Bleeding Edge Track
The Transformational Power of Social Media: How Blogging is Changing the Way We Live Our Lives...For the Better
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, S202
BlogHer's March 2008 Social Media Benchmark Study, in partnership with Compass Partners, illustrated in hard numbers what most of us already have intuited: Blogging is becoming mainstream, addictive and trusted across a huge, diverse swath of Internet users. Women, in particular, are abandoning other media channels to get their information, entertainment and product advice. Women, in particular, are becoming early adopters of every new Web 2.0 tool...striking out into technical territory that many of their backgrounds would never have predicted. But this acquisition of information, entertainment and advice is only a by-product of acquiring something much more powerful: empowerment. And this early adoption of technology is not about cool-hunting or personal empire expansion. It's about building trusted community. It's about love. The fact is that blogs are changing the world in ways large and small, and like any true cultural phenomenon, the power and glory of blogging is best communicated via storytelling. Stats are great, but stories are powerful...come hear amazing stories about bloggers you may know nothing about, but should. Elisa Camahort Page is a co-founder and COO of BlogHer, managing its events, marketing and corporate operations. A marketing executive with 18 years of experience in Silicon Valley, Elisa left her life in high tech product management to go online and join the social media world, and to help companies go there too.
She co-founded BlogHer as a labor of love in 2005 with Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone, and in two short years BlogHer has grown to be the number-one guide to and source for blogs by women. BlogHer serves its mission of creating opportunities for education, exposure, community and economic empowerment with its web community, sold-out conferences and advertising network that now features over 2,200 network members.
Elisa was at the vanguard of professional and business blogging and currently writes nine blogs. She blogs at various times about marketing, health issues, green and eco-conscious living, being a vegan, and reality TV talent shows like American Idol and Project Runway! She’s a frequent public speaker in the areas of business blogging and online community, and has been published frequently, including her monthly column for the Silicon Valley Metro, Silicon Veggie.
Taking Smart Risks with Your Online Personality
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM, S302
Blogging opens endless doors for exposure and growth of your identity and your brand. But someone has to forge the path to determine what might constitute too much exposure. Jake and Alex talk about some examples of openness and identity online and share some tips and examples of taking the smart risks when blurring the line between your work and your life. Alex Hillman - Independents Hall
Alex Hillman is a freelance web developer, consultant and entrepreneur based in sunny Philadelphia. Alex has led and evangelized the coworking movement in Philly by founding Independents Hall, a collaborative community focused on mixing social interaction with shared office space. Since opening the space, Alex has assisted a number of other similar group leaders in focusing and energizing their efforts. Alex is also a driving force behind multiple social media and technology events and organizations in the city, sharing his infectious enthusiasm with every person that crosses his path (or finds him on Twitter).
Jake McKee is an evangelist for online and offline community building, social media, and customer-company interaction. He has been working with online communities, fan groups, and consumer groups since the early days of the Internet, and has a rich background in Web development, community management, business strategy, and product development. Jake is the Principal at Ant's Eye View, a Dallas-based social media and customer engagement consultancy. In a past life, Jake was the Global Community Relations Specialist for the LEGO Company, where he spent five years on the front lines of customer-company interaction.
Power Widgets to Amp Your Blog
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM, S402
John LoGioco is Vice President, Business Development for Outbrain Inc. in New York. John is responsible for creating strategic partnerships for the company across all channels. Prior to joining Outbrain, John held sales and management positions with Time Inc. and Reuters in New York, Los Angeles and South Florida. Working with top brands and advertising agencies, John focused on delivering digital solutions both in the consumer and enterprise sectors. Before crossing over to the sales side, John started his career in the media department of ad agency, Ammirati & Puris in New York. An honors graduate from the University of Colorado, John resides in New Jersey with his wife Arline and 2 sons.
Jeremy Wright is a serial entrepreneur, some have even said "blogpreneur"
for his focus on communications-oriented ventures. He is an internationally
recognized authority on blogging who has helped hundreds of people and many
high profile companies develop strategies to incorporate blogs into their
business plans. Jeremy also consults on blogging, communication, IT and time
management and is the author of the book Blog Marketing, which is designed
to help businesses come to grips with blogs and really start engaging with
their audience, customers and consumers on a 1-1 basis.
See also:
Sept. 19 at 9:00 AM: b5media Blogger Summit: State of the Industry
Who Needs Hyperlocal Blogs?
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, S502
For over 20 years, newspapers have gradually stopped publishing the types of content that creates a sense of a the lived experience of a region. Hyperlocal bloggers have stepped up to take the place of this, with a myriad of blogs covering local food, history, club events, etc. Should hyperlocal blogs stay independent of the local newspaper? Yes! And can they survive? Absolutely! Join us for a lively discussion on why it's important for hyperlocal news sites, blogs, etc. to survive and how to get them to thrive in the changing news economy. In January 2004, Debbie Galant, a former freelance columnist for the Jersey section of the New York Times, started a personal blog, "Debra Galant Explains the Universe." Within a few months, she met new media savant Jeff Jarvis at a blogger meetup at the Dancing Goat Cafe in South Orange, NJ. When Jarvis mentioned "hyperlocal blogging," the idea immediately struck a chord in Galant. Baristanet, a hyperlocal site covering three towns in North Jersey, was born in May 2004.
Considered a premier example of local website journalism, Baristanet was named #1 placeblog in America by Placeblogger.com in 2007. It now boasts about 9,000 daily visits and a robust advertising base. Liz George became co-owner of Baristanet in 2005. In addition to Galant and George, eight people contribute to the site on a freelance basis.
Tish Grier has spent the past two years building a one-woman problogging and social media consultancy in Western Massachusetts. Some of her efforts include the community blog for iFOCOS; Assignment Zero crowdsourced journalism project for Wired magazine, and community development at NewsTrust.net. Currently, she is building community at hyperlocal citizen journalism aggregator Placeblogger.com
See also:
Sept. 20 at 11:00 AM: The State of Citizen Journalism
Mark Potts is a leader in the development of innovative content and business strategies and products in online and print media. An entrepreneur and consultant, he co-founded Backfence Inc., a pioneer in the field of user-generated, hyperlocal citizens media. He created one of the first electronic newspaper prototypes in the early 1990s at The Washington Post, and then co-founded the newspaper company’s digital division, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive.
Potts served on the founding team of the @Home Network, where he led the creation of the first consumer broadband programming service. He also was Chief Product Officer for Cahners Business Information (now Reed Business Information), the nation’s largest trade publisher, where he managed Cahners Digital and oversaw the development of 120 trade magazine Web sites, include Variety.com and PublishersWeekly.com.
As a consultant, Potts has developed strategies and products for The Washington Post Co., Cox Communications, New Century Network, Classified Ventures, Disney’s Infoseek/Go Network, Tribe Networks, HealthCentral and many others. He most recently oversaw the redesign of Philly.com, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News Web site. Formerly a reporter and editor at The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner and the Associated Press, he is the co-author of two business books, The Leading Edge and Dirty Money. He blogs about the intersection of media and the online world at www.recoveringjournalist.com.
Ruby Sinreich founded OrangePolitics.org in 2003 to encourage residents of Orange County, NC to get involved in local politics by offering informed, progressive perspectives on local and regional issues. Active participants on the blog include local elected officials, community leaders, nascent and veteran activists, and a smattering of journalists brave enough to share their thoughts online.
Professionally, Ruby specializes in strategies that connect people to each other, sometimes known as “network-centric advocacy,” “social media,” “Web 2.0,” or “grassroots organizing,” depending upon what type of geek one is. She has helped hundreds of progressive local, statewide, national, and international nonprofits use technology more effectively in service of their educational, movement-building, and political missions.
Ruby currently works as the Co-Director of Communications at the 93-year-old Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith organization working for a world of peace and justice through active nonviolence.
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