For the last two years I have had the honor of speaking at the #140 Character Conference held in Des Moines, Iowa. It’s a tremendous, national series of events that originated with Jeff Pulver ( @JeffPulver ) as a call-to-action for the Twitter and social media community as a whole. With great PR and some passionate participants, the event has turned into one of the most prolific social media events in the nation (maybe the world).
So, on April 23rd, a couple hundred of our close Des Moines social media friends as well as some connected through the wonders of technology, gathered to explore “The State Of Now” at the 2012 140 Character Conference Des Moines!
As a marketing and branding professional, I love to create passion with my words, but I was in for a treat on this day. We had speakers make connections professionally and personally throughout the whole day. As I watched the event roll via Ustream, I was thrilled and honored to be included in this event. For some, it was educational. For some it was entertaining. For most, it was a day of passionate sharing that they’ll never forget.
Some of my favorite speakers include (click to see their video on YouStream):
Ben Smith, Speaking on the Social connection and the tremendous experienced he’s had in his “New Home.” (MAKES ME PROUD TO LIVE HERE)( Find him on Twitter @BenASmith )
And for those that know me and know about TRUE Branding: Here, in a neat 10-minute nutshell is how TRUE Branding can change your life and your business for ever!
If you’d like to read more about TRUE Branding, click the link here –> TRUE BRANDING!
Thanks so much to Deb During ( @DebWorks ) for allowing me to experience the event. I look forward to future ones!
A picture is worth a thousand words. We’ve all been told that since we could speak. But, what if you turned it around. Have you ever wondered what our thousands of words actually portray?
Let’s take a look…
I write – sometimes all day, every day – everything from ad copy to outlines for annual reports to blog posts, comments, and tweets. But not until I started reading did I learn that the words could be saying more than what was being read.
Are the words you’re using really portraying your message?
Wordle is a great visual tool to see if the actual words you’re using are communicating your story. Or are you using words that confuse and distract from the overall picture?
Try this. Have Wordle crawl your latest marketing piece. It’s easy, just cut and paste the copy into their Web site. Or if you have an RSS feed, just paste that into the space provided. It’s eye opening.
Here are a couple of examples: (Click on the thumbnails to view larger images)
I have some fellow bloggers (Angela and Mike) that are big… no… HUGE advocates for the use of advanced technology in the classroom. They counsel and coach educators, businesses, boards, parents and just about anyone that will listen on the advantages of learning through advanced technology – kind of like a “School 2.0.”
I read their blogs daily. I follow them on Twitter (@AngelaMaiers and @mikesansone). Basically, I (stalk) aspire to be like them – both personally and professionally. They have passion. They have a drive that is unmatched. And their commitment to furthering education and literacy has been nothing less than inspiring.
So… That’s pretty much where my appreciation of their efforts stopped… Until this morning.
For the last three weeks, my daughter’s 8th grade Wellness class at Carlisle Middle School has been working on PSAs for Alcohol abuse/education. They were given the opportunity to create a print ad, an outdoor display ad, or a 5 minute video for their PSA.
Now, of course, being a print designer at heart, I would have chosen the print ad or outdoor display – also because they just sounded easier. But, my daughter and her friends decided to grab gauntlet and throw it down…And boy did they… Madison revealed the video (also created into a DVD for the class) to our family this morning.
Check this out.
…cool huh? (beaming dad) I think they had fun…
So, why the huge hat tip to Angela and Mike? Because, along with Carlisle’s teachers and staff, they get it.
Education needs to keep up with technology and utilize the advancements that are available to students to create an acutely aware, well educated and technologically advanced society.This is our future.
Could I have done this when I was in 8th grade? Heck no. I could barely button my coat. But through people like Angela and Mike, and the staff at Carlisle, as well as other schools around the nation; our children have the potential to change the way the world communicates… thinks… interacts… lives.
I’m impressed with all of you and I just wanted to say “Thanks” and brag on my baby for a little bit…
