Every time I attend a conference, I give myself a list of goals to meet. This ensures that I spend my time wisely and that my attendance isn’t in vain. If I meet these goals, I will be more likely to attend the conference the following year. Below are a list of my goals that I make sure to meet every time my company sends me to a conference.

Evangelize: Conferences are a good place to share information about your company and to brand yourself. They allow you to share your expertise with fellow industry colleagues and potential customers. As an employee, you represent your company and what it represents. If you effectively demonstrate your capabilities, your company will benefit by 1- recruiting talent, 2- marketing its services, and 3- generating new business leads.

Bonding with Colleagues: Often times, you have the opportunity to attend a conference with colleagues from work. Although you should venture out of your group to do a little networking, it is also important to develop a rapport with them. This will enhance your work-related experience when you are back in the office. Try to meet at least once for dinner or drinks and have non-office related conversations.

Networking: One of the key aspects of any conference is meeting people who are normally inaccessible to you. The social media world, in particular, revolves around relationships. Conferences allow you to meet new people and maintain old friendships. If you are as goal-oriented as me, create a list of people you really want to meet at the conference and make sure you either introduce yourself or ask a mutual friend to make the introduction. Chris Brogan offers great tips on how to meet new people at conferences using social media.

Education: The conferences are increasingly gaining reputations for not offering new knowledge for those who have been in the industry more than a year. However, I am seeing a shift where organizers are pushing for new topics and recruiting a more diverse group speakers. You can also gain valuable insight just by having conversations with various attendees. I really enjoy standing in the hallway of the venue and having random discussions with fellow colleagues about industry-related topics.

Vendors: One of the best parts of conferences is meeting potential vendors face-to-face and learning about what they offer. This allows you to immediately determine if their product/service is applicable to your needs. It helps save time and allows you to go back to your office with some key recommendations of possible partners.

Do you set goals before attending a conference? If so, what are they?

Thanks to Brad Crooks for the image.

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Social media mainly served as an entertainment medium to many people. On this Election Day however, social media is playing an even greater role than just to pass time. The online world is rallying people to go to the polls to cast their vote. Facebook is featuring a widget that allows users to find polling locations and to show that they voted. Additionally, Twitterers are hyping up the elections by demanding that people vote.

Gearing up to this point, social media also served as a space that provided interesting, educational and even funny stories about the candidates and their campaigns. When I asked Twitterers how social media helped them decide on which candidate to vote for, they said:

BrentCsutoras: @rabeidoh Sure. I am on social news site all day so I get to see almost everything from both sides on the election.

mammainthescene: @rabeidoh I feel so much more informed this election because of social media then last time around

Tabz: @rabeidoh Social Media is pretty much how I got all my election news (except for occasional TV news). So it informed my decision.

Not only did the online world serve as an information hub for people, it also allowed similar-minded users to join together in educating the masses about their candidate of choice. Additionally, it encouraged debate and discussion between democratic, republican and undecided voters. This election is probably the most viral campaign ever initiated online.

During the debates, social media was the “place to be” to discuss what the presidential and vice-presidential candidates said. Twitter was the meeting spot for many users who wanted to exchange their opinions. Obviously, the humor was very prevalent and made the experience enjoyable for the users providing and listening to the feedback.

Social media also served as an excellent alternative to traditional media. For example, if one missed the debates, he could search on Twitter using specific keywords, read blog posts, or go to YouTube. The user’s options for finding more information online are endless, which I believe has had an impacted on the percentage of informed voters.

The election is vastly different from many elections past, simply because of the use of social media to educate, disperse information, and encourage users to go to the voting booths. Barack Obama is a great case study of this. Social media users served as reporters, experts, analytics and columnists during this election.

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Social media provides us with the ability to share our thoughts, opinions and ideas on our favorite sites. For instance, I can discuss that I support Olbermann’s bashing of Bush and that I despise Beso Restaurant because they bullied a friend on my blog. As with all the other users, these actions empower me to have a voice that influences the decisions of others and make any changes I deem necessary. There are some, however, who forget that their voices can damage personal brands and compromise the reputation and integrity of a company.

Social media users believe that one of their roles is to serve as jury members of the online world. They usually get their call when they see that someone has been victimized on their turf, like the MySpace case with Lori Drew. They will do their due diligence by conducting research. If they deem the person guilty based on the evidence they unearthed in the interwebs, they may launch an attack. This attack comes in variety of forms like blogging about the topic, writing negative reviews, bashing the perpetrator on forums, sharing that person’s private information (phone number or home address) and even paying them a personal visit.

I personally experienced this when I wrote about a restaurant owner who threatened my friend for writing a negative review on Yelp. The story went popular on Digg, was written about in newspapers and blogs, and St. Louis-based users were discussing it on local forums. Many enraged users even went to Yelp to author negative reviews about Beso. It was no longer about the quality of the food but more so about the victimization of a fellow social media user. I often wonder if the online rage transcended into real life causing people to boycott this restaurant because of how my friend was treated by the owner.

Although social media users have the power to share, they should be careful what they say and do online. There are many examples of how social media users abused the power they had online and have gotten called out by the rest of the community. Some members of the online world will police their space to ensure that it remains a peaceful place for the rest of the users. Although there aren’t many rules imposed online, it is always important to remember the Golden Rule you learned as kid – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Thanks to MovieTonic for the image.

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In the past two weeks, Digg started cleaning house on users they believe are violating their Terms of Service (TOS). Many users spoke out, deriding the claim as false. The remaining active members were equally upset to see their friends being cast out. The one message the old and current users continue to hear loud and clear is “COME TO MIXX!” The Mixx users are encouraging the exiled Digg members to come and play on the more accepting and welcoming environment over at Mixx.

As a major Mixx cheerleader, I must preface that I am quite biased towards the site. I have been a user ever since a few months after it launched and serve as a co-host on Social Blend, which is a podcast that discusses Mixx-related news and Social media.

Although the enthusiasm about the site is growing, there are still many skeptics. One of the main concerns is that Mixx does not send traffic to the sites that were submitted. It is a major issue for many people who are selecting a site they want to participate in. Although users are sharing stories with a community, they want to make sure that the community is large enough to change an opinion, impact a decision, or reinforce a point. On the other hand, webmaster and marketers want social news sites to cause a spike in their analytics, that can help increase the site/brand’s visibility, awareness, SEO, ad clicks and subscribers.

The traffic-seeking users are searching for a Digg-alternative that has the same power. Diggers knew that if a submission hit the front page, they will get more than 100K visitors to their site. Mixx has yet to cause the “Digg effect” that has made the Digg so famous that even hosting companies know that term.

Many of the Mixx users try to remind those traffic-seeking users that the site offers so much more - community. Mixx is known for a customized user-experience. If the comments were counted as a metrics, then Mixx offers a lot of it. Mixx users know how to share their opinion and it is usually in a very insightful, intelligent and funny way. Many members even say that the comments are even more interesting than the submissions itself.

Mixx is relatively new to the space and it is still working on growing, adapting and evolving. However, in order for Mixx to compete with the big boys of the social news industry, it will need to figure out a way to increase the number of users to increase the traffic. Right now, their users are conducting the massive recruiting campaign that says, “F*ck Digg, Come to Mixx.”

Social media is supposed to connect people and allow them to interact — not try to exclude them. Digg effectively did that when it banned many of its users who have contributed a lot of time and stories to the site. However, it seems to follow the “Digg’s loss, Mixx’s gain” philosophy. As former Digg users are looking for a new home, the Mixx users are serving as air traffic controllers leading those people to their new destination.

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At the same time, I understand that the value of my blog is not only measured by the number of comments, but the amount of traffic that I get on my site. This prompted me to ask my fellow Twitterers: “What do you like more on your site: Comments or Traffic?” Rex White’s tweet summed up the majority of the responses:

According to the Twitterers, comments have the following value to your blog:

Adds more substance to the post

Direct interaction with the blog readers builds loyalty

Allows you to receive feedback on your post

Comments beget more traffic

Proves the quality of your content to your readers

Allows you to measure the level of engagement that exists on your blog

Builds a community around your blog

Reveals the type of reader who visits your site

A few of the tweets I received raised their hands for traffic. According to them, traffic introduces your blog to new readers who will eventually comment and provide their feedback.

Traffic also can show tangible numbers that prove the success of an online campaign.

Which one is more important to you and why?

Thank you for the responses to Rex White, ScreenRant, J. Pollack Photography, Scott Spradlin, Alex Friedman, Mark Carras, Steaprok, Jason Butler, Jeff Flowers, Melanie Phung, Christoc, JD Wade, JONxBLAZE, MaxyRO, typropearl and Mark Salinas.

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Five minutes before heading out to the venue, an organization member sent the following e-mail to the event coordinator regarding my presentation:

Are you out of your mind. She is a left wing loon. No way am I attending this event. Her praise of Olbermann is enough to tell me she is way out in left field. How can I trust anyone’s expertise who is so misguided? Furthermore, this particular event is pretty useless for most if not all of us serious Engineers. Next time please get a topic that is more relevant and a bit more intellectual. Also more of a heads up would be appreciated.

I will not disclose this person’s name or information. I had hoped he added me to the e-mail by mistake. However, the evidence seems to indicate that this individual searched for my e-mail address and intentionally included me on the mailing list.

I respect this person’s honesty, but I didn’t understand what my presentation had to do with my political views. It left me with two major questions — Does my support of this video really indicate how professional and knowledgeable I am? Is social media a petty topic for web developers? Please let me know your thoughts.

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Why do some bloggers find themselves in this predicament? Busy schedules are often the culprit. They find themselves living in virtual bubbles where their exposure to the thoughts of others is limited.

So what’s the remedy? I personally find myself in this situation often. I’ve brainstormed ways to break out of “bloggger’s block” that I’ve found helpful and would like to share them.

Read other blogs

In order to get out of your virtual bubble, read other bloggers’ opinions. Reading blogs outside your niche will introduce you to many new concepts and ideas. Additionally, if you read a post that you agree or disagree with, publish your opinion and support it with personal experiences. Provide attribution to the original and invite the blogger to a friendly debate about the topic at hand.

Read a variety of books

Although we are in the Web 2.0 era where most of our reading happens online, it is still a good idea to purchase or borrow books that discuss topics outside your expertise. Get out of your comfort zone and read books that don’t directly relate to your interests. This will help inspire new ideas. You can reference concepts learned and tie them in with the core themes of your blog. For example, if you are a mommy blogger, it isn’t far-fetched to relate the topic back to a sociology concept you’ve studied. You can even discuss how a key character in a non-fictional novel corresponds to the specific topic you are discussing.

Write down your ideas

One of the best investments I have made is buying a moleskine. I carry it with me everywhere I go and write down all my ideas, regardless of how good or bad I think they are. It is important to carry with you a notebook to document your ideas, before you forget them. Also, if you are confused or have questions about a specific topic, write it down as an idea. There is a strong possibility that there are several other people pondering on the same questions. When you look back at your ideas, you will start flushing out the main points you will discuss in the post.

Conversations with other people

While hanging out with your friends, pay attention to your conversations. They are often the source of really interesting points that could fit very well into your blog. Ask your buddies questions about their thoughts on a specific topic and what direction they would take if faced with XYZ.

Interviews or Guest Bloggers

It is common to meet people you respect or whose points of view you enjoy. Ask them to guest blog for you or request a short interview. When interviewing these individuals, you provide your readers with unique perspectives and expert opinions. You can also add your own commentary or save it for later posts.

Use traditional media to your advantage

You may find inspiration in news stories you read in you favorite newspaper. You can either reference the news story as an example in your post, or just discuss it in general. Many readers connect with current issues and actively seek different perspectives.

Thanks to Cayusa for the image.

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Active participants in social media have different reasons for interaction. Some enjoy the friendly banter exchanged with fellow users, while others are attempting to increase the traffic on their own sites. A perfect site is a harmonious blend of the features mentioned below. Since we don’t live in a perfect world, sites tend to showcase only two or three items. Below are some of the features that I have identified important to users. Please feel free to additional ones in the comments and participate in the poll.

Site Focus

Many social news aggregators are topic-based; therefore they appeal to users who are interested in a specific niche. There are also several sites that have a broad set of subjects that appeal to a larger audience.

Content

Users believe that content is king. Anything that seems too commercial, manipulative, subpar or poorly written doesn’t gain traction on the popular social aggregators. Users are looking to learn new perspectives, issues around the world, business-related news, and technology innovations. Site members are the first ones to call out poor content.

Community

The culture of a site can determine whether a person signs up or not. When selecting a site to participate in, users research the dynamic amongst the members. They ask themselves: “Are the members here friendly or are they just assholes?” Some sites have sociable, helpful and supportive members. Other sites have wimpy kids who miraculously grow muscles while sitting behind a computer screen. Despite the attitude of the users, many of the community members are invested in the growth of the site. They will provide input and constructive criticism to see the site evolve into its full potential.

Traffic

One of the benefits of social news aggregators is that they can send a significant number of visitors to a site. Users participate with the major goal of accumulating as many eyeballs as possible over a long period of time. After all, traffic can help monetize a blog, increase the number of subscribers, establish reader loyalty, and build engagement on the site.

Competition

Making a site challenging can actually entice people to continue participating. The desire to become a top user will obviously encourage members to invest a significant amount of time engaging on the site. Sites can retain those users by making it hard to reach front page, and setting a high bar for them to reach.

Comments

Comments are the online version of a dialogue. They serve as the interchange amongst users to share their opinion. Some site members are more into the comments than the submission itself. On many social news aggregators, you will find insightful POVs about the topic or just pure comedy. Some users actually enjoy the obscene feedback that other members provide to a submission.

Customer Service

Many social news aggregators have lost members mainly due to the site managers’ unresponsiveness and general disinterest in the community. Users can make or break a site. If a large portion of the users decide to leave, the site will ultimately fall. The site managers should listen and reply to their users.

Features

Users want to go to a site that has multiple features and gives them the flexibility to easily interact on the site through adding items, sharing digital media and corresponding via site mail. Launching features on a regular basis will keep the users intrigued and interested.

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Step 1: Share the Hard Core Facts

I am openly sharing that I am 27 years old, 5′5″, and weigh 145 lbs (no pic so you have to believe me). According to Billy, I need to lose approximately 20 pounds to reach my ultimate goal. I have successfully avoided junk food restaurants like McDonald’s for the past year. However, I find that I have not watched my food portions and I have a weakness for chocolate and ice cream. After all, I think popcorn and Whoppers are the tastiest combination ever. Plus, I am a Diet Pepsi addict, which is apparently really bad even if it has zero calories.

Step 2: Announce my Effort

I am using my blog in an effort to put social media to the test. We have repeatedly established that it is a great space to establish a strong supportive community. I would like to see if social media can assist me with my fitness goals. Thus, my big announcement: Social Impressions readers - I am fully committed to losing 20 lbs. Mark the date - there’s no going back now!

Step 3: Set a Budget

Although I would love to retain Billy as a personal trainer, I doubt that I can budget it in. Weddings are extremely expensive and I have to save up for that special day. I just invested in a gym membership in a great facility that provides me with 24/7 access, top-of-the-line equipment, aerobic classes, etc.

Step 4: Set Up a Plan

I want to lose this weight in a healthy manner with exercise and a nutritious diet. I am committed to working out three times a week and trying my best to eat protein-rich meals. I will make a conscious decision to check labels before purchasing food to make sure they are low on sugars, carbs and saturated and trans fats.

Step 5: Initiating Support

As any addicted social media user, I surfed the social sphere to find if there are any fitness social networks available that will provide me with meal plans and work out plans. I signed up on Gimme20.com which is an online health community. I also announced my efforts on my blog in hopes that the social media community will be invested in helping me during my process. Additionally, I have recruited my friend Julie Lujan, AKA Calinazaret, to be my online Drill Sargent.

Do you think social media can help with fitness or is it something a real life personal trainer can help with? I will write a follow up post to document how social media has contributed to helping me reach my final goals.

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Are online marketers really interested in relationships? Despite that response, Marchese calls “bullshit.” Online marketers want to have as many eyeballs as possible on a branded property. The number of impressions is a measure of success. Exposure to a branded campaign is a benefit to social media, but it shouldn’t be the only priority of a social media effort. Although brands want to have a high traffic rate to their Facebook profile, what’s the point if these users don’t convert?

Relationships are key for the development of a branded effort conducted online. Through establishing online relationships, a brand gains loyalty. Although impressions establish awareness, they don’t necessarily create a direct relationship with the brand. When expectations are set early, companies will know how to measure success for social media. The launch of a social media campaign might start slow, but if it gains traction it will establish more relationships.

During the panel, an important point was made about a need for a new measurement matrix. Some marketers and Fortune 500 companies rely on the traditional matrix, which simply does not work for social media. There is wider variety of considerations that need to be included when gauging the success of a social media campaign, like the context conversation and tone.

Marketers need to understand that users don’t want to be sold something. They are against branded messages being pushed on them. Users want to contribute and engage themselves in discussions about the brand. They want to invest in the development of products they are already passionate about. At the same time, impressions can help leverage key relationships that are necessary to build brand loyalty. This continues to prove the need for a new measurement and reporting method.

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