A few nights ago, I asked for some help from Chris Brogan and he gave me some tips. I am hosting my first ever event and I think and I finally saw the blogger side of the equation.
This event I am hosting is called #journchat LIVE Detroit. Bringing bloggers, journalists and public relations professionals to discuss the problems of the industry. So I asked him if he could help and we basically have the same friends in common. @prsarahevans is a great leader and I hope this LIVE event gets bigger and people grow and participate in the weekly chats because there is a lot of learning going on.
My problem is publicity. I thought I had influence but do I really have any? When can you cash in the networking you have done for a controversial subject which might or might NOT have the shiny object?
I am trying to work in the public relations, marketing, love to blog and see the reason why people should get along. I am really green in the field and I can see how I have been learning from this weekly chat. Is being “green” into a field a bad thing? I have learned a lot from #blogchat on Sunday nights and #journchat on Monday nights.
Where does the value come in? How do you define the influence and if you are really someone people would want to listen to for 2 hours and help you with your cause?
When people really don’t want to interact with each other? So why would they come to a chat where they are trained to not like each other? These questions I am hoping I get an answer too soon.
So do you have influence or just a lot of followers? What is your take?
Talk about a post that not only made me think hard, it also is causing me to analyze my strategy. It’s always good to evaluate where you stand especially in the ever evolving world of social media!
I think every social media head would love to think they are an influencer, but event planning is the proof that’s in the pudding. My first event drew a modest crowd but I tried doing it alone.
One of the things I’ve found helpful is using other social media events I’m part of to springboard my events. SM is about sharing so people who are organizers of other local events (should) want to share in your success if your heart is in the right place. use the influence of other in conjunction with your influence can help build your influence.
The tricky part is making sure you ride the wave of that influence by putting on an event thats worth talking about and coming back to.
Sorry for the novel. hope it helps though.
Trust me. I did announce it at 2 Tweetups and I did send out emails prior to even thinking about doing this. So the homework was done beforehand. I still need to write the recap of the event. Good thing I am not a journalist I would be very slow at breaking a news story.
I am very active in the digital scene in Detroit. I attend many digital events even though I am not in the field. I did find out who were the supporters and who were on the fence and in the conversation with Chris Brogan I realized bloggers don’t like journalists as much as journalists don’t like public relations people.
I am an evangelist for this cause. I know because if I did a Twitter search for the #Journchat with in 25 miles of Detroit I would be the only one in it.
You live and learn.