blog web address.

<*script type=”text/javascript”>
if (screen.width<=800) { window.location=”http://mippin.com/yourblog” } <*/script>

Hey presto you’ve got a mobile site. Grab your phone and check it out!

Here are my top 10 blog posts of 2008 ranked by number of hits. Although it’s really only since June as that’s when I started using Google Analytics. I’m impressed that my post about PR Bloggers on Twitter is so high up considering I only wrote it two weeks ago.

1. World’s top PR blogs 28 comments 1,400 hits
2. Top 75 PR blogs: September 2008 10 comments 527 hits
3. Top 50 PR blogs: August 2008 10 comments 458 hits
4. How long should a blog post be? 1 comment 410 hits
5. Top 75 PR blogs: October 2008 16 comments 399 hits
6. Technorati releases blog report 1 comment 294 hits
7. PR bloggers on Twitter 6 comments 229 hits
8. Does size matter for PR graduates? 1 comment 153 hits
9. Has Liverpool One put the city on the map? 5 comments 131 hits
10. Where are all the women? 10 comments 103 hits

If your PR blog is missing please comment and let me know. If you haven’t added your blog to the AdAge Power 150 yet you can do so by clicking here.

PR Rank….AA Rank………… Blog Name……………………Country …………AA Score

1. ………….21…………………PR 2.0……………………………..US…………………….95
2. ………..37…………………What’s Next……………………………US………………….86
3. ………….39………………..PR Squared……………………..US…………………….86
4. ………….47…………………A shel of my former self.…….US……………………..83
5. ………….84…………………POP! PR Jots…………………….US…………………….71
6. …………116………………..Strategic PR……………………..US…………………….66
7. …………118……………….Pro PR……………………………..CANADA…………….64
8. …………131……………….PR Blogger………………………..UK…………………….64
9. …………138……………….Young PR…………………………AUSTRALIA……….64
10. ………….153……………….Communication Overtones…..US…………………….62
11. ………..165………………..PRNewser…………………………US……………………..61
12. ………..178………………..A PR Guy’s Musings…………….UK…………………….59
13. ………..190………………..KDPaine’s PR……………………..US……………………..58
14. ………..209………………..Dave Fleet……………………………….CANADA……….57
15. ………..226………………..Flack………………………………………..US………………….53
16. ………..230……………….Wadds’ tech pr blog……………UK……………………53
17. ………..243………………..Corporate PR……………………US…………………….52
18. ………..249………………..Canuck Flack……………………………CANADA………..52
19. ………..273………………Simonsays…………………………..UK………………….51
20. ………..282……………….Brendan Cooper…………………UK…………………..50
21. ………..284………………..PR Communications…………US……………………..50
22. ………..299……………….Drew B’s take on tech PR……..UK…………………..49
23. ………..307………………..PR Works…………………………..CANADA…………..48
24. ………..312………………Catching Flack………………………….US………………….48
25. ………..316………………..Hispanic Marketing & PR……..US…………………….48
26. ………..329……………….Online PR Thoughts…………………US……………….47
27. ………..353………………Fake Plastic Noodles………………..US………………….46
28. ………..357………………..PR meets the WWW …………..US…………………….46
29. ………..358……………….PRoactive………………………….US………………….46
30. ………..378………………..Common Sense PR…………….CANADA………….45
31. ………..380……………….This is herd…………………………………UK………………45
32. ………..392……………….Flack Life……………………………….CANADA………..44
33. ………..393……………….Beyond PR………………………….UK………………….44
34. ………..410……………….A view on PR…………………………US………………….44
35. ………..417……………….Pudding Relations………………….UK………………….43
36. ………..418……………….Denver PR Blog………………………US…………………43
37. ………..435……………….Engage in PR……………………….US……………………42
38. ………..442……………….Observations of PR…………….US……………………41
39. ………..449……………….Valley PR Blog……………………..US………………….41
40. ………..450……………….PR Disasters………………………….AUSTRALIA………41
41. ………..457……………….PR Meets Marketing………………US…………………..41
42. ………..462………………Potomac Flacks………………………..US………………….40
43. ………..470……………….Into PR……………………………….US…………………….40
44. ………..473……………….The New PR……………………………CANADA…………40
45. ………..493……………….Wired PR Works…………………..US……………………39
46. ………..495……………….Publicity Hound’s…………………….US………………..39
47. ………..496……………….From PR to Eternity………………….UK………………….39
48. ………..508………………Middledigit………………………………UK…………………38
49. ………..515……………….Profitable Business Edge 2……..US……………………38
50. ………..521……………….Scatterbox……………………………..US…………………..37
51. ………..541……………….Pierce Mattie PR…………………….US…………………37
52. ………..547……………….Client Service Insights…………….US………………..36
53. ………..550……………….Corporate Engagement………AUSTRALIA……….36
54. ………..560……………….Shiny Red…………………………………UK………………….35
55. ………..570……………….Mutually Inclusive PR………………CANADA………..35
56. ………..575……………….Media Relations Blog…………….US………………….35
57. ………..591……………….PR Voice………………………………..UK………………….34
58. ………..614……………….Eyecube………………………………….US………………..33
59. ………..615……………….New Millennium PR………………….US………………..33
60. ………..619……………….PR Talk………………………………….US………………….33
61. ………..630……………….Student PR Blog……………………CANADA…………..32
62. ………..639……………….PRos in Training……………………….US………………….32
63. ………..649………………Lubetkin’s Other Blog……………..US………………….32
64. ………..656……………….10 Yetis PR Blog……………………..UK…………………..31
65. ………..657……………….Alan Weinkrantz PR………………..US………………….31
66. ………..659……………….Norton’s Notes………………………..UK…………………..31
67. ………..665……………….Strive Notes……………………………..UK………………..31
68. ………..667……………….PR. Differently…………………………US………………….31
69. ………..674……………….Morgan McLintic on PR……………US………………….31
70. ………..691……………….PR Thoughts From Ronn Torrossian…..US………………30
71. ………..694……………….All Things PR………………………….UK…………………..30
72. ………..706………………..Social Media for PR Class…………US………………30
73. ………..719……………….Tech PR Gems……………………..US………………….29
74. ………..727……………….IndiaPRBlog!…………………………INDIA………………29
75. ………..729……………….Youngblood PR & Marketing………CANADA………..29
76. ………..760……………….Launch PR……………………………….US………………..27
77. ………..771………………..My PR Palette…………………………CANADA……….27
78. ………..780……………….EducationPR……………………………US………………….27
79. ………..790………………..Tech for PR……………………………US…………………26
80. ………..805……………….Public Relations Matters……………US………………..26
81. ………..808……………….Mosnar Communications…………….US………………….26
82. ………..809………………Flacker…………………………………….US………………….26
83. ………..814……………….Minnesota PR blog…………………….US………………..26
84. ………..850……………….Blinn PR Report………………………US…………………..23
85. ………..854……………….Online Publicity Journal………………US………………..23
86. ………..868……………….First Person PR……………………….US……………………22
87. ………..920……………….HighVizPR………………………………US…………………19
88. ………..930……………….PowerUp………………………………..US………………….16

The top blogs by country:
Australia: Young PR
Canada: Pro PR
India: IndiaPRBlog!
UK: PR Blogger
US: PR 2.0

The top UK blogs:
1. PR Blogger
2. A PR Guy’s Musings
3. Wadds’ tech pr blog
4. Simonsays
5. Brendan Cooper, Your friendly PR Social Media Planner
6. Drew B’s take on tech PR
7. This is herd
8. Beyond PR
9. Pudding Relations
10. From PR to Eternity
11. Middledigit
12. Shiny Red
12. PR Voice
13. 10 Yetis PR Blog
14. Norton’s Notes
15. Strive Notes
16. All Things PR

Blogs
Reading other blogs can be a great source of inspiration and has inspired a great many of my posts. Plus occasionally I get tagged in MeMe’s! Example.

Twitter
Links that have been shared by people I follow on Twitter have inspired a few of my blog posts and have even helped me at work. Example.

Newspapers / Magazines
Articles that attract my attention sometimes inspire my blog posts. They don’t even happen to be about social media or PR, often it’s just a case of commenting on an article from a PR point of view. Example.

Out of nowhere
I find that many of my best ideas come to me when I least expect them. A lot of my ideas have come to me when I’ve been lying in bed, trying to get to sleep and have had to get up to scrawl them down on a piece of paper. Example.

PR people
At least one of my posts has been inspired through creative blogger outreach. Example.

I tag Chris Norton, Richard Millington and Stephen Davies.

If your PR blog is missing please comment and let me know. If you haven’t added your blog to the AdAge Power 150 yet you can do so by clicking here.

PR Rank….AA Rank………… Blog Name……………………Country …………AA Score

1. ………….28…………………PR 2.0……………………………..US…………………….91
2. ………….31………………..PR Squared……………………..US…………………….90
3. ………….47…………………A shel of my former self.…….US……………………..80
4. ………….76…………………Communication Overtones…..US…………………….71
5. ………….84…………………POP! PR Jots…………………….US…………………….70
6. …………117………………..Strategic PR……………………..US…………………….64
7. …………118……………….Pro PR……………………………..CANADA…………….64
8. …………128……………….PR Blogger………………………..UK…………………….63
9. …………139……………….Young PR…………………………AUSTRALIA…………….62
10. ………..166………………..PRNewser…………………………US……………………..59
11. ………..184………………..KDPaine’s PR……………………..US……………………..56
12. ………..216……………….Flack Life……………………………….CANADA………..53
13. ………..232…………………PR Communications…………US……………………..52
14. ………..234………………..PR meets the WWW…………..US…………………….52
15. ………..249………………Dave Fleet……………………………….CANADA……….51
16. ………..255………………..Corporate PR……………………US…………………….50
17. ………..268………………..A PR Guy’s Musings…………….UK…………………….49
18. ………..271………………..PR Works…………………………..CANADA…………..49
19. ………..279………………..Hispanic Marketing & PR……..US…………………….49
20. ………..301………………Simonsays…………………………..UK………………….47
21. ………..305……………….Wadds’ tech pr blog……………UK……………………47
22. ………..336……………….Drew B’s take on tech PR……..UK…………………..45
23. ………..340……………….Online PR Thoughts…………………US……………….45
24. ………..358……………….Wired PR Works…………………..US……………………44
25. ………..380……………….Corporate Engagement………AUSTRALIA……….43
26. ………..382……………….PRoactive………………………….US………………….43
27. ………..393……………….Observations of PR…………….US……………………42
28. ………..398……………….Beyond PR………………………….UK………………….42
29. ………..403……………….PR Disasters………………………….AUSTRALIA………42
30. ………..413……………….Brendan Cooper…………………UK…………………..41
31. ………..434……………….Media Relations Blog…………….US………………….40
32. ………..438……………….A view on PR…………………………US………………….40
33. ………..452……………….Publicity Hound’s…………………….US………………..39
34. ………..460……………….Valley PR Blog……………………..US………………….38
35. ………..461……………….The New PR……………………………CANADA…………38
36. ………..471……………….Scatterbox……………………………..US…………………..37
37. ………..494……………….Client Service Insights…………….US………………..36
38. ………..496………………..Common Sense PR…………….CANADA………….36
39. ………..515……………….Into PR……………………………….US…………………….35
40. ………..531……………….Pierce Mattie PR…………………….US…………………35
41. ………..538……………….Alan Weinkrantz PR………………..US………………….34
42. ………..539……………….This is herd…………………………………UK………………34
43. ………..562……………….Shiny Red…………………………………UK………………….33
44. ………..563……………….Student PR Blog……………………CANADA…………..33
45. ………..574……………….Tech PR Gems……………………..US………………….33
46. ………..579……………….New Millennium PR………………….US………………..33
47. ………..582……………….From PR to Eternity………………….UK………………….33
48. ………..583……………….Pudding Relations………………….UK………………….33
49. ………..584……………….PR Talk………………………………….US………………….33
50. ………..586……………….Engage in PR……………………….US……………………33
51. ………..587……………….Profitable Business Edge 2……..US……………………33
52. ………..605……………….Mutually Inclusive PR………………CANADA………..32
53. ………..606……………….PR Voice………………………………..UK………………….32
54. ………..608……………….Eyecube………………………………….US………………..32
55. ………..610……………….PR Meets Marketing………………US…………………..32
56. ………..611……………….Denver PR Blog………………………US…………………32
57. ………..622……………….PRos in Training……………………….US………………….31
58. ………..646……………….10 Yetis PR Blog……………………..UK…………………..30
59. ………..649……………….Norton’s Notes………………………..UK…………………..30
60. ………..657……………….All Things PR………………………….UK…………………..30
61. ………..665……………….IndiaPRBlog!…………………………INDIA………………30
62. ………..677……………….Strive Notes……………………………..UK………………..29
63. ………..681……………….PR Thoughts From Ronn Torrossian…..US………………29
64. ………..684……………….PR. Differently…………………………US………………….29
65. ………..713……………….Morgan McLintic on PR……………US………………….28
66. ………..742……………….Mosnar Communications…………….US………………….27
67. ………..745………………..Social Media for PR Class…………US………………27
68. ………..762……………….Public Relations Matters……………US………………..26
69. ………..780……………….Launch PR……………………………….US………………..25
70. ………..788………………..Tech for PR……………………………US…………………25
71. ………..800……………….Youngblood PR & Marketing………CANADA………..25
72. ………..801……………….Minnesota PR blog…………………….US………………..25
73. ………..811……………….Blinn PR Report………………………US…………………..24
74. ………..812………………..My PR Palette…………………………CANADA……….24
75. ………..840……………….EducationPR……………………………US………………….23
76. ………..855……………….Online Publicity Journal………………US………………..22
77. ………..868……………….First Person PR……………………….US……………………21
78. ………..899……………….HighVizPR………………………………US…………………19
79. ………..917……………….PowerUp………………………………..US………………..16

The top blogs by country:
Australia: Young PR
Canada: Pro PR
India: IndiaPRBlog!
UK: PR Blogger
US: PR 2.0

The top UK blogs:
1. PR Blogger
2. A PR Guy’s Musings
3. Simonsays
4. Wadds’ tech pr blog
5. Drew B’s take on tech PR
6. Beyond PR
7. Brendan Cooper, Your friendly PR Social Media Planner
8. This is herd
9. Shiny Red
10. From PR to Eternity
11. Pudding Relations
12. PR Voice
13. 10 Yetis PR Blog
14. Norton’s Notes
15. All Things PR
16. Strive Notes

I’m not sure I agree. Certainly paid for blogs produced by professional bloggers or PROs has had an impact on the blogosphere, but I don’t believe that it’s killed off the blogosphere as professional and amateur bloggers blog for different reasons.

Professional bloggers blog to share news or their opinions about issues affecting the industry they work in, as well as to network, whereas amateur bloggers blog to share their thoughts and ideas, and to keep in contact with friends and family. As long as the barriers to entry stay low, amateur and professional bloggers can co-exist.

Further proof that the blogosphere is far from dead comes in the form of Technorati’s recent ‘Blogosphere 2008′ report, which reveals that 79 per cent of bloggers write personal blogs. This hardly makes amateur bloggers sound like a dying breed.

Instead of pointing the finger at PROs or professional bloggers I would suggest that social networking sites, such as Facebook, have had the biggest impact on the blogosphere. Since many amateur bloggers blog to share news and photographs with friends and family it is no surprise that some have swapped blogs for social networking sites.

I’ve picked out a few interesting facts.

• 133 million blogs have been indexed by Technorati since 2002
• 76,000 blogs have a Technorati rating of 50 or higher
• 41 per cent of bloggers use Twitter
• Technology is the 2nd most popular topic for bloggers
• Corporate blogs make up 12 per cent of all blogs
• Professional blogs make up 46 per cent of all blogs
• 50 per cent of bloggers are aged between 18 and 34
• 44 per cent of bloggers are parents
• 42 per cent of bloggers spend 3-10 hours blogging per week
• Only 15 per cent of bloggers spend less than an hour blogging per week
• ‘Blog’ is the 5th most popular tag
• ‘Technology’ is the 11th most popular tag
• 83 per cent of blogs are listed on Technorati
• Just 4 per cent of bloggers pay to advertise their blog
• 46 per cent of blogs don’t feature any advertising
• Bloggers spend twice as much time online as U.S. adults 18-49,
• 82 per cent of bloggers post brand and product reviews
• 89 per cent of bloggers post about brands that they love or hate
• 37% of bloggers have been quoted in traditional media based on a blog post
• Half of bloggers believe that blogs will be a primary source for news and entertainment in the next five years
• 1 in 5 five bloggers don’t think that newspapers will survive the next ten years

From editing client websites to writing blog posts and formatting html newsletters, web design is now a part of PR. Rather than having a digital team to deal with the online stuff, all PRO’s should have a good understanding of web design. PRO’s clearly don’t need to be equipped with the same level of skills as web designers but I think a basic knowledge of web design languages like CSS and HTML would certainly be a good idea.

Another thing I noticed when I updated this site was how quickly it had got out of date. Richard Millington reckons bloggers should update blogrolls weekly and site designs monthly. I agree, udating your blogroll and having a tinker with your site’s design is a great way to keep your blog looking fresh. It’s only been two or three months since I last updated my blog, but in that time Jed Hallam started working at Wolfstar PR, Stephen Davies started 3WPR, and I contributed to an eBook about Digital PR. All of which made parts of my blog and website out of date.