In a world where images trump text when capturing consumers’ attention; Designers, Artists and creative individuals are essential in creating a compelling and engaging Social Media experience. AIGA, the professional association for design is a national organization with a mission to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. AIGA is the place designers turn to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis, research and advance education and ethical practices. They set the national agenda for the role of design in its economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts and they’re taking an initiative to ensure their members are educated on innovative design techniques such as those used in Social Media.

I’m honored that AIGA has invited me to speak and host their Interactive event on April 21^st, 2010 in San Diego. As Social Media continues to dominate as a preferred marketing medium, Designers are constantly being challenged with their skills to create unique content. User experience in Social Media is significantly different from traditional websites (did I just call websites traditional?) and print media. Consumers have different motives for visiting your social media pages compared to your website so it’s important to understand how to design pages aligned with your audiences’ goals.

I’ll be educating the audience on how to incorporate design techniques in Social Media that creatively encourage sharing, user generated content and participation while ensuring their social media is branded consistently with the overall marketing strategy. While some networks have limitations, I’ll discuss how to work around restrictions to ensure social media pages are optimized properly.  I’ll also provide insight on creating appealing profiles that improve search results, a topic that’s imperative to understand for a truly optimized Social Media presence.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Location: Liberty Station 2640 Historic Decatur Road San Diego, CA 92106 Meeting Room 4

Price: Members- $20, Non-members- $30, Students- $15, Day of event- Add $10

Register Today: AIGA San Diego

The event is open to everyone so I encourage you to attend and spread the word! It will be a great networking opportunity with creative entrepreneurs. I’m so grateful for all the speaking engagements I’ve been invited to this year. It’s truly my passion to educate and share my knowledge about Social Media and new technology. Speaking has become an important part of my own professional development. If you’d like to book me as a speaker for an upcoming event, please feel free to visit Marketing Melodie’s Speaking page.

*Photo Credit: Melodie’s Speaking photo taken by Steven Soule

Tonight I administer the final exam for my marketing class at Platt College.  I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have attracted this opportunity into my life. Teaching this course has provided me with such a strong foundation for being an educator and enhanced my professional knowledge and skills in many areas as described in my previous post about Social Media Education. This is the first final exam I’ve ever administered, but the word “final” definitely doesn’t describe my continued ventures in education.  Last April 2009, I had the privilege of attending  WeekendU’s Internet Power course.

Weekend University is an innovative educational institution focused on practical in-person and online digital skills education. Their courses deliver practical knowledge from experienced practitioners, providing students with real world skills they can use the next day in their professional and personal lives.

WeekendU is lead by Dmitry Shapiro, a pioneer in the tech industry and one of the most well respected leaders in the online space. I can honestly say that this course revolutionized the way I use the internet. I’m more efficient, organized and the information I want is coming to me.  During the course I had my laptop open and implemented many of Dmitry’s recommendations. I immediately noticed my productivity skyrocket. My enthusiasm for this course is conveyed in the WeekendU Internet Power Video.

In addition to improving my own skills, I was empowered with technology and information that allowed me to teach others the same innovations I learned. Many of the talks I give and classes I teach are founded on the principals from this course.  Since I’ve been an evangelist for WeekendU’s education for the past year, it is now an absolute honor to announce that I’ll be an Instructor at WeekendU, along with Dmitry and other experienced technology and online entrepreneurs.  Please stay tuned for upcoming webinars and in person classes I’ll be teaching. WeekendU has big plans in store for 2010 and beyond.

The first course I’ll be teaching is Internet Power this Saturday February 27^th at UCLA. Dmitry will lead the class on finding information faster, organizing and managing information flow, leveraging power tools and I’ll be teaching a section on Social Media.

I’m giving away one complimentary pass to attend the course and as always offering you 3 ways to win. If you participate all 3 ways, you’ll be entered 3 different times. The winner will be chosen Thursday evening so you have a couple days to plan for Saturday.

1. Join my Facebook page and leave a comment my Facebook “Discussion”  about WeekendU

2. Retweet this blog post with the Tweet button on the top left of this post and make sure to include my Twitter name @MyMelodie in the tweet.

3. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me your biggest challenge with managing your internet use (ie: overloaded email inbox, difficulty finding relevant information, etc)

Additionally I’m offering my entire network $100 off this Saturday’s course.  So please let me know if you’d like a promo code.

Whether you’re a novice internet user or an online industry leader, I guarantee you will learn something valuable from this class. In fact we’re so confident  we offer  “100% Satisfaction Guranteed – Or We Will Refund Your Registration Fee” I look forward to seeing you on Saturday at UCLA!

This post is inspired by a place filled with infinite knowledge, new technology and an abundance of content .  This place is called the Library. Although not all libraries are created equal we can all agree that all libraries provide a place that supports education and knowledge.

Libraries have always been a part of my life. As a child I was an avid reader. I stayed up late and went through a new book nearly every night. From Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High, Choose Your Own Adventure, Baby Sitter’s Club, I read it all. I loved the entertainment, exciting scenarios and challenges faced by the characters . Reading stimulated my imagination and gave me an opportunity to experience new adventures every day.

As an adult, I’ve continued my passion for reading as it satisfies my desire to constantly learn. I’m currently compelled to read every book I can get my hands on related to Social Media, New Technology, Marketing, Sales, Entrepreneurship, Inspiration and Personal Development. The library provides me with an unlimited selection of content on these topics.

I’ll share my top reasons and tips for taking advantage of such a wonderful resource. Please note the information I share is based on my experience with the San Diego Public Library system.

Online Reservations- San Diego has over 30 library locations. You can find almost anything you’re looking for in at least one or more branches. Rather than having to drive around town to pick up books, online technology is used to expedite the process. Sign up for an account through the San Diego Public Library and use their search system. Your results will show every branch your book is available at and whether or not it’s checked out. Reserve online or put on hold if it’s checked out and if it’s not from your nearest branch, it will be shipped to you. You’ll receive a friendly email once your book is ready for pick up. You can also return books to any library regardless of which location it came from.

Complimentary WIFI – We all know how frustrating it is to be at a café that offers complimentary WIFI if  the access is slow and often stops working. All San Diego libraries I’ve visited have computers that offer internet access, and free WIFI connection. From my experience the connection is high speed, never cuts out and is extremely reliable.  As a bonus there’s no noise from coffee grinders and loud guests. You have a quiet, peaceful environment conducive to improved concentration.

Book Sales- I highly recommend buying and donating books to the library for many reasons.  Books you donate are sold at their sales. Each dollar earned is matched by the city so the library receives more money to invest back into resources for you . Essentially by simply buying a book you’re giving back twice as much money to the library while leaving with a great piece for your own collection. The book store at my local branch always has new books in new condition. Some great titles I’ve picked up for $1  while earning $2 each for the library include Eckhart Tolle’s a New Earth, 2 books by Robert Kiyosaki, one of the most popular Social Media books, Groundswell and Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People at the best price in town!

Multimedia- In addition to books the library is filled with a plethora of multi-media. I often supplement my books but also listening to the audio version. I’ve found almost every audio book I’ve book I’ve wanted to listen to. Want to grow your music selection? The library is filled with CDs from every music genre. Blockbusters nationwide are shutting down but the DVD selection at the library keeps growing with the newest releases. At no charge to you, you can check out up to 5 DVDs at a time.

Events- I haven’t attended many library events but they do offer a variety of free community events that appeal to many different audiences. I’ve seen flyers for free movie nights, seminars about health, book clubs, yoga for kids and more.  This is a great way to participate in something active and learn something new at no cost while supporting the library.

I’m truly grateful for the library, the opportunities it’s provided me, the knowledge I’ve learned from their infinite content and sharing their mission to educate. If you haven’t been to the library in a while it may be time to renew your card.

In honor of reading and learning, please share in the comments a book you recommend to me! You can be sure I’ll be reserving it online to pick up at my local library very soon. We’ve all heard the phrase, Content is King. Well if Content really is King then Your Library truly is a royal palace.

*Photo Credit: Photos taken by me of the Mission Valley Library

I’ve emphasized in many previous posts the importance of education especially in the online world as it’s such a rapidly changing space. It’s important to understand what works and what’s no longer relevant in order to stay ahead of evolving technology, be an early adopter and really understand the landscape of the social media revolution.

My most recent venture in education industry is one that I’m most grateful for. I have the privilege to educate college students at Platt College San Diego on a subject that is my absolute passion, Online Marketing and Social Media. I was hired to develop a brand new Marketing curriculum focused on innovation, new technology and social media which is really the essence of marketing in 2010 and beyond. The school teaches students both traditional and contemporary skills because the fields  instructed at Platt (3D Animation, Graphic & Web Design, Digital Video Production) are in a constant state of development. There is a strong emphasis on providing a foundation in problem solving skills to meet future challenges and needs of a constantly evolving job market. My role as a Marketing & Communication Instructor is to empower students with new technology and social media skills for their professional development and career ventures.

I’ve only been teaching the class for a few weeks and although it’s my role to be the educator, I have learned a significant amount in areas of business management, professional speaking, presentation skills and more. By sharing my learning I’d like to inspire others to start educating about their passion. Education isn’t limited to a college setting.  There are many platforms that allow one to teach about their passion. Professionals can educate other business owners, speak at industry events and educate within their own company. If you’re passionate about something, share it with others and that’s exactly what I’m doing!  Here’s how educating has helped my career development allowing me to better serve my clients and partners as an Online Marketing Consultant, Social Media Strategist, Speaker and Entrepreneur.

1. Refined Professional Speaker- I’ve been using professional speaking as a marketing tool for myself and a service offering to help businesses and events for the past few years. Speaking has always come naturally to me especially when I’m talking about my passion. The act of teaching has refined my professional speaking skills significantly because I’m constantly practicing my ability to read the audience and engage them with compelling content. I’m learning better ways to prompt participation to create an interactive experience. I’m also enhancing my skills to be clear and concise with my messaging.  Each lecture I give is essentially a new speaking platform for me as I continue to grow my business as a paid professional speaker on online marketing and social media.

2. Better Visual Presentations- I’ve learned how to incorporate visuals in a way that tells a story  thus eliminating long drawn out sentences through excessive bullet points. Images trump text in any publication as people see  images before even scanning the text.  Choosing the right images for your presentation really makes a difference in the ability to engage your audience. My visuals are consistent with my lecture.

3. Enhanced Business Management Skills- I compare managing a group of students to a leadership role in a company where you’re managing a team. I’m responsible for providing clear instruction, managing expectations, motivating my students to meet deadlines and being an overall leader that inspires my class to really take the initiative to stay learn.

4. Increased Knowledge about the Social Media Landscape- Since teaching the class I’ve educated myself more on the social media landscape and technology developments. I find myself reading more blogs, watching more videos and scouring social media for examples and case studies relevant to my lectures. While I do this because it’s a passion, it’s now become a responsibility. As a leader  in the classroom and a professional in the online marketing space, I expect myself to fully understand the evolving social media landscape.

5. Improved Interpersonal Communication- My interpersonal communication skills are constantly being challenged and improved as a Instructor. I work with students from all walks of life so I must be able to adapt to their style of communication but also implement strict policies in a manner which allows them to understand the benefits of my assignments and requests. I must be understanding of each individual student’s circumstances while being firm about my policies and overall craft replies that are tactful and respectful. These are the same strategies I apply to business relationships so the more situations I’m in where interpersonal skills are necessary the better I become at improving my own communication.

As my class continues I look forward to sharing more of what I learn and how it applies to my career development. I’m always open to new opportunities to teach and educate others so feel free to contact me if you feel there is a good fit with my teachings and your educational institute, business or organization.

We all know that having prime real estate is key to success in the brick and mortar world.  The location of your store in the mall plays a significant role in how much walk in traffic you get, the location of your home and its accessibility often determines if you’ll have many visitors and the location of your office building can even affect employee productivity. What many don’t know is that the same is true for internet real estate. Having an accessible domain name boosts site traffic through direct navigation (when the consumer types your domain name directly into the address bar), heightens branding advantages and significantly enhances your search engine results.

Your website is the storefront of your business and your domain name is the first impression you make for your company.  The significance of domain names is apparent so in 2006, DomainSponsor, an Oversee.net company launched DOMAINfest, a premiere conference built to serve the domain industry. The show truly understands domain professionals’ needs. The goal is to inspire and support the industry by providing valuable content, informative sessions and a opportunities to bring domain industry professionals and constituents together to learn, network and do business with each other.

I am honored to announce that I’ll be a featured speaker at DOMAINfest 2010 on Wednesday January 27^th 3:30pm – 4:45pm, Domain Names: How Prime Internet Real Estate Builds SEO and SEM Success.  My panel includes two renowned SEO professionals, Bruce Clay (Bruce Clay, Inc.) and Danny Sullivan (Editor, Search Engine Land) along with Richard Jalchandra (President and CEO, Technorati Media) and Dan Ho (Adknowledge).  I’m educating the audience on achieving success from a social media perspective. Social Media is a new topic at DOMAINfest so I’m grateful for an opportunity to socialize the event and share my knowledge with an amazing lineup of professionals.

Of course if you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know I won’t leave you hanging after writing an entire post promoting an event. I want you to attend! I’m giving away one pass to a lucky winner ($1295 Value) to attend the conference taking place at the luxury Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, CA on January 26-28, 2010.

I’m socializing DOMAINFest 2010 even more by providing you with many opportunities to win. You can enter 3 ways. If you participate in all 3 ways, you’ll be entered 3 different times. The winner will be chosen on Friday January 15th, 2010!

1. Join my Facebook page and leave a comment my Facebook “Discussion”  about DOMAINFest

2. Retweet this blog post with the Tweet button on the top left of this post and make sure to include my Twitter name @MyMelodie in the tweet.

3. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you will benefit from attending DOMAINFest.

DOMAINfest was created with the industry as a whole in mind, and is open to all members of the domain community in addition to anyone interested in learning about the industry. BONUS: A pass to this event includes a ticket to their Playboy Mansion party on January 28th, Generation Rescue that benefits Jenny McCarthy’s autism organization. I’m offering  $100 off registration to the first 10 people who contact me for a discount code. Best of luck in the contest and see you at DOMAINfest 2010!

I believe that every single one of us in an entrepreneur of our own ideas. I also believe there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has arrived. This blog post is about an idea I’ve had that’s flourished into action. Before you read on know that this post is one of the most personal I’ve ever written and I’m so inspired to share it with you.

When our idea’s time has arrived, it will be put into action and is unstoppable! Take a look at significant historical ideas that received much resistance yet when their time arrived, they were unstoppable. The abolishment of slavery, Women’s right to vote and the most recent election of a multiracial leader President Obama were all ideas  once unfathomable yet when their time arrived, they couldn’t be stopped!

Since I was in a freshman in college, it’s been my calling to live with an entrepreneurial spirit. Instead of waiting until graduation to gain work experience I began interning my first summer in college at Clear Channel Communication in San Diego as a Promotions intern for the Top 40 radio station, Channel 933 I enthusiastically attended retail events, movie premiers, concerts, club nights and theme parks to assist the radio station in creating a fun, interactive experience for customers while ensuring the client’s marketing objectives were aligned.  I enjoyed this so much that I attracted all the right people into my life to help me get hired on as a Promotions Assistant when I returned back to school in the fall at Clear Channel Communications in Santa Barbara.

I learned early that doing things with enthusiasm significantly enhances the experience not only for yourself but for others. I attracted more opportunities to do what I love which is helping businesses better market themselves and connect to their customers.  To name a few, I was hired on the Red Bull Promotions team, The San Diego Padres fan appreciation promotions team and The Active Network to assist with their marketing needs.

Upon graduating UC Santa Barbara, I was offered an amazing opportunity to work full time at Clear Channel Communication as a Marketing Consultant and Account Executive. For over 2 years I enjoyed every moment of creating interactive campaigns utilizing radio, internet, events and experiential promotions for both local businesses and national brands including: Ralphs/Kroger, Westfield Malls, Colgate Palmolive, Liberty Tax Service and AMC Theaters. As technology evolved, I saw a need for businesses to strengthen customer relationships, develop stronger communities and empower brand evangelists.  As more options became available to consumers I noticed a shift in behavior as they became less responsive to outbound and guerrilla marketing techniques. I saw a need to create opportunities in a space where consumers already belonged. This realization led to my transition in shifting the focus of my marketing strategies from outbound and guerrilla tactics to building communities and socializing  them on the web.

It became crystal clear to me that if your customers are already online, make sure they can find you when they’re searching and if they’re already on social networks, build a community for them in a space where they already belong.  I began attending technology events to grow my network with leaders in the online space and reading everything I could get my hands on about the evolving online marketing and social media industry. As I became more immersed, I had a strong knowing that the infinite online space was my calling. I graduated myself from traditional media and applied my understanding online. Since then I’ve dedicated the past 2 years to educating myself and others, blogging about the knowledge and insight I’ve learned and speaking about my passions to project positive energy and ideas that inspire others to use online technology and social media to grow their business.

While advancing my own knowledge I had the privilege to work with innovative industry leaders at various online marketing agencies in San Diego. I’ve been surrounded people who share my passion and collaborated with leaders who specialize in all areas of online marketing including SEO, PPC, Email Marketing, Analytics, Design, Development and Social Media.  Combining the energy I received from many colleagues and partners with my personal quest to learn, my understanding of the online space accelerated.  This allowed my strategic mind put everything in place as my entrepreneurial spirit continued to surface until my idea to pursue my own ventures became unstoppable! My decision to graduate from the agency world to pursue my own business was recently affirmed as all the right people and circumstances were drawn into my life.

My entrepreneurial spirit and ambitions have come to life. I am now following my true calling as I’ve declared my intention to advance my career by fully investing my time to connect, engage and inspire businesses and entrepreneurs to take charge of their own marketing goals through combining my initial experience of promotions and interactive marketing with new technology and social media. My business is completely self-reliant charged with my belief in myself and inspiration I receive from those around me. At the same time I’m partnering and collaborating with other thought leaders and entrepreneurs. I’m already accepting clients, being booked for speaking engagements and strengthening existing partnerships. My passion for education will extend beyond businesses. In addition I have been hired to create a new curriculum for Platt College’s marketing program. Beginning in January I’ll be teaching Marketing classes in a format that will empower students with technology and social media skills for their career ventures. I am so happy and grateful for everything and everyone who is and has been a part of my success.

I have  a lot in store for the upcoming year including a new website, enhanced branding for Marketing Melodie, new business ideas, partnerships and speaking engagements. This small idea I had years ago to pursue my entrepreneurial idea has officially arrived and I’m unstoppable. Please feel free to connect on my updated LinkedIn and Facebook . Thank you for reading such a personal post and here’s to a prosperous new year!

If you’re reading this post you’re probably a professional in marketing, public relations, social media or have a sales role of some kind. Or maybe you’re an entrepreneur, a small business owner or a combination of the listed occupations. No matter what your background, you’re extremely busy running from appointment to appointment and back to back conference calls. You haven’t booked your flight for your business trip next week or even looked up a hotel and still need to pick up a birthday present for a party that night. I’ve got great news for you! You’re now one step closer creating a more productive and stress free life with your very own Personal Assistant. Who wouldn’t love even an extra hour a day to read, meditate, work out, cook, enjoy time with friends and family etc.?

You may think Personal Assistants are just for the rich and famous and cost a fortune. You may also be an excellent multitasker and see no need for a Personal Assistant. BlackBerrys and laptops have definitely improved our efficiency, but even the most organized business professional can appreciate a helping hand. I’m grateful for my helping hand and Personal Assistant, AskSunday. I began using the AskSunday 24/7 Assistance almost 2 years ago and can confidently say they’ve significantly increased my productivity by helping me accomplish tasks that are important and urgent but don’t require my specialized skill or knowledge.

AskSunday is a service that provides Virtual Personal Assistants. They offer various packages for their 24/7 Assistance that begin as low as $37/month. They accept requests via email, phone, and even Twitter! They also offer Dedicated Assistants that provide help at a higher level. I’d like to share personal examples of how AskSunday has helped me optimize my valuable time.

1. Reservations- Reservations may seem simple but when I need a specific type of environment for a business meeting that has tables and chairs set up a certain way, a specific location in the room, various food preferences, want to prepay the bill and don’t have a restaurant in mind because the meeting is in a location I’m not familiar with, I AskSunday and they deliver. They do the research and provide me with various options.They also provide alternatives and let me know if there may conflicts with my request. I get back to them with my choice and they confirm the reservation by telling me who they spoke with in case anything comes up.

2. Price Comparisons- There are many times when I want to buy a product and know I can easily spend 20-30 minutes price comparing online but don’t because I’m busy working on a more important task. Same goes with booking travel. With AskSunday I can find the most cost effective solutions for purchases and travel without investing any extra time. They look things up, send me the options then go through with the actual purchasing, always making sure to send me a confirmation.

3. Booking Appointments and Cancellations- There are many appointments we put off booking because it’s on the bottom of our to-do list. AskSunday will book health appointments, spa treatments and other personal appointments. Many often put off cancellations more than booking because we already went through the hassle of setting it up. We know it may take a while to get through and confirm the cancellation. AskSunday has also helped me cancel other things that are necessary but not priorities. I somehow get on mailing lists for many magazines and catalogs that I don’t wish to receive. They help me help the environment by canceling these extraneous subscriptions.

4. Data Entry- Have a stack of business cards that need to be entered in your address book? Evernote your business cards and AskSunday will enter them for you. Have other data that needs to be organized in an excel spreadsheet? No problem! AskSunday does this in your sleep!

These are just a few of many requests AskSunday has assisted me with. Additional resources I have learned from are two books that have tremendously enhanced my knowledge on first prioritizing my tasks- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity and then outsourcing certain tasks and knowing how to determine which items to delegate – The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

Now that you’ve read all about the possibility of having a Personal Assistant and how they have immensely increased my productivity I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I’m giving away an entire month of AskSunday’s 24/7 Assistance’s Gold Plan! I’m very grateful to now have an opportunity to share my positive experience with one of you.

Here’s How you will win a complimentary month of AskSunday’s 24/7 Assistant service:
First you Must be a fan of Marketing Melodie’s Facebook Page to qualify. Once you’re a fan you can enter 3 ways. If you participate in all 3, you will be entered 3 different times.
1. Leave a comment my Facebook “Discussion” telling me how AskSunday will make your life more productive.
2. Retweet this blog post with the Tweet button on the top left of this post and make sure to include my Twitter name @MyMelodie in the tweet.
3. Leave a comment on this blog post with insight on what you personally do to increase productivity.

I will choose 1 lucky winner on Sunday December 13th, 2009. I’m choosing this date because it’s my birthday so there’s no better day to give away something very valuable to me! I wish everyone the best and success to increased productivity!

Las Vegas is home to a multitude of conferences throughout the year. In September 2009 I attended the Electronic Retail Association’s D2C Convention and today kicks off the start of PubCon. Vegas is a prime location for many large events because the city itself attracts people with it’s sparkling reputation. With Las Vegas conferences often comes Las Vegas fatigue caused by many reasons including indoor smoking, non stop events and staying up all night.

I’ve come up with a few tips to help you avoid or combat the fatigue. They will allow you to get back on track to continue your great conference experience.

1. Stay Hydrated with plenty of water: (And just because you’re in Vegas doesn’t mean Vodka Soda is water) This is such a simple tip yet it’s one of the top reasons why people feel fatigued when working a conference in Vegas. A few tips on doing this:

• Instead of drinking the extra cup of coffee grab a cold water bottle. The temperature of the water will wake you up and the consumption of the water will provide fuel to refresh your body.
• Instead of ordering a cocktail on the plane ride to Vegas or in the middle of the conference (you will have plenty of time for that in the evening) opt for water.
• When checking in to your room, pick up a pack of bottled water at the hotel convenience store so water is readily available in your room at all times. This is more cost efficient than paying  $6 for the small bottle of water in your mini bar.
• When arriving back in your room after a late night of gambling/ clubbing (this is a work conference, but it’s Vegas so the chances of staying out late are high, although networking at bars is definitely where many great business connections are made) make sure you drink a bottle of water before falling asleep. This lessons Vegas hangovers that lead to Vegas fatigue.

2. Request a Wake Up Call: On top of your regular alarm clock, call the front desk to request a wake up call 10 minutes after your alarm is set to go off. The blackout curtains in Vegas hotels are great for blocking sunshine but they’re an extra obstacle in waking up. Being stressed out and rushing to a session because you’re late causes a lot of fatigue especially if you are sleep deprived from the night before.

3. Take a Break to Recharge: While it may seem everything  is fast paced and there is not even enough time to do everything you planned, it’s important to take a mental break to regroup for at least 20 minutes a day during the conference. This means no meeting interruptions, no cell phone calls, no laptops and putting the conference at the back of your mind just for a short time. I recommend doing this back in your hotel instead of in the conference hall. Perhaps do this right after a full day before dinner or during lunch. In 20 minutes there are plenty of things you can do to revitalize your body and mind.

• Go for a quick run on the treadmill at the gym. If you’re exhausted this will boost your energy.
• Go into a meditation. This clears your mind from all the stress of running around the conference hall and the flashing Vegas lights.
• Read an inspiration or motivational book rather than a tabloid magazine or watching the news so your mind is being fed positive thoughts.
• Stretch: There should be enough space in your room to do a few simple stretches. Whether they’re yoga stretches or stretches you normally do before you exercise, activating your body through stretching will definitely give you more energy.

If you have any other tips to avoid conference fatigue please share your thoughts in the comments below. I’m looking forward to a great PubCon 2010 and wish you all the success in your PubCon ventures.

My company has been sending me to many conferences lately and I definitely can’t complain.  However it’s important to keep in mind that “working” a conference is different than just “attending”. I’ve already blogged about things to do DURING a conference to engage your Twitter followers. I’ve also blogged about post conference strategies AFTER you attend on how to turn a follow up email into a connection. But what about BEFORE the conference begins? As I prepare for PubCon I want to share  my top 10 personal conference preparation list .

1. Find out who’s going to attend- Many conferences don’t post attendee lists on their website so social media is the key here. The best resource I used to find attendees is Facebook Events. Although many profiles are private you have the first and last names of those who RSVPed. You can then look up on LinkedIn. LinkedIn events is second to Facebook events and then I will use Twitter Search.

2. Do research on sponsors and exhibitors- Find out what companies are going above and beyond to have a presence at the event and do research as to why.  Are they working on a new product launch? Is there a specific promotion they’re putting resources into? Knowing these facts allows you to position yourself as to why you will be a great resource or partner for that company. You will be prepared with knowledgeable conversation starters when meeting someone from the sponsoring organization or visiting an exhibitor’s booth. A list of sponsors and exhibitors can always be found on the event website . Go on the companies’ websites and carefully read the about, news and press release sections.

3. Socialize on the web with those you’d like to meet- When doing your research on attendees and sponsors, create a list of those you’d like to connect with and have a valuable reason for why they would want to meet with you. Connect and interact with these individuals on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, their blogs etc.  This helps build your credibility and shows that you’re engaged in their work, it will make the next tip a lot easier.

4. Set specific times for meetings- Invite your prospective business clients and partners to meet at lunch or for a coffee break. Conferences get hectic so make sure you have a confirmed date/time and place in advanced. Having an established is essential. Do research on nearby coffee shops or find out if the conference has private meeting rooms or quiet table areas. You may have to move the meeting time during the event but at least you have a commitment to meet which is much better than “let’s touch base during the day to see if we can meet up”  many times this doesn’t end up happening.

5. Set up a small intimate happy hour or dinner- One of the things I love doing is connecting various people who will all mutually benefit myself and each other. Set up your own small happy hour 5-8 people who work in different disciplines. Invite a few people you know, a few you may have met during the conference and a few people you have identified as wanting to meet. Use your best judgement when deciding if inviting a specific person will benefit the entire happy hour group.

6. Post reminders on Social Media in advanced- Use EasyTweets to post sessions you are speaking at, participating in or know you will be at in advanced. Post the exact date, time and location. You will need to be cognizant of event schedules that may change to update these tweets if necessary. This makes your tweeting more efficient as you won’t have to worry about tweeting your schedule during the event. Set up tweets to post anywhere from an hour to 30 minutes the session so people know where to find you. Use Selective Twitter Status to post reminder udpates on Facebook, especially if you’re speaking.

7. Have an agenda but be flexible- Review the agenda and highlight sessions, educational panels and forums and you’d like to attend. Do research on those presenting and their specific topics. Be prepared with specific questions or insights that may relate to the topic being presented. This prepares you to learn something valuable that matches up with your needs during Q & A time. This also allows you to prepare your introduction to the speaker after they leave the stage with relevant content and information.

8. Meet other business contacts in the area- Go through your contacts and LinkedIn to find out who else lives in that area and any companies you may want to work with that are headquartered in that city.  Even if they aren’t attending the conference set up a time to meet a day before or after. Depending on your schedule this may not be possible, but it’s always something to keep in mind. Since you’re flying all the way out there might as well optimize your presence.

9. Technology Packing list- This seems silly, but at every conference I go to I run into multiple people who left their phone charger or laptop charger at home. Make a list of all technology you need and ensure that it’s packed right before you leave for the airport. This includes your phone charger, laptop charger, extra batteries for equipment, mp3 player, camera, equipment to upload videos and photos (especially helpful for live bloggers) and anything else of that nature. Not having a piece of technology definitely puts a damper (more so than anything else that’s missing)  in your day so avoid this by being prepared.

10. Establish a follow up strategy- Don’t wait until you return from the event to establish a follow up strategy. Have this set before you leave. Identify key resources you can offer to attendees so you can excite those you meet and prompt them to expect a follow up with valuable information. Perhaps you have a new white paper, an upcoming webinar, a future speaking engagement or a new product launch. Let people know to look forward to an email from you that will provide something valuable such as those items I listed. Have an email draft that can be customized for each individual which includes your value offering. This reduces the chance a follow up email will be viewed as spam and increases the chances that your follow up will be success. Refer your follow up back to your conversation at the event. “Here is a link to the white paper I promised you during our conversation.”

11. Have fun! This is a bonus and just a friendly reminder that although you are traveling for work, there is no reason not to enjoy yourself. If you don’t meet someone or miss a session then there will be other opportunities so don’t let that bring you down.

What are some other things do you do to prepare for a conference? Share your own tips in the comments and see you all at PubCon!

I love attending conferences because they continue to provide me with inspiration and ideas to create relevant online content for me to share. This week I’ve received many follow up emails from DMA09. I want to praise those on a great job for being prompt and also remind everyone that if a follow up email is drafted a certain way it can sometimes be viewed as unwanted solicitation, aka spam!

Here are tips on increasing the chances you’ll get a reply and create a business connection. I’m using real examples from follow up emails I’ve recently received and will share my insight on how to enhance these follow ups as I share my tips. (All names removed)

1. Familiar subject line:

Emails to me: Subject: “Analytics and Marketing Science Services” and “1:1 Marketers have incomplete Online Marketing Capability”

Both  subject lines are descriptive but immediately resemble a sales pitch as opposed to a personalized email. I receive hundreds of emails and will skip over emails that I know are sales pitches and do not catch my attention with something personal. Subject lines that are more enticing can be as simple as “Nice to Meet You at DMA09” and “Thank You for Attending My Session at DMA09”. Notice these examples include a specific event that will be familiar to your recipient. The subject line should not be used as a sales pitch. Rather, a hook to get you to read more or a simple personal greeting.

2. Personalize the greeting:

Emails to me- Addressed as: “Dear Subscriber” and “Dear Colleague”

The greeting is the first thing your recipient sees when they open the email. Using the person’s name makes the email much more inviting. If your reader feels like their email address was entered into an automated system, you will lose them immediately. An automated service to send follow up emails may save time initially but taking the extra few minutes to personalize your greeting will yield more replies that turn into business connections in the long run.

3. Refresh their memory:

Email to me- “Melodie- what great memory and follow through. Impressive.”

After the greeting, it’s a great idea to bring up something specific that was discussed. I easily meet over 100 people at a large conference so it’s difficult to keep track of specific conversations. After meeting someone I immediately jot down a note about our specific discussion so I can refer to it in the email. The email I received for this tip was written to me after I addressed something very specific from a conversation. People appreciate if you refresh their memory about your discussion, especially since most people don’t do this. It shows you are truly engaged and interested in the conversation.

4. Call to action:

Email to me: I am trying to reach you to discuss the management of  your  meetings and events, which I understand may be an aspect of your job.

This sentence does not sound confident. It is very ambiguous as to what the company offers and why I will benefit from responding. Create specific calls to action. Another way to craft this sentence is “I’d like to speak with you to discuss a great opportunity I’m offering for the management of your meetings and events”. I’m currently offering a complimentary consultation to anyone who schedules an appointment before the end of this month”. This new sentence has a specific offer (free consultation) and is also time sensitive prompting  the reader to respond right away. Make sure your follow up email is accompanied by an additional item that keeps the connection alive and gives the reader a reason to reply.

5. Socialize your email:

I see very few follow up emails that incorporate social media. Include a link to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or blog in your follow up emails. By socializing your email you allow your recipient to connect in a more interactive way. You are also showing your potential customer that you care about community building. By linking to your blog and other networks that have relevant content you will enhance your credibility as a resource and expert. I often send a LinkedIn invite that corresponds to my email.  I will reference my email “I have sent you an email in regarding our conversation.” If your recipient receives 20 follow up emails from attending a conference, a personal invite on LinkedIn  significantly increases your chances of creating a connection because you are showcasing your credentials and can show an established professional background.

6. Follow up your follow up Email:

To conclude your email I recommend stating your intention to follow up again after the initial email. This lets your recipient know you plan to follow up again so they your next communication. “I appreciate you taking the time to read this email. I will follow up by phone next week to set up a meeting”.

Keep all of these tips in mind when drafting follow up email and motice your connections accelerate. What other tips do you have to enhance follow up emails? Please share your tips I am always open to learning more from other industry leaders!