Blogging Update + Lunch

Blogging Update + Lunch

With almost 300,000 points, you would guess that I've been blogging for a while. So why would I go to a session on blogging that was aimed at beginning bloggers? Because I always learn something.

This was the third in a series of Lunch and Learn sessions on social media presented by Leah Messina of Sinuate Media for our Baltimore Regional Chapter of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners.) Leah did a great job on the Facebook and Twitter sessions, and I wasn't disappointed with her presentation on blogging.

She covered the basics, of course – why you would want to blog for your business, choosing a blogging platform, figuring out what to say, and so forth. Leah showed us how to work with outside sources to improve our blog content, and also how to follow what's happening in our focus area with tools like Google Alerts, Digg, Technorati, and others. She reminded us that search engines love blogs for their frequent updates and new content. Since I started blogging just a few years ago, so much has changed. More options of platforms, specialized blog platforms like Active Rain, and the ability to embed audio and video.

As usual for these sessions, it was a full house. Kudos to NAWBO for creating this series of seminars. With so much to do every day in running our businesses, it's a great help to have well organized and informative sessions that give us tips we can put to work right away. And we get to network and eat lunch at the same time – multitasking!

Here's your bonus – Leah's presentation, which includes using Facebook in your business, is here: http://tinyurl.com/lgjnw7.

Getting High...Not Just Lunch!

Driving downtown to the Baltimore Inner Harbor, I realized that I never tire of the views of the buildings, the water, the wide streets and all the people. I was heading for 100 East Pratt Street for a NAWBO sponsored Facebook seminar. I was early because I wanted to be able to get parked and set up with my computer. This was a "Lunch and Learn," and what a good idea. It saves time, gets you fed, and you get some learning at the same time.

We met at the office of law firm Tydings & Rosenberg, hosted by Content McLaughlin, the NAWBO chapter president. Our presenter was Leah Messina of Sinuate Media, and we had 19 people around a wonderful large conference table, each having brought a laptop so we could follow along with Leah.

This session generated a lot of interest and filled quickly –There are so many wanting to understand Facebook and how it can be used for business.

Leah covered a lot in just an hour and a half. At one point she took a picture of the room with her camera phone, sent it from her phone directly to Facebook, and within seconds there we were on her page. ( I would show you that photo but it is to small for this post.)

How neat to be able to do that?! Leah will be back for two more lunching and learning sessions, one on Twitter and one on blogging. This series was a first for NAWBO, and a great idea.

And now, for my all "spare time," I have a gazillion new Facebook connections to eventually answer or friend or whatever you do with them!

The one problem I had during the session.... getting distracted. The conference room had glass walls, and just beyond were the wide windows of the 26th floor and Baltimore's harbor below. Plus, I had my new camera, a Panasonic Lumix with a 28mm wide angle plus a 10x optical zoom. How could I not try it out?

Look at the two boats on the shimmering water to the right of our National Aquarium with its triangular roof line. Beneath that roof is a rain forest!

And can you see the smoke stack in the distance? Over there are Ravens Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

And look at the mirrored building with roof top reflections; I do think it might be the Sheraton. From another window I could see the skyline with its interesting shapes.

Then I had to see that steeple up close...yep, the zoom works.

When the session was over it was off to another busy day – a listing appointment and another chance to use my new camera. And then back to Active Rain to share my day.