Archive for August, 2005
Catching up, client news
Work has beckoned this week, leaving the blog pretty much in the dust. I’m on vacation in Bar Harbor Maine next week, and hopefully will be inspired by the shore to post!
Do have two small items. First, a newsletter reader found the research I referred to in my podcast post a few weeks ago — about the retention of things read, heard and seen. The specific info is on page 4 column one of this article. Thanks again Steve.
And last, I’ve started a blog for my Client News — press releases, news items and the like from my clients.
Posted by Susan Getgood @
7:15 pm |
blogher observations
Rather than do a blow-by-blow of blogher, I’m going to make some general observations, and share my main take-aways from the day.
And, before you read any further, let me be completely clear – I have no criticisms whatsoever about the blogher conference AT ALL. Lisa, Elisa and Jory, all their volunteers, helpers, and sponsors, panelists and attendees – everyone did a great job. It was one of the best conferences I have ever attended, although I could have done without the "opera" at Nicolino’s.
I do however have some observations that I would like to share that perhaps will help us improve future events.
Conference program. One of the things I liked about blogher was the highly participatory format of the sessions. It really worked for most of the sessions.
The message was clear from the outset; the organizers felt that everyone in attendance could just as equally be on a panel as those sitting in the panel seats. The main difference was that the panelists had a unique experience to share with their peers. And, by and large, I think this was true of the blogher audience. Everyone I spoke to was pretty knowledgeable.
The participatory format really works well when the topic is issue-oriented, and diversity of opinion, of panelists and attendess, creates an energetic session.
Here’s the BUT:
Where I think the participatory format falls down (and in general btw, not just re: blogher) is when the intent of a session is to teach new skills or new materials. Under these circumstances, I think a more traditional presentation “teaching” format works better. That’s not to say that the audience shouldn’t be involved, but in a much more structured format that educates as it engages.
My take: anything that needs to convey new skills, and especially anything for newbies, should use a more traditional presentation model, so the attendees walk away with the new skill. As long as the overall agenda strikes the right balance, and offers a mix of session types – skills, issues, debates, birds of a feather – we can keep the conference from turning into death by powerpoint.
Second comment. Of all the sessions I attended, the only one I was a bit disappointed with was the closing session. I really liked the idea that Lisa, Elisa and Jory put forth at the beginning of the day, that the closing session would build the mother of all to-do lists. In practice, however, I think the group was too large to effectively do this. In my opinion (and YMMV), a number of the comments sounded more like folks waxing philosophical than actual concrete suggestions. Almost like the person really had something they needed/wanted to say, and they hadn’t yet had their moment in the sun. What they said wasn’t necessarily bad or uninteresting. It just wasn’t a concrete action. Hence my disappointment.
Not all the comments were like that – there were some good concrete suggestions. One that springs immediately to mind without even looking at my notes is Mary Hodder’s suggestion for a “speaker’s bureau,” which has already been executed as a speaker’s wiki.
But I didn’t feel like we walked away with a collective to-do list as much as individuals quietly left with theirs.
Now, one should never make a criticism without a suggestion, so here’s mine. Next blogher, the session before the closing session could be small group sessions. Perhaps organized in advance by interest area, but with a specific goal in mind – to walk into the closing session with at least one to-do to present to the assembled group. Each designated spokesperson would get a few minutes to present the group’s to-do and the ensuing discussion could be focused on agreeing a final, blogher to-do list.
With a group that large, I just think you have to focus the discussion and give everyone a chance to have their say beforehand.
Next post … speaking of personal to-do lists, I’ll share a few things that are on mine after blogher.
Posted by Susan Getgood @
9:17 pm |
Short-take, blogher
Lots in my head, still, from blogher, but have just been knee deep in client work (this is a good thing!) Will get to it this weekend…I hope!
In the meantime:
Thanks to Toby Bloomberg, Christopher Carfi, Jeff Clavier and Yvonne DiVita for the recent mentions in their blogher posts. If I missed anyone else, apologies. Right now, I’m pretty much working off of trackbacks. No time even for ego-surfing 
Special thanks to Elisa Camahort, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone for a terrific conference.
FInally, Jane… I have a new pic on my About page! Thanks for the kick in the pants to update it so it actually looks like me circa 2005!
Posted by Susan Getgood @
9:36 pm |
PR Tip: How to engage with bloggers
How should PR people engage with bloggers? It isn’t rocket science. It’s simple common sense.
Leaving aside questions of citizen journalism, rules of engagement, codes of ethics and all that philosophical stuff …. which I will get back to in a later post….
If you are a company that would like to reach out to bloggers in the hopes that they might write about your product or service, what and how should you do it? Here’s my little prescription.
1. Research: identify the relevant blogs and start reading them regularly. Get to know the blogger — what does she like, what kind of blog does he write? If a blogger links out a lot, and has a wide variety of interests, it’s more likely that he will be interested in your stuff. If her blog is just her ruminations about stuff, with few links and outside material, less likely.
2. After you’ve been reading the blogs for while, figure out which ones make sense to include in your announcements. It shouldn’t be all the bloggers who write about the topic. It should ONLY be those bloggers who you think will be interested. From reading the blog, you also ought to have a decent idea of their readership. Blogs with lots of comments, good clue to an engaged readership
Then, send the bloggers a brief note, identifying yourself, your company and products, and ASK PERMISSION to send them company news and announcements. Do not do this as a mass mailing — if should be an individual email, and personalized to some degree. Remember — you’ve been reading the blog, so you ought to be able to refer to something relevant that will let the blogger know this wasn’t a mass email.
if you’ve done your research properly, you will hear back from them. Some will say "no" but if you’ve targeted right, odds are, most will say yes. The simple fact that you ASKED FIRST will go a long way.
Then it is up to you to make sure you only send relevant announcements to your blogger reporters and continue to read their blogs. Stay engaged, and treat them with the respect they deserve. After all, they are reporters who can help you reach others, and they are your customers.
Personally, I can’t think of a more important audience. Get it right the first time. You may not get a second chance.
9/28/06: Comments and trackbacks closed due to spam
Posted by Susan Getgood @
11:06 am |
August issue of Marketing Roadsigns
The August issue of Marketing Roadsigns is up on my website. I am still catching up from two weeks of back and forth travel, and many deadlines, but plan to be back to a regular posting schedule next week.
Posted by Susan Getgood @
1:53 pm |
