Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

SxSW and Small Business: A Conference with a Purpose

Filed Under Business Life, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 1 Comment

A Flexible Plan

SxSW Interactive

When I booked to go to SxSW, I had a few considerations on my mind. My blog is the center of my small business . . . a small business needs to be open for the folks who visit here. Still, if I want myself, my business, and my network to grow and go deeper I need to be part of the relationships I care about.

Conferences do matter, especially to small business. For these reasons and many more.

I went to SxSw with purpose — to learn more and meet more people. I’m bringing back more perspective, more clients, and more friends to interact with you.

I know a conference where you can do many of the same things. . . . it’s in May. Come to SOBCon08 with a purpose!

–ME “LIz” Strauss
Need help deciding? Work with Liz!!
SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

I’m Going to SxSW, Meet Me There, or Meet Great Folks Here While I’m Gone!

Filed Under Guest Writer, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 16 Comments

Leaving on Thursday

SxSW Interactive

As you might know, I leave for Austin to attend SxSW Interactive tomorrow. I’ve been diligently working to get together vibrant content to keep this blog rolling while I’m gone. I’m delighted to say that

will all be here to offer perspectives on business that expand beyond where my brain usually goes. I’ve also got a few thoughts of my own in the queue, so that you don’t forget me while I’m down there.

AND I’m delighted to announce that

Chris Cree will host Tuesday Comments on March 11th!!

while I’m on the plane coming home.

With a jam-packed line up like this, you’re wondering why I don’t leave the blog more often. I know. I know.

I’ll be learning all that I can so that I can bring it back to you. If you’re going to be in Austin, twitter me: lizstrauss.

–ME “LIz” Strauss
Need help deciding? Work with Liz!!
SOBCon08 is May 2,3,4 in Chicago. Register now!

Roving Sheila at SXSW Finale

Filed Under Guest Writer, Successful Blog | 3 Comments

South by Southwest, SXSW, is a yearly conference in Austin, TX.serving the film, music, and interactice industries. The photo shows the goodies they gave out this year.

SXSW

Guest Reporter Sheila Scarborough

Hi Successful Bloggers,

This is it, sports fans, I am Interacted out down here in Austin. The film and music festivals continue, but SXSW Interactive has wrapped.

There was a terrific panel discussion yesterday on the future of online magazines, or “branded content channels/BCC.” Blecchhh, what a stupid name — what’s wrong with “magazine” until something better comes along to explain this online hybrid (and BCC ain’t something better.)

Turn the Page for the Highlights Read more

Roving Sheila at SXSW 03-11-07 and 03-12-07

Filed Under Guest Writer, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 6 Comments

South by Southwest, SXSW, is a yearly conference in Austin, TX.serving the film, music, and interactice industries. The photo shows the goodies they gave out this year.

Laptop_keys_courtesy_Flickr's_DarkSideX

Guest Reporter Sheila Scarborough

Hi Successful Bloggers,

To the regret of every geek within 200 miles of Austin, the online media/Internet buzzfest of SXSW Interactive ends tomorrow (although the film and music festivals continue. Party on, Wayne/Garth.)

There have been a number of interesting panels in the last few days, so I want to give you a Roving Reporter peek while you recover from Liz’s Virtual SOBCon.

** From a great David Shipley/Will Schwalbe panel on email disasters, the thought that “email problems are not a tech issue, but an emotional, anthropological and psychological issue. Mistakes are made in this medium by people who really should know better.”

Why?

The absence of tone in email encourages misunderstandings, so as an email writer, use more descriptive, clear language….make your emails come alive. It’s just good writing.

The speed of email encourages sloppiness, and since there’s no direct human interaction, you also get “disinhibition” AKA “cluelessness.” That ironically sounds like being drunk!
The medium also gives more opportunity for cowardly actions like firing people via email so that you don’t have to face them.

Good email? Short paragraphs, clear subject lines, good writing (even using emoticons to add flavor) and mostly, mindfulness. Follow the Golden Rule with email and you can’t go wrong.

** Random Twitter comment — “So I’m addicted to World of Warcraft. Drinking wine, twittering and playing WOW on a Saturday nite at SXSW — Help.”

** Gina Trapani of LifeHacker and Penelope Trunk (career advice writer) plus more awesome panelists with freelance entrepreneurship advice: Have an elevator pitch, which is just an answer to the question, “What do you do?” (And make sure that it makes sense; your mother should understand your elevator pitch.)
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Roving Sheila at SXSW 03-10-07

Filed Under Guest Writer, SOB Business, Successful Blog | 2 Comments

South by Southwest, SXSW, is a yearly conference in Austin, TX.serving the film, music, and interactice industries. The photo shows the goodies they gave out this year.

sxsw goodie bags

Guest Reporter Sheila Scarborough

Hi Successful Bloggers,

Your Roving Tejas Reporter brings some impressions from Day Two of South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive here in Austin, Texas.

Everyone take a breath and say, “Y’all” and “Howdy” and “digital content service solutions” and “client and server-side XSLT,” just to get in the right frame of mind.

Believe me, there’s plenty of activity here for both Ye Olde Basic Blogger (me) and the most geeked-out programmer. I’ve been mostly going to panels that talk about online relationships and communities, and here are some quick highlights:

** From the panel “World Domination via Collaboration” this morning, I learned that the best way to get a response from your blog readers is to “ask, not tell.”

In terms of corporate blogging, Betsy Aoki of Microsoft talked about how blogging can change the DNA of a company from the grassroots upward, resulting in more of a “culture of transparency and a better connection with customers.” BlogHer’s Lisa Stone pointed out that “whether your company blogs or not, someone is blogging about you,” and Jenna Woodul of LiveWorld chimed in to agree that ” people are talking about your brand out there; you’d better listen and respond.”

Jenna also said that some companies need to have blogging’s ROI (Return on Investment) laid out clearly — “break it down as to what they’re leaving on the table” by not engaging with this online culture.

Lisa Stone reminded us of that old learned-it-in-kindergarten maxim, “Don’t Lie,” using the recent Wal-Mart paid RV blog PR disaster as an example of a “fundamental missed opportunity” to use online tools to build brand loyalty.

Jenna Woodul had great suggestions for growing an online community, including paying close attention to “how the newcomer is perceived and treated; building a culture of community as nurtured and demonstrated by how it welcomes.”

If you need a specific example, look no further than how Liz greet newbies and is always welcoming in her comments in posts and Open Mic Nite, to say nothing of her coveted SOB badges.
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