Blogger Social: WORTH THE TIME!!!
This weekend’s Blogger Social in New York was surprisingly fun and productive. I suppose I should clarify my use of words like “surprisingly,” “fun,” and “productive:”
Like so many things I find myself doing in the course of my consulting practice, I felt, on heading in to NYC Friday evening, that attendance at the Social was a duty, or a chore, not an enjoyment. Something I “owe” to Drew McLellan, Lori Magno, and Gavin Heaton for past favors. Something like entertaining a client at her favorite revue in Vegas, when I would rather be watching baseball on TV or at my son’s lacrosse game. So, with my expectations firmly lowered, I arrived at the party and, (surprise!) had a very good time. Among the revelations – most of the bloggers were exceedingly fun and interesting people with which to converse…and drink. As I’ve whined about before in this blog, I came to blogging late in life and under the strict tutelage of Mark Fortier. I am always, therefore, engaging in discussions about blogging with a nagging – and potentially debilitating – suspicion that I am out-gunned, that everyone else in the conversation has years of blogging behind them, that they are creative geniuses at commercializing their blogs, and they consider me an insufferable rookie.
Quite the contrary, I found the conversation stimulating, the contacts valuable, the ideas useful, the drinks enjoyable, and the food, er, passable. I hope we do, indeed, turn this into an annual event and that I will have more time – and experience – to making it a success each year.
Kudos to Drew, Gavin, Lori, and CK for all their hard work in putting it together.
Among the very useful bloggers whom I met and with whom I hope to maintain relationships were Toby Bloomberg of Diva Marketing, Vahe Habesian of Marketing Charts, and Kaitlyn Richards Wilkins of Catch Up Girl. It was particularly rewarding to get to know Toby, since AnnaMaria, months ago, had specifically warned me off the Diva Marketing blog, assuring me that my Y chromosomes were simply not appropriate.
For supposedly world-weary, hard-bitten, bottom-line, red-State MBA’s such as myself, I can only say that I not only had fun, I picked some good contacts and some good ideas for commercializing the things we are doing on our blog. That makes the Social worthwhile and worth repeating.
Hi John,
It was great meeting with you - Indeed it was a surreal and fantastic atmosphere. I hope you stay blogging with us because we definitely need more folks like you online. I’ve seen other authors start a blog in support of a book, but either had a stale voice or slowly dropped off the map. The only important thing in blogging is writing about subjects you’re passionate about on an intermittent basis, and participating in online conversations with folks/topics you like, and when you have time.
I’ll be in touch when I finish the book and do a blog review
Until then!
- Mario
Mario:
Thanks for the encouragement. I think I’m hooked on blogging now, so never fear!
It was fun talking and drinking at the Social. Please keep in touch and good luk with your own book!
John
John,
Phew! I am really glad you had a good time. Otherwise, I would have felt awful that you dragged yourself there.
Boy, in a crowd of superb people, you picked out a great one — Toby! Guys are always welcome in the Diva’s lair. And don’t fall for the “just try on the boa” trick!
My only regret is that we didn’t get any time to talk with one another. Had I arrived on time, we could have actually pulled up a couple bar stools and enjoyed a conversation.
Next time….
Drew
Drew:
Yes — we must A) Be sure to make the Social an annual event and B) get more time to talk at the next on!
John
Hi John:
I told you it would rock! Thank you for giving each of the Socialites a copy of Stopwatch Marketing. You rock!
Lori:
Let’s be sure to make this an annual event!
Get some rest.
John
John - thanks for your kind words. Blogger Social was beyond wonderful and I owe Drew, Gavin and Lori thanks for encouraging you to come. Wish we could have spent more time chatting .. the only down fall of the event .. I wanted more time with peeps.
Drew and AnnaMaria are right. Pink boas or appeltinis .. or beers or Scotch - Diva Marketing is a fun, place for both divas and “divos” to hang out and chat about marketing and social media marketing.
Thanks for the book also.
Toby:
Don’t tell AnnaMaria, but I READ Diva all the time. I just don’t post comments because she (AnnaMaria) gets mad at me!
See you soon…hope you enjoy the book!
John