Monthly Archives: June 2011

Areavoices #37 – My Big Fat Greek Blog and more…

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I loved the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” which told the story of a young Greek American woman navigating modern day romance within the confines of her traditional Greek family. So funny. Maybe that’s why I’m excited to welcome, “My Big Fat Greek Blog” to Areavoices. No, this one doesn’t involve the movie, but I think it could be equally fun!  It’s written by a woman in Fargo, North Dakota navigating what it means to run a Greek restaurant in the land of lefse and lutefisk. It’s just the latest blogs I’m recommending in this week’s digest.

My Big Fat Greek Blog – http://santalucia.areavoices.com Maria Wilson owns a Greek and Italian restaurant in Fargo. She’s a native of Winnipeg and is fairly new to blogging. But she hopes to talk about food, wine and what it’s like to run a Greek and Italian restaurant in Norwegian country. 

 
Park Christian School – http://parkchristianschool.areavoices.com The school, located in Moorhead, Minnesota, started in 1981 and it’s mission is to equip students to think biblically, live wisely and serve faithfully.
 
The Extreme Weather Community Blog Team – http://extremeteam.areavoices.com  Isn’t part of living here talking about the weather? This is an interesting and informative blog for any weather junkie written by individuals who love to write about the extreme weather in North Dakota and Minnesota.
 
Speaking of weather blogs that have really taken off… a reminder about the community blog regarding the Flood in West-Central North Dakota. You can find it at http://centralwestflood.areavoices.com. Since it’s start last week, it’s getting thousands of page views. Again, it’s everyday people writing about the flooding in Minot, ND and the surrounding area.
 
East Side Professor – http://dahlenje.areavoices.com This teacher from Fisher, Minnesota  writes about life in a fun and entertaining way. She’s an active blogger who’s been writing since 2008.
 
Rural Cass County Community Theatre – http://rccct.areavoices.com This blog covers news and productions from this theatre group out of Casselton, North Dakota.

How Google is helping me mine for gold

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Awhile back my daughter was assigned to draw a picture of her parents at work. She drew a picture of my husband in front of a chalkboard with the words, “My dad teaches chemistry at a college.” For my picture, she drew me sitting behind my desk working on my computer with the words: “My mom is a director-type person at a newspaper.”

I’ve come to realize she, along with most of my friends and family, don’t understand what it means to be a digital content development director. It’s much easier to say I’m a “director-type person.”

The fact is my job is to find interesting, relevant, entertaining community content for the 36 Forum Communications news websites across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I do this by promoting our blog platform, Areavoices. I love my job, mostly because there is so much GOOD content out there. I’m amazed at the quality of writing by our Areavoices bloggers. But with the good comes the bad. And by bad I mean content that is more like spam. That useless information that comes up when you type a keyword into your search engine. That’s why I’m glad to see what Google is up to. They’ve found a way to combat these content farms. I urge you to read this blog post by Sundog, an areavoices marketing and technology blog. (See what I mean about our great content on Areavoices?)

Anyway, from someone who spends her “director-type” person days trying to cultivate quality content, I applaud Google for their actions and Sundog for telling us about it!

What makes a popular blog post?

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I get asked this question occasionally while doing presentations. There’s obviously no secret formula. But in deciding what to write about and how to write it, I tell bloggers to ask themselves one simple question, “Would I be interested in reading this if I weren’t writing it?”

Would you take the time out of your busy day to read this blog post? What are going to offer the reader that will make her/him better for having read this post? What’s in it for them?

If you can answer these questions correctly, go for it! Start writing. But there’s more you can do to ensure more clickability on your post.

Think about how you’ll structure it. Consider doing these three things:

1) Include an attention-getting headline

2)Include pictures

3) Put it into a how-to or list format

In our fast-paced-I-don’t-have-time-to-read-this world these tricks might just help.

But Areavoices bloggers, I want to hear from you. What blog posts have been your most popular and why?

Bloggers react to Minot Flood Crisis

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As the news continues to worsen out of flood-ravaged Minot, North Dakota thousands of people around the world are logging in and tuning in for updates.

Hollywood star and Minot native Josh Duhamel called Minot TV station KXMC today from Moscow where he says he’s been glued to live stream coverage. He says he’s staying in touch with his sister and mother back in Minot for the latest updates.

But even people who don’t know a soul in the city of 36,000 in the North Central part of the state are watching. As I write this from Fargo, North Dakota(4 hours away) I’m sickened by what I see. We’ve fought floods three years in a row along the Red River, but we didn’t have to endure what the people of Minot are facing now. Today’s news that 3 additional feet of water is expected to surge into town means the number of people evacuating the city has risen from 11,000 to thousands more. My heart goes out to the people of Minot today. Something in me (and presumably) in so many others feels the need to stay connected.

In addition to logging onto your favorite newspaper or TV station websites, Areavoices bloggers have joined in a community blog set up by Shane Mercer of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. In a very short time, after only 4 posts, the number of page views was close to 10,000. People are craving the latest from Minot. And who better to give it to us than the people in Minot themselves? So far two community members are contributing to the blog, but more are needed. If you want to share news from the flooded regions of Central and Western North Dakota, go to http://centralwestflood.areavoices.com. You can also read the latest from Minot and other affected areas.

Areavoices Digest #36 – What is the worst movie of all time?

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We all have our choices. For me, it was a movie called “The Sweetest Thing” starring Cameron Diaz. Normally, I really enjoy chick flicks and romantic comedies. But this is unworthy of being on the same DVD shelf as “When Harry met Sally” and “While You Were  Sleeping.” It’s awful. Period.

If you’re going with what IMDB rates as the worst movie ever  – hands down – the winner (or loser depending upon how you look at it) is: “From Justin to Kelly” from 2003. It rated 1.7 out of 10 stars. You might remember this one. It paired American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson with runner-up Justin Guarini in a romantic beach romp. One reviewer wrote: “It is inconcievable to me that anyone could make a film this hopelessly, endlessly, mind-meltingly bad. This is not a bad movie – it’s a war crime.”

If you love bad movies or just want to get in on the debate you’ll want to check out one of this week’s recommended blogs. The other four are pretty great too. Enjoy!

The Film Fool – http://filmfool.areavoices.com Jon Thorp writes of himself, “Jon is just a guy who likes movies…and used to have a rockin’ mullet. That’s about it.” He’s using this blog to celebrate the really awful movies out there. 

 
The Book Bag – http://bookbag.areavoices.com
The author says “The Book Bag will attempt to read and review books of local interest and written by folks in the greater Red River Valley. I can’t guarantee I’ll get to everything, but I’ll be honest.”
 
A Nice Ring to it – http://kaitlinring.areavoices.com Kaitlyn Ring is a college student from Williston, North Dakota currently attending UND. She’s a great writer who covers a lot on her blog. I laughed out loud when I read her posts which range from comical/practical advice she got from her father to crazy memories from Medora vacations to how she’s convinced she has cankles. It’s a fun, young blog that I think a lot of younger readers will especially enjoy.
Through the Eyes of a Cobber – http://cobbergen.areavoices.com  This is another blog written by a college student. Geneva attends Concordia College in Moorhead. She’s also the author of “Social Media Etiquette” on Areavoices (http://facebook101.areavoices.com)  I think both her blogs are worth a look. Again, appeals to a younger audience.
And since I’m on the subject of young bloggers/audience, I’ll remind you again about Becoming Midwestern – http://becomingmidwestern.areavoices.com. I recommended this blog a couple of weeks ago. But I’ve noticed a lot of comments/traffic on her site already. She’s a transplanted East and West Coast girl who now lives in ND. She’s embracing her Midwestness by writing about her life. She’s tweaked her blog to include a Midwest Dictionary (“UFF-DA”) and Midwest Recipes (Hotdishes).

Vancouver Riots: Online Communities Fight Back

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“Dear Vancouver: Don’t riot because the Stanley Cup Champions aren’t Canadians. Riot because Nickelback are Canadians. #CanucksRiot“
 
As I write this blog post, this Tweet by LouBrutus is one of the most popular on Twitter.
 
Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other social media have been on fire (no pun intended) since last night when riots broke out in Vancouver following the Stanley Cup loss to the Boston Bruins.
Some tweets like the one above use humor. Depressed Darth tweets: “it’s times like these I wish I had built the third Death Star, I would end this riot quickly”
Others are more philosophical. Selena tweets: “People fight for life and liberty. You riot over a stupid game of hockey. Way to hurt your reputation and your city.”
But social media has been more than a component to complain and wisecrack about the rioters. It’s become both a tool to find them and a means to turn lemons into lemonade.
The Vancouver Police Department has been tweeting through the entire crisis and is now seeking photos and videos from people who witnessed the riots. And some of these rioting rocket scientists are making it pretty easy for them. Consider this guy who actually bragged about his involvement in the riots on Facebook http://yfrog.com/h3d96qhj
Not only are photos and videos pouring in to help identify the hooligans, but so is cleanup help.
At least two Facebook sites have been set up to revive Vancouver’s trashed streets and trashed reputation.
“Once the embarrassing rioting has ended in Vancouver let’s all show the world what Vancouver is really about by helping rebuild and clean up so it is better than it was before.”

 Vancouverites are responding the way many of us would. Fighting to reclaim their city from a few hundred idiots who hijacked it last night. Through social media they’re able to build community with people with whom they’ve never met. As someone who is trying to build a community of bloggers, I find that to be an encouraging trend. In fact a new study counters the claim that social networking isolates people. Turns out those who engage in online communities are actually seen as more involved than those who are not.

So as I watch the videos out of Vancouver, I realize we’re never going to stop stupid people from doing stupid things, but through positive online interaction with each other we can keep them in check.

Areavoices Digest #35 – Father’s Day blogs

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His words resonated through the 1990′s. UH, UH, UH…More Power!

I couldn’t help but grunt Tim the Toolman’s words to myself today (quietly….I didn’t want my co-workers to think I was odd….any more odd than they already think I am). 

I noticed, almost by accident, that some of the new blogs crossing my desk this week were pretty testosterone heavy. Kind of serendipitous considering Father’s Day is fast approaching.

So for all the dads out there these blogs are for you (lots of women will like them too):  

Midwest Outdoor Journal – http://midwestoutdoorjournal.areavoices.com  Here’s a blog for the Dad who loves hunting, fishing and the outdoors. Chris Larsen is an outdoor writer and television producer residing in River Falls, Wisconsin. He’s a former TV sports anchor who is now the Content Editor of Foremosthunting.com and Producer of Foremost Outdoor TV, a regional program highlighting the outdoor lifestyle in the Upper Midwest.  

The Racing Life – http://theracinglife.areavoices.com  Talk about “MORE POWER!” This blog is written by Sailer Productions in conjunction with their television show “The Racing Life.” Their goal is to show all the aspects of dirt track racing in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota , highlighting interviews with race car drivers and all the people that work together to put on a night at the races.

Red River Kart – http://redriverkartclub.areavoices.com This blog is also written by Sailer Productions to promote the Red River Kart Club which started in 2010. The club holds races at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo, ND.

How to Survive the Back 9 – http://mysticlakegolf.areavoices.com – For the dads (moms and kids too) who spend their weekends on the course, PGA golf professional Al Pehrson from The Meadows at Mystic Lake offers golf tips and advice.

Culture Builds Community – http://theartscenter.areavoices.com Some dads are into the arts. This blog out of Jamestown, North Dakota will share weekly aspects and aspirations of The Arts Center’s Culture Builds Community Story. It will highlight art, artists, volunteers, programs and activities to show how powerful the arts can be in building and strengthening our communities.

Coming soon to a TV near you…

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A few days ago, I told you about our newest testimonials from happy Areavoices bloggers. Seeing as though we can’t let words of praised heaped upon us go unnoticed, we decided to put them into a TV commercial for all to enjoy. Actually we have six commercials from bloggers Scott Brusven of the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre and MS Simplicity Melissa Schmalenberger. The commercials illustrate how blogs are featured all over the region including Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks-East Grand Forks and throughout North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Melissa and Scott share with us why blogging has been so sucessful for their businesses and why it’s an integral tool for anyone targeting customers under the age of 50. But the commercials also tell you more about their blogs and what kind of content they deliver. We’re hoping to produce more commercials in the coming weeks to further spread the message of Areavoices blogging. Why you should read them and why you might want to consider writing one yourself.

To access the commercials, just go to the bar at the top of this blog. Click on “Videos.” When the drop down menu appears, click on “Promos/Commercials.”

If you have any questions, you know how to reach me!

Areavoices Digest #35 – Okay, is it casserole or hotdish?

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I had to laugh earlier today when I noticed a thread on one of my Facebook friend’s pages. She had taken a picture of a Tator Tot Hotdish she had made. What followed was an hours-long discussion about the merits of Tator Tot Hotdish and how to make it even better (if that’s even possible.) We Midwesterners love our hotdish!

I remember moving to North Dakota as a kid from the Washington D.C. area. I had NO idea what my friends were talking about when they mentioned they were eating “hotdish” for dinner. What? Like you mean a warm bowl type thing? When I came to realize that “hotdish” meant “casserole” I was all set. And years later when I was introduced to Tator Tot Hotdish and found myself saying “yah, that’s real good, then” I knew I had truly been converted to a Midwesterner (an upper Midwesterner, anyway).

That’s why I was especially attracted to one of our recommended blogs of the day, “Becoming Midwestern.” Enjoy it and the other four blogs I suggest for this week.

Becoming Midwestern – http://becomingmidwestern.areavoices.com In this blog, a young woman celebrates her new life in the Midwest after a time living in Washington state and Virginia. She says “I’ll share my experiences in North Dakota and the Midwest (lutefisk excluded), and shed a little light on the glories that the Midwest has to offer. I’ll try to become truly Midwestern.” I think this is a really fun blog that makes a take a closer look at ourselves.

 
Lupulin Libations – http://lupulinlibations.areavoices.com
Nick Rondeau is a beer enthusiast from Hastings, Minnesota. In his blog he hopes to help people find the right beer for them or help them learn more about a beer they already enjoy. He says his motto is “If you claim to dislike beer, you haven’t tried the right one yet.”

Hubbard County Historical Museum – http://hubbardcountyhistoricalmuseum.areavoices.com
The Hubbard County Historical Museum is located in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Through their blog they hope to  provide cultural, educational and historical information about what they call the “rich cultural heritage” of the region. I really liked the look of this blog. This is a great example of how to do a museum blog.

 
Happy Green Life – http://happygreenlife.areavoices.com
When she was a little girl Laura Caroon picked up garbage in the park to do her part to help save the planet.  Now as an adult she continues to embrace the green living lifestyle. Her blog offers tips and advice on topics such as which recycled bag to choose or how to clean your reusable water bottles.
Lake Superior College News – http://lakesuperiorcollege.areavoices.com
News and happenings from Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota. A nice looking blog with plenty of pictures of campus events and projects.

Military blogs: an update

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An update now on the post I wrote just before Memorial Day. I threw out a question, “Wouldn’t it be great for someone to write a blog to honor our fallen soldiers?”

I heard a resounding “YES” from some of you and even some suggestions on how to make it even better.

The consensus was that while stories of fallen soldiers would be a great way to honor our military heroes, a couple of you pointed out that we should include the survivor stories as well. Great idea! Why not tell the story of the man who lived in a POW camp for 2 years, but came back to Jamestown to work for the railroad for 40 years. What does he remember? What insight does he have?

So many stories to tell. And Areavoices is a good place to start. The platform is yours. Learn more about starting your blog at http://areavoices.com/start and after you start let me know so I can suggest our papers look it over.

And thanks once again to all of you who responded!

Areavoices Digest #34 – How to keep Facebook friends from cringing

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You know those Facebook posts – the ones that make you scream “Ewwww! TMI!” Too much information. They share intimate details of their lives, whether it’s potty habits of their children or a fight they’re having with their ex-husband. Makes me cringe. That’s why I’m especially excited to welcome a new blogger to Areavoices who hopes to give us a little help in becoming better users of social media. She writes just one of the blogs I’m recommending in this week’s digest:

Social Media Etiquette Tips - http://facebook101.areavoices.com
Geneva Nemzek is a college student and avid social media user. She says in her blog she’ll share “tips and tricks on how to become a member of social media that other people don’t cringe at.”

East of Weedin’ – http://eastofweedin.areavoices.com
Author Emily Zimmer says she likes to garden and cook and with this blog she hopes to share her successes and failures with both. 

The Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber – http://fmwfchamber.areavoices.com
 This blog provides news and information about the happenings of the Chamber of Commerce serving the Fargo-Moorhead- West Fargo area.

WDAY 970AM – http://wdayradio.areavoices.com
WDAY-AM is one of the oldest radio stations in the Midwest. It went on the air in 1922 and can be heard throughout eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota and northern South Dakota. This blog is currently providing updates on progress to restore transmission towers damaged in the Memorial Day storm. The blog will also provide news about ongoing station programming, contests, and more.

Ridgewater College – http://ridgewater.areavoices.com
This blog has been created to be an interesting look into happenings at the Willmar and Hutchinson campuses of Ridgewater College, as well as the higher education landscape in Minnesota.