This month’s Winnipeg Girl Geek Dinner is all about blogging and I’m the presenter along with my pal Polly Washburn.
We’ll be sharing our experiences, from the techie bits to the creative stuff of choosing a theme, deciding what to write about, how to format a blog post, and why it’s important to post regular content.
Join us on Tuesday, June 8 (at 6 p.m. if you want to nosh on the delicious food at EAT! Bistro in Aqua Books or 7 p.m. if you just want to feed your mind.)
While the title of the event might be a bit girl-biased – boys are totally welcome.
Everyone is invited; if you plan on attending, please RSVP via Facebook or Eventbrite.
Really hope to see you there.
About us (the gals doing the talking)
I moved to Winnipeg from London, UK seven years ago and work as the digital media manager for the National Screen Institute – a film and TV training school. I author two blogs: Diary of a Web Gal and Hi, I’m Sadie Shih Tzu (nominated for a Canadian Weblog Award). I’ve presented workshops about the social web for the National Screen Institute, On Screen Manitoba, Canadian Women in Communications, the National Film Board and more. I also do web consulting to help develop and improve websites. My passion is the internet and how to best use it as a communications professional. Catch me on Twitter @lizhover@nsicanada@sadieshihtzu
My pal Polly moved to Winnipeg from New York over 10 years ago. She’s a film and digital media producer, owner of the production and consulting company Positron Media. She provides consulting and training in production and web marketing. She’s currently producing three feature films, a couple of shorts, a collaborative online digital media project, an iPhone app and an augmented reality game. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, she’s just launched a new blog ScreenLiving to examine content creation and distribution in a world where screens are both converging and proliferating. Catch Polly on Twitter: @pollywashburn
He’s a super talented Canadian photographer who I’ve know for a few years now. I’ve always admired his craft but was totally impressed when a message about ‘Foto Friday’ landed in my inbox a while back.
Ian decided to host Facebook Foto Friday. He would essentially be giving away a photo to anyone that turned up at his studio on the given date.
The catch?
The photo had to be used on all social networks.
Genius!
Of course I turned up with my husband and – obviously – I asked Ian to write about the whole thing. Why? Because Ian runs one of the first Winnipeg businesses I’ve seen using social media to effectively market his business. More than that. Ian absolutely embraced and understood the value in doing this. Golden rule of marketing: give before you take.
For years before any of this social media stuff – before the internet even – I’ve enjoyed gifting my work, usually to clients.
Clients who have kids get free baby portraits, for example. Or if clients wanted to enter their own design work in competitions, I’d shoot it for them. With the move to digital, it’s been even easier to gift my work.
Since Facebook, it’s been great to watch people respond to my work.
Whenever a portrait I’ve done is used on profile shots, people ask “who did this?” Clients who stand in for me while I set up the lighting, before the impatient CEO arrives, ask for the shot to be sent to them only for it to appear the next day as their profile shot!
Meanwhile a good portion of my 700+ friends on Facebook continue to use the worst photos imaginable as their profile shots.
Rather than waste time on creating a “fan” page for my work, I wanted to find a way for people to value my friendship on Facebook. Some of those friends were mere connections I had yet to meet face to face.
What better way than to give them amazing looking profile shots?
So an invite to the first “Facebook Foto Friday” event was sent. This is what I wrote:
My first ever Facebook Foto Friday
What is it? It’s a opportunity for you to get a new Facebook profile photo. For Free. It’s only open to my Facebook friends as of now.
Why? I dunno, thought it would be a fun opportunity to meet with some friends, and ensure everyone looks good on Facebook.
Whats the catch? Simple stuff, really: - Only use the image for profiles on social networks, Facebook, Twitter,Flickr, etc. - Please don’t crop out my logo, and a credit would be nice.
How’s it gonna go down? Drop by the studio between the times listed. Feel free to bring a few different changes of clothing or props. Please no guests, animals, children,etc. Keep it simple! We’ll take a few snaps, and one image will be selected and sent to you big enough to use as your profile image.
What if I want more than one? Hmmm, well we’ll have to talk about that if that’s the case.
What if I can’t make it? Don’t worry, I might do this again, if it turns out to be fun!
I have no idea why, but I cringed when I sent the invite. I felt nervous and scared to do this.
To give away what you do, the basis of your business for free, in any form is a scary thing. This was new territory for me and I had no clue what would happen.
Would all 700 friends show up? Would no one show up?
Fortunately right away my fears were dashed with the overwhelming response.
People seemed impressed that I felt strongly about their profile images that I would do it for free. Even people who weren’t able to make it still expressed their gratitude. The power in the gift doesn’t even rely on anyone taking you up on the offer. Over the next few weeks I reminded people with my status updates of the event. People who weren’t my friends on Facebook, but were on Twitter were asking if they could come anyway.
The day of the event, we had approximately 40 people show up.
It became not only a photo shoot but a networking event. Rather than mingle in the waiting area as I intended, everyone hung out in the studio to encourage each other, egg each on, and enjoy the antics.
Some people brought props, some sat for a photo when they hadn’t planned on it, some just hung out and chatted. Jamie and Lisanne of BlinkWorks shot a behind the scenes video which in turn, had people interested in their business.
For me the real pay off was watching the reactions and all over Facebook as everyone changed their profile pictures. For the last few days, the comments have been constant, the new friends adds about three to four a day, and the amount of goodwill generated is priceless. I will probably do another one down the road, Twitter Tuesday anyone?
Ian McCausland is a commercial photographer in Winnipeg Manitoba. He’s embraced the social aspect of the internet since 1992, before the web! (Check his URL. This man bought up the ian.ca domain before folks even knew what domains were). Find Ian on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
I’ll be giving practical examples of social media that you can put into practice immediately (or email me if you’re stuck). I hate jargon; fluff; nonsense. I like getting to the point.
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.
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
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.
Winnipeg Twitterers attended (what we think) is our first tweet up last Tuesday.
What’s a tweet up?
Remember all those folks you follow on Twitter and who follow you? Remember how you’ve never met most of them? The tweet up brings you together in a physical setting so you can hear and see breathing human beings.
Though as @neonne – one of my US Twitter pals – commented: “Hope you had fun but umm.. isn’t the whole point of the interwebs so we don’t have to go out there?”
Ah yes. There is that. And usually I don’t leave the house other than to go to work or walk Sadie Shih Tzu.
I used to shop A LOT. But my other half put the kibosh on that. And I’ve no idea why…
We talked mostly about Twitter. Which isn’t surprising. I wonder where our future tweet up conversation topics will net out. After all our common denominator is Twitter.
A few of the gang had their laptops and tweeted occasionally. I told @Positronics that I thought we were supposed to be doing the human contact thing and that I would ignore anyone choosing to tweet and talk at the same time. Which is really quite idiotic of me because these folks were so nice it was impossible to not chat.
The tweet up was short and @Positronics gave me a lift home afterwards – in Winnipeg’s joyous winter climate that makes her a bit of a hero.
I'm Liz Hover - a Brit gal in Canada; pet blogger; and the digital media manager for a Canadian film & TV training institute. This is my personal blog. I write about the social web ... and I might occasionally mention my dog. [Read more ...]
My dog's blog received three nominations and won third place for 'Best Design' in the Canadian Weblog Awards 2010. The website I produce for my employer has been awarded an Honourable Mention in the PRNews’ Nonprofit Awards.
