I began blogging years ago as an extension of twitter and facebook. It was a way to stay connected with my audience back when a facebook status had a maximum length and I needed more characters to express my thoughts. Most days I can sum up my thoughts in 140 characters, but to get a broader picture of my ideas I wanted to bring in several media sources (such as images and youtube videos) into my posts and blogging allows for that as well as links to other resources for my readers to learn more about my topic.
I enjoy fruitful conversations and have helped many people connect with my experience in networking both on and offline. One of the best examples of this is the Tweetstock franchise out of Brantford Ontario.
Several years back I had the opportunity to be quoted in Scott Stratten's UnMarketing book and I attended the launch of his book in Oakville Ontario. There, Lindsey Jacobs (who I had met via twitter) introduced me to Trevor Cherewka, who had started holding meetups/tweetups in Brantford Ontario. With a mutual like for networking Trevor invited me to speak at Tweetstock 3. A few months later I found myself gathered with about thirty Brantford residents explaining how important twitter was to businesses and how it would become the next level of networking. I really enjoyed the event and quickly connected with the majority of the people in the room (many of which I am thrilled to have as my friends today). After the event I let Trevor know how impressed I was by what was happening in Brantford and would do my best to support his next event. When he announced the Tweetstock 4 event I went to work spreading the word about Tweetstock to my audience. Because of my posts Tweetstock 4 had several out of town attendees and the audience quickly grew. Each event after came with it's own unique twist and I would find ways to incorporate what was happening into my online conversations and blog posts. Coupon codes that were spread through my network became very popular and helped persuade readers to buy tickets for the event. Several Tweetstocks later the Tweetstock franchise has grown from a meetup to an event to an all day conference. This is just one example of how word of mouth advertising through online networks can evolve something that started out small to something much bigger. Influence marketing was used to amplify awareness of an event that takes place in Brantford Ontario but has attendees that drive several hours just to be in that room. This then turns the conference into a room full of influencers broadcasting their messages to their networks and continuing the topics of discussion for days following Tweetstock.
Connection is key. You never know where it may take you (perhaps to Brantford Ontario for the next Tweetstock Conference!)
