dscf20951:38  Back to classes after lunch. Lunch was wonderful. The sessions have broke off to social media 101 and a panel on blog communities. I chose the blog communities. Off we go.

1:40 Four important points on building communities. Its not just building a community, its about fostering a relationship. Its the conversations and interactions that are important. Its not one way, its omni-directional conversation with the hope that it takes off on its own. No involvement from the community creator and they decide where the community goes. Companies have to relize the speed and power of word of mouth and empower the user. Give them a voice and let them speak; its the only way you can function.

Its free marketing to have a community. You have to realize and leverage the free marketing as often as you can. You cant rely on it in your community until you know how strong, loyal, and committed your community is. What can you expect from your twitter followers? WebGrrls is talking about how they signed up people on twitter who said they would show up to a party, where 200 said yes and only 2 showed. They had to pay for the heads and paid for 100. You have to set a community where the community can build awareness and trust, and from trust to loyalty, and loyalty you can build a following and grow into sales.

1:45 Susan Getgood with Marketing Roadmaps. Companies are trying to figure out how to engage in the mom blogging community. You dont have conversations about products, you have to look at the edges and sides on where you share value and how they use it, what they are doing with it, how they care about it while they are using your products and service. They only care in the context that it helps them complete what THEY want to do. You must have shared value.

1:47 Kryan Pittman (notes to self). She believes there is a new math and new media and its not about the members. Its a hidden economy at work. When you are measuring your blog, its also about non monetary value. Its also about reputation, brand, and quality is more important than stats and alexa rating. How can someone who is not part of the community, find out who has the influence? You have to immerse yourself into it and learn.

1:51  A community needs to fulfill the need and niche can serve a monetization for an ad. Its better then a general ‘everything for everybody’. Need to be targeted and loyal community. When talking about success, its about value. Its the balance of value and is a fair exchange and adding something TO the community. In return, the community is adding value to the company as well. When you go to monetize your blog, you need to be transparent about it. You need to respect your visitors. Also a marketer needs to talk to a blogger more about their particular influence and stop worrying about stats. Stats dont talk about what the credibility or influence is of a blogger.

1:58 As a blogger you should have respect for your audience, readers. Whether your writing, having a video blog, you need to give them what they came for and the company has to respect that the relationship was built up.

Quantity sometimes matters but Quality ALWAYS matters.

2:01 You need to show your audience WHY they need to be a part of your community and work with emotions of people. Give them something of value and they need to be emotionally involved in what they are doing. They may be thinking about you, but not loyal to you. When you are putting it together, find out WHY they are coming to you.

2:05 How do you discern as a company, if a blogger is quality?  Panel says you need to be a part of the community you want to reach out to. Its about human interaction no matter how much technology is on it. Companies need to find a blogger to reach out and help them. Don’t just start a community, also find an established community reaching the right 10 or 20 to start with.

2:12 Susan believes that the currency on a blog is a comment, not the stats.

2:25 Add something of value to a comment, dont just drive by comment so you promote just yourself.