Easy Twitter explanation

Download “Rockin’ Robin” to your ipod and read Star Tribune columnist James Lileks’ easy-to-read explanation of Twitter. We love how Lileks explains the micro-blogging phenomenon in plain English and has a local example of Mayor Rybak’s use of the service. Here’s the link: http://tinyurl.com/d9r9fr.

Ready to try it? Goff & Howard is on Twitter. Follow us at http://twitter.com/GoffHoward.

Where’s the Biz News?

It’s old news that newspapers and media companies are struggling to deal with a changing economy. But we’re now seeing the impact.

One key result, as pointed out in the Talking Biz News blog http://tinyurl.com/c8ntwg: Yahoo News and Google News will find fewer business stories to find:

• At least 44 daily newspapers have cut their stand-alone business sections during the week.
• At least 16 daily newspapers have eliminated their stand-alone Sunday or Monday business sections.
• At least another 14 business media outlets have cut their staffs covering business and economics news.

What has left newsrooms around the country is years of experience covering business and economic issues. While blogs like this are interesting to read, they don’t come close to providing the type and depth of coverage from people who have years of experience digging up news.

Blogs. Why should we care?

In a brainstorm session to name the Goff & Howard blog, a suggestion was the “blah, blah blog.” The name didn’t get picked (catchy as it is), but it shows a common perception of blogs . . . that they are just columns of rambling information.

It’s tempting to dismiss blogs, but as business people, we can no longer avoid them. One of the latest blog studies from technorati http://tinyurl.com/4u4fn5 helps prove why.

Here are the highlights . . .

Blogging is not a fad – it’s here to stay.
- In August of 2008, blogs generated 77.7 million unique visitors in the U.S., compared with 41 million for Facebook (and we thought Facebook was huge)
- 59% of bloggers have been blogging for more than two years

While politics, music, and personal interest clearly drive a lot of posts, bloggers are also a resource for corporate marketing:
- One-third of bloggers have been approached to be brand advocates
- Four in five bloggers post brand or product reviews, with 37% posting them frequently
- 90% of bloggers say they post about the brands, music, movies and books that they love (or hate)

And, don’t believe the stereotype of the blogger being someone holed up at home on a basement computer . . .
- Three out of four U.S. bloggers are college graduates
- 42% have attended graduate school
- 44% are parents
- Two-thirds are male
- 50% are 18-34

Moral of the statistics: We can’t avoid or ignore blogs, even though spell check seems to think “blogs” do not yet exist . . . (it’s true, try it).

Introducing The GH Spin

To our fellow public relations practitioners, please do not take offense at the name of our new blog “The GH Spin.” The name, of course, is in jest. This blog is about our take, “our spin” if you will, on the news and events of the day that we find most interesting.

In this blog, you’ll see the kind of information we share on a regular basis at Goff & Howard – the latest trends in the ever-changing media, the latest social media crazes, updates and insights from our state Capitol, and more.

It’s the type of information that makes us pause during the day and say, “Did you see or hear that? That was interesting.” We hope you agree. And, if you do, and would like to follow our blog you can use Twitter, an RSS feed, or simply sign-up for email updates.

Welcome to the GH Spin!