Craig McGinty

Cracking freelance writing

THERE is a great piece from Matthew Stibbe on his website about how to be a freelance journalist.

He covers a wide range of subjects including the ins and out of generating ideas, marketing yourself and how to organise yourself to maker sure you are writing effectively.

One to pop in your favourites for when you have got ten minutes, with a cup of tea, to read and study.

Shiny Media gain $4.5 million boost

I HAVE been following the work of Shiny Media for as long as I've been running website based on blogging software and they have just announced a major injection of cash into their business.

Goes to show that if you publish interesting websites, that connect with readers, then your work will be noticed and get the backing of astute investors.

Who says blogs are just about what you had for breakfast?

Stop it, just stop it

THE end is definitely nigh if the BBC insists on using words such as "bested".

Celebrity Big Brother was also bested by BBC One drama Waking the Dead, which reached an average audience of 6.7 million.

Story: Top Gear crash wins ratings clash

Please BBC styleguide editors put a stop to this.

Web can take strain out of networking

UNFORTUNATELY networking events have a poor reputation amongst many with fears about being backed into a corner by an over zealous sales rep high up there.

But yesterday I spent an afternoon in Manchester at an event organised by Mark Greenwood under his Networking4Business banner that was a very relaxed, easygoing affair.

Around 60 people mingled and chatted, as business cards were swapped and ideas and contacts exchanged.

Using your blog as a research tool

ONE of the things I tell people about blogs is that they are a great way of discovering what your potential audience is interested in.

Their questions in comments, search terms used to arrive at your site and direct emails will give you a great understanding of what you should be providing to help answer these questions.

It is something that Hugh MacLeod highlights when he writes blogs are "a great place to test which ideas have traction".

From personal experience of my French site I am looking at ways to create a particular site, I just need to find the software to drive it, but I already know there is a need and that has come from listening to my readers.

Instead of spending hours "pushing" messages, spend some time listening and you will soon find out what your readership really wants.

Manchester grinds to a halt

I have just spent the past hour walking from Trafford Bar Metrolink station to Sale after Manchester ground to a halt.

The metro was brought to a stop after overhead power lines were damaged at Cornbrook, sending people out on the streets looking for another form of travel.

And as we all headed to the bus stops on the main Chester Road news soon got around that the bus service had also decided to shut up early for the night.

Few interesting links to follow

I WROTE a few months ago about Newsquest's foray into video journalism and the steps they could take to really promote their work, see a multi-user approach to news.

The basic point I was making is that if they placed the video news bulletins on YouTube they would save on server costs, but most importantly have a massive potential audience.

Well CBS are already doing it, and a small Californian TV station has started doing the same, I wonder when someone in the UK will do similar?

My second link to explore is a collection of websites compiled by Seth Godin that highlights the best uses of blogs, RSS and other web based tools amongst charitable groups and volunteer organisation in the US.

There is no doubting the effectiveness and impact of using new technologies to engage with volunteers, the news media and those who want to donate to good causes would produce real benefits.

Drop in on BBC blog workshop

IF you are still trying to get your head around all this blogging stuff, or just want to pick up some hints and tips then head over to the BBC this Thursday.

The team behind the BBC Manchester Blog are holding a Blogging Workshop, which will provide an insight into choosing the right software, using RSS feeds and countless others things.

There is sure to be plenty of people attending who will be more than willing to chat about blogs and how to get the best out of them - I'll see you there!

How to shoot video news

Just popping this link here so I won't lose it on how to shoot video and most importantly it explains how to make sure it is good enough for people to actually watch it. (via Jeff Jarvis)

It's not just about the money

I AM sat here today with the wind howling outside and Kate Feld from the Manchizzle website chatting about the world of Manchester blogs on BBC Radio Manchester.

Kate has been asked to offer a regular insight into what is happening on Mancunian blogs, highlighting interesting sites and the stories that are doing the rounds.

I also received an email recently from a friend who said that a new client was convinced to use her services after reading her site - despite other suppliers being closer.

So although many people are keen to earn an income from blogs through advertising, really if your site is busy, interesting and ultimately useful to your readers, then you can gain in a variety of other ways.