Linksharing, Hotlinking, and Rolling with the Bloggers

Social Media Week Event Schedule

Linksharing, Hotlinking, and Rolling with the Bloggers

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Moderated by Jimmy Greenfield of Chicago Now, a Tribune-owned network of local bloggers, this panel featured four bloggers who spoke offline about the best ways to write, edit, and publish online. Kelly Ryan O’Brien of fashion blog Idols and Egos, Nikki Knepper of parenting blog Moms Who Drink and Swear, Julie DiCaro of sports blog A League of Her Own, and Andrew Huff of arts and culture blog Gapers Block all have one thing in common: they recall that the creation of their blogs was purely accidental. But more specifically, their blogs were created out of the necessity to address an issue that needed its own web address.

Huff said that he got the idea for Gaper’s Block, which now includes eight section editors and countless contributors, while writing a monthly newsletter to family and friends and realizing that there would inevitably always be stories he couldn’t squeeze into just one newsletter. DiCaro, on the other hand, realized she needed her own blog when she and her friends started getting flack for dominating the comments section of more traditional sports websites. Twitter led her to other women who were writing about sports; over 90 women have contributed to the blog since its founding in 2007.

DiCaro’s advice on styling a distinctive voice in your blog? Offer different kinds of content and coverage than that of the major online news outlets like ESPN, for example, when writing about sports. Otherwise, why would your audience choose your blog over ESPN if you’re covering sports exactly the same way? DiCaro’s other piece of advice for starting a blog: “Grow about five new layers of skin, particularly if you’re a woman and you’re blogging about sports.” If you can’t deal with it, she warned, then you should probably just be writing in your diary.

Nikki Knepper agreed that airing her opinions online occasionally went hand-in-hand with receiving nasty feedback and disturbing emails. But for Knepper, whose blog is published by Chicago Now, the perks of blogging outweigh the negatives. The staunchly anti-profit blogger likes to use her social media presence to promote other mom bloggers and charities in her community, rather than selling ad space on her webpage. “Your blog is jacked up with crap,” Knepper said of other bloggers who use their online presence to turn a profit.

Meanwhile, O’Brien said she didn’t have a problem with using sites like Commission Junction and Linkshare to make a commission from linking to a company or a product that she already liked and intended to blog about anyway.

While some bloggers disagreed about the legalities of hotlinking, (or linking to an image already in use by another website), they all agreed on the importance of building your audience by adding other blogs to your own blogroll and linking to other sites whenever possible. “Links are the currency of the web,” said Huff, while DiCaro echoed similar sentiments: “blogging is a collaboration, not a competition.”

-Jennifer Swann

Tags: A League of Her Own, Andrew Huff, blogroll, Chicago Now, commission junction, Gapers Block, Hotlinking, Idols and Egos, Julie DiCaro, Kelly Ryan O'Brien, Links, linkshare, Moms Who Drink and Swear, Nikki Knepper
Posted in facebook, Publishing, SMW Chicago media coverage, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Chicago sponsor, Social Media Week Event Schedule

Tucker & Julia Bring Chicago’s Social Media Community Closer with Tempe, AZ

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

As we wind down what has been an incredibly cool experience with Social Media Week Chicago, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about what some of us have learned this week.

If you go on #SMWChicago’s Facebook page, you’ll see we asked that very question; we encourage you to answer with as many things as you wish. However, one thing that I learned came from (of all things) the Tucker Max/Julia Allison presentation on Tuesday night.

(I’ll let you insert your own dirty joke, or @TuckerMax, if you’re reading this, feel free to comment as we know you can…)

The real deliverable and point of this blog post is to share just how powerful Chicago is as a social media hub. Those of you who attended might have seen some people with a small digital camera, a microphone and an iPad conducting interviews. Would you believe that these folks came to #SMWChicago all the way from Tempe, AZ JUST to see us?

Head honcho Martin, second-in-command Amanda, Elizabeth (who loved Julia Allison’s shoes, by the way) and the camera guy (sorry dude, we didn’t catch your name!) from Internet marketing company Titaneer came to town just to see what Social Media Week was like here in town and (perhaps) if they could bring a similar model to Arizona.

Hey Crowdcentric crew–Tempe might not be on your list of “Coming Soon” cities, but give these folks a listen. You can hear how passionate these people are about social media and Internet marketing. If @titaneer could come into Chicago and sleep in one room of a Comfort Inn just to see how we do things and share their experiences, imagine what would happen if they had SMW in their own backyard?

Maybe they could sell out an entire hotel, or if given the opportunity, a few of them…maybe we’ll come along for the ride!

Tags: Julia Allison, Social Media Week Chicago, tucker max
Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule

Entertainers Finish First: Tucker Max on Twitter

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

“Does everybody know who Tucker Max is?” host Julia Allison asked the audience of mostly iPad-equipped twenty-somethings at Social Media Week on Tuesday evening. “Why else would you be in the basement of the Hyatt?” said Max, quick to assure his interviewer that everyone in the audience had come to hear solid, if not offensive, advice from the self-proclaimed asshole whose debut story collection “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” was made into a movie in 2009. The University of Chicago alum who turns 36 next week got into character by taking the stage with his own personal prop: a bottle of Fat Tire beer.

During his hour-long talk, Max repeatedly harped on the evils of corporate America (and the banality of their corresponding Twitter feeds), but was quick to defend his own authenticity and transparency as a prominent personality in social media. For a guy that claims he’s simply trying to be himself, Max certainly takes a calculated and highly self-aware approach to his Twitter feed.

“The point of a Twitter feed is that people want to be entertained,” he said, adding “if it’s not funny for me, I don’t post it.” And though he insisted he’s not trying to sell anything by using social media, his Twitter feed shows that he has no problem with shamelessly plugging his new book in an August 16th tweet. He also admitted to monitoring the analytics of his feed to track exactly when his followers were most interested in his 140 characters or less.

He has over 165,000 Twitter followers, but Max, who prides himself on having made a name for himself “outside of the system” as he puts it, is perhaps his own biggest fan. When an audience member asked about the negative feedback he receives from his not-so-friendly Tweets, Max quoted one of his heroes, Eminem: “I love being hated because it lets me know I made it.”

While touting the virtues of his “spot-on” Twitter feed, Max advised that if you’re not communicating something that other people care about, “then it’s just self-indulgent” (an ironic statement coming from a guy who makes his living off indulging in his own detailed accounts of sex, exploitation, and otherwise bad behavior).

By his own standards of reasoning, entertainers are the only people entitled to such self-indulgence, and only in the name of hilarity, as the title of Max’s third book, due out in February, suggests. But at Social Media Week Chicago Tuesday night, hilarity did not ensue. Instead of laughing, I was really hoping they served beer in the basement of the Hyatt so I could take a drink for every time Tucker Max said “I’m an entertainer.”

–Jennifer Swann

Tags: Assholes Finish First, Hilarity Ensues, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Julia Allison, smwchicago, Social Media Week Chicago, tucker max, twitter
Posted in Featured, SMW Chicago media coverage, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, social networks, Tucker Max

Social Media Week Chicago Announces Adam Bain of Twitter, Tucker Max and Julia Allison to Join Event Schedule

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Social Media Week Chicago city partners, Zócalo Group and the Chicago Tribune, announced today that Adam Bain, Tucker Max and Julia Allison will join the ranks of Social Media Week Chicago speakers. For a full agenda of next week’s activities, please visit www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago.

Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue at Twitter, will lead a compelling session about Twitter’s future and its impact thus far. Additional speakers include Vince Casanova, President and COO at Chicago Tribune Media Group and Paul Rand, President/CEO of Zócalo Group. The event will take place Wednesday, September 21 from 1-2pm at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

In addition, Tucker Max, author of the best-selling book, I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell and nominee to Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential List in 2009, will join Julia Allison, a nationally syndicated columnist, TV personality, and self-proclaimed social media junkie as they discuss how this growing space has transformed their lives. The event will take place Tuesday, September 20 from 7-8pm at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Social Media Week Chicago events are free and open to the public, but registration is required and filling up quickly. Visit www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the “LOGIN/REGISTER” tab for registration details. Events include a wide range of topics from “Always On, Always Connected, and Always Local” to “ The Google+ Project: Pivoting Around People” to “Chicago Sports Teams Talk Social Media.”

“The participation of the Chicago community and our sponsors and partners has created an impressive agenda for Social Media Week Chicago that provides something for any taste,” adds Sarah Beardsley, Chicago Tribune Editorial Events Director.

City partners Zócalo Group and the Chicago Tribune want to recognize and thank Social Media Week Chicago’s sponsors and partners for their continued support and contributions. Sponsors include Nielsen, Frito-Lay, Experian, MWW Group, Actiance, SocialVibe and Nokia. Event partners include the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), CDW, Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, UIUC’s Illini Center, Rockit Ranch Productions, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Columbia College and Chicago magazine.

“The momentum of Social Media Week Chicago has been a truly amazing thing to watch,” commented Paul Rand, President/CEO of Zócalo Group. “Everyone should feel very proud of the thought leadership and energy surrounding next week’s event.”

Along with Social Media Week activities in Chicago, simultaneous events will take place in Beirut, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Glasgow, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Vancouver.

Join the Social Media Week Chicago conversation by following @SMWChicago on Twitter and connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn for real-time updates and to help promote the event across your own social networks. A number of events will also be livestreamed and can be followed by visiting www.livestream.com/socialmediaweek.

Posted in Adam Bain, Announcement, Featured, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Tucker Max

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase–MWW GROUP

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Most people equate “public relations” with “spin.” Yet most PR people would tell you that “spin” equals “changing the truth.”

MWW GROUP, one of the nation’s top independent public relations agencies, understands how to work with clients to shape a story that yields optimal outcomes.

Kathy Fieweger, MWW GROUP

In this edition of the Showcase, we asked MWW GROUP’s Kathy Fieweger, Executive Vice President and Midwest General Manager (and a former journalist to boot), how she feels social media contributes to truth-telling.
When was your first “A HA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?
I’ve followed social media for a while, particularly as a former journalist at Reuters, but witnessing its evolution into a transformational communications channel has really become undeniable. As we witness its use in the various revolutions underway around the world, in the crises and disasters that invite mass participation and comment and in the power to break news in the way that traditional media used to do, you can see things have really changed. All of these phenomena have gained an incredible amount of steam in the last few years.

Instead of serving primarily as way to connect with friends, it has become the go-to vehicle in many cases to get the word out about anything important, and also lots of stuff that (frankly) isn’t important. Also, when you watch anyone under the age of 20 interact with their friends, teachers and schools, brands and social causes, music – essentially anything relevant in their lives – it all happens in social media. That is a huge paradigm shift, for better or worse, and we all have to adapt.
How do you measure social media’s success?
While there are quantifiable measures that everyone is trying to fine-tune and measure, to me, success in the social media arena for our clients happens when anyone reading and interacting in these channels can repeat back to you or to someone else what the message was, what was the point.

If people feel like you’re “getting them” and communicating to them in the way they want to get information, you’ve succeeded. Often it’s a more conversational tone that replicates the way people really talk, instead of stiff or programmatic language. I think that’s hugely successful.

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within MWW GROUP?
Transparency means clearly outlining, in the case of our clients and in the case of our staff, what the goals are for the organization, how we’re getting there and how certain things or behaviors get in the way from reaching the goalpost.

When everyone understands why a decision is made or a different choice is made, it helps in the process of actually getting the business there in an orderly way. We constantly see companies who think their employees or customers know exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing, when in fact, they really don’t know at all and instead go through gossip channels to get information, the grapevine.

Transparency as an organization requires a level of honesty and authenticity and moving away from a culture of blame if things don’t always go perfectly. When there are so many ways people can and do get information thanks to social media, the soporific platitudes, corporate speak and command-and-control styles of management just don’t really work very well anymore. I have observed that our cutting-edge, most successful companies don’t really seem to engage in that sort of “top-down only” approach to managing people and getting the job done.

Tags: Facebook, Kathy Fieweger, MWW GROUP, smwchicago, social media, Social Media Week Chicago, Social Media Week Chicago sponsors
Posted in Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

SWW Chicago Less Than A Week Away! Register Now for Events Sept. 19-23; Space Limited

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Social Media Week Chicago kicks off in just under a week, boasting over 70 events across the Chicagoland area. Local businesses and brands will come together for this global event to discuss the changing social and mobile media landscape across all major industries.

Events are free and open to the public, but registration is required and filling up quickly. Don’t miss out on some of Social Media Week Chicago’s best in keynotes, panelists and speakers by registering for your favorite sessions today. Visit www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the “LOGIN/REGISTER” tab for registration details.

Not sure what events to attend? Check-out some of these Social Media Week Chicago sessions:

Social Media for the Anti Social: Join experts for an introduction class on social media. Monday, 9:30-11:30am at the National Association of REALTORS Headquarters.

They Said What?! How to Manage Your Online Reputation and Tackle Defamation Online: Gain and overview of defamation law and how to responsibly “own” your online presence.

Elevating Chicago: Closing the Loop Between Online and Offline Marketing: Hear how the Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau developed offline events that have garnered worldwide social media attention.

Perspectives from the Social CEO: Join leading CEO’s as they explore how trends in social influence and social engagement are building new markets, creating new business models and changing how marketers engage consumers.

Social Media: An Information Treasure Trove: Gain a better understanding of how people engage with and view your business and how to use this data to move from monitoring into action.

Crisis Communications for the Social Age: Panelists will walk attendees through a lesson in “digital warfare” including tips on how to prevent crises before they occur and how to mitigate and contain the damage once the bad news is out.

Always On, Always Connected, Always Local: Join panelists from other countries in a real-time discussion around how social conversations are changing the way consumers make purchase decisions.

The Google+ Project: Pivoting Around People: Hear firsthand how people are using Google+ to build more relevant and personal relationships while learning about how brands can get involved this fall.

Chicago Sports Teams Talk Social Media:Meet representatives from the Chicago Fire, Chicago Blackhawks, the White Sox and a Chicago Tribune sports columnist as they examine the impact of social networking on the world of Chicago sports.

Chip Buffet: Blogger Networking Sponsored by Frito-Lay: Mingle with SMW attendees and blogger panelists from the session, ‘1001 Tricks to Becoming a Great Blogger,’ while enjoying your favorite beer, wine and Frito-Lay chips and dips.

The Art of Advocacy and the Danger of Detraction: Join a panel of leading experts in the field of influence to learn from their best practices for cultivating brand advocacy and navigating the dangers of detraction.

Social Media for Small Business: Join experts in this intermediate seminar where you will learn how to design a strategy for your business using the leading social networks.

Reinventing a Media Career on Alternative Platforms: Watch sparks fly as journalists formerly working in print and broadcast describe their journey to delivering news and opinion via Social Media.

Posted in Announcement, Featured, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule

Social Media Week Chicago Sponsor Showcase: Michael Wade, SocialVibe

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Michael Wade, VP Midwest, SocialVibe

It’s amazing what we learn about sponsors when we get to know them.

Michael Wade is VP Midwest for SocialVibe. SocialVibe’s value exchange platform rewards consumers for their attention to rich media brand engagements; trust us when we tell you that you have seen their work before. An interesting note–SocialVibe first got into social media thanks to its work with non-profit organizations.

When we asked Michael about the first thing that pops into his mind when he thinks about transparency, he noted “…it’s all about having super powers and being completely invisible (but I’m still waiting for that to happen!).” When it comes to social media, though, Michael and his team understand the real connection between “transparency” and “business.”

Take a read about one of Social Media Week Chicago’s sponsors and see for yourself why this company should be donning capes in addition to their corporate attire.
When was your first “A HA” moment being introduced to the power of social media?

My first “A HA” moment was back in 2008 – I had just started experimenting with Twitter and had asked a colleague what the heck “#” (a hashtag) meant. That led to a deeper discussion around the value of Twitter and what it could really be used for. It was at that point he shared with me that the New York Times had confirmed that Twitter was now a Top 10 referral site and rumored to account for almost 10% of their traffic. I typed “#nytimes” into the search bar and was blown away.

It’s hard to imagine not knowing what a hashtag is now because we live and breathe social media everyday, but my hashtag “A HA” moment has definitely stuck with me. #aha

How do you measure social media’s success?

Since I work in digital advertising, that’s a question a lot of our clients ask. Although it’s easy to look at things like followers, likes, and comments on a Facebook page, social media success measurement needs to take depth of engagement into consideration. At the helm of engagement is attention — a scarcity for advertisers looking to captivate audiences online. It’s important for advertisers to have a one-on-one relationship with consumers, and social media is the perfect venue to have these conversations.

I encourage brands that are advertising in social media to think about their success from a conversational perspective:

Did the consumer pay attention and spend time with your brand when you were conveying your message?
Did they get something valuable and meaningful from the interaction?
Did they go and tell their friends about it?

Social media success ultimately means real conversations with real people, whether you’re a brand or just plain old @mwade3000 (err, that’s me on Twitter).

What does transparency mean to you, both personally as well as within your organization?

I like the fact that social media has challenged a lot of advertisers and brands to come to terms with what people say and think about them. The ones who have truly embraced the medium are finding a lot of rewards in doing so. Others who are overly concerned with image are still scratching their heads trying to figure out where to start and probably feel a little lost. In my opinion, you really have to have a strong sense of identity both as a brand (and a person!) to be transparent, and then trust will follow.

Tags: Facebook, Michael Wade, social media, Social Media Week Chicago, Social Media Week Chicago sponsors, socialvibe, twitter
Posted in SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor, social networks

Social Media Week Chicago Makes Last Call for Community Involvement; Speakers

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Event Submissions Accepted until August 31 as Organizers Prepare for a Full Week of Activities, September 19 – 23 Throughout the City

Social Media Week Chicago hosts, Zócalo Group and the Chicago Tribune, today announced that event submissions for the weeklong event will close on August 31. Registered sessions will be included in a special-edition Chicago Visitor’s Guide, produced by Chicago Magazine and available for download from the http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago website in September.

Social Media Week is a global initiative that will connect 12 cities for one week on topics important to advancing, educating and inspiring innovation for social media. Along with Social Media Week activities in Chicago, simultaneous events will take place in Beirut, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Glasgow, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Vancouver.

Social Media Week Chicago’s current session lineup – featuring 30 events and counting – can be found by visiting the SCHEDULE tab at http://socialmediaweek.org/chicago. Social Media Week Chicago events are free and open to the public, with registration for sessions opening online September 6.

“The variety of sessions and involvement by area leaders and brands is impressive,” says Andrea Wood, Executive Vice President at Zόcalo Group. “Chicago’s Social Media Week should prove to be a unique opportunity for attendees to gain new perspectives into social media, mobile and word of mouth marketing.”

Events and speakers will continue to be added to the agenda until August 31, providing attendees with an opportunity to join industry leaders as they share best practices, upcoming trends and success stories in a variety of presentations, panels and networking events.

NEW EVENTS
Some of the newest events to join the Social Media Week Chicago agenda include:

• Improvised Innovation: The Chicago Tribune and The Second City featuring the people and stories behind the live stage and radio program “Chicago Live.”

• Politics of Social Media with the Cook County Commissioner, 12 District, and others sharing their perspectives on how social media is shifting the political landscape.

• Mobile Applications and Social Media featuring leaders from Facebook, Local Guide Chicago and Vienna Beef who will discuss the impact of mobile applications on social media.

• When Integrated Marketing Met Social: Love at First Like featuring a discussion led by Experian and joined by Facebook and others, exploring how social media has ushered in a new era in digital marketing.

• Social Media & The Next Generation: OMG! U’LL totally LOL! with speakers from Newcity, Golin Harris, Ragan Communications, Tweet Networking, Soaring Solutions and Catalyst Ranch sharing an in-depth snapshot of how Millennials perceive the world (and brands) around them.

• Pay Me to Like You: An Overview of the FTC Disclosure Rules as Applied to Social Media with leaders from CMP.LY and Saper Law Offices, LLC discussing how to navigate the FTC’s disclosure guidelines.

NEW FACES
Social Media Week Chicago also welcomes to its team some new Advisory Board members: Sosti Ropaitis, Global Digital Communications Manager at McDonald’s; Jeff Plaisted, Sr. Director of U.S. Sales and Strategy at Microsoft Mobile Advertising; and Howard A. Tullman, president and CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy. These individuals will work with event sponsors and volunteers to plan, manage and execute event activities.

GET INVOLVED
Interested in submitting your own topic or event for Social Media Week Chicago? Organizations or individuals interested in serving as an event sponsor – and promoted throughout Social Media Week as a key participant – should visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the SUBMIT EVENT tab. Please keep in mind that event submissions will close on August 31.

If mixing and mingling with some of the best minds in Chicago’s social media community is more your scene OR you have a cool product, or service that can help make events more fun, functional or productive, please visit http://www.socialmediaweek.org/chicago and choose the GET INVOLVED tab to volunteer or become an in-kind sponsor.

FOLLOW US
Please follow @SMWChicago on Twitter and connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn for real-time updates and to help promote the event across your own social networks.

Posted in Announcement, Featured, SMWCHICAGO 2011, Social Media Week Event Schedule, Social Media Week Sponsor

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