What I do for a living
When I say each of my sites is a work in progress, I’m not kidding.
This site has been up for more than 4 years, but one critical piece was missing.
My list of services.
I have corrected that oversight, and now visitors can actually find out what I do for a living.
See my list of services.
Photo: Judi Knight (CC)
Video: Wade Kwon on “How to Win Awards and Influence Readers
in 439 Days and 668 Posts”
I am a lucky presenter.
In March at WordCamp Atlanta, I received more than few shout outs on Twitter for my talk, ”How to Win Awards and Influence Readers in 439 Days and 668 Posts.”
I never expected to receive a great tweet the same day my presentation video hit the Web.
Wade Kwon: Smart & Funny ideas & info on blogging success @ WordPress TV: wp.me/pllYY-4XG via @wordpressdotcom—
David Scott Lynn (@dslyoga) May 06, 2013
David Scott Lynn, a yoga instructor in Phoenix, found my 45-minute video on WordPress.tv before I did and watched it. I am grateful when anyone will sit longer than 60 seconds to watch a video, much less mine.
While I’ll be reviewing the video to improve my delivery, you should watch it to discover the secrets of successful content marketing and management for the long haul. Let me know what you think, whether by telling me on Twitter at @WadeOnTweets or in a comment below.
- Slides from my presentation (which you can follow along in another window, download or print)
- See more videos of sessions from WordCamp Atlanta 2013.
• • •
I help companies from accounting to zoos.
Let me help with your digital content.
The go-to guy for media
I’ve been on both sides of journalism: the reporter and the subject. My ties with media outlets have helped me, my company and my clients talk with audiences they might not normally reach.
It makes me the go-to guy.
You want to be the media’s go-to guy for specific topics. Mine are social media, blogging, technology, trends and communication. My friend (and client) Jen Barnett, co-founder of Freshfully, is the go-to girl for farming, food, agriculture, produce, technology and entrepreurism.
You become the go-to guy when you provide quotes and soundbites on a regular basis to media outlets, helping reporters tell a story to their audiences. You answer their calls and texts and show up on time and ready to answer questions. You provide them with other sources and make them look good with their editors and directors and viewers and readers.
You send them media releases on a regular basis and feed them a steady diet of ideas, tips and the occasional bit of gossip.
You practice your interview skills ahead of time and help them understand complex topics quickly.
You build good relationships over time so they can depend on you on tight deadlines.
Being the go-to guy means waiting patiently. You may pitch ideas and interviews for weeks and months with zero nibbles. And then, you get a surprise call to go on camera, as happened to me last week. (See my interview on Fox 6.)
The go-to guy is flexible and energetic, knowledgeable and humble, with just a hint of swagger.
And in building media relations, the go-to guy isn’t known only to the media but to the community as well.
Photo: Chris (CC)
• • •
Looking for more tips on working with the media?
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter.
Book it: a scavenger hunt on social media
Church Street Coffee and Books co-owner Carrie Rollwagen
shares a scavenger hunt clue through a photo
posted on the store’s Facebook page.
Business owners who not only use social media but also add creativity and excitement to it can be a rare breed.
My friend Carrie Rollwagen found a great way to promote World Book Night as well as a culture of reading and her bookstore, Church Street Coffee and Books: a social media scavenger hunt.
This week, the Birmingham retailer is giving away books at other locally owned stores, kicking off the contest on its blog. The staff shares clues on their Facebook and Twitter (@81churchstreet) accounts.
Today's last clue (more tomorrow): 1: Sparkling deer heads and records on walls / Well-loved are the bands that walk these hallowed halls—
Church Street (@81churchstreet) April 22, 2013
Clever partipants who use the clues to visit the correct locations will receive free books and vouchers for other giveaways.
Plus, the store itself is offering mystery discounts and prizes through a unique plan: Customers can scan books on the shelves with smartphones to uncover the discount (10 percent to 50 percent off) or a prize (free coffee or cookie).
The promotion has earned media and blog coverage.
Church Street built the event around tonight’s World Book Night, an annual worldwide giveaway of classic and modern books by volunteers. (I’ll be giving away free copies of “Moneyball” this morning at 8:30 a.m. at Urban Standard downtown and tonight at 5 at World of Beer on Southside.)
- Stories in al.com | Head/Subhead | Village Living | Weld for Birmingham
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How can your company build excitement through social media?
Contact me to build an outstanding strategy.
How to curate and crowdsource conference coverage
I’m looking forward to returning to PodCamp Nashville in a few weeks. When I went for my first time in 2012, I went all out in covering my experience at the new media conference.
Using Storify and Pinterest, I gave both a narrow first-person perspective as well as a comprehensive look at the event. Crowdsourcing and curation became my most effective methods for gathering and sharing material.
Take a look at my guide to conference coverage in social media along with the end results on the Y’all Connect blog.
Photo: Hamed Saber (CC)
• • •
Looking for conferences, seminars and networking events?
Find the best in my weekly newsletter.
The writer’s unfair advantage in social media
1. A writer can condense someone else’s blog post (article, gallery, video) into a withering tweet. [tweet this]
2. A writer embraces the unknown: unfamiliar topics, uncertain rewards, fickle audiences. [tweet this]
3. Even in viral photos, someone is writing all those Grumpy Cat captions. [tweet this]
4. A writer finds sick pleasure in tightening, revising, tweaking and scrapping two-sentence updates. [tweet this]
5. #badpun #ironictwist #winkandanod #micropunchline #lehashtagjuste #iamsoclever [tweet this]
6. A writer remains undaunted by saying something original in a sea of mediocrity. [tweet this]
7. A writer inspires readers to respond, to act, to share. [tweet this]
8. A writer creates social media updates from nothing, on deadline, without inspiration, every day. [tweet this]
9. A writer makes social media look effortless, while exerting maximum effort. [tweet this]
10. A writer leaves fans always wanting more. [tweet this]
Photo: Dragonlord878 (CC)
•
The writer’s unfair advantage in digital everything
Wade Kwon’s 34 rules for writing
•
Learn social media storytelling
from the best at Y’all Connect on July 23.
Adventures in community building
We all live in communities, whether we participate in them or not.
I’ve built communities online for years. The first one I ever created was a mailing list for my alumni of my high school.
The most recent one I’ve launched is a Google+ community for my hometown, Birmingham. I wanted to experiment with the new feature in G+, and Birmingham is always a good fit for me.
I like watching how others build communities, whether based on existing brands or willing them into existence.
Blogs have a unique relationship with the community concept. They can be communities, when they attract and engage visitors. They can spawn communities, whether in forums or on social media channels.
Bloggers often ask themselves whether their blog needs a related Facebook page, Pinterest board or Instagram account. The challenge with each new community is addressing the needs of its specific audience and finding time to work with it.
The advantages include expanding a site’s audience and reach, gaining new ideas and customers, and becoming better attuned to what fans like and need. The disadvantages include faster burnout, divergence from the brand and the occasional dead end (a community in decline).
The outcome I wanted to see on the Birmingham G+ community is starting to take shape: participation by members. Rather than just one person (me) feeding posts into the group, I’d like to see others contribute links, stories, photos, videos and comments about the city. This diversity of input makes for a richer, more engaging community.
Starting online communities can be done almost instantly. Nurturing and growing them remains the challenge for builders, but those who do it well find a common cause that quickly attracts like-minded participants.
Photo: UF Digital Collections (CC)
• • •
Looking to build community around your brand?
Let’s work together on it.
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