All About BlogWorld

BlogWorld & New Media Expo will be hosting the 4th annual Conference October 14-16, 2010 in Vegas.  Having attended 2 previous BlogWorlds, I can give you the inside skinny on why you must be there and some helpful advice for attending.

Why Go?

Simply put, you can’t get this much value for the investment any other way.  In the past, I have had a chance to attend sessions with industry leaders like Jeremy Schoemaker (Shoemoney), Darren Rowse, Brian Clark, Chris Brogan, and Stephan Spencer.  Add in keynotes from Gary Vaynerchuk and Tim Ferris, and I got enough inspiration to get my blogging and social media skills kicked into high gear for some time.  It is not the same as sitting in front of your computer reading blogs and tweeting!  The networking opportunities are terrific.  Everyone is approachable and friendly.

Don’t Skip Thursday

The Thursday sessions are focused on corporate blogging, podcasting, social media and use of new media technology in business environments.  There is a much smaller attendance for this day which requires a full access pass.  Do not miss this day’s events.  The setting is more intimate for networking before the masses arrive, and you won’t be disappointed.  In 2008, Guy Kawasaki and Steve Rubel spoke during the luncheon (which is included in the price).

Twitter During the Event

Every room is equipped with a huge screen in the front that shows the latest twitter feed with the #BWE hashtag.  It is non-stop tweeting including to the speakers during the sessions!

The Trade Show

The trade show portion is an added bonus.  You get to meet a diverse group of vendors and check out new products.  Of course, be sure to have room in your suitcase for all the SWAG you will get.

Other Advice

Wear comfortable shoes.  Lots of walking on concrete.  Consider not carrying your computer around unless you have a lightweight machine.  Bring your camera, digital recorder and/or flip camera.   You won’t want to miss opportunities to record the important moments.

If you want to attend parties, tweetups, and more, be sure to sign up for all facebook groups and follow other attendees on twitter right before the event.

The hotel prices are very aggressive this year.  I prefer to stay at the Renaissance because it is so close to the South Hall, but the Hilton and Courtyard have really low pricing.

Be Sure To Sign Up Early for Price Breaks

Click here and use coupon code TWEET20 for 20% off sale.  Hope to see your there!  Tweet to @custommarketing or comment below to let us know if your are attending!

Special thanks to Rick, Libby, Dave, et al for a great event.

Yes, we have to be connected at all times.  We must be available when our client has a website issue, or just needs a quick fix, but it really can be a drag to lug around that 15″ MacBook Pro and related accessories when traveling.  Not saying that I don’t love the Beast, but it can weigh you down.

Recently, I finally succumbed to a MacBook Air.  I resisted for a long time because I thought the slower processor and lack of a CD/DVD drive as well as only 2 GB of RAM would cramp my style.  I had no idea how I would cram my files and programs onto such a small hard drive.

Well, I am pleased to report that the experience is beyond my expectations.  My Air has the following specs:

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 1066MHz frontside bus
• 2GB Memory
• 128GB solid-state drive
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

The Pros

• The solid state drive is so speedy that programs open and close in an instant.
• It is tiny, and can fit into other bags when traveling.
• It is a sexy computer that is fun to use.

The Cons

• The small size of the hard drive was troubling.  No way to fit the iTunes Library.  I had to use VMWare Fusion with Windows so I could use my VPN and exchange email, and the smallest I could get the virtual machine down to was 38GB.
• No way to watch a DVD while traveling.
• No built in ethernet (there is an adapter) or SD card reader, and only one usb port.

I figured out a way to utilize this beauty and be extremely  happy with my purchase.  In my next post, I will tell you how I solved some of the dilemmas mentioned in the Cons, and what accessories and apps I use to stay connected.

Don’t Post So Quickly That You Forget to….

What is the biggest problem with the “quickie post”?  It is the few little things that the author might forget to do from a housekeeping standpoint that hinder the SEO of a site or embarrass you later.  So you decided to do a really quick post on the run (or by mobile).  You enter the text and add an image perhaps, and think you are good to go.

Wrong!

Did you check your permlink (especially if you fiddled with your title)?  Add a category?  Add your tags?  Check your spelling (come on – that one is easy, and we all make typos, so don’t skip this)?  Modify anything necessary in All in One SEO?

Just for laughs and giggles, look at your Edit Posts list and see how many post are missing tags or categories.  Can you all raise your hands and say that you have nothing missing?

Housekeeping aside, a clean blog is a good blog.

I have been passionate about having the tiniest, slimmest camera for a while.  My theory is that if it is small and tiny, it will always be with me.  My slim camera is Casio EXILIM S10.  I started looking for an additional camera for when I needed some shots that required a little more horsepower.  I didn’t want anything large or heavy.  It still needed to be something that was easy to take with you but took a little bit better pictures.  I decided not to get an SLR for the size and weight.  I had it narrowed down to 2 cameras that are still considered point and shoot, but have some qualities of SLR, like the ability to add an external flash.  I was also glad to get a viewfinder and pop up flash.  I liked the fact that the Nikon Coolpix P6000 was really lightweight for this type of camera, 13.5 megapixels, 4x wide-angle optical Zoom-Nikkor ED glass lens, image stabilization and a reasonable price.

Today, I was on a business call and looked out my office window and saw a fawn up close and personal.  While still on the phone, I got the blinds up, the camera out, and got these pics right from the window without missing a beat on the phone call.  A few hours later, a red bellied woodpecker was perched in view also.  Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge in the lightbox.

.

Getting some good pictures for your blog is important as it helps engage your readers, but you don’t need to break the bank and spend over a thousand dollars.  This Nikon lists for $500, but get it for under $400!

Web Marketing for Dummies is a must read!  We were impressed by this economical, great resource for all internet marketers in this new release by Ian Lurie and 5 other authors.  It is actually 8 books in 1.  Some information is very basic (which is a great help to newbies), while other hints are appropriate for internet marketers who have not specialized in a particular area.  A $25 Google Adwords credit is included, so essentially you can get the book for free!  Frankly, it would have been a deal with only one of the 8 books.

The book includes sections on search engine optimization, web analytics, email marketing, blogging and more.   Each section has tips, warnings, and examples of real world uses.  The illustrations are helpful and assist in making the book easy to read.  The book is chock full of tips that you can use instantly.

This is certainly the heaviest paperback I have ever owned with 893 pages!  That is a criticism as well as a compliment.  Appreciate having all the information in one place, but would have preferred it in 2 volumes to be able to tote easier.  Of course, there is a solution to this.  Get the Kindle version!

In summary, this should be the one book that anyone attempting to do business on the internet should have as a desktop reference.