BlogWorld Archives - Angela Crocker

You meet all sorts of interesting folks through social media. About a year ago, I met Lori Randall Stratdman from Social Media Design. Lori’s based in Georgia (I think) and we’ve had many merry conversations on Facebook and Twitter. She writes for Social Media Examiner, is speaking at BlogWorld and has fun through social media every day. Recently, I got an invitation from Lori to attend a virtual event called Pages Gone Wild and I hestitated to participate. But why?

The premise of Pages Gone Wild is to quickly grow the number of people who “like” a Facebook page. Participants are required to “like” the pages of all other participants. Those who like all the participating pages by April 29 willl be featured in an epic blog post that will go out to 100,000 readers. With close to 400 people participating (so far) and significant visibility on offer, why would I hesitate?

I have always spoken openly about my desire for quality relationships over quantity relationships. I want people to interact with people and build relationships that go beyond just the click of a “like” button. But in order to find the quality relationships I’m looking for I need a quantity of people to get to know, right? With this program, will the folks dropping by be interested in my content or just seeking exposure through the event? The truth is it will be some of each. And it’s very likely that many participants will “unlike” my page after the event but that’s ok if I meet some great new folks.

Today, I had a look at the list of participating pages and there’s some really interesting work being shared. Check these out:

Most of these pages are brands similar to my clients – heart centred entrepreneurs, commmunity organizations and business owners exploring social media to build an online community. I know my page would be a useful resource to them and there’s much I can learn from their examples not to mention their content. So, this morning, I’ve decided to join the fray and like a LOT of new pages. If you’re a Pages Gone Wild page owner please say hello in the comments. I’d love to get better acquainted.

And they all blogged happily ever after.

Ok, this post isn’t a fairy tale nor is my eagerly anticipated journey to the BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas. The official action gets underway later this week but the social networking started much earlier in blogs, on Facebook and through Twitter. Somehow I found time to participate in lots of that as I worked with my editors to complete the manuscript for my first book – appropriately called The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creating a Social Network (coming February 2011 from Penguin Group (USA) Inc.).

Beyond participating in these conversations, I’ve been preparing for the trip. The logistics were easy as Las Vegas is, after all, a major tourist destination. The tricky bit comes in deciding what to do with my time.

My conference philosophy is about balance. I want to learn, to connect with people and, perhaps, sow the seeds of new business and have some fun along the way. With multiple sessions in each time slot there’re lots of opportunities to learn. So far, I’ve made up mind that I’ll attend:

The Brand of You: How to Build a Profitable Social Media Based Business presented by Mari Smith.
How to Build a Successful Blog Business by Answering Reader Questions with Dave Taylor.
From Blog to Book a panel with Brian Solis.
Building An Irristible Private Membership Community presented by Chris Garrett.

That leaves me a few spots to go where whims take me and a chance to check out the tradeshow. That being said there’s lots to do outside of the formal conference and these are often the best places to connect with new friends and old. I plan to attend various parties and the Social Media Examiner breakfast meetup.

And then there’s the fun. Everything’s new to me in Vegas so I’m sure I’ll have fun gawking at the strip and people watching. However, I’m a theatre lover so I must take in a show. Fortunately, Cirque du Soleil has generously provided complimentary tickets to see their newest show – Viva Elvis. I can’t wait.

Of course, I’ve left some time free for serendipity. What social networking question burns in your mind? Maybe I can find the answer. (And I’m open to Las Vegas must-sees for writers like me.)