April 09, 2008

ConferencesThe tools of the conference trade

By Alicia Dorset

As you probably read from Charlie's last post, he was at BlogHer Business last week, and I was right there next to him, enjoying another great discussion from some of the blogosphere's best minds. You might be wondering why you didn't see live updates from NYC here on BlogWorks. Here's why.

In our office, I think we can best be described as techy nerds. We love new digital technology, and right now there seems to be a never-ending supply of it. Some of us have been obsessed lately with Tumblr, a microblogging platform that lends itself perfectly to live blogging, blogging on the go and sending quick updates (photos, videos, links and even quotes). Think of it as a beefier Twitter.

For BHB, we decided that would be the perfect conference to try out Tumblr. We launched MSL Digital in the field log, a microblog that came in incredibly handy. Not only could I liveblog each session I attended, the blog-via-mobile function was a lifesaver when the conference's Internet connection went down and I headed over to my trusty iPhone to keep doing work.

Damian Rintelmann, our director of web operations, is a devoted Tumblr-er (not even close to a word), and is a fan of Jon Cockle, better know as Yongfook, a web designer based in Tokyo. He's turned his Tumblr into a "lifestream," and pulls in feeds from all of the web properties he's a member of. It's a brilliant concept and shows you the potential of the platform.

I know I use Tumblr as one of my personal blogs, and Damian and Dan Nixon, one of our web producers, have integrated Tumblr into their exisiting blogs. I can't wait to see it put to use for our clients.

Tumblr wasn't the only tool we used to get conference info during BHB. Charlie was regularly updating his own Twitter feed to not only get the word out, but stay up to date with some of his favorite mommy bloggers who were attending other conferences that day.

I'm curious... What do you use when you attend a conference to let others know what you're up to?

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 10:49 AM
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ConferencesBlogHer Business: It's Not About You, It's About Them

By Charlie Kondek

I attended BlogHer Business last week in New York City. It was a good conference and a great chance to meet a lot of interesting people. Some of the folks I met are bloggers, some PR and marketing folks, and many are both. I even got to meet a few folks I've previously only known online or over the phone.

There was too much happening there over two insightful days for me to sum it up in one post. There were several great presentations by a variety of people on things being done in the realm of blogging, social media, social media-based marketing and PR, and other topics. Do click over to BlogHer's page to get a run-down of some of the presentations. Among them were:

  • Research by BlogHer showing the habits of women bloggers. More of them are blogging, and more frequently. Their top motives for blogging are: fun, self-expression, and to connect with others. That's just a few of their findings.
  • Jennifer Cisney of Kodak's Thousand Words blog talked about how the blog expresses the brand. It is, simply, passion for photography.
  • General Motors (a client of ours) talked about the success it had with an event for the Manic Mommies community that shifted perceptions about the brand and engendered goodwill between the brand and the participants.
  • Heather Gorringe is a delightful presenter, the chief brain behind Wiggly Wigglers, creator of a web site, blog and podcast for a company that sells worms from Herefordshire, in the U.K. Ok, it's not just worms, it's earth-friendly gardening supplies of all kinds. What was most remarkable about Heather, to me, was her down-to-earth manner of reducing what are seemingly complex marketing problems to the very simple process of "having a chat." She makes the new media landscape as approachable as an English village.
  • Graco talked about the success it had with bringing bloggers to an event, and made the very important point that while people distrust companies, they trust individuals. They communicated through their work in this space that Graco, the company, is also people, and wants to relate, person to person, to its customers.

Those are just a few of the high points, as I said. One of the big messages I got from the conference was the recurring theme that in approaching bloggers, it's not about you, the agency, the brand, the company, it's about them, the blogger, the customer. Even a casual survey of social media shows we're living in a consumer-centric world. Talk to these bloggers, as Susan Getgood said, the way you'd talk to your customers.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 10:37 AM
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May 18, 2007

ConferencesGet ready for BlogPhiladelphia

BlogPhiladelphia

Mark your calendars now for July 12-13 as Philly will be the place to be for the inaugural BlogPhiladelphia, an "unconference" for those who find themselves going to too many "real" conferences.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and Philly blog uwishunu.com are hosting this FREE social media event. There will be a few panels, but the majority of the two days will be spent in breakout sessions and chatting with other like-minded individuals in the blogosphere. To get a better idea of the event, check out BlogOrlando or BarCamp.

So just who will be speaking? Take a look.

Still not sure if you want to go? Yours truly is speaking, too. So, like I said before, mark your calendars for BlogPhiladelphia, and stay tuned to BlogWorks for more updates.

For our Michigan readers, make sure to check out BarCampGrandRapids2

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 04:29 PM
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August 02, 2006

ConferencesLooking back at BlogHer 2006

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Gayla Trail (right) and me at BlogHer '06.

I spent three days in San Jose, Calif., for BlogHer last weekend, THE conference for women bloggers. I didn't attend last year's debut event, but if this year's sold-out crowd at the San Jose Hayatt was any indication, I know I won't be missing 2007's efforts.

The sessions at BlogHer ranged from business topics, such as making your blog profitable, to technology questions ("How do you make a podcast?" "What about digital photos for my posts?" "What's a trackback?") and the chance to chat with mommy bloggers about what they've been up to and who was watching their kids.

My favorite panel was "Is the Next Martha Stewart a Blogger?" Featuring Maggie Mason, Gayla Trail, Andrea Scher, Pim Techamuanvivit and Marnie MacLean, the women discussed how their business and blogging ventures (most of them run stores online for their goods, while the rest host well-known blogs) might be the next wave of the future for the creative, "do-it-yourself" entrepreneur and how to not only make the most of it, but protect their individual work.

"Whenever people recognize what you're doing and want to get a piece of it, it's a really hard road to navigate," Trail, author of You Grow Girl, said.

The women discussed the growing demand for bloggers, especially bloggers writing about entertainment, arts and lifestyle topics, and how blogging can lead to so many different avenues.

Techamuanvivit, of Chez Pim fame, talked about what she hopes to accomplish with her food blog. Chez Pim has been featured across the country in various media outlets.

"The way I see my blog is kind of like a launchpad. I want to take it somewhere, I want to see where I can run with it," she said.

In every session, the faint sound of keyboards clacking could be heard as participants worked on upcoming posts or created live blog entries on the spot. By the end of the first day thousands of photos had been tagged "blogher" on Flickr and the conference's name was a popular search on Technorati.

BlogHer provided the chance to hear from some of the blogosphere's biggest names. Day One featured a lunch discussion with Caterina Fake and Meg Hourihan, the driving forces behind Flickr and Blogger. The conference's closing keynote involved a panel featuring Grace Davis, Caroline Little, Mena Trott and the always-entertaining Arianna Huffington.

Overall, my favorite part of BlogHer was meeting people. The atmosphere was so relaxed that attendees who came by themselves left with a whole collection of new friends. People joined each other during breaks to talk about their blogs and what they'd just heard. I met some wonderful new people and, of course, I've got some great new blogs to subscribe to.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 03:08 PM
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July 31, 2006

ConferencesHome from BlogHer, safe and sound

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Laurie and I just returned home from BlogHer yesterday. We had a great time and have some posts with some of the wonderful discussions we heard coming soon. We learned about some cool blogs we hadn't read before and got to meet some of our favorite authors. Check back soon for some posts but until then, take a look at some photos from the weekend on our Flickr page.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 12:44 PM
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July 27, 2006

ConferencesGetting ready for BlogHer

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Laurie Mayers and I are getting ready for the second annual BlogHer, the blogging conference dedicated to women. We'll be taking in discussions, lectures, and the opportunity to meet some of the bloggers we enjoy reading. Make sure to check back to BlogWorks for updates from San Jose.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 05:20 PM
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June 27, 2006

ConferencesAMC focuses on independent media outlets

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Bowling Green State University played host to members of the independent media from across the country last weekend for the eighth annual Allied Media Conference in Bowling Green, Ohio. From keynote speakers to movie premieres and hands-on workshops, the conference proved that where media is concerned, the number of alternatives is growing rapidly.

amc1_062706 AMC participants listen to a discussion on videoblogging on Saturday in Bowling Green.

I had a chance to check out some great sessions during my two days in Bowling Green. One of the really informative discussions was "Autonomous Videoblogging, Podcasting and Blogging." We talked a great deal about videoblogging, courtesy of Steven Mansour from the World Academy of Young Scientists. Steven demonstrated to us not only the power that videoblogging holds (such as Homeless Nation), but the basics of getting your video up on your site and out to the masses. We even created our own podcast that's up on AMC's site.

The session also focused on Creative Commons and how it applies to today's technological communities. Our group discussed the benefits of the open source-influenced copyright concept and how best to work with others who want to use your intellectual property.

Other sessions included how get your own web site up and running, producing radio shows, women-of-color bloggers, privacy on the Internet and a history of the media.

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In between sessions, I was able to check out the registration area where media outlets and independent businesses set up shop for the weekend to promote themselves and their causes. Participants could even make their own wireless Internet antennas out of tin cans for their computers to take home.

What I enjoyed most about the conference, and found to be very beneficial, was learning how many participants used blogging/podcasting/etc. while at the sessions to share content with their own audiences. Mediageek is a perfect example of that. He was able to record the discussion on independent media and then post it on his blog for others to enjoy if they weren't able to make it to Ohio. This happened throughout the weekend as various media groups reported back to blogs and web sites on what they learned during the 2006 AMC.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 02:10 PM
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