Detroit Tweetup Recap: First Tweetup of 2010 Edition

Photo Courtsey of @Wattyz

I’m very happy to say that the first Detroit Tweetup of 2010 was a success. More than 50 people gathered together at Buffalo Wild Wings in Novi for wings, cocktails and conversations.  There were a number of familiar faces present, as well as a few first-time attendees.  Special thanks to Angela Watts (@wattyz) and current Techkaraoke Detroit Champion Katherine Hammond (@kham2939) for taking plenty of pictures.  You can check out their shots on the Facebook event page and on Flickr.

I also want to congratulate Brian Ambrozy (@primesuspect) for being our first Foursquare contest winner.  Enjoy the book! I plan on hosting another contest in the future, so feel free to share any cool ideas for a cheap/free prize.

To see the list of event attendees, and follow them with just a few clicks, check out the list I created on TweepML.

Looking ahead

I’m currently working on a few tweetup ideas that involve new places and activities.  While the primary goal of any Detroit Tweetup will be to provide a venue for Twitter users to meet and connect in real life, I’m always looking for new ways to shake things up.  Here is a quick glimpse at what I’m thinking of putting together in the next few months:

• There will be a tweetup at next month’s Ignite Detroit event on Thursday, February 25th, at The Magic Stick.  Admission is free, but tickets are required.  Tickets will be available starting January 29th, so mark your calendars.  We’re hoping for a pretty big crowd at Detroit’s first Ignite event.  I’d love to see all of you there.
• I’ve been toying with the idea of hosting a Whirly Ball Tweetup in Novi. If you’re not familiar with the concept, check out this video. While Whirly Ball is ridiculously fun, it isn’t cheap.  I’d need a few sponsors to cover at least $400 to rent the place out.  If you like the idea and are interested in helping me make it happen, let’s chat.
• Biznet was home to one of the first Tweetups I ever attended.  I give Kevin and Dave a lot of credit for opening up their offices to our community.  So, once the weather warms up a bit, I’d like to plan another event at the Biznet HQ.  Plan on plenty of cocktails and awesome Rock Band sessions.
• I’ve been chatting with Sarah Lundgren (@detroitpr) about hosting a Wine + Art Tweetup at Future Gallery in Royal Oak.  Sounds classy, right?  I plan on grabbing coffee with Sarah and checking out the space soon.

While this is the type of stuff that is currently on my to-do list, each of you play an active role in shaping this community.  Go ahead and leave a comment if you have any ideas on how we can make the next Detroit Tweetup a must-attend event.

Filed under: community, detroit, detroit tweetups, social media, tweetup , community, detroit, detroit social media community, Detroit Tweetup, events, tweetup

What I hope to accomplish in 2010

I’m pretty pumped for the new year. I already have a number of projects in the works and plenty of crazy ideas that are formulating in the back of mind. So, to kick things off in 2010, I wanted to give you a glimpse of my new goals for Detroit’s social media community.

Focus on growth.
I like to set Big Hair Audacious Goals at the beginning of every year to keep myself on track. My new business BHAG involves growing the social media practice at Identity Marketing & Public Relations. In my personal life, I’d love to take an awesome trip in 2010. I’m a huge history buff, so I’m thinking of revisiting Washington D.C. for a week or two. That, and maybe spending a crazy weekend in Vegas.

I’ve also set a 2010 BHAG for Detroit’s social media community.  Based on attendance sheets and ticket sales, events and conferences targeted at Detroit’s interactive community helped to connect nearly 1,000 professionals in 2009 (and that is definitely a conservative estimate). In 2010, I hope to double that number.

Bigger and better events.
In December, I posted some new information about what local events are currently being organized on the iDetroit site. I’m hard at work organizing the first Ignite Detroit event with an awesome team of great people. I’ll also be bringing Startup Weekend back to Detroit this May. These are two fun, interactive events that always draw a crowd, which is what I think this community needs to grow.  I’ll be looking for volunteers and sponsors for both events, so stay tuned for updates on here and iDetroit.

I’ll also be continuing my role as event organizer for Detroit Tweetups and Techkaraoke Detroit. In 2010, I hope to bring both of these regular events to new locations and incorporate some new activities. WhirlyBall Tweetup anyone?

Turn iDetroit into a community destination.
IDetroit started out as an idea after a conversation with Jeremy Tanner during the 2009 Module Conference.  Detroit need a “home base” that contained links and information about what was happening within the region.  To help move the idea from concept to reality, I joined forces with some local “movers and shakers.”  We each had a similar vision for Detroit, so working together seemed logical.  Since its launch, I’ve tried to tie iDetroit to many of the local interactive events taking place.

This year, I want to grow iDetroit into something big. Look for a more robust calendar featuring plenty of new events and new team members joining up to share stories about what is happening within the community.

Creating a new home.
When I started this blog, I posted about whatever came to mind.  After about a year of experimenting, I think I finally discovered my true passion: connecting social media users in real life. In 2010, I’m going to focus more on blogging about “social communities,” groups and subcultures within cities that thrive because of social technology.  Not only will I continue to discuss what we are accomplishing here in Detroit, but also share more global ideas about community building. Over the next few months, this blog will be undergoing a bit of a makeover to reflect this new focus. Stay tuned.

How YOU can help.
In 2010, all I ask of the members of Detroit’s interactive community is to participate. I can’t do this without you. So, if you help me out, I’ll make sure you have plenty of things to blog and tweet about.

Thanks for making 2009 a great year. Let’s make 2010 even better.

Filed under: Michigan, TechKaraoke Detroit, business, career, community, conferences, detroit, detroit tweetups, iDetroit, marketing, public relations, social media, social networking, tech, tweetup, twitter , detroit, detroit social media community, ignite detroit, social media, social networking, Startup Weekend Detroit

Renaissance State of Mind

Detroit-based rapper Ro Spit recently put a Detroit spin on Jay-Z’s hit single “Empire State of Mind.”  Full of great shots from around the Metro Detroit region, the song’s video has already garnered some 19,900+ views on YouTube in just under two weeks.  Take a look (some lyrics NSFW).

There have been many great stories and presentations on how music artists are benefiting from social media.  I’m absolutely thrilled that we can count a few Detroiters among them.

Filed under: detroit, marketing, social media , detroit, jay-z, music, social media

The Sweet Sounds of Techkaraoke Detroit – November Edition

Detroit’s tech and interactive community came out in force for last month’s Techkaraoke event, drawing our largest crowd yet.

After six months, word is starting to get out about this great event.  I actually had people at the TEDxDetroit afterglow mention to me that they heard plenty of stories about our crazy jam sessions.

While I had hoped to capture the entire night on camera, my Flip died shortly after the event started.  However, Ryan Meray happened to grab my cover of The Proclaimers song, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”  Enjoy!

Side note:  Henry and I are actually Scottish twins.  No lie.

To view the other great photos from Techkaraoke Detroit’s November event, check out the sets posted by Icontic.com’s Brian Ambrozy and Dave Peckens on Flickr.

To learn more about Techkaraoke Detroit, check out our Facebook group.

Filed under: TechKaraoke Detroit, community, events, techkaraoke , community, events, techkaraoke, TechKaraoke Detroit

Crain’s Detroit Business Adds New Community Tools

Crain’s Detroit Business, one of Michigan’s most recognizable business publications, is undergoing a bit of a makeover.  While randomly clicking on some links shared via Twitter, I noticed that the blog portion of their site has been completely redesigned.  Take a look.

Get a closer look here.

It seems that the publication is now integrating additional community elements.  Users now have the ability to post wall messages on profiles, search blog posts by tags, “friend” reporters,  upload pictures and video, and track posted comments.

While Crain’s is well known for their weekly print editions, reporter blogs are quickly rising in popularity, generating more than 10,000 page views per month.  Additionally, there are very few hyperlocal sites with a strictly business-centric audience in the Metro Detroit area.  Adding more community elements could create a whole new dynamic and increase user participation.

However, I think they are missing something.   There doesn’t seem to be any links designed to help me share the site’s content with other networks.  For example, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal both have share widgets for posting to Facebook and Twitter.  Facebook Connect even turned me into a Huffington Post reader. Why not tap the power of other networks before creating you own?

What do you think?

Does building a community element guarantee more participation?  Do we really need a new place to connect?

Filed under: business, social media , community, crain's detroit business, detroit, media, publication, social media

The State of Michigan Really Likes Social Media

Did you know there is a Facebook Fan Page for Mackinac Historic Parks or that the Michigan Grape and Wine Council regularly tweets about great local wines?  In fact, the Michigan government Web site lists 26 Facebook pages, 21 Twitter accounts and 14 YouTube channels maintained by the state on its “Social Networking (Web 2.0)” page.

While many of us have already heard about the Pure Michigan social media success story, it seems the entire Michigan government social media program is attracting a few eyeballs.  The multiple Twitter accounts have more than 28,000 combined followers and the 14 YouTube channels have generated more than 41,000 views.

When digging a little deeper, it looks like each outpost employs a different engagement strategy.  Many of the sites are merely acting as extensions of their Web counterparts and rebroadcasting information.  There are only a few channels that are actively interacting with fans and followers. While creating a dialogue isn’t always an essential part of a social media strategy, I think two-way conversations are playing an increasingly important role in the government 2.0 movement.

Overall, I’m glad to see that the Michigan government is experimenting and giving average citizens newfound access to lawmakers and important state programs.  Mark this down as another “local” social media experiment that you should keep your eye on.

Your turn.

What do you think of Michigan’s social media strategy?  Are you fan?  What are they doing well?  Where could they improve?

Filed under: Michigan, blogs, community, marketing, social media, social networking, twitter , Facebook, Government 2.0, Michigan, social media, State of Michigan, twitter, Web 2.0, YouTube

Brand Camp University 2009 Video Recap

Last Saturday was a big day for Detroit’s interactive community. A number of social media, business and communications experts from all over North America gathered in Southfield at Lawrence Tech. to share their thoughts on social media and personal branding.

When the conference finally came to a close, and co-workers, fellow professionals and friends started asking me about what I learned, the first words that came to mind were, “You simply had to be there.”

To see my take on the energy and excitement felt during Brand Camp University 2009, check out this recap video.

I also encourage you to check out some of the attendee and speaker reactions available on the Brand Camp University blog.

Special thanks to Henry Balanon and Hubert Sawyers for helping shoot the footage. Super special thanks to Brand Camp University’s official photographer, Paul Manoian, and Brian Ambrozy of Prime Pics for the awesome photos.

Your turn.

If you made it out to Brand Camp University 2009, what was your big takeaway?  What are you going to change about your personal brand and the way you do business?

Filed under: community, conferences, detroit, events, iDetroit, social media, social networking , april holmes, Biggby Coffee, brand camp university, detroit, Hajj Flemings, ken brown, lawrence tech, mitch joel, personal branding, Scott Monty, social media, Strategy, valeria maltoni

Social Media Club Detroit October Meeting – How to Avoid Presentation FAIL

Co-organizing Brand Camp University has been one of the most rewarding and time-consuming projects I have ever undertaken.  Hajj Flemings and I spent countless weekends discussing content, identifying speakers, strategizing promotion and experimenting with format changes at Caribou Coffee in Royal Oak.  We constantly bounced ideas off each other. Proposals were challenged.  Every so often, moments of brilliance surfaced, followed by a few facepalms.  Luckily, after every meeting, we left excited knowing that we were now one day closer to the big event.  As Hajj would say, “we were cooking with gas.”

During the six plus months spent developing Brand Camp University, we learned a lot.  This Wednesday, we are going to share some of that knowledge with the Detroit social media community at the Social Media Club Detroit October chapter meeting.

Some of the questions we hope to answer include:

1. Why do large social media conferences matter to the Detroit region?
2. How do you grow a conference idea?
3. What are ways to approach creating a conference?
4. What’s the appropriate balance between content and personality?
5. Why should you match conference content to the region/market?
6. How do you create reasonable conference expectations?
7. What are the complexities of dealing with rock star speakers?
8. How do you create “need” and make sure your conference stands out?

As an added bonus, we will also be holding a drawing for free tickets to Brand Camp University 09, which takes place this weekend at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield.

The Social Media Club Detroit October meeting will be held at Java Exchange in Detroit near Wayne State University. To RSVP, visit the Facebook event page. To learn more about upcoming Social Media Club Detroit meetings and events, become a fan on Facebook.

Filed under: Michigan, community, conferences, detroit, events, social media , brand camp university, conferences, events, Hajj Flemings, personal branding, social media, social media club detroit

Think Global. Act Local. How you can Support the Growing Digital Detroit Community

**Originally posted by Ken Burbary on http://www.i-detroit.com**

Detroit has an thriving community of Digital marketing, advertising, creative and technology professionals. The community does exceptional work supporting the online communication efforts of brands like Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jeep, GeekSquad, United States Postal Service, Unite States Navy, and Michelin to name a few. However, we’ve long lived in the shadow of our industrial reputation the region earned decades ago. We’re trying to change that and show a different side of Detroit, the Digital side. Some ambitious members of this community have submitted their ideas for panels at the 2010 SXSW interactive festival. For those unfamiliar with it, SXSWi is one of, if not, the biggest annual industry event. People travel from all over the globe to attend, learn and share their professional experience in digital communications.

“SXSW Interactive features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer.”

I’m highlighting 6 sessions submitted by Detroit based Digital professionals. I’m asking for your help to get their ideas selected for the conference. It takes only a few moments of your time to vote. Simply go to the SXSW panel picker by clicking on the session titles below, and click the icon to vote (note: you will need to register if you don’t already have an account). Every vote counts. Let’s get these panelists into the “big show” and highlight the emerging talent that is right in your own backyard.

Building Social Strategies at Fortune 100 Companies - panel session with Scott Monty, Ford Motor Company

Description: Companies of all sizes are adopting social media and community, but large organizations have some unique challenges and opportunities. This panel will uncover best practices through stories told by social media leaders from Ford, Nationwide, IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Dell.

Using Social Media to Find a New Gig – panel session by Shelli Gutholm, Aquent

Description: Don’t expect to get your next job by stuffing a bunch of resumes into envelopes and sending to “HR”. The best way to find the job of your dreams is by networking through Social Media. Social networking helps bypass the anonymity of the proverbial resume “black hole”. How you can use Social Media to secure your next job? We will be reviewing the tools and best practices that job seekers should utilize in a search. Also, we will outline some of the common mistakes job seekers make when using Social Media, which could lead to your efforts being sabotaged before they even begin.

Real World ROI and Social Media Strategies – panel session by Cosmin Ghiurau, BOSSdev Inc.

Description: Why Social Matters to Business Calculating the ROI of Social Case Study: CPR Week Digital Campaign for the American Heart Association Available with a client representative to participate These three topics can be presented as independent sessions or combined into one session. All three topics are focused upon how business can effectively understand, implement and measure web 2.0 marketing programs. Knowledge on the latest research and methods for digital marketing and social media Resources to leverage to stay informed on digital marketing and social media Real world examples of how businesses implement and measure web 2.0 programs ROI calculator to estimate and measure your own web 2.0 programs

Beyond the Click: Converting Website Visitors into Customers – solo session by Ayat Shukairy, Invesp Consulting

Description: For an online business, persuading visitors to purchase your product or service is crucial to increasing sales. Using the science and art of analytics analysis, marketing, usability and software, discover how the Conversion Framework approach can convert online visitors into customers such as RHDJapan and Metro Uniforms.

Industrial To Interactive: From Old Town To Tech Town – panel session by iDetroit members

Description: The idea of your city being home to the next thriving digital community is enticing. However, traditionally non-tech regions face a challenge. How do you introduce, develop and grow a digital movement within a location that has never seen one? Detroit is one such city currently grappling with this issue.

Using Facebook to Leverage Social Marketing and Gain ROI - dual session by K. Alan Robbins, BOSSdev Inc.

Description: Panel will cover the evolution of the social networking universe; provide valuable information with respect to the capabilities and unique aspects of the Facebook platform; valuable tips to help you craft an effective Facebook guerilla marketing campaign; and provide key criteria to help you to pick an effective development partner.

Filed under: Michigan, community, conferences, detroit, events, iDetroit, social media, tech , alan robbins, aquent, ayat shukairy, bossdev, cosmin ghiurau, detroit, Ford, iDetroit, invesp, Scott Monty, shelli gutholm, SXSWi

Detroit Tweetups – GM Summer Tweetup Edition

General Motors has been pretty busy lately.  The brand has been virtually everywhere, launching new cars and making some pretty big announcements. So, with all this activity going on, you can image how awesome it was to hear that the GM social media team wanted to host a tweetup for Metro Detroiters at Bar Louie in Novi on August 10th.

Great food. Interesting conversation. A couple of cool cars on display.  How could the Detroit Twitter community say no?

The GM Summer Tweetup drew a great crowd of 50+ attendees

Connecting with the people in your backyard
For me, this was more than just another opportunity to see old friends and make new ones.  GM will always have a strong connection to Metro Detroit and many of us here are personally and professionally invested in the company’s success. This tweetup presented a chance for Detroiters to connect with the people behind one of our brands and hear more about where the company is headed.

For more thoughts on this topic, check out the video below featuring me and Chris Barger, GM’s Director of Global Social Media Communications.  Note the handsome expression in the video still.

Also, I’d like to thank the lovely Lish for helping organize this great event.  She did all the legwork and deserves all the credit.

As always, to stay informed about the latest news and events related to Detroit Tweetups, please join our Facebook group. To see who attended the GM Tweetup, check out the list of handles below.  If for some reason you attended the tweetup and your Twitter handle is absent, please post it in the comments.

@wendyclark
@lish
@davesacre
@becksdavis
@becksdavishubby
@kewlrats
@alexfishernet
@verdelifestyles
@1485peet
@genebrady
@ktkruzn
@dukedna
@lisakup
@anig05
@mollysly
@shedski
@hmayers
@hajjflemings
@skinjunkie
@cbaccus
@rockdrool
@margosha8
@turbobrown
@shaunan
@cxiro
@potsie
@tinawebanalytic
@hondagrrl
@freshmenz
@detroitvoice
@drintelmann
@rmercader
@lesleyhettinger
@mrb8507
@jfavreau
@danieleizans
@cbarger
@julieglissman
@qoswhit
@davemurr
@jwphillips
@tvdeegan
@rposluszny
@mabdelno
@metajp
@christas
@tomehenderson
@bchesnutt
@positivecities
@essohhbee
@joem32
@jangosteve
@davebenjamin
@tomshea

@ejohnsonroxx (not valid – anyone know this handle?)

Filed under: Michigan, community, detroit, detroit tweetups, events, social media, tweetup, twitter , detroit, detroit tweetups, General Motors, General Motors Tweetup, GM Tweetup, social media, tweetup, twitter