A Minnesota Blogger Conference 2013 Q & A Session with Greg Swan

As a member of the event planning committee, about a month ago I had the pleasure of doing a remote interview for the Minnesota Blogger Conference website. The post highlighted one of our Closing keynote panelists - Greg Swan. I finally had the opportunity to meet Greg face to face on the day of the conference. Below is a link to that post. Please take a few moments to hop over & check it out.

http://mnbloggerconference.com/2013/10/07/q-a-with-mnblogcon-closing-keynote-panel-speaker-greg-swan/

Greg is below on the far right wearing the Google Glass

  

Mn Blogger Conference 2011 - Take Two

Here we are - one year later and another Minnesota Blogger Conference is in the books. Founders Arik Hanson & Missy Berggren along with their planning committee members, Josh Braaten, Beth Rubin-Gabor, Bridget Nelson Monroe,and "birthday girl" Suzi Magill put on a wonderful event, improving on last year in so many ways, including the venue, parking, food & being able to accommodate twice as many attendees.

The Keynote: Blogs to Riches was by Lee Odden of TopRank Marketing, who was also a sponsor.  

He left us with five main ideas:

1. "No Blog Plan is a Plan to Fail"

2. "Adapt & Thrive"

3. "It's Not All About You" (Show interest in other people)

4. "Ask. Recognize. Repeat." (To invite participation with the readers of your blog - your community)

5. "The End is Near, Let's Start" (telling us to not be stopped in our tracks when we think we've run out of ideas to write about & how to find more)

First time I had been in the same room as Lee after following him & hearing so much about him & his other speaking engagements worldwide. It was nice to see how down to earth he really was.

So many of the people I knew would be there I literally only had time to say hello, hug-it-out & see you later since we were planning to attend different sessions.  I had planned out my day & even though it was turning out that I might not have done as much socializing as I originally intended I wanted to get certain things out of the experience.

My first break-out session was with Mandy Dwyer of Glimpses of Soul Photography.  All I can say is that Mandy had me wishing I could afford a DSLR camera, not to mention a new PC or Mac so I can load some new photo editing software.  I am already thinking even more about capturing photography vs just taking snapshots.  She delivered a crash course in lighting, composition editing & how to use photos to tell a story. Her notes are already up on her website if you are interested.  

Mandy also donated her time doing head shots, so of course I couldn't pass that opportunity up! Can't wait to see how they turned out. I heard $329.00 was raised for the event's charity: "READ INDEED" from the photos alone. Tremendous job!

Jen Emmert,  

Meghan Wilker,   

Stephanie Meyer & Ian Schwartz  were the panel members of "Building Communities Online and Offline" - my second session which was moderated by Kate O'Reilly.  

Some key takeaways:

1. Reminding people that they have permission to participate.

2. Give people multiple channels to engage with your community - not just your favorite one.

3. Have a great host - you have to be an organizer who delegates.

4. Reach out to people who may not have made your event & find out why, i.e. the "maybes"

5. It's OK to call the haters on your blog out! Just do it in a way that's not defensive & holds them accountable. (loved this one)

After a lovely & satisfying taco bar lunch and a couple of nice conversations with fellow attendees, which was free thanks to our sponsors Kare11, Top Rank Marketing & Allina Hospitals & Clinics, I went to "Advertisements, Endorsements and the Casual 'Like'" - led by Hayden O. Creque Esq. of Creque Law. 

NO SLEEPING was possible in this session. It was very lively & interactive to say the least!

If you are interested in a recap of what was discussed, visit Hayden's website where you will find a downloadable copy of the presentation. 

Just keep in mind these things:

1. "The Average blogger is held to a higher standard than celebrities."

2. "If there's a connection between the endorser and the marketer of the product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed."

3. "Value doesn't matter...It could be $1 or $1,000...It's about the relationship."

Hayden also made me laugh when he said in his Midwestern-modified Trinidad accent: "Straight Cash Homie" aka Randy Moss.

The final session I chose was Moving Your Blog to Wordpress, (so Blogger cover your ears,) by Tim Elliott.

Tim talked about wordpress.com versus wordpress.org.  

"With WordPress.com the hosting and managing of the software is taken care of by the team here at Automattic.  With WordPress.org you need to install the software on your own server or with a 3rd party provider."

He walked us through the costs of the different options. He promises that "#wordpress is not that complicated once you get to know it ;-) " Luckily for me Blogger to Wordpress is one of the more streamlined transitions & size of the blog is not an issue - multiple attempts to import will eventually bring everything over. 

The biggest tip he gave us is something called WordPress TV.  I you have questions - this is the best resource he offered us - for people of all levels of tech-savviness. Tim also made his presentation available so we did not have to write or type furiously - we could try to concentrate on asking questions if need be.

Overall this year's conference flew by & I wish I had the opportunity to also sit in on some sessions by a few of my favorite people Erica Mayer, Kate Hopper, Paul DeBettignies & Patrick Rhone, so I hope they all also made their presentations available so I can go & check them out on my own time. Since I can't clone myself, that will have to do. 

The best part of the day? The conversations between the sessions - meeting new bloggers & seeing those you've met before, but don't get face time with often. It's something we all strive to do - making real connections offline.

Till next year...

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: My Lens Into The First Ever MN Blogger Conference

or Interview w/ Mn Blogger - Monika Melsha at Mn Blogger Conference

Will You Wait & See or Are You Riding The Google+ Bandwagon?!

Twitter has been on fire lately with posts about pending world domination because now we have Google+.  The early adopters are calling for a mass exodus from Facebook ~ even Twitter & LinkedIn. Soon these newly self-crowned Google+ "experts" will say we should pledge allegiance to the man-made deity who is all things Google.

On the other side of the camp are regular people with insights on their initial experiences and in that realm - reviews are mixed. Initial concerns from the "reals" are over duplication of content, privacy, who is able to put you in their circle, being married to a single e-mail address - the one you initially build the profile with and even that the majority of the users are tech nerdy guys. ;  )
Take this post from Jacob Morgan:Google Plus, the Best Way to Duplicate Your Content or an investor's viewpoint: Google+ vs. The World – Can Google Beat Facebook?

For those of you not interested yet in selling your soul to beg for a Google+ invitation, this is the screen you see whenever you click" +You" ~ a big fat "You're just not cool enough for us yet" rejection screen.

So I find a ton of humor in this fever that has been blanketing twitter:

@Mashable posted this humorous video link from hulu:

http://mashable.com/2011/07/13/google-plus-jimmy-fallon/

Of course you have high profile people who are exiting out of Google+'s "public view" as quickly as they hopped on board:

Wouldn't be a cool tech thing without the brutally desperate ones who get busted trolling for Google+ friends:

Plus the hot-tempered testosterone fueled signs of lack of patience over etiquette, or lack there of:

I found that @Nakia, one of my favorite artists from NBC's The Voice, is on the wagon and he says "I'm still figuring out how I want to interact on this here G+ thingy. lol"

Infinite insightful wisdom abounds, for example this virtual fortune telling moment from @garyvee:

Some of my favorite informative posts about Google+ are captured below - Check them out if you want to be an informed decision maker - not just another sheep following the herd.

From Olivier Blanchard aka @thebrandbuilder

Is Google+ really a big deal? 8+ things everyone should know about Google+

From @JasonFalls

Reality To Soon Set In On Google+

From @Mashable

Google+: The Complete Guide

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: The Lure of Blog Comments or Converting those who say: Foursquare's NOT for Me!

In Praise of Thought Leaders

Recently I felt inspired to begin making lists on Twitter. The two I started with are representative of a baby step in my larger plan for more effectively monitoring the conversations in my twitter universe. There are a couple of people who I consider to be virtual mentors.  Those people were shoe-ins for my "Thought Leader" list. They are people who continually challenge me to think outside of  my box and not accept what's presented to me without additional thought & justification.

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." - Abraham Lincoln

Time is a precious commodity & although I adore Twitter it can be a real time-waster when you have a specific purpose in mind and little time to find inspiration. 

 

While the proper definition is just someone who has innovative ideas, I think of so much more when those words come to mind. My ideal Thought Leader must have a large percentage of these qualities:

• Brash or "full of fresh raw vitality"
• Cutting Edge or "at the forefront"
• Fearless
• Driven
• Inspired
• Passionate
• Willing to share their ideas without feeling threatened
• Dares to experiment
• Risk-Taker
• Reasonable
• Thoughtful
• Be published or we on the way to becoming such 
• Able to openly digest & debate divergent thinking or theories

I'm curious what comes to mind when you think of someone who you'd label a Thought Leader?  If any of you mentor others on a regular basis, what qualities do you possess that make you an effective mentor? What are you looking for Thought Leaders & mentors to bring to the virtual table? 

Marketing & the Continual Path of Learning

I've been so immersed in work - picking up some new responsibilities as well as the novelty of finally having a Smartphone that I haven't taken as much time as I'd like to unplug with a good book.  Two chapters into "Engage" by Brian Solis and I'm motivated to change that. 

I took a class at UST a while back that really reminded me that finding time for learning is so important.  It's about staying relevant, but also admitting that things change faster that we'd like in the marketing landscape and if you're not staying on top of where it's heading, you'll just fall farther & farther into obsolescence.

We have been so conditioned as marketers to value what's tested & true ~ what can be validated through the use of analytics and risk models. In this age of the socialization of media, that is no longer a given.  As consumers, we no longer buy into a top down philosophy on approaching our buying decisions.  We are finally in control and consumers are guiding the markets in new and unsettling directions.

"Don't speak to me in messages...Give me something to believe in...I am influential." - Brian Solis

Some of us are more eager to embrace these changes than others.  We can't be afraid to move forward because we don't have all the answers.  Do so & you will be left behind.  

"Engage or Die" - Brian Solis

I love the term mindshare.  Dictionary.com provides several practical definitions: 

a. The amount of attention required by something, the time spent thinking about something.

b. The development of consumer awareness about a specific product or brand in hopes that they will buy the product or brand.

c. The level of awareness in the minds of consumers that a particular product commands.  

Seriously, it's no longer just about capturing market share - the name of today's game is about mindshare, participating in conversations and maintaining visibility for your products & your brand. 

"If your brand is absent from these conversations...It means you're off the radar screens in your customer's decision-making processes." - Brian Solis 

The first major takeaway out of the first two chapters would be to remember that "we...are still learning." Mistakes, triumphs & observations are all critical to the process of establishing new norms, metrics & benchmarks.  I for one want to be that person who will speak up and encourage leadership to take the leap into their unknown.  The rewards will come as long as patience, active listening and participation in relevant communities become the backbone of your socialization efforts.

If you haven't picked up your copy of "Engage" for your library or downloaded it to your digital reader, I can tell already that this is one you won't want to miss. If you're interested in more previews, check back often. I'll be blogging about this book a few more times before I reach the end.

Fun Tweets about the MN State Fair

If you've wondered what people might be tweeting about at the Minnesota State Fair, but haven't had time to check it out, I've gathered a little sampling of today's twitter conversations around the @MinnStateFair. I'll be attending this coming Sunday, so I should have some fun photos to share for a future post. I hope you enjoy these!


@UnplannedCookin  Some guy just proposed in @MinnStateFair swine barn. While she was petting pig.

@drewcarl Roommate @chriswschorgl lost his contacts in the Hurricane Simulator @MinnStateFair  

@joeyprivette: I am @smbmsp @minnstatefair My 1st #smbmsp want to meet IRL? 

@SkyGuy5  @MinnStateFair I found the choco covered bacon you pointed me at...thanks! http://twitpic.com/2kzclm  

@FrenchMeadow  RT @crazedprincess: Yum eating scones at @FrenchMeadow at @MinnStateFair  

@Minnesota_Swarm @Bisc27 Don't knock back too many (fill in the blank) on a stick. you need to stay in shape for the season! @MinnStateFair  

@BlueCrossMN  Do you have pictures from @MinnStateFair with our "do" groove guy? We want to see them! "Like" us on Facebook.com/docampaign & share!  

@LAhopp  Pretty sure I got wind burn at the @MinnStateFair today. The forecast said "Crazy Wind" and it was very true.

@Natron44: Spotted these guys @MinnStateFair. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure these are smaller than normal. http://twitpic.com/2kwsl8

@OMyFamily  How cute is this? RT @MinnStateFair Today's Bride & Groom getting interviewed by the @963NOWradio DJ #mnstatefair http://twitpic.com/2kwdza

@mnbridemag  Fun! RT @DOksnevadPhoto: Today's bridal party just went down the Giant Slide @MinnStateFair! http://twitpic.com/2kw4ku

@rachaelly  @MinnStateFair help! Where can I find chocolate covered bacon? 

@SweetMarthas "There's no place like home!" -Sweet Martha about being at the @MinnStateFair vs other fairs #smbmsp

@mattkoob  Omw to the @minnstatefair Woohoo! Must. have. camel. 


Of course I have to include one of my own:
@mrobin032009 @MinnStateFair It's been decades since I've gone, but this Sunday's the day for my 3 yr old's 1st trip. See you soon!


The best "Tweets in a Row Award" goes to: 
@quick13 Biggest problem with having #smbmsp in a tent @minnstatefair, finding nearest bathroom. 

@quick13 Seriously, anyone know where the bathroom closest to #smbmsp is @minnstatefair?

And the "Most RT'd of the Day Award" goes to: RT @BMJEWELL "Bacon is sex in the skillet" from Big Fat Bacon @Minnstatefair #smbmsp 

Update from 9/4 ~ Since it wouldn't be the fair without the agriculture competitions & more things on sticks: 
@andrewzimmern  Largest is 842 pounds http://twitpic.com/2l7my4  

@DeRushaJ  Getting ready to take pics at WCCO's State Fair booth. Preparation = beer on a stick. http://twitpic.com/2lb1di