Tag: blogging

Bearded trim?

Gareth at Bearded wanted to join the Birmingham Bloggers meeting last night but couldn’t because of something to do with print, publishing, stress and hair loss. He’d love to know what we make of the Bearded blog – an honest critique is where he would like us to start.

My twopennorth is suggesting you link more to other blogs within posts. Get a touch more eclectic about sources of ideas and inspiration. Don’t think of it as another way of sharing content, but instead as a way of rooting Bearded into a wider local and global network of writers, thinkers and fine folk. One other thing, find a charity to support, connect into the social network that builds around a cause that really makes sense to you. The time you spend supporting that cause will have a happy by-product of creating support for your brand – but be sincere about the choice you make.

Brum Bloggers – venue for Part 3?

I’m losing my voice. My fault for being too voluble last night. For those who listened thank you. Like Stef I too was pleased to see the room swell with growing numbers at the 2nd gathering of the Birmingham Bloggers Group and also to see the conversations splinter.

I was absolutely engrossed in talking to Joana Geary, not least about the future of the business model for newspapers. Brum bloggers Andrew Dubber and Paul Bradshaw really understand how the music industry is a precursor for the disruption that is leaving conventional publishing bemused.

alex hughes cartoonistStill on the publishing side of thing I was excited, nay moved, to be able to say hello to Alex Hughes. It was the first time I’d met him, but when I used to produce Midlands at Westminster I did commission cartoons from him.

I had a happy time talking to image makers, including Steve Gerrard, who remains keen to find new ways to allow young photographers access to bigger gigs.
Hello blogger from birminghamStef has already written to encourage us to be more welcoming of new Birmingham blogs after we received Emily’s crisp new photo blog with a mutter and a lurk. He also crafted a wonderful badge to express our local largesse. I think we should be more thoughtful in supporting each other, however blogging remains a personal thing and each blogger will choose what interests them and where and how they want to comment.

Heeding his words, these faces and blogs are new to me: Jonathan Melhiush, Ben Neal, Paul Burns, Danny Trinkett. I’m also pleased to find Matt at Zenbullets and his Midlands’ New Media aggregator. (Hat tip Pete – is there a blog post written in Brum that doesn’t link to Pete?)
I missed saying a proper hello to d’log, who proposes different styles of meeting to work in different ways and appeal to others – with the same idea from Antonio. These suggestions are one of the reasons why very soon after the first meeting I made a whole bunch of people admins for the group – so people can do what they feel is right. I’m thinking we’re still at a stage where informal is good – there are loads of people who haven’t met who should. Of course names on a sticky label makes some sense.

I am though also keen on Lloyd’s (brought up in Moseley) work in developing a social media cafe in London. This is a more structured way to offer individual social media specialists a space where they can collaborate, meet, learn, share, work. Lloyd first talked to me about it at last years podcampuk. Dave Briggs made the connection after the first Birmingham bloggers meeting. If I’ve missed your post on the evening please shout and I’ll update this one.

One enormous thank you to Jon and Jules for driving me in and out of town – especially for Jules for stying sober despite celebrating here first day in a new job.

So..what about a venue/ideal time for the next one? Suggestions?

4Talent – Social Media for the Creative Industries.

Gaping Void advertisingA while back Antonio Gould sat in my back bedroom and we talked about social media. He’d come round to record some ideas about podcasting for his fifth and apparently final Birmingham made Channel 4 media cast. It is a great listen. Antonio has a clear and enthusiastic delivery, well produced, with loads of very useful content.

The aim is to encourage creative businesses to use all forms of social media, but starting with basics like a blog or perhaps a podcast. I think the lessons apply equally to social enterprises and to local and community groups.
Mark McGuiness makes a compelling case for a realistic use of a blog. It’s like “networking on steroids”, he tells us before adds oddles of great advice and pointing us to copyblogger, one of my favourites gapingvoid of Hugh Mcleod’s Global Microbrand idea, and David Airey.

Emily Martin of Black Apple makes a great case study. Antonio met her when speaking in America about Etsy. She explains why her online home craft business (“I carry my original paintings and prints, and all sorts of curiosities”) benefits from the relationships established through blogging: “It’s not something that will be articulated in the business schools, but people get attached to you. It’s ephemeral and that’s why they like it”.
Indeed – the ephemeral is tricky to measure, but that doesn’t mean it has no value.