MackCollier.com

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Why do we apologize for wanting to make money?

There seems to be an unwritten rule in social media: “You don’t attempt to make money off the content you create via social media.”

I’m not sure who created this rule, but every time a content creator attempts to monetize their efforts, there is almost always a level of backlash.  Chris Brogan is probably the poster-boy for attempting to monetize his content, and today he announced that he was accepting ads on his blog.  That’s not what got my attention, what struck me was the almost apologetic tone of his post.  A few of Chris’ readers picked up on this tone as well, and commented on it.

I’ve never completely understood why this is an issue for some people.  To me, this is a win-win.  If the content creator can earn some money from the content they create, then they can afford to spend more time creating that content.  If I enjoy the content that the person is creating, then obviously, that’s a big WIN for me.

Still, some people are going to be upset by this.  When I announced back in October that I was going to start taking sponsorships for up to 1 #Blogchat a month, I had a few regular participants say they were leaving and never coming back.  I assured them that the #Blogchat experience would be almost exactly the same, that I would only accept sponsors that would make #Blogchat better, and that I was taking the sponsors so that I could afford to spend more time on expanding the offerings of #Blogchat so everyone benefited.  Still, people left, and that’s their choice.

Let’s clear the air right now: No one is going to get rich monetizing their social media content.

Seriously, every time Blogger X attempts to monetize their efforts, there are wild rumors about how this blogger is suddenly making ‘big money’.  Yes, everyone hears the same rumors, and they are so detached from reality in most cases that it’s laughable.  In fact, that’s one of the only things I dislike about this space, the wild rumors, and most of them are associated with what people make.

But the unfortunate side affect of all this backlash and rumor-mongering is that we are sending the message to ‘new’ bloggers that attempting to monetize their content is a distasteful act.  It isn’t.  In fact, that’s how we all learn to improve our own efforts, by studying what is working for others.  Have you noticed what Jason Falls is doing with Exploring Social Media?  I love that, and it’s giving me a ton of ideas for expanding the educational element of #Blogchat, and possibly extending the live experience into a classroom setting.

What do you think about bloggers monetizing their content?

Does this bother you?  If one of your favorite bloggers announced that they were taking ads or sponsors on their blog, would that be enough to make you stop reading that blog?  If you monetize your blog content, what have been your results?  Have your readers voiced their displeasure over this?

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Rethinking how companies connect with influencers

One of the highlights of SXSW for me was getting to catch up with my friend Tom Martin.  Tom was also kind enough to interview me for his Talking With Tom series.  If you haven’t heard about this, Tom started going around the country interviewing marketers. thought leaders and influencers in the social media space with just his iPhone, and he posts the interviews on his Talking With Tom site.  A new interview each week.

A few weeks ago Tom was at an event recording interviews, when he talked to Emma and they decided to start sponsoring the site.  For Emma, it’s a great move, as they get to have their name associated with some of the biggest names in social media, for the entire year.  And for Tom it works as well, as Emma’s sponsorship money not only covers his travel to collect the remainder of the interviews, but he also gets compensated for his time as well.  A true win-win for the content creator, and the sponsor.

But here’s what really got my attention: Tom got sponsorship dollars for something that he was going to do anyway.  And instead of being obtrusive, the sponsorship from Emma helps facilitate the content creation.  This is very similar to one of the main reasons why I was in SXSW to begin with, because of the 1st ever Live #Blogchat.  1680PR and Dell stepped up to sponsor the event, but the event was something that SXSW attendees have been wanting to see.  Every time I have attended SXSW, one of the biggest complaints from attendees has been a lack of venues/events where we could all gather and have an actual conversation.  It’s ironic that SXSW brings together so many brilliant people each March, but there are so few events created for the express purpose of letting these smart people connect with each other and have wonderful conversations.  That’s exactly why I wanted to bring a Live #Blogchat to SXSW.  As with Emma’s sponsorship of Talking With Tom, 1680PR and Dell sponsored an event that was going to happen anyway, and facilitated the event, and made it better (In fact if you are considering sponsorship of your event or content creation efforts, absolutely contact 1680PR and Dell to see if there’s a match.  Both were fabulous to work with).

I think this also is a new and interesting spin on the idea of targeting influencers.  Many companies are using services such as Klout to identify influencers and offer them products and services in the hope that these influencers will then promote the brand to the people that they have influence over.  At best, this isn’t the most effective model.

But what if the influencer is also a content creator?  Then one way that influencer could monetize the content they create is by accepting sponsorship dollars.  The important distinction here is that the influencer becomes the gatekeeper and dictates which sponsors have access to his/her network, and on what terms.  I talked about this a bit in the interview Tom had with me, but in this model, the influencer can be selective in which companies they accept as sponsors and make sure that the sponsorship creates value for the network.  For example by accepting the Emma sponsorship, Tom now has the funds to attend more and better events, which means he can create better content for his network, and more of it.

In the end, the content creator, the sponsor, and Tom’s network that accesses the content all benefit.  I think this is a far better model than giving away toys to influencers in the hopes that they will pimp the toys to the network that they supposedly have influence over.  What do you think?  Is this sponsorship model something that you as a content creator could benefit from?  I think the key lies in making sure that the people you are creating the content for, benefit.  Normally there’s a clear benefit to the content creator, then the sponsor, but the ‘audience’ often gets the short end of the stick.  I applaud Tom for finding a win-win-win, and I would like to think that the Live #Blogchats work for everyone as well.

What do you think, would you rather companies target influencers directly, or have the influencers work with companies to the benefit of the people they have influence over?

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#Blogchat LIVE at SXSW Review: Online smartitude goes offline

Let’s be honest: Two years ago when the first impromptu #Blogchat was held, I had no idea it would become as big as it has.  And even 2 months ago, I had no idea that we’d be in Austin at the largest social media event/festival on the planet, doing a LIVE version of a popular Twitter chat.

Yet on March 13th, there we were, spread out over three floors at the Social Media Clubhouse.  Connecting with each other and chatting about blogging.  It was such an amazing group, with 5 co-hosts helping me lead the conversation; Richard Binhammer, Ken Lingad, C.C. Chapman, Shannon Paul and Becky McCray.  Much of the success of this event can be tied to these five people, as they all did a wonderful job of connecting with everyone and keeping the conversation going.  They are all wonderful speakers, and beyond that (and this is far more important) they are truly good people.

The event itself ended up being a regular #Blogchat, without the laptops and Twitter.  Which is exactly what I wanted.  We had about 70 people spread out over 3 floors, with each floor discussing the same topic, ‘What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?’  What was amazing was that each floor had a slightly different take, based on the people in attendance.  For example, Ken and I co-hosted on the 2nd floor, and our conversation focused on how important it is for company blogs to find their unique voice, and how that makes it easier for readers to connect with them.  While on the 3rd floor, which was hosted by Becky and C.C., creating a social media/blogging policy and guidelines for your company was a focus.  This makes sense, since that floor had representatives from Dell and Cisco participating.

Thankfully, the online experience of #Blogchat seemed to translate fairly effortlessly to the offline world.  Now there were a few hiccups, but thankfully, these were mostly logistical issues that were a byproduct of never having done a Live #Blogchat before, and not knowing what to expect.  And this really was a test to see if there’s a future in this model, and I believe there is.  Not only did I get very positive reviews from the participants and sponsors, but I’m also talking to people at multiple events throughout the end of the year about possibly having a Live #Blogchat be a part of their event.

Let me add here that the PEOPLE that participate in #Blogchat are what make it work on Twitter, and y’all made the Live version a success as well.  Thank you to EVERYONE that attended.  Y’all all brought and shared your smartitude, and I really think the event itself was a nice contrast to many of the ‘parties’ at SXSW, and a fabulous chance for us to get together with some smart friends and have an interesting and informative conversation.  I also think it was a wonderful pairing for #AllHat3, earlier in the day.  Again, thank all of you that came.

In closing, I have to say how lucky I was to have 1680PR and Dell as sponsors for the Live #Blogchat.  This was the 1st time we’d done a Live #Blogchat, so obviously the 1st time I’d needed to bring on sponsors for it.  Ken reached out to me directly about being the Main Sponsor for the Live #Blgochat when he saw my post on looking for sponsors that I wrote here back in January.  Ken and his team were completely accommodating, and they understood why #Blogchat works, and didn’t suggest we change a thing.  And besides that, Ken’s a great guy, what I really liked was having my friends at SXSW meet him, then hearing them later tell me that they enjoyed spending time with him.  That means a lot to me to have #Blogchat sponsored by good people and I think/hope Ken and I will be able to work together on future projects.

And my goodness, what else can I say about my friends at Dell?  Richard was one of the Live #Blogchat co-hosts, so I was hoping Lionel could join us as well.  Not only did Lionel attend the Live #Blogchat, but so did Susan Beebe, Carly Tatum AND Sarah Richardson!  Then afterwards when a few of us at the Live #Blogchat event went to the Hilton Lobby to do #Blogchat on Twitter, Dell’s Laura Thomas joined us there!

On Monday I was talking to a member of the social media team at a major brand that everyone has heard of.  He was telling me that his team was looking for ways to use social media to connect with and engage consumers.  I said “Let me tell you something, in the span of 2 hours yesterday, I got to chat with SIX members of Dell’s social media team here.  Yes, social media is hugely important, but putting feet on the pavement still matters.”  What makes Dell’s social media efforts so brilliant is that they understand that the interactions created via social media are just the start.  They leverage those online connections into offline ones.  THAT is where the magic happens.  I don’t keep gushing about Dell because I love their products, I gush about Dell because I love the people BEHIND those products.

Again, thanks to everyone that attended the 1st ever Live #Blogchat.  If your company would like to talk to me about sponsoring a Live #Blogchat or if you are an event organizer that would like to add a Live #Blogchat to your program, please email me for more details.

If you couldn’t make it to SXSW, here’s a few more pics:

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#Blogchat for 3-13: What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?

1680PR's Ken Lingad

Hopefully, you’ll be one of the 100 people that can join us in Austin for the 1st ever LIVE #Blogchat on Sunday.  But if not, we’ll still be doing #Blogchat on Twitter this Sunday during our regular time slot of 8pm Central.  And the topic will be the same as the one we’ll be tackling at SXSW, What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?  And this #Blogchat will be sponsored by 1680PR, and 1680PR’s Ken Lingad will be co-hosting with me.

Also, if you’ll be in Austin and can’t make it to the Live #Blogchat (or even if you can), you can still hang out with Ken and I Sunday night from 7pm-9pm as we co-host #Blogchat.  Not sure where we’ll be setup, but it will likely be at the Hilton or somewhere close by.  When a location is finalized, I’ll update this post.

See everyone this Sunday!

 

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#Blogchat schedule with Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman!

Or “The one with so much smartitude we needed an extra co-host” 😉

Join Content Rules co-authors C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley as they co-host #Blogchat tonite at 8pm Central!  The topic is How to Create Engaging Blog Posts, and since these two smarties literally wrote the book on this topic, they are the perfect fit!

If you want to follow along with us, I suggest you use TweetDeck, and create 3 columns: One for all #Blogchat tweets, one for @MarketingProfs’ tweets, and one for @CC_Chapman’s tweets.  Also PLEASE make sure you follow Ann and C.C., even if you can’t join is today, as both are brilliant and super-helpful.  Also, make sure you subscribe to their sites(here’s Ann’s, and here’s C.C.’s) and of course check out their book, Content Rules.

As for the format, here’s what we’ll discuss:

1 – At 8:00pm, we’ll discuss how to create engaging blog posts.  So if you have any questions for Ann and C.C. on how to create more engaging blog posts, this is where you want to be!

2 – At 8:30pm we’ll shift to talk about how to ‘re-imagine’ content, as Ann and C.C. describe it in Content Rules.  That is, how to take one piece of content, such as a webinar or white paper, and also get a blog post(s), an interview, or whatever.  I know that one of the issues #Blogchat participants are constantly struggling with is how to create more content, so the tips here from Ann and C.C. will be a big help!

As always, make sure you take a LOT of notes 😉

If you’ve never joined #Blogchat and want to know what it’s all about, click here.  The general rule is that we are all here to learn from each other.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask, #Blogchat has an amazingly helpful community, and we’ll be happy to help you if we can, so just ask!

And a final reminder, if you’ll be attending SXSW, Ann and C.C. will be one of FIVE amazing co-hosts at the LIVE #Blogchat in Austin!

Thanks again to C.C. and Ann for agreeing to join us!

 

 

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My SXSW schedule

social media training, brand evangelists

This time next week, my plane will (hopefully) just be landing in Austin.  I’ve never been this excited about attending SXSW and I have a ton of events I’ll be attending, so I wanted to list everything here, so hopefully we can connect.  I’ll be at SXSW from next Friday through Monday afternoon.  The majority of my time on Friday and Monday during the day will be devoted to meetings, and I’ll be in the Austin Convention Center for the most part.

If you are a company (Especially big brand B2C) that:

  • Needs Social Media Training
  • Needs Social Media Consulting or Advisement
  • Needs help launching a brand ambassador or blogger/influencer outreach program
  • Want to discuss sponsoring a future #Blogchat or sponsoring a LIVE #Blogchat event

Then please email me and let’s set up a time to discuss your needs.  I’ve already got some meetings scheduled during Friday and Monday, but if you want to discuss how we can work together, I’ll make sure we get a chance to connect.

As for Saturday and Sunday (and Friday night), I am going to spend those days connecting with my old and new friends.  Here’s the events I will be at:

Friday Night: Ignite Social Media Party, starting at 7pm.

Saturday: Tequila Now party for the Now Revolution from 1:30 – 3:30pm.

Saturday Night: Either Wiley book party, or Frog Design’s Opening Party (which would be better?)

Sunday: #AllHat3 from 12:30 – 3:00pm

Sunday: #Blogchat LIVE at SXSW from 3:30-6:00pm (YES!)

Sunday Night: #Blogchat on Twitter from 7pm-9:30pm (probably from the Hilton lobby ;))

So if we haven’t met let’s please do so at SXSW!  Feel free to email me and we can get together and I can shake your hand, at least 😉

 

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40 Dead Simple Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog

Want more engagement and interaction on your blog?  Yeah, most of us do, here’s 40 tips to get you started:

Blog Design:

1 – Put your picture on the front page and the About page of the blog.

2 – On the About page write who you are and why you are blogging.  Both #1 and #2 make it easier for readers to connect with you, which makes them more likely to interact with you.

3 – Highlight commenters.  Remember to always reward the action that you want to encourage.

4 – Use the Comment Luv plugin on your self-hosted WordPress blog. Again, when someone comments, they get an extra link, which encourages more comments.

5 – Add a form to subscribe to your blog via email.

6 – Add Feed/RSS subscriber buttons to your blog.

7 – Add a link to contact you directly, by email at least.  Or add a Contact Me page. Remember, not everyone is comfortable commenting on your blog, they may want to use email.  Getting an email exchange going can convince them to start commenting.

8 – Create a blogroll or ‘Favorite Reads’ page highlighting your favorite blogs and add blogs from your regular contributors.

9 – Write a comment policy. Tell your readers exactly what is expected of them when they comment.

10 – Don’t moderate comments.  Nothing about the words ‘Your comment is awaiting moderation’ encourages a reader to comment more.  Nothing.

11 – If you do moderate, approve comments as quickly as possible.

Writing posts:

12 – Take a definite stand. Tackle a heated issue and firmly state your opinion/beliefs.  Notice how Beth Harte did that in this post on Social Media ROI.  Notice how some commenters are agreeing with her, and how some are disagreeing.  But by taking a stand, she got a conversation started.

13 – Close your post with ‘What do you think?’ Possibly the 4 words that get more interaction than any other.  Chris Brogan often ends his posts with ‘Your Turn’.

14 – Link to other bloggers that are creating valuable content.  Notice this post has 5 links to other bloggers.  Those links will help my readers find valuable content, and it also increases the chances that my readers as well as the writers I linked to, will comment here.

15 – Be personal.  Lisa Petrilli probably does this better than anyone, and note that her readers respond in kind.  It makes it much easier to share your personal thoughts when someone else does first.

16 – Get on a regular posting schedule.  We talked about this yesterday.

17 – Write in a conversational tone.  This is tricky, but what I try to do is write a post as if I am saying what I think first, and then I know you are going to make your point in the comments, and then we’ll continue the discussion there.  But in general, think of writing a blog post as if you are writing a letter to someone, not a memo.

18 –  Write posts based on comments your readers have left.  Did Jackie leave an amazing comment on your last post?  Did it spark you to write a long comment?  Why not take that long comment and turn it into a new post.  Then reference Jackie’s comment, and link to her blog as well.   Remember, reward the behavior that you want to encourage.

19 – Add great comments to your post.  If you don’t want to do the above, then you can add a comment to the end of your post.  Add an UPDATE at the end, mention the comment and person who left it (with a link to their blog).  This ALSO encourages everyone to read the comments, since you just alerted them to the fact that there’s some serious smartitude happening there.

20 – Write about breaking news.  Especially controversial news, my recent posts on Groupon’s Super Bowl ads and the Kenneth Cole Twitter PR snafu got a lot of interaction, because I wrote about them right after they happened.  If I wrote about either topics today, there would likely be MUCH less interest.

21 – Write passionately. Don’t sell me your ideas, tell me why they are going to change the world.  Make me understand why you are so passionate about your ideas, and that increases the chance that I will get excited about them, and want to respond.

22 – Encourage readers to promote themselves and share more about what they are doing.  Becky McCray’s Brag Basket is a wonderful example of this.

Responding to comments:

23 – Refer to your commenters by their first name.  Remember when I said to write in a conversational tone?  This is a perfect extension of that.  Notice how the HomeGoods bloggers do this at the Open House blog?  Looks like they are writing letters, not comments, doesn’t it?

24 – Respond to comments.  Back to Lisa Petrilli’s blog, she usually has double-digit comments on every post, and she’s responsible for about half the comments on her blog.  See the connection?

25 – Say thank you.  Seriously, common courtesy isn’t as common as it should be.

26 – Ask a commenter to elaborate on a point.  If Tom makes a good point but you want to hear more about his reasoning, ask him to expand on his thoughts.

27 – Leave comments on other blogs.  The best way to grow your blog, is to leave it.

28 – Leave comments on the blogs of your commenters.  Again, you want to reward the behavior you are trying to encourage.

Other Social Media Sites:

29 – Promote great comments AND the commenter on other sites.  Often I will tweet a link on Twitter to my latest post, but will link to the actual comment that someone left.  And if I know what their Twitter name is, I will link to it as well.  Such as ‘Love the comment that @SWoodruff left on my post about building a blogging team’.  That way Steve gets acknowledged as well.

30 – Participate in discussions on other sites.  I have left a ton of comments on blogs after ‘meeting’ that blogger at #Blogchat.

31 – Promote other people.  All this does is encourage more people to check out your site, and comment.

 

But Mack, you promised us 40 tips, where are the other 9?!?

You have to figure out the other 9 for yourself.  Actually, after you’ve been blogging for a while, you’ll discover a few dozen more tips (at least) besides these for getting more comments and interaction on your blog.  These ‘tips’ and ‘How-to’ posts are always popular because people want to direction.  They want to know what the ‘rules’ are.

But if you want to be a truly great blogger, here’s the best rule to follow: Make your own rules.  Don’t look at the above as being the ONLY 31 tips that exist for getting more comments.  Look at it as 31 tips to get you STARTED.  Figure out how to add to this list, then share what you’ve learned, so it becomes your 50 tips for getting more comments.

What works for you that I didn’t list?  Help us find the 9 missing tips 😉

 

UPDATE: Aaron reminded me of a great way to encourage comments: Thank 1st-time commenters with a custom page.  I use this plugin so that the 1st time you leave a comment here, you are taken to a special page that thanks you for commenting!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Jonathan left this fabulous tip in the comments for leveraging Facebook to get more comments on your blog: “One tip that I have found helpful is to get a discussion going on our Facebook page telling my readers that I am writing a post on it. I include their comments to the discussion in my post and then share the link to the post in the original Facebook comment thread. It really has helped me build our community.”

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How to create a posting schedule for your business blog

If you are wanting to build traffic, interest and awareness for your business blog, one of the biggest factors is posting regular content to that blog.  When I say ‘regular’, I mean that you have a schedule for how often you post to your blog.  If you can only post once a month, then you post a new post every single month.  If you can post once a week, then every Wednesday, you have a new post up.

So here’s some quick tips for creating a posting schedule for your business blog:

1 – Figure out how often you can post to the blog, and shoot for a minimum of once a week.  And give yourself a range, and go with the low end.  It’s better to commit to one new post a week and then bump that up to 2 posts a week, than it is to start out posting twice a week, then have to back that down to once a week.

2 – Post on the same days every week.  Not everyone subscribes to blogs, and the ones that don’t will want to know when they can expect new content on your blog.  If they know for sure that every Wednesday means a new post on your company blog, then that greatly increases the chances that they will visit on Wednesday.

3 – Organize posts by content.  This is a great way to get more posts on your blog.  For example, if you are subscribed to industry sites and blogs, collect the interesting news and articles you find throughout the week, then on every Friday, write a post sharing 3-5 links, and write a brief summary of why the article is important.  Not only does this give your blog an extra post, but by sharing links with your readers, you are helping to keep them informed, which has real value for them.  If you only publish one new post a week to your blog then start doing this, you’ve instantly doubled the new content you create on your blog.

 

What would this look like in practice?  Here’s an example with a company that has a 3-person team creating content for their blog:

Monday:  Jessica writes a thought leadership article designed to help establish the company’s expertise.

Wednesday: Laura writes a post answering a reader-submitted question.

Friday: Kevin writes a post sharing links to industry news.

By following this simple posting strategy, the company has found a way to create content that builds its brand awareness, helps it better connect with its customers and improve satisfaction, plus draw new readers.

If you are part of a blogging team for your company, how did your team create its posting schedule?  What did I miss?

 

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Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman to Co-Host #Blogchat on March 6th!

One of the most requested topics from #Blogchat participants is how to create engaging blog content.  So I thought why don’t we tackle that topic next week with the two people that literally wrote the book on creating amazing online content?  That’s right, on Sunday, March the 6th, Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman will be co-hosting #Blogchat!  The co-authors of Content Rules will be walking us through how to create content on our blogs that engages your readers, and creates value for your business.  Oh and here’s a tip: If any of you are would-be podcasters, make SURE you bring your questions for C.C., who is one the true podcasting pioneers.

BTW as a bonus, here is a review of Content Rules by #Blogchat superstar @MargieClayman.  So make sure you are here Sunday night at 8pm Central to snag some smartitude from Ann and C.C. on how to create amazing posts and content for your blog!

But that’s only half of the great news…

As a ginormous bonus, both Ann and C.C. have agreed to join us in Austin on the 13th to co-host #Blogchat at SXSW! That means #Blogchat at SXSW will happen on THREE floors at the Social Media Clubhouse, and your SIX co-hosts are Ken Lingad, Richard Binhammer, Shannon Paul, C.C. Chapman, Ann Handley, and myself.  Here’s all the info on #Blogchat LIVE at SXSW.  Unfortunately, tickets are sold out, but you can still get on the waiting list by registering here.

See you this Sunday!

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#Blogchat is coming to SXSW!

UPDATE: #Blogchat LIVE at SXSW is officially SOLD OUT.  If you are on the waiting list please come anyway as this is SXSW and no one’s schedule is set in stone.  We’ll get in everyone that we have room for.  The location of the Social Media Clubhouse is 601 Brushy #107, between East 6th and 7th (one block East of Highway 35). The meet and greet with attendees and sponsors starts at 4pm, and the official #Blogchat will start at 5pm.  Please arrive as soon as you can so you can pick the floor/co-hosts you want to join, and to get a good seat!  I am SO excited about this and cannot wait to see y’all!

I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited to write a post as this one.  Two years ago #Blogchat started by accident, and now it’s coming to the largest Social Media conference/event on the planet: South By Southwest Interactive.

Next month in Austin, on Sunday March the 13th, #Blogchat will be LIVE at SXSW.  From 4pm – 6pm we’ll have a live #Blogchat at the Social Media Clubhouse.  This event is made possible because of two amazing sponsors, and I wanted to introduce both of them to you now:

Main Sponsor of #Blogchat at SXSW: 1680PR

1680PR is a specialized firm that provides advice in the particular fields of Public Relations and Strategic Marketing: positioning, branding, and imaging. Departments of State and government heads; music, film, and television personalities; entertainment industry executives; Native American Tribes and native enterprises; non-profit organizations; and entrepreneurs continue to benefit from the expertise of its consultancy.

The firm commands a distinctive presence in the global arena, leveraging the interdisciplinary strengths of no less than eight departments under the 1680 brand: Public Relations (PR), Social Media (SM), Talent, Motion Pictures, Digital Entertainment, Creative, Entertainment, and Artist Management.  They have offices in Albuquerque, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

You can learn more about 1680PR by visiting their website, blog, YouTube Channel and PLEASE follow them on Twitter.

Technology Sponsor for #Blogchat at SXSW – Dell

For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust Dell to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether they’re at home, work, school or anywhere in their world.

Additionally, Dell is a corporate Social Media pioneer, with arguably the largest new media footprint of any brand on the planet.  You can learn more about Dell’s Social media efforts by following its Direct2Dell blog or on Facebook or YouTube.

The #Blogchat LIVE at SXSW Format

What we’ll do is have a live discussion at the venue about this topic: What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?  Think about the ways that personal bloggers develop community and content on their blogs, for example, and how company bloggers could take these lessons and apply it to their own efforts.  If you’ve attended SXSW before and are familiar with the Core Conversation sessions, the format will be similar to that.  Just a bunch of smart people in a room together conversating and learning from each other.

#Blogchat will be held at the Social Media Clubhouse, which will be located in a 4-story(!) townhouse just a few blocks from the Austin Convention Center.  Special thanks to Chris Heuer, Kristie Wells and the good folks at Social Media Club for helping us promote this event.

Now the Social Media Clubhouse will be a fabulous venue for #Blogchat, but there were a couple of considerations.  First, due to its capacity, attendance for the event has been capped at 100.  So if you want to attend, please make sure you register here ASAP!  Second, the max capacity for any floor is about 40, so that means we’d have to spread the conversation out over 2-3 floors!  Which also means that I can’t be the only host here, I need some help!  So without further adieu, here are your FIVE co-hosts that will be joining me to lead the conversations for #Blogchat – SXSW:

Ken Lingad – The driving force behind 1680PR, Ken is referenced in the global media arena as a “visionary impresario.” Ken Lingad (Isleta Pueblo) is overwhelmingly acknowledged as the sole “architect” behind the most successful public relations and strategic marketing campaigns ever fielded in Santa Fe’s Contemporary Native Arts arena.  And he gets to work with clients in the film, music and entertainment industries.  Yeah, I want that job!  You can learn more about Ken here.

Richard Binhammer – Besides being a Senior Manager at Dell, Richard is one of the most influential people in the corporate Social Media world, and since 2006 he’s been helping Dell’s Social Media and Digital teams connect with Dell’s customers.  And he’s played no small role in Dell being an amazing case study in how corporations can use Social Media effectively.  As he likes to say about Dell’s efforts, ‘We’re Listening’.  Oh and he’s a helluva nice guy to boot.

Shannon Paul – Shannon currently manages Social Media for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.  Before that, she was the Social Media Specialist for Peak6 Online, and the New Media Manager for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.  Additionally, she is a former #Blogchat co-host, and remains one of the most popular and requested co-hosts #Blogchat has ever had.  And besides just radiating smartitude, she’s also one of my favorite people on the planet, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

C.C. Chapman – C.C. is truly one of the pioneers of social media.  He’s been immersed in using these tools for years, and was one of the first podcasters on the internet.  But that’s on the personal side of social media.  Additionally, he’s worked with some of the largest brands on the planet, such as Coca-Cola, HBO, American Eagle and Warner Bros to help them use New Media to connect with their customers and brand advocates.  He also co-wrote Content Rules with Ann Handley, the definitive book on creating amazing online content.

And we’ll be announcing one more co-host at the event!

From 4:00-5:00pm, we will have a meet and greet, just like we do every Sunday night at 7pm for an hour before the actual #Blogchat starts.  And here’s a hint: You’ll want to connect with Ken, Richard, Shannon and C.C. especially to learn more about the work they are doing.  Maybe you bloggers could even try to snag an interview with them?

Then at 5:00pm the fun starts and we’ll have conversations happening on 3 different floors of the Social Media Clubhouse, with Ken Richard, Shannon C.C. and myself leading the discussion on each floor.

So the schedule is:

Topic – What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?

Meet and greet with sponsors, co-hosts and attendees – 4:00-5:00pm Central

#Blogchat LIVE at SXSW – 5:00-6:00pm

So please run (don’t walk) to the EventBrite page and register for #Blogchat LIVE at SXSW!  Remember, space is limited to the 1st 100 people, so please get in ASAP!  And if you can’t join us in Austin, don’t worry, Ken and I will be pulling double-duty on the 13th, and we will co-host #Blogchat on Twitter at its regular time starting at 8pm Central, covering the same topic, What can company blogs learn from personal bloggers?

Finally, let me close with this.

Thanks to all of you.  The past two years of #Blogchat have been a truly amazing experience.  It’s been truly humbling to see all of you embrace the idea of creating a place on Twitter where we can all come together and learn about blogging from each other, and together, create something larger than ourselves.  #Blogchat coming to SXSW is a testament to the power of your combined smartitude, and the size of the community that all of you have played a role in creating over the last two years.  I will miss every single of one you that can’t join us in Austin next month, but know that there will be more Live #Blogchat events in the future.  And I will also be bringing more amazing co-hosts and sponsors to #Blogchat that will help us all continue to grow what is the largest weekly Twitter chat on the planet.

All because of you.  Thank you.