Run a News Blog? Check out InOtherNews.us
If you run a local news blog or web site and are looking for some extra exposure, check out InOtherNews.us. It’s a directory that specifically lists U.S.-based hyperlocal blogs, and it has specific rules about only including news-based blogs. From the “About” page:
The (loose) criteria are that the sites serve as a “replacement” or supplemental news source in areas where the local newspaper or broadcast companies are dropping coverage. The scope can be local, state or national and be niche or broad-focussed — it just needs to be a journalistic endeavor with a newsgathering mission and not part of a corporate media site. However, no hate-speech sites please, such as a community site that serves only to bash a certain group or political figure or to spread unverified/false information.
I’ve added it to my list of local blog directories post. It’s good to see more sites trying to collate local blog resources.
CNN Invests in Outside.in
Every bit as important as the recent news that MSNBC had purchased Everyblock.com is today’s news that CNN has bought a stake in Outside.in, the hyperlocal content aggregator that I’ve written about here on HLB countless times.
Today’s news makes this CNN headline from last May borderline prescient:
Indeed, it may be. There’s plenty of evidence: CNN invests in Outside.in … MSNBC buys Everyblock.com … the New York Times has launched its hyperlocal effort called “The Local” … AOL has its hyperlocal project called Patch … the Huffington Post is getting into hyperlocal blogging … the Seattle Times is collaborating with hyperlocal blogs … Fisher launched 43 hyperlocal sites in Seattle and is expanding that model in other areas … the Guardian (UK) is starting a hyperlocal news network … other UK newspapers are also going hyperlocal … and so on and so forth.
What’s It Mean for Hyperlocal Bloggers
Generally speaking: The attention on what you’re doing is only going to grow. Sure, there will always be detractors and some who have no respect for what you’re doing. Ignore them. Now is the best time to start a local blog, or to keep growing what you’ve already started.
More specifically: If CNN is going to feature feeds on its web site from Outside.in, as the WSJ says it will, you better make sure your blog is in Outside.in’s system. You can do that by signing up (for free) for Outside.in’s GeoToolkit.
Go do it!
Update, December 8: The official news release explains how Outside.in content will be integrated with CNN:
“As part of its investment, CNN Worldwide entered into a concurrent multi-year deal to use the Outside.in for Publishers aggregation and curation platform to power hyperlocal news across all of CNN.com and its related properties. The first implementations are expected to be completed in Q1 of 2010.”
(If you’re interested in reading more about the CNN/Outside.in news, there’s discussion on Techmeme.)
Turn Your Blog Into a Newspaper with Zinepal
Think of all the people in your neighborhood/town that are sitting in a doctor’s office reading magazines every day. Or sitting in the waiting room at the car repair shop. Or at the salon. Wouldn’t it be great if they were reading your blog instead of Ladies Home Journal or Sports Illustrated?
They can be reading your blog — without needing a laptop or smartphone — thanks to Zinepal.com, a service that takes any online content and turns it into a fairly customizable and printable publication. Before looking at how it works, let me show you what the final product looks like: Read more
New Local UK Blog Directory
Paul Bradshaw and Matt Wardman recently launched Nutshell, a directory for hyperlocal blogs and web sites based in the UK.
Read the about page to get an idea of the kind of blogs/sites they’re looking to include. If yours fits, this could be a nice way to get some extra exposure and promotion for your efforts.
Add Your Local Blog to WikiCity
WikiCity is inviting local bloggers to add your blog(s) to their city pages. The process is simple — you provide the URL of your blog, your blog’s RSS feed, and choose a category (News, Lifestyle, Sports, etc.) and hit the submit button. There’s a section for local blogs on each WikiCity page, right below the map and above the local Twitter feed section. Here’s what it looks like on the Wahoo, Nebraska page:
Here’s WikiCity’s news release about the new local blogrolls. Co-founder Pat Lazure tells me that submissions are added into the system immediately, but are later reviewed for relevance and appropriateness.
Why bother adding your blog? Two obvious reasons:
1. Exposure WikiCity may be fairly new, but if people take a liking to building out city pages they way they build out pages on Wikipedia, it could grow into a valuable local resource. And it could be a site that gets a lot of traffic from search engines, just like Wikipedia does. It’s not unreasonable to think you’ll gain some exposure from people clicking through to read your blog posts.
2. SEO Beyond the eyeball exposure, there’s the SEO benefit of having an extra link (or a couple) to your blog. I’ve mentioned before that linkbuilding can be tough for local blogs, so why would you pass up the chance to promote your blog this way?
Not familiar with WikiCity? It’s a local version of Wikipedia, with city guides instead of articles. That’s how I’d describe it. Here’s how WikiCity describes itself:
Much like Wikipedia, WikiCity is a free wiki, and anyone can contribute. However, WikiCity further differentiates itself because it is designed to promote local community, commerce, tourism, and everyday life within the towns it serves – thus welcoming content that is typically not suited for Wikipedia. Founded in late 2008 by Pat Lazure and Rohit Keshwani, WikiCity provides unique local content on places, events, and people who would be of interest to those associated with any of its 22,000 U.S. towns (for example: Wahoo, NE, Machias, ME, or Red Wing, MN). It serves these communities much like a local newspaper and business directory, yet using the same open source MediaWiki software that powers Wikipedia, any of its readers are allowed to contribute content.
Local blogrolls aside, it looks like an interesting concept that’s worth watching.
Hartford Bloggers List
Quick note for any Hartford-area bloggers out there: The Hartford Public Library has a small (but hopefully growing) list of Hartford blogs. I don’t see an obvious way to submit your link for inclusion, but there is a Contact link at the bottom of the page.
I’ve added this to the list of (Now) 39 Local Blog Directories — a collection of opportunities to get exposure and links for your hyperlocal blog.
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