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Review: #Blogchat LIVE at the B2B Forum

“So how does a Live #Blogchat work?”

I bet I heard that question fifty times this week, and my answer was always the same, “The same way #Blogchat works on Twitter”.

And it did. About 60 people showed up to Live #Blogchat, and we capped that number in order to have a smaller and more connected coversation.  What happened was a smart room full of people had a wonderful conversation and bounced ideas off each other and built on the ideas that others was sharing. It really was a perfect mirror to the online #Blogchat experience.  It even got to the point where smaller sub-conversations were developing (just like they do on Twitter), as people were going back to points someone else had made earlier to build on them.

To me, this represents among the best learning that can happen at conferences, when the attendees can connect with each other. As I said at the start of the #Blogchat, I think most people are smarter than they give themselves credit for, and I love that the Live #Blogchat was able to help facilitate these people to share their #smartitude.

And when it ended, I had several attendees tell me “You were right, it was just like it is on Twitter!”  Which was a very good thing 😉

Some of the main points we covered included:

  • Michael Brenner brought up a great point about content strategy in an enterprise environment. Should that strategy extend to govern how content is created no matter the tool?  Or should their be separate ‘rules’ governing content creation via different tools, such as a blog vs trade-show brochures? (Michael please chime in if you want to add to or clarify this point).
  • Bob Knorpp made the point that there is no ‘one size fits all’ rule when it comes to blogging.  He added that he is thinking of stopping his blog because he gets more traction on iTunes for his podcast.  Lou Imbriano countered that he thought every company should have a blog, and he talked about the impact his blog has made on his personal and professional life.
  • Matt Grant talked about how it can be hard to even determine exactly what a blog is, and how the tool is evolving over time.  He’s right, the line between a website and blog is getting blurry, and many people don’t consider it a blog if comments aren’t allowed.  I thought this point tied into Bob’s point about there not being a one-size-fits-all approach to blogging.

I definitely want to thank Marketing Profs for bringing the Live #Blogchat to the B2B Forum, and for Sensei Marketing and The Cooper Group for sponsoring the event.  Also, thanks to Sam Fiorella for co-hosting the Live #Blogchat, and for Brandie McCallum for live-tweeting the Live #Blogchat.  Click here to see the tweets from last night’s Live #Blogchat.  Thanks to everyone that attended the Live #Blogchat, and I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures below.  You can see all the pics in the set here.

 

How cool is this setup?
Meet and Greet before the smartitude starts!

 

Almost ready to get started!
A scholar and a gentleman, Lou Imbriano
It would not be a Marketing Profs event without CB Whittemore and Matt Grant

Seriously thanks to everyone that came, I love you guys!

About Mack Collier

My name is Mack Collier and I am a digital marketing and content strategist located in Alabama. Since 2006 I've helped companies of all sizes from startups to global brands such as Adobe, Dell and Ingersoll-Rand, create customer-centric programs, content and experiences. A long-time internet geek, I've been online since 1988 and began using social networking sites in 1991 when I joined Prodigy. Today, I help companies understand how new technologies like web3, crypto and artificial intelligence can integrate with existing marketing strategies to lead to exceptional customer experiences.

Comments

  1. MattTGrant says

    Thanks for hosting the chat, Mack (and Sam Fiorella!), as well as for writing this up. Starting a blog is relatively easy; thinking about how it should fit into your business and then developing a strategy (and practice) that makes it relevant and meaningful (by helping you achieve real, measurable goals), is hard!

  2. BrennerMichael says

    Hi @Mackcollier,

    It was great meeting you and @SamFiorella, @MattTGrant and the rest of the crew in person. I really enjoyed the lively #blogchat debate. The challenge I identified and sought guidance on was for a corporate blog and the need to create a sustainable amount of “social” content flowing through the blog (and all marketing channels).

    I think you captured the points exactly right: a content strategy should be created to govern the process and creation of content across all channels.

    Thanks again for the support and keep up all the great work you are doing!

    Best,

    Michael Brenner

    @brennermichael

  3. cbwhittemore says

    Mack – and Sensei Sam – thanks for bringing to real life and the MProfs B2B Forum this amazing live #blogchat experience.

    I particularly liked the range of perspectives on how blogs fit into an overall strategy. I agree with Lou that every company should have a blog – at the same time, not every company has the right mindset for a blog.

    Blogchat is a fascinating way to witness the evolution of the medium and share the wisdom.

    Thanks again.

    Best,

    CB

    PS – That photo with Matt is priceless!