Social media marketing | Liz Hover's Diary of a Web Gal

As mentioned yesterday, I’ve signed up for Project52 – a year-long challenge to post at least one new article to my blog every week until January 2011.

I’d like to know what you’d like to see me write about over the next 12 months.

Is there a burning issue you want to know more about?

Does some part of the social web or this thing we call ‘social media’ confuse you?

Are you interested in my personal opinion on something?

Would you like to guest post with your own topic?

The social web changes frequently. So even if you don’t have an idea now, remember I’m doing this for 12 months so you’ve got plenty of time to get worked up about something.

I’m still angling for a guest post from one of the most interesting bloggers I read, Ari Herzog but we can’t agree on a topic. Do you know Ari? What do you think we should get him to write? This is a guy with some of the most unconventional ideas and behaviours I’ve seen in social media land. Always thought-provoking whether you agree with him or not.

So, over you dear reader. What do you want to read about in 2010?

I moved this blog from Blogger to WordPress in early 2009 so this has really been my first full year building what I consider to be a professional online space – love Blogger but WordPress has given me so much more to play with.

I would like to thank YOU – yes, YOU reading this post – for your continued interest in the words I type. I have a healthy number of readers and am privileged to include you among them.

For me, 2009 has been a year of enormous growth. Beyond my wildest dreams.

I found my passion. Really found it.

Someone once said to me – when I was in my very early twenties – that I would fall into my career. It would just sort of happen.

And in a way, I kind of did.

It was an interesting journey that led me to all sorts of places. Over the years I’ve been a press officer, magazine editor, marketing and communications manager, movie contest co-ordinator, freelance writer, ad agency copywriter, publicist and many more.

Then about two years ago I found a way to turn my passion into my full-time career at the National Screen Institute when I became their website manager.

Most recently I was offered a way to share that passion (I am eternally grateful to you, Tutu Ilelaboye – I’m not even sure you know what you started).

One presentation for Canadian Women in Communications has led to a series of workshops for my employer, National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI).

I have a funny feeling there may be more.

I posted before that during my annual review with my boss I said I wanted to do more – share my knowledge with others. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to do that.

After all, this means nothing if I can’t talk about it with you.

So having celebrated early 2009 with a move from Blogger to WordPress I think I’m celebrating 2010 with in-person presentations.

With that, I look forward to meeting you in Winnipeg sometime during 2010.

Photo courtesy of ittybittiesforyou via a Creative Commons Licence

Adapted from an item in On Screen Manitoba‘ s newsletter:

With the overwhelming success of On Screen Manitoba’s inaugural All Access: The TV Edition in spring 2009, it was evident that Manitoba’s screen-based media industry wanted more.

On Screen Manitoba will deliver two conferences in 2010 – All Access: The Digital Incubator (January 28) and All Access: TV 2010 (April).

I’m particularly excited to attend The Digital Incubator which takes place on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at the Fairmont Winnipeg – Midway Ballroom.

This is a daylong interactive digital media forum which will highlight the different types of interactive digital media and how they are being used in film and television and vice-versa.

The day will consist of a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, guest speakers, round-table meetings, one-on-one meetings and networking opportunities.

The confirmed speakers so far are:

• Ken Bautista, CEO & Creative Director, Hotrocket
• Norm Bolen, President & CEO, Canadian Film and Television Production Association
• Mark Bishop, Partner & Producer, marblemedia
• Keith Clarkson, CFO, Xenophile Media Inc
• Rochelle Grayson, Social Media Consultant
• Alexander Manu, Senior Partner & Chief Imaginator, InnoSpa International Partners (keynote speaker)

More details will be posted on On Screen Manitoba’s website in the new year.

Adapted from a National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) press release

Bring your lunch and join the National Screen Institute’s social media maven Liz Hover (woo-hoo, that’s me!) as she breaks down the hurdles to understanding Twitter, Facebook and sets you up with your social media tool kit.

• Wed. Jan. 13 – What is Twitter and how can it help my business?

• Wed. Jan. 20 – How to get your message out through Facebook

• Wed. Jan. 27 – Your social media tool kit – it’s not just Twitter and Facebook

Where are the seminars?

NSI Aboriginal Training Centre – 400-141 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg.

When do the seminars take place?

Wednesdays (January 13, 20, 27) from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

How much do the seminars cost?

$10 per session (Cash only, receipts available)

Should I pre-register?

Yes please, space is limited. Call Chris Vajcner at 204-957-2998.

What should I bring?

Your lunch and your questions. We’ll provide the coffee and the answers!

About the National Screen Institute

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is a national training school widely known for its prestigious training programs for Canadian writers, directors and producers working in film and television. Most programs are part-time so students keep their day jobs while they train. Participants do not have to relocate – intensive training happens in one place and participants return home to work with a mentor for the rest of their program. All training is delivered by senior industry experts.

Back in October I gave a presentation about social media to Canadian Women in Communications.

As a result I was invited to talk about social media to the staff of On Screen Manitoba.

A colleague of mine attended my Canadian Women in Communications presentation and came up with an idea: to present a series of workshops delivered by me and hosted by my employer, National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI).

Beginning January 2010, the National Screen Institute in Winnipeg will hold three lunchtime workshops covering Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

This is the start of something I have aspired to do for a long time: to share some of my knowledge about all this internet stuff I read about and practice daily in my job as website manager and online content producer.

This blog is one place where I do that but I’ve learnt that I love to present in person and social media gets me pretty excited.

There are further plans in the pipeline which I’ll share when I know more.

I had my annual review with my boss last week. I told her how lucky I feel to have found my passion. Most of us wait a long time to discover a career we truly love. I’m so pleased to have found mine.

Apologies to those of you who read this link via my Twitter stream. This seemed like such a great article with so much food for thought I had to post it here too.

Noupe – a website I regularly read – posted an article about how the web might look five years from now.

The Future of the Web: Where Will We Be in Five Years? is an insightful look at emerging trends and some that are already sticking.

Some highlights include:

• There are a few unsurprising predictions such as the growing influence and use of social media (a term, some of you will know, I think is silly). What this means is social interaction on the internet will be an even bigger feature of the web spaces we visit.

• Our never-ending fight against spam and fraudulent internet behaviour may well increase but I don’t think we’ll ever really be totally safe from this stuff.

• As a chick who spends a large (some might say, excessive) amount of time online I heartily look forward to better and more online film and TV content.

• And Microsoft’s world domination of our PCs may be over sooner than you think. With Google set to launch a Chrome operating system we’re looking at a virtual online office as our operating systems move online.

This is all very exciting stuff. But as Noupe points out, predictions fly around the internet at the speed of tweets so there’s no telling what the future really holds.