Marketing Roadmaps

Speaking

See ya, 2009

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Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

2009 has not been a banner year. The economy really impacted my business, as it has so many. Among other things, the competition for projects got quite fierce. When full-service agencies slash their fees to the bone, it is pretty hard for an independent to match it. And the projects that did come in tended to be smaller than in previous years.

Things seemed to pick up a little toward the end of the year, which makes me hopeful for 2010. I’m also always looking at all my options. If  you’ve got something in which you think I might be interested, whether a project, long term assignment or full-time job, please never assume I am too busy or wouldn’t be interested. I am always interested. Always.

There were some highlights over the year:

  • I have some wonderful clients, both long-term and recent, and  am tremendously grateful for the confidence they have in my work. I just want more like them! And fewer deadbeats who never pay their bills.
  • I am excited to be working on my first book, Professional Blogging for Dummies (Wiley, Summer 2010).
  • The community response to the Blog with Integrity initiative made me proud — once again — to be a blogger. We’ve got some exciting plans for next year, so stay tuned.
  • The trip to Africa with my mom and brother was the experience of a lifetime. Full reports on my travel blog and a dedicated site set up by my brother MashatuTiger.com
  • I started writing about Digital Parenting for BlogHer’s Family Connections project.

But no lie, I am ready to kick 2009 to the curb and say hello to 2010.  There’s a lot to look forward to. I’ve just started work on some challenging new client projects and as I mentioned above, we’ve got good stuff in the works for Blog with Integrity. And of course the book. I have to write a chapter a week every week until mid-March. Doesn’t sound like much until you start to do it, and then it’s a bit like having a term paper due every week. Worth it in the end though.

I’m also honored to have been invited to speak at a number of conferences over the next few months, starting with the Consumer Electronics Show next week in Las Vegas. Here’s the schedule, through April 2010.

CES, Las Vegas, January 8, 2010 —

  • MommyTech Summit – Mommy Power 101 panel. Moderated by Beth Blecherman of TechMamas.com, the panel will talk about how technology advancements have empowered moms and changed our lives.
  • Help, My Mom Friended Me on Facebook, part of Kodak’s in-booth television studio. Session will stream live over the Internet (January 8, 11 am PST). The panel, which also includes Jill Zarin from Real Housewives of NYC, will be talking digital parenting and the impact of technology on our children and our families.

BlissDom ’10, Nashville, February 4-6, 2010 —

  • Social Media & the Women Who Love It. Advanced Social Media Workshop (Feb. 4, 2010)
  • You Should Know Better:  A Blogger’s Guide to Legal, Accounting and FTC Guidelines. Session. (Feb. 5, 2010)

ETC 2010, Providence, Rhode Island, February 6, 2010 —

  • Navigating Social Media: A Hands-on Approach. Workshop.

Mom 2.0 Summit, Houston, February 18-20, 2010 —

  • Got Strategy? session (Feb. 19, 2010)

BlogPaws, Columbus, Ohio, April 9-10, 2010 —

  • Gulp! The FTC? What the New Guidelines Mean for You (April 10, 2010)

New Comm Forum, San Mateo, California, April 20-23, 2010 —

  • Introduction to Social Media for Business. Pre-conference workshop. April 20, 2010
  • Social CRM Stories: Case Studies, Challenges & Emerging Best Practices. Moderator. April 22, 2010
  • Disclosure: It’s Not Just for Bloggers. Impact of the new FTC guidelines on corporate social media programs. April 23, 2010

If you have a moment over the next few days, please take my blogger survey about marketing pitches and Facebook contests. Only 10 questions! Results will be reported here and on the Blog with Integrity Facebook page early next week.

I’d like to end the year with the lyrics from Louis Jordan’s holiday classic May Every Day Be Christmas (listen to it on Last.fm). Sums up my wish for all of us in the coming year:

May every day be Christmas
And every day be blessed
Let the end of every day be filled with happiness
And may the Lord be good to you with every rising sun
All through the day have a smile for everyone
[repeats] At night time comes a longing to be with ones you love
To sit around the fireside and dream of stars above
So may God bless you and keep you, come what may
Then every day will be a happy day [end repeat]
May good times come to you every day.

Upcoming Events

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I’m back from Africa, and slowly getting back into the groove. I’ve got a couple topics rolling around in my head that I plan to write, but for now, I just wanted to highlight two upcoming events.

sm4sb_small22First, the Social Media for Small Business conference. Developed to help the the small business owner integrate social media into the business plan, the conference will be held October 22-24 2009 at the Renaissance ClubSport in Aliso Viejo California (about half way between LA and San Diego). I’ll be participating in a panel about Blogger Relations.

sym2009-tileThe Society for New Communications Research Symposium and Awards Gala is always a great event to recharge your intellectual batteries. This year the event will be held November 5 and 6 at the Harvard Faculty Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Don’t miss New Comm Forum 2009

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New Comm Forum logo

New Comm Forum is known for assembling a terrific group of social media and marketing experts, and this year is no exception. On Monday April 27th, I’m honored to be moderating a panel on blogger relations featuring some of the honorees from the 2008 SNCR Awards:  Julie Crabill, SHIFT PR, Laura Tomasetti, 360 Public Relations and Paull Young, Converseon.

Other speakers on the program include: Sashi Bellamkonda, Chris Brogan, Laura Fitton, Tom Foremski, Paul Gillin, Francois Gossieaux, Shel Holtz, Shel Israel, Charlene Li, Geoff Livingston, Mike Manuel, Jen McClure, Jeremiah Owyang, Katie Paine, Brian Solis, Joseph Thornley, Todd Van Hoosear, Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu and Zena Weist.

This year, New Comm Forum is co-located with the Inbound Marketing Summit, and New Comm attendees will have access to the Summit’s expo area. The combination of the two events in the same space should foster some very interesting hallway conversation, with New Comm drawing a national group that tends to have more experience with social media, and Inbound attracting a more local audience looking to understand what it’s all about.

Event Details for the 5th Annual New Communications Forum
April 27th – 29th, 2009
Marriott Hotel
4th & Mission
San Francisco, CA
http://www.newcommforum.com/2009/

REGISTER NOW WITH DISCOUNT CODE SNCRFRIEND & SAVE $100. PARTICIPATE IN THE ENTIRE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE FOR JUST $695 OR JUST ONE DAY FOR JUST $395

About New Comm Forum

Now celebrating its fifth year, NewComm Forum is the premier conference that brings together thought leaders and decision makers to discuss the impact of social media and emerging communication tools, technologies, and models on PR and corporate communications, marketing and advertising, media and journalism, business, culture and society. The Forum provides an in-depth exploration of the future of communications. In its five year history, it has come to be known as one of the world’s leading conferences focusing on the latest trends in new emerging media and communications platforms.

Want more Marketing Roadmaps? Here’s where I’ll be speaking over the next two months.

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Thursday March 26, The Business of Community Networking, Doubletree Hotel in Boston. I’ll be discussing Social Media & Your Customer.

Wednesday April 8, 1:00pm Eastern, free PR Newswire webinar, PR Strategies to Foster Effective Blogger Relations. The material is based on my 1/2 day blogger relations workshop.

Monday April 27, New Comm Forum, San Francisco Marriott,  Blogger Relations: Beyond 101. I’m privileged to be the moderator for a panel that features honorees of the Society of New Communications Research’s 2008 Awards in the Blogger Relations category. Panelists: Julie Crabill from SHIFT, Laura Tomasetti from 360 PR and Paull Young from Converseon. {NOTE: I’ll be in town through Wednesday evening, and would love to meet up with Marketing Roadmaps readers, even if you can’t make it to the conference.}

Looking out a little further, if you live in the Metrowest or Worcester MA areas, I’ll be doing two intro to social media events in May, a workshop for the Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce and a talk for the Wachusett Chamber’s women’s networking group.