AMY GAHRAN: The Right Conversation

10 Ideas: What To Post to a Conference Blog

I've been working hard lately to get the unofficial conference blog up and running for the 2006 conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Now that it's up and the crew of volunteer bloggers is mostly trained in how to use our blogging tool, Typepad, they're starting to request more guidance on content. Most of these contributing bloggers come from print media. They know how to write, but they've never blogged before -- and most of them also have little or no experience in creating any content specifically for online media.

Consequently, they aren't familiar with conference blogs. That's fine -- many people aren't, although that's starting to change. I've worked on some conference blogging efforts, so I've pulled together a list of 10 kinds of posts that work well on conference blogs.

As with any conversational-media effort, it helps to know your audience, as well as your community of contributors (both bloggers and commenters). What skills and expertise do they bring to the table? What do they want? Ultimately, that should be your guide.

Here's my list...

Are "target audiences" a problem?

Wow, I'm gratified that my recent post on strategic commenting attracted so much attention -- including praise from the famous Apple-maven-turned-venture-capitalist Guy Kawaski!

I've been slamming on several client projects lately, but right now I'm going to take a few minutes to address some of the points raised in the rich comment thread that article spawned.

On May 2, Jeffrey Treem of Edelman PR spoke up to disagree with my use of the "target audience" concept. Here's what he said...

Do you believe in your content?

Over at Disruptive Thoughts, Fraser Kelton continued an interesting theme sparked by Kent Newsome. See: "Really believe in your content" (by Fraser) and "10/90 and the Rule of the Reallies" (by Kent)

Both postings explore this quandary: Every blogger loves to spark conversation (especially via comments, and via related and linked postings in other blogs). However, in most blogs only a fraction of postings attract any postings at all -- and even fewer (Kent assumes 10%) spark a significant level of conversation (a thread of a few comments or more)

How can bloggers make more of their postings generate more conversation? (And hence, more visibility)...

BWB (Blogging While Busy)

There's no getting around it: Following and participating in conversational media, especially blogging, takes time. For many folks, that's a huge hurdle. Occasionally my own time crunch lands me in a blogging bind.

I've been fortunate lately to score several meaty consulting projects. However, they're all due in approximately the same time frame, so I'm scrambling to get them done. Hence, I haven't been blogging much lately on any of my blogs.

However, I have been reading and commenting on a few other blogs. For me, that tends to take much less time then crafting a typical post for one of my own blogs. (I really don't like dashing off half-formed thoughts, that doesn't suit me.)

It strikes me that I can leverage my comments on other blogs constructively to both create postings when I'm really busy, and to expand the excellent conversations I've already joined. Here's what I have in mind...