Trevor Young - PR Warrior | Where PR meets social media meets content marketing

Love, Support, Positivity, Connection - Welcome to the World of the Mummy Blogger

I was bummed that I couldn't attend the Digital Parents Conference 2012 in Melbourne on Friday but I did manage to keep an eye on the #DPCON12 hashtag on Twitter as well as checked in on the many blog posts that were written during (and post) the event. It looked like it was a ripper of a day!

The conference, organised by Brenda Gaddi, was sold out; according to the attendee list, nearly 200 people - bloggers (mostly 'mummy bloggers' by the looks of things), PR people and brand reps - had registered. 

(NOTE: How many conferences have you attended where the organisers don't provide a public list of participants? It's either a case of 'couldn't be bothered', 'didn't think of it', or refusal to do so on the grounds of 'privacy' or the list is 'our intellectual property'. Hmmm, really? This sharing of attendee names is evidence of what makes the blogging fraternity the tight-knit community that it is - openness and connection is everything).

Love in the room

As is often the case at such events, there was (or appeared to me from the heavily populated tweet stream) a lot of love, positivity and support for one another in the #DPCON12 room. Bloggers are like that, which is something brands need to recognise and understand intimately if they want to play in this space.

“Hello #BlogToBusiness panelists. @stylingyou @braqueen@crashtest_mummy @realityraver #dpcon12” PIC: Brenda Gaddi

The fact (mummy) bloggers tend to be super-connected with each other as well as more broadly with their own communities of super-engaged fans makes them a key target for brands, and we're starting to see a lot of action on this front.

The blogger movement in Australia emerged in a big way last year and continues to grow and become more influential as 2012 unfolds. This trend isn't going to change any time soon.

While the mummy blogger category will dovetail out of this growth of the movement overall, I think what you'll see is a break-out of individuals who not only blog but will create content across multiple platforms while at the same time building their personal brands into valuable, influential assets that companies will want to at some stage tap into.

New Ways

Understanding the nuances of the blogging fraternity in general, and mummy bloggers in particular, is critical for brands wanting to explore new ways to reach young mums, or consumers of other category niches e.g. technology, media, food and beverage etc.

The smart brands will get involved at a deeper level. We've seen this in the US where Ford has very strong ties with the blogging industry, including being a major sponsor of last year's BlogWorld Expo in LA. Closer to home, KleenexMums was a sponsor of #DPCON12.

Sponsorship is one thing, however, but it's another for a company to embrace the blogger movement unconditionally, and this is what's needed if a brand is to succeed in developing partnerships with blogging individuals. Anything else is lip service.

Reality and Personality

Committed bloggers - whether they're 'Mummies' or not - bring a sense of passion and feeling, a heightened degree of openness and transparency, a dash of reality and personality in equal measures. They're connectors, sharers, storytellers ... people. 

If you don't believe me, check out Edenland.

Tap into that passion and from a brand perspective - with empathy and respect - and you'll do well in the blogosphere.  

Following are a number of blog posts from Digital Parents Conference; as you can see, there is a lot of interest in how bloggers can monetize their blogs. Take this as a signpost of things to come! 

• #DPCON12: Blog to Business - Louisa Claire
• #DPCON12: Blog to Book - Louisa Claire
• #DPCON12: Blog to Business - Kellie O'Brien (incl. CoveritLive transcript)
• #DPCON12: Working with Brands - Kellie O'Brien (incl. CoveritLive transcript)
• #DPCON12: How to Turn Your Blog Into a Business - Nikki Parkinson
• What I Learned at DPcon - @katesaysstuff
• On #DPCON12 and Directions, both Personal and Professional - Karen Andrews

 

Welcome to the Content Marketing Revolution

While corporate Australia gets hung up on the tactical aspects of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the real action is bubbling beneath the surface.

For many it’s not as sexy as the social technology platforms we hear about and see in the media every day but it’s equally powerful. Indeed, it’s the ‘secret sauce’ – the fuel that keeps the social web cranking along at breakneck speed.

I’m talking about content and how it can be used to keep your brand connected to the people who matter most to your business, cause or issue – how it can help organisations to:

• attract attention

         

• gain respect
• build trust

… with longer-term goal of generating leads and ultimately growing sales revenue. (And let’s face it, which brands don’t want to tick those boxes?).

Emerging from social shadows

While we’re (finally) starting to take the notion of social media more seriously here in Australia, in the US the concept of ‘content marketing’ has emerged from the social shadows and is set to explode.

The creation, sharing (and in some instances, curation) of content is becoming a cornerstone marketing activity for many major brands and fast-growth companies.

Strategic Intent

Content can include everything from videos, podcasts, e-books, white papers and case studies through to blog posts, infographics, webinars, microblogging (Twitter), online news releases, mobile phone apps and interactive newsrooms. Used effectively and with strategic intent, content marketing is a powerful means of reaching and engaging with current and potential customers, media and other influencers.

The irony, however, is that despite its huge growth, content marketing is not exactly new. Videos, hard-copy newsletters and custom-published magazines – all corporate communication tools that have been around for years – can be considered content.

Why the sudden interest in content as a cornerstone marketing strategy? 

Blame (or more importantly, thank!) the emergence of the social web.

Distribution Channels

Today, any person, company or organisation can establish its own online TV show (vodcast), radio station (podcast) or web-based magazine (blog), while social networking tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook serve as effective and powerful two-way content distribution channels.

Think about it for a moment. Let the concept percolate a bit – swill it around in your mind.

At the risk of repeating myself, we can now communicate directly with the people who matter most to the success of our business – and we can do it with a degree of scale and intensity of connection we’ve not been able to do before. I might also add: cost-effectively and in real-time.

This presents massive opportunities for companies and organisations to bypass the traditional ‘gatekeepers’ – journalists and editors – and engage directly with their constituents. 

Empathy and Respect

But this opportunity comes with a caveat – several, actually.

Content marketing is not a sales pitch. Have empathy for your audience. Treat them with respect.

Create compelling content that’s interesting, relevant and worthwhile to your audience: it’s about them, not you.

Solve problems experienced by your audience (add value); tap into the experts in your company (hidden assets); provide credible information (without selling); and shine the spotlight on your customers (take a back seat).

Content marketing can be a powerful strategy. Get involved, but use it cleverly and respectfully ... and reap the benefits!

 

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LEADING COMPANY.

 

How Darren Woolley Uses Content Marketing to Build a Global Consulting Business

In this video interview I chat with Darren Woolley, the founder and managing director of independent strategic marketing management consultancy, TrinityP3.

Darren talks about his content marketing strategy and how he uses blogging, online video, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to build credibility and drive awareness of his brand on a global scale. 

In the early days of TrinityP3, Darren's focus was mainly on trade media relations and B2B database marketing; he also used to actively pursue speaking opportunities as a means of generating interest in his concepts and ideas.

Deliberate Strategy

Today, while TrinityP3 still maintains a growing database and regularly appears in the trade press, most of Darren's focus is on the creation and distribution of content relevant to the marketing and advertising industry.

It's a "deliberate strategy", he says of TrinityP3's foray into content marketing.

Rather than having to start from scratch in terms of brand awareness when expanding into a new market, TrinityP3 now has a presence in overseas many markets thanks to his online efforts.

In part one Darren chats openly about the "three levels of ROI" he has established for TrinityP3's content marketing efforts.

In part two we dig a bit deeper into the tactical side of Darren's content marketing program, and how he leverages tools such as LinkedIn, Bufferapp, Twitter, Slideshare, YouTube as well as a company blog, which is responsible for the bulk of traffic to the TrinityP3 website.

Enjoy the interview!

 About TrinityP3

TrinityP3 is an independent strategic marketing management consultancy that assists marketers, advertisers and procurement with agency search and selection, agency engagement and alignment, and agency monitoring and benchmarking to ensure maximum performance in efficiency and effectiveness of their advertising and marketing budgets, across Asia-Pacific including Australia, China and SE Asia with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Singapore, Auckland and London.

The Rise of the Power Blogger & (Hopefully) a Sensible Debate Around ROI

In a previous post I briefly ran through a list of 12 Social Media Trends Australian Companies Should Look Out For This Year

In this (and the next post) I extrapolate on my thoughts pertaining to said list of trends. 

***********************

THE RISE AND RISE OF THE POWER BLOGGER

This is a trend I’ve been watching closely for some time and have blogged about a bit of late (see links below).

Overseas we’re seeing some of the more established bloggers become even more popular and influential while there is no shortage of new voices emerging plus others in the wings biding their time and building their following.

The reasons are several:

• Bloggers are becoming more sophisticated and quicker to adapt to new technologies than traditional news outlets (although the latter group – especially print media – is catching up quickly). They are not just relying on a written blog but are also producing video and/or podcasts as well – and they’re spreading their content across multiple platforms.
• Successful bloggers also tend to be super-connected on the social web; what they’re good at doing is building community, whereas that concept is still a little untested in the traditional media.

In Australia, while we’ve been a little behind the overseas blogging trend, the movement has well and truly secured a toehold locally with some fast-rising stars across various blogging ‘categories’ including mummy/parenting, business and marketing, food and lifestyle, technology, entertainment and pop culture.

That we have some of the world’s biggest bloggers living in Australia (including Melburnian Darren Rowse aka Problogger) is testament to the fact we’re no longer a backwater in this space.

Expect the blogging movement to continue its explosive growth while the elite of this group will become even bigger and more influential in their space.

The opportunity for companies is the potential to partner with bloggers (‘personality-based brands’) to bring branded content to life via an independent and authentic voice.

SOURCES:

Have We Seen the End of Blogging as We Know It?

What’s in store for Australian blogging in 2012? Here are 4 predictions

The One Big Thing I Learned at BlogWorld LA 2011

 CONTINUED DEBATE AROUND ROI

The hue-and-cry around social media ROI will continue but hopefully in 2012 the debate and conversation will be more measured and centered on productive discourse versus the stonewalling ‘what’s the ROI’ question that’s often asked (generally before communications objectives have even been set!).

Social media activity can be measured but marketers and the C-suite need to be cognisant of what social media can and can’t achieve (it’s not a silver bullet) and that it can’t be evaluated in the same way as traditional media.

Too much emphasis is often placed on attaining Twitter followers and Facebook fans. That’s fine, but what are you planning to do with them? In 2012, as an industry (brands and their agencies) need to get past such simplistic metrics.

"Activate your fans, don’t just collect them like baseball cards." - Jay Baer, Convince & Convert 

RECOMMENDED READING: 101 Examples of Social Business ROI

In next post:

GROWTH IN CONTENT CURATION

THE RISE IN STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY MANAGER

IMAGE: Thinkstockphoto.com.au

12 Social Media Trends Australian Companies Should Look Out For This Year

For companies and organisations already reeling from a year in which Australian consumers embraced the social web in massive numbers and with greater levels of intensity, 2012 promises more of the same but with some potential break-out trends.

So how should marketers approach 2012?

What should the leadership teams of large organisations be looking for in terms of building and protecting their corporate reputation in a hyper-connected world?

Below is a snapshot from a detailed paper I've written about how I think 2012 will roll out in terms of PR, communications and the social web.

• BETTER USE (AND INTEGRATION) OF SOCIAL MEDIA – Brands that have experimented with the social web will go back to basics and start thinking more strategically how to leverage new media technologies for their business, including better integrating with other marketing and corporate communications.

• ADOPTION OF QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES – As more and more Australians become heavier and more frequent users of social media, so too their expectation brands will respond in a timely manner will grow. Thus companies will need to factor in quicker response times in line with today’s ‘real-time’ marketplace.

• LEADERS WILL ADOPT PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL BUSINESS – Forward-thinking organisations that put ‘social’ at the heart of their enterprise will become the new leaders in an era where everyone is connected and two-way collaborative communication trumps ‘top down’ broadcast of polished messages.

• INCREASED EMPHASIS ON CONTENT MARKETING – The notion of brands becoming media companies in their own right will hit home locally; expect more use of the term ‘content marketing’ not to mention a growing trend for companies tapping journalists, PR people and bloggers to create content on their behalf.

• THE RISE AND RISE OF THE POWER BLOGGER – Blogging in Australia will continue its impressive growth but the big shift will be in the rise of the power blogger – the ‘multi-dimensional storytellers’ who will continue to increase their sphere of influence on and offline as the popularity of their ‘personal brand’ grows.

• CONTINUED DEBATE AROUND ROI – The debate over social media ROI will continue to be a hot topic but more reasoned voices will come to the fore as decision-makers better understand and appreciate what can and cannot be achieved in today’s new media world.

• GROWTH IN CONTENT CURATION – Not everyone is a content creator; with so much information flying around the web, the public will increasingly rely on filters (people, tools or apps) to edit and package information for their consumption e.g. Flipboard, Zite, Storify etc. Expect to also see a rise in influence of people who develop a reputation for content curation.

• THE RISE IN STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY MANAGER – Once the domain of a digitally savvy but inexperienced ‘junior burger’, organisations will start paying more respect to social media by appointing more knowledgeable and senior people in the public-facing role of community manager; expect this person to take on increased importance as their connection with the community deepens.

• COMBATING FACEBOOK’S CLUTTER – Facebook will continue its dominance; brands will need to become more creative and look to provide unique user experiences if they are to stand out from the crowd.

• TWITTER’S GROWING INFLUENCE – Twitter will continue to break into the mainstream consciousness as even the laggards start to wonder what all the fuss is about and join up.

• TRACKING THE RISING STARS – Keep an eye out for Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Flipboard, Tout. How could your brand leverage these platforms?

• WHERE TO FOR SOCIAL INFLUENCE MEASUREMENT & SCORING SYSTEMS? – One of the more controversial talking points among marketing and PR folk this year has been the use (and validity) of online reputation and social influence measurement systems e.g. Klout, Kred, PeerIndex et al. Expect more of the same in 2012!

What do you think 2012 holds in store for Australian PR professionals and the brands they represent?

 IMAGE: Thinkstock

From Blog to Brand - an Interview with the Miscellaneous Mum

I recently posted a thought piece around the question: 'Have We Seen the End of Blogging as We Know It?'

A few days later I spotted this interview by Tim Lince with Karen Andrews from Miscellaneous Mum reinforcing my theory there's a bit of action happening out there in the blogosphere. Some bloggers are becoming bona fide multimedia content creators; they're building a trusted personal brand, gaining a committed tribe of followers and becoming more and more professional (and influential) by the day. The more committed are starting to monetise their efforts. 

Exciting times! Enjoy the interview.

GUEST POST: Tim Lince, Influencing.com.au (follow on Twitter - @influencingau).

Influencing has a chat with Karen Andrews, the founder and editor of Australian parenting blog Miscellaneous Mum, about how the Australian blogosphere is evolving and how bloggers are creating a brand from humble blogging beginnings.

Andrews is part of a revolution in Australia at the moment, with a number of popular blogs being offered the chance to move to other mediums - such as Lorraine Elliott at Not Quite Nigella signing a book deal with Penguin Books recently. So there’s no doubt the whole scene is growing in popularity and, crucially, in influence.

Miscellaneous Mum is another blog that’s breaking the mould of no longer being just a digital-only platform, and Andrews has moulded a brand and actually created subsidiaries with the ‘Miscellaneous’ title - such as Miscellaneous Voices, the first book about the Australian blogging scene, and Miscellaneous Press, the book publishing arm of the business.

And it truly is a business now, with more books and developments planned in the future. But the beginning of the blog, and brand, began just five years ago.

“Miscellaneous Mum came into being in August 2006, making it one of the more established Australian ‘Mummy Blogs’ around,” Andrews explains. “I set it up for three reasons - to talk about my post-partum depression, to revive my writing life and to keep my family, who all live interstate, up-to-date on what we’re doing.”

She worked in events management before the creation of Misc Mum, before leaving to do freelance writing and concentrating on forging the Miscellaneous blog into a free-standing brand.

The first important decision that had to be made - the name.

“When I sat down to think of a title, which is quite hard to do, I thought about who I am and what I like.”

“I like everything - ‘miscellanea’ - and coupled it with what I am - a ‘mum’. Back at the start, the title was ‘Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum’. I put the Aussie in to differentiate it from US blogs. They were most prevalent at the time.”

One particular US blog, ‘Dooce’, was a major influence on Misc Mum from the very beginning. It’s one of the most visited ‘mummy blogs’ in the world, and Dooce’s founder Heather Armstrong is especially well-known for forging one of the first commercially viable parenting blogs and also starting various debates (such as this andthis) that have shaped how PR have approached blogs, both in the US and Australia.

However, blogs are an especially hard avenue to craft a unique regular audience from, especially in the days before a large Australian blogging community.

Committed Readership

“Those were the days when blog carnivals and mass-participation memes were new and fun and generated a lot of traffic. But that was ‘bounce’ traffic, wanting reciprocity (you go back to their site). It was time consuming and not what I was after. I was after a committed readership, the kind good writing makes.”

“I first noticed traffic about six months or so after I began. But more than traffic at first was comments and attention and friendships I’d created, because they left more of an impact.”

The first off-shoot of the blog was the creation of Miscellaneous Press in 2008, and Andrews confirms ​that the name “was a deliberate repetition to capitalise on the brand I’d already spent time growing”.

Major PR offers followed a year later, as Andrews explains.

“The first major PR project I did was working with Soup to road test the new Renault Koleos and do an iPhone giveaway. That was 2009. Since then I’ve worked with many different agencies on many different campaigns, although I am selective about what I choose to do, insofar as I keep my blog’s interests at heart.”

Public Relations

Since then, Misc Mum has partnered with PR professionals on giveaways, sponsored posts and has attended networking and PR-oriented blogging events. Andrews is inundated with public relations offers each day, in fact.

“I get at least 50 press releases a day, every day, and I rarely act on them. Pitches are better than press releases, usually, because a pitch at least is more personally tailored.”

The blogosphere as a whole is a goldmine for PR, especially as it continues to grow, and Andrews has advice for working with bloggers.

“A ‘one campaign to suit them all’ approach isn’t always the best. Honestly, some bloggers don’t like being offered to do what 10 or 20 others have already been given,” she explained, “but depending on the brand, yes I’d say blogging is a great alternative for brands to reach an audience with. I would say that those focused on a ‘mum’ demographic would do especially well.”

One crucial aspect that blogs are developing increasingly well is a strong brand - something that Andrews was aware of right from the start - and it’s something that PRs and advertisers are starting to take serious notice of.

Shifting Dynamic

“Taking steps as to developing what a 'brand' is and what it stands for in relation to your online (or creative, or both) work is something people are having to address sooner and sooner these days - or at least, that's how it seems to me,” she said.

“I was on a panel at the 2010 Melbourne Writers' Festival called 'The Author as Brand' where we talked about this shifting dynamic. From designing a blog header, to business cards, right down to the very niche you're choosing to write in, up and comers are coming in with very specific ideas and direction.”

“This stretches as far as the personal blog world - which I identify with more than a 'mum blog' - where elevator pitches and media kits are important means of communicating what it is you do and why people should notice. Where once we might have typed away in obscurity, suddenly women are  discovering and leveraging their power in an economy which they're realising is partly dependent on the way they shop, how they shop, and how they talk about products. Not only are companies listening, but soliciting their advice.”

As blogs increasingly spread across different mediums, Andrews acknowledges that the social networks are playing an important part in shaping the brand - saying that Twitter and Facebook especially are “increasingly critical to a blogger’s network and means of communication”.

Moulding a brand around subjects that are often uncomfortably personal requires a certain type of character, Andrews claims.

Negative Repercussions

“I’m an open person and think secrets can be harmful. Besides, when writing, I have to be open to being raw and vulnerable - at least, at times! Negative repercussions have happened, but I’ve been somewhat lucky in that respect and I have a pretty tough skin.”

Miscellaneous Mum, and the Miscellaneous brand, is going to continue evolving in the future too, with more books and even a possible smartphone app on the way.

​“I’m writing a memoir which is based a lot on the work and some of the better posts I’ve done over the years. I’m also developing a ‘how-to’ book which is blogging related. I do have an idea for an app (which could also be a book, now I think of it). I have lots of things to do, basically!”

And in terms of the future of the blogging medium, with growth showing no signs of faltering, Andrews is more positive - noting one big change she predicts will arrive in the near-future.

“No doubt blogging will continue to evolve. I predict film will play a bigger part, but these vlogs will have higher production values. Design is crucial – regular templates just don’t cut it anymore. Younger people will come through and will be savvier, quicker. My daughter even wants to blog!”

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You can find out more about Miscellaneous Mum, Miscellaneous Press and Miscellaneous Voices at their websites, and you can follow Karen Andrews on Twitter. Influencing subscribers can also find Misc Mum and Karen Andrews on the Influencing database.

Have We Seen the End of Blogging as We Know It?

It's been several weeks since I returned from BlogWorld LA 2011 so I've had plenty of time to let my thoughts percolate. That was necessary - with something like 4000 people attending, 300+ speakers and hundreds of conversations - some over a beverage or three - I definitely needed some head space!

I wrote a quick post about my inital take-out from the event immediately after it had finished - The One Big Thing I Learned at BlogWorld LA 2011.

My thinking hasn't changed, but it's been distilled, clarified and reinforced somewhat since I wrote that piece.

Have we seen the end of blogging as we know it?

Okay, I'm probably taking a bit of license with the title of this post. Blogging will continue of course, although it will evolve and get more 'professional' as even the casual part-time blogger will have access to better tools and technology platforms to take their online content hub to the next level.

However, as I alluded to in the post above, the ambitious entrepreneurial blogger of 'tomorrow' (literally tomorrow, if not today!) has the content creation tools and social networks in place to help them establish and grow 'new media mini-empires'.

Sideline blogging will continue, and it too will grow in number.

But the new trend will be the the rise and rise of the 'new media mini-empire'.

* Mack Collier being interviewed by .tv at BlogWorld Expo

Michael Stelzner - founder of the hugely successful Social Media Examiner (which went from zero to a million company within 12 months) - sat on one panel and stated in no uncertain terms:

"You're not a blogger, you're a publisher."

I'll go one further. From a PR perspective at least, these 'bloggers on digital steroids' (as I like to call them) will become powerful influencers in their own right.

Leveraging technology

From a blogging perspective, they'll become known as the 'elite'. They will be the individuals who grow the size of their tribe (following/community) by leveraging not only blogging technology but also video, audio (podcasting) and social media.

Traditional media will discover these content creators and write stories about them; they will be sought-after as broadcast interview subjects because of their particular expertise.

Over time these individuals will build new media mini-empires and carve out influence in their respective niches.

They will become brand names in their own right and companies will potentially want to partner with them. It won't just be the size of their audience that will be important but the influence they will have with certain sections of the community.

They will get the stories.

They will get the access to events and high-profile individuals.

They will become micro-celebrities in their own right.

Overseas (and to a degree locally), we have seen the roots of such a beast take hold.

Robert Scoble (pictured above) was probably a forerunner to the trend. But today, Pete Cashmore who runs Mashable is a power player, and became so in an incredibly short space of time. So too Chris Brogan, Lisa Stone and the aforementioned Stelzner.

Locally, Darren Rowse has transcended blogging and is building a serious micro-publishing business around his personal brand.

Value-added content

Adding weight to the argument is the fact news is fast becoming commoditised and people are gravitating towards - and putting more stock in - value-added content: insights, informed opinions and specialised advice delivered across multiple media platforms.

The creative blogger of tomorrow - the influential content creator - is well placed to fill the void. They are nimble, tech and social media savvy, and often specialists who operate in specific niche areas of expertise thus have deep knowledge of, and passion for, their subject matter.

Watch this space folks - because the new media mini-emperor is about to rock da house!

* TOP PHOTO: Srinivas Rao from Blogcastfm interviews Marcus Sheridan at the Livefyre stand.

The Rapid Rise and Rise of Tumblr {Infographic}

While a lot of attention has been focused on the hype surrounding WordPress, Twitter, Facebook et al, a little thing called Tumblr has got under everyone's guard and, well, it's EXPLODED in popularity.

Globally, Tumblr has grown 900 per cent in the past 12 months - up from 10 million monthly unique visits last year to 90 million.

According to Medacity, Tumblr is nearing its 10 billionth post! (More stats here).

Australians Love Tumblr!

Interestingly, Australia is one of the top countries using Tumblr, making up 2.6 per cent of unique visits (ranked 7th in the world).

Generally regarded as being a 'micro-blogging' platform, Tumblr (along with Posterous) sits comfortably between Twitter and a more traditional platform such as WordPress or TypePad.

Tumblr users tend to post short-form content, often video or photos. It's an easy platform to set up (probably one reason for its massive popularity) and you can have one up and running in a matter of minutes.

SOURCE: Mashable 

The One Big Thing I Learned at BlogWorld LA 2011

It's the day after the BlogWorld LA 2011 conference finished and I'm sitting in my hotel room at the Sheraton in Downtown Los Angeles.

The three-day event was a big one, attracting thousands of bloggers from around the globe and featuring over 300 speakers, many of whom are the biggest names in the world of social media and blogging.

I'm going to let a lot of the information and ideas I took in at BlogWorld to percolate over the next few days, but my biggest and most profound take-out after listening to numerous presentations and panel sessions, from chatting with other attendees and checking out the expo section of the conference, is this: 

The days when bloggers are confined to their small-time blog and wafer-thin audience are over.

Of course you will always have bloggers who for one reason or another want to keep things small and casual. Some of these may grow in influence over time but by and large they will remain sideline 'passion' projects only.

New Media Mini-Empires

However, for the ambitious entrepreneurial blogger, the content creation tools and social networks are well and truly in place to help them form and grow 'new media' mini-empires.

A growing number of individuals are already proving it can be done, and they in turn are inspiring thousands of others to follow in their footsteps.

Talented writers, performers, broadcasters, experts and commentators are no longer waiting for traditional media to pick them up. They are literally going out and doing it themselves, and audiences are catching on quickly and jumping on-board.

In short, this spells a new era for 'pro-am' content creators, and it's set to explode.

Watch this space!

Four Important Things I Have Learned in Four Years of Blogging

The PR Warrior turned four last month. 

Boiled down, that's over 365 posts (roughly eight a month for four years) and 640+ comments from readers.

When I first started blogging in 2007, it was to experience one of the 'wonders of the new media landscape' in an effort to better understand it and in turn be able to talk with a modicum of expertise with my clients in the PR space about what a blog was, how it worked and whether it was something they needed to worry about.

As it turned out, for me at least, blogging set me on a path that led all the way into the heart of the emerging social web, and I've been fully immersed ever since (which in turn has vastly increased my circle of friends and professional acquaintances).

So I can safely say, hand on heart, blogging has helped change my life in many significant ways.

So what have I learned in four years of blogging?

(i)    Blogging is best learnt by 'getting in the trenches'

I was reading and researching blogs (and the art of blogging) for a couple of years before I created PR Warrior. And you know what? I reckon I learned more in my first 4-6 weeks of writing a blog than I did in all that time researching.

While I think it's very important to do your research and become familiar with the space, nothing beats getting down and dirty in the trenches if you want to learn more about this blogging caper.

While you learn heaps about the technology side of things simply by doing it, for me it was the experience of going through the writing process that really resonated.

The fact you're putting yourself 'out there' on the world wide web for others to pat you on the back or potentially shoot you down in a hail of virtual bullets was a real learning experience but it really does ready you for life on the social web.

The PR Warrior in the blogging trenches

(ii)    Blogging forms an ideal 'base' for your personal brand

Whether you're an individual ('personal brand') or a company wanting to leverage your blog to build credibility and perhaps use as a lead generation tool, think of your blog as the 'beating heart' of your brand.

Most companies (indeed, many individuals nowadays) have their own dedicated website. However, many websites don't often change on a regular basis. A blog on the other hand is (should be) undergoing constant change in the form of fresh content (new posts, videos, podcasts etc) being added regularly.

This is important for a couple of reasons:

One, fresh content gives people a reason to return to your site - by having an opinion, sharing ideas and posing questions you are attracting people to your blog who otherwise wouldn't have a reason to check out your website on an ongoing basis.

Two, search engines love quality new content - if you want to figure in Google searches, then there are worse things you can do than have a vibrant blog presence (a second shopfront for your brand, as it were).

(iii)    Blogging helps you find your 'voice'

I love this gem by Tom Peters:

“My first post was in August of 2004 … no single thing in the last 15 years professionally has been more important to my life than blogging. It has changed my life, it has changed my perspective, it has changed my intellectual outlook, it’s changed my emotional outlook … it’s the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude I’ve ever had…and it’s free.”

What I take out of this terrific comment by Peters is the act of blogging can have a dramatic effect on one's outlook on life. It's not the blog per se but the act of thinking things through, forming an opinion about a particular subject and researching a topic with a view to publishing content on your blog.

If you're a subject matter expert, this process is incredibly important.

Sure, you might form those opinions as a matter of course in your work or as a result of following your passion (hobby) but there's nothing quite like pushing the 'Publish' button on your blog to bring clarity in terms of forming and expressing a view that is uniquely 'you'.

The PR Warrior has found his individual voice through blogging

(iv)    Blogging builds credibility and leads to interesting opportunities

It's no surprise that many (most?) avid bloggers are also highly connected on the social web - they're generally active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ etc which in turn helps them to build their online presence and with it, their credibility in the respective space/s they operate in.

I've run my own consulting business for many years. I also speak professionally and collaborate with others on various projects that are of interest to me. My blog has acted as an efficient means of getting my thoughts out into the community as well as attracting attention to the fact I exist and have the ability to do interesting stuff.

Credibility + visibility = opportunity.

Here's an example of the opportunities that came my way during a recent two-week period. 

• Appeared on Channel Seven's Morning Show to comment on a story relating to Twitter and a court case in the UK.
• Participated in a video series for the PR industry's peak professional body, the PRIA.
• Invited to pitch on three new business leads in my role as a PR consultant.
• Presented at events run for small businesses by two Melbourne councils (and received an invitation for a third speaking engagement).
• Invited to attend a Business Chicks event featuring Sir Richard Branson.
• Received an interview opportunity with a business magazine.

Now I understand these opportunities weren't all directly due to my blog but PR Warrior has formed the backbone of my brand for many years and opportunities in the business world often come down to brand reputation.

It comes back down to having a voice and being prepared to put your opinion out there, to develop some degree of thought leadership by sparking conversation about topics that are of interest to you and that you're passionate about, whether professionally or personally.

Bottom line: it's about becoming involved and blogging is a terrific way to do just that.

FURTHER READING:

• BlogHUB Australia - a sideline PR Warrior project that celebrates and promotes blogging (and bloggers) in Australia.
• Three Years on Twitter, What Have I Learned? (PR Warrior post).