One of the issues we face when identifying bloggers is where they are actually, physically located, the following list of sites can help find bloggers who are happy to be identified by geography.

Let the stalking begin.

http://local.blogdigger.com/index.html
http://www.placeblogger.com/
http://www.feedmap.net/
http://www.globeofblogs.com/
http://www.epa.gov/geoss/
http://fireeagle.yahoo.net/

Dear Fizzle Pop

1) Create a site where everyone can bitch about a particular piece of software.
2) Marvel as the product manager finds your site and addresses your concerns (while dismissing others)
3) Profit.

An interesting approach to consumer feedback.

50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business

[this is pulled from another blog]

We really can’t deny the fact that businesses are testing out Twitter as part of their steps into the social media landscape. You can say it’s a stupid application, that no business gets done there, but there are too many of us (including me) that can disagree and point out business value. I’m not going to address the naysayers much with this. Instead, I’m going to offer 50 thoughts for people looking to use Twitter for business. And by “business,” I mean anything from a solo act to a huge enterprise customer.

Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay. Further, you might have some really great ideas to add. That’s why we have lively conversations here at [chrisbrogan.com] in the comments section. Jump right in!

First Steps
-Build an account and immediate start using Twitter Search to listen for your name, your competitor’s names, words that relate to your space. (Listening always comes first.)
-Add a picture. ( Shel reminds us of this.) We want to see you.
-Talk to people about THEIR interests, too. I know this doesn’t sell more widgets, but it shows us you’re human.
-Point out interesting things in your space, not just about you.
-Share links to neat things in your community. ( @wholefoods does this well).
-Don’t get stuck in the apology loop. Be helpful instead. ( @jetblue gives travel tips.)
-Be wary of always pimping your stuff. Your fans will love it. Others will tune out.
-Promote your employees’ outside-of-work stories. ( @TheHomeDepot does it well.)
-Throw in a few humans, like RichardAtDELL, LionelAtDELL, etc.
-Talk about non-business, too, like @astrout and @jstorerj from Mzinga.

Ideas About WHAT to Tweet
-Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”
-Have more than one twitterer at the company. People can quit. People take vacations. It’s nice to have a variety.
-When promoting a blog post, ask a question or explain what’s coming next, instead of just dumping a link.
-Ask questions. Twitter is GREAT for getting opinions.
-Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.
-Tweet about other people’s stuff. Again, doesn’t directly impact your business, but makes us feel like you’re not “that guy.”
-When you DO talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, pictures, etc.
-Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things.
-Don’t toot your own horn too much. (Man, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I do it all the time. - ---Side note: I’ve gotta stop tooting my own horn). Or, if you do, try to balance it out by promoting the heck out of others, too.

Some Sanity For You
-You don’t have to read every tweet.
-You don’t have to reply to every @ tweet directed to you (try to reply to some, but don’t feel guilty).
-Use direct messages for 1-to-1 conversations if you feel there’s no value to Twitter at large to hear the conversation ( got this from @pistachio).
-Use services like Twitter Search to make sure you see if someone’s talking about you. Try to participate where it makes sense.
-3rd party clients like Tweetdeck and Twhirl make it a lot easier to manage Twitter.
-If you tweet all day while your coworkers are busy, you’re going to hear about it.
-If you’re representing clients and billing hours, and tweeting all the time, you might hear about it.
-Learn quickly to use the URL shortening tools like TinyURL and all the variants. It helps tidy up your tweets.
-If someone says you’re using twitter wrong, forget it. It’s an opt out society. They can unfollow if they don’t like how you use it.
-Commenting on others’ tweets, and retweeting what others have posted is a great way to build community.

The Negatives People Will Throw At You
-Twitter takes up time.
-Twitter takes you away from other productive work.
-Without a strategy, it’s just typing.
-There are other ways to do this.
-As Frank hears often, Twitter doesn’t replace customer service (Frank is @comcastcares and is a superhero for what he’s started.)
-Twitter is buggy and not enterprise-ready.
-Twitter is just for technonerds.
-Twitter’s only a few million people. (only)
-Twitter doesn’t replace direct email marketing.
-Twitter opens the company up to more criticism and griping.

Some Positives to Throw Back
-Twitter helps one organize great, instant meetups (tweetups).
-Twitter works swell as an opinion poll.
-Twitter can help direct people’s attention to good things.
-Twitter at events helps people build an instant “backchannel.”
-Twitter breaks news faster than other sources, often (especially if the news impacts online denizens).
-Twitter gives businesses a glimpse at what status messaging can do for an organization. -Remember presence in the 1990s?
-Twitter brings great minds together, and gives you daily opportunities to learn (if you look for it, and/or if you follow the right folks).
-Twitter gives your critics a forum, but that means you can study them.
-Twitter helps with business development, if your prospects are online (mine are).
-Twitter can augment customer service. (but see above)

If the Lip Dub fails...

Then might I suggest we just try and promote this video instead.


A timeless classic brought to you by the executive producer of "Email the Intern" and "Tickle Me Noah."

PR, we're doing it wrong

Video game blog Kotaku is sometimes shrewd about what constitutes good PR. While they don't mind basic PR practices, they are also not afraid to call out PR spin when they see it. Conversely, they aren't afraid to give props to those who do PR "right."
Example: Game developers THQ recently started construction on a futuristic tank that is featured in their upcoming game, "Dawn of War II" and have been blogging about the progress.

So there you have it. More proof that awesome yet pointless stunts are the keys to success. Time to start making that lightsaber for our Star Wars client.

Other random note: Te Frost's University Lip Dub post was our 100th post. Congrats to you! I have a Hansen's Soda at my desk for you. It's mostly full.

Other random note: Donate!

Soapbox

The great thing about being an admin on Fizzle Pop is that I can post whatever I want. Please allow me a moment to get up on a soap box and preach something personal here:

So in case you somehow haven't heard, my girlfriend Kirsten is in Morocco, doing the Peace Corp thing. One of her many projects involves raising money for Zerktouni Primary School, a public school for youth ages five to 15 in Bouarfa, a small city of 25,000 inhabitants isolated in eastern Morocco. For the more than 540 staff and students at the school, they currently have only 10 computers.

And that's where we come in. Kirsten is trying to raise money for another 10 computers for the school. By clicking this DONATE link, I was able to send money to the Peace Corp to assist with this project. I even got a neato letter signed (with real ink!) by some Peace Corp director person for my efforts.

More information on the page can be found here.

If you too want a warm fuzzy feeling, plus your own signed letter, (plus my gratitude and happiness) please feel free to donate. For the obligatory "guilt trip via cuteness" so often used in adoption commercials, please enjoy this picture of kids who are as pleased as can be with a bright pink soccer ball. Now imagine how happy they could be if they were playing a soccer video game on their brand new personal computers?

Since the Lip Dub Won...

This may get the creative juices flowing.


University Lipdub (HS Furtwangen) from DASKAjA on Vimeo.

Bag

Google Trend Tool

Google has updated its trend tool to offer something potentially even more useful to our clients than straight search volumes. It is now possible to refine by category, location and seasonality, It also provides the top related searches and rising searches.

http://google.com/insights/search/#

Root of All Evil - Bloggers!

It is official the root of all evil are Bloggers. They beat UFC. And even though Lewis Black did not send down this punishment I think all blogers should have to line up and take their turn in the octagon with UFC's elite. So I guess that inlcudes me right now. And I am friends with a UFC fighter and let me tell you he would beat my a*#!!! So Ivan if for some reason you read this please be kind, remember it does not take much to send me to the ground in pain, no need for you to work up a sweat.

But for those of you in our industry watch the episode there are some great lines about the popularity and absurdity of blogging and even twitter.

A Change of Heart

So this upcoming week will be a time of change for me. A time to catch up on all the books I've been wanting to read. A time for me to attempt establishing an exercise routine only to realize once again that as a nerd, physical activity should be kept to a minimum. A time for me turn on my Xbox 360 for the first time in months so I can make it get the red ring of death once and for all.

You see, my two month old iMac had a bit of a hard drive issue this weekend. It is now in the care of an Apple Genius, a Weezer glasses-wearing arrogant tech twirp who will fix my computer while listening to Jack Johnson and drinking coffee from Bauhuas because it doesn't taste the same unless someone with uncomfortably tight jeans makes it.
Without my steadfast companion at my side, I'm forced to do all the things that I normally would be avoiding thanks to the sweet embrace of internet addiction.
Alright, ranting over.

You Want To Do A Lip Dub

And this is only with one person. Imagine an entire office!


Lip Dub: Journey's Don't Stop Believing from Julia Allison on Vimeo.