The Other Half Time Show: Behind the Scenes

Thanks to an amazing effort by Alan Weinkrantz and all of the organizers who helped make this event happen, the Twitter Jam Bad rocked the house for The Other Half Time Show. After the Super Bowl's opening act, The Who, the Twitter Jam Band played their set raising money for Hugs4Holly.

Using community efforts and social media for social good, this event was organized and put on without the multi-million dollar budget of the NFL. This singular cause was broadcasted on Ustream to the entire world and the world was indeed watching. Donations were coming in from around the US with viewers from as far as Europe and some from South America.

I had the opportunity to be an organizer which I was happy to support. While I was there, prior to the show, I recorded some practice sessions and behind the scenes planning to share with all of you.

Super Bowl Sunday's Other Half Time Show

Today's the big day! For an entire season football fanatics have awaited the mega-event of the year in the NFL. Super Bowl Sunday has arrived and while millions of millions of people around the world will be tuning, there are many more that have an opportunity to make a difference in one person's life.

Today's NFL halftime show is going to feature The Who, playing the songs of old that a great many of us know, remember, and cherish. While that halftime show is all well and good, local PR specialist and new media leader has brought a social cause into the lime light by supporting it with his efforts to bring social media into the realm of social good. Alan Weinkrantz of Weinkrantz & Co. has created an effort called The Other Halftime Show which will focus on a specific cause every year. This year's inaugural launch will be focusing on Hugs4Holly.

Believing in Yourself

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Magaly Chocano, founder of Swebapps. It was a business meeting of sorts, but mostly it was also an introductory meeting since I am a huge fan of what they do and wanted to find a way for the show I co-host, Tech in Twenty, and her company to work together on a few projects. Pesonally, her story is amazing, the success of her company unparrallel, and the outlook is outstanding. All of it coming not just from hard work but from believing in yourself.

Blogging 101: 30 Most Asked Questions Part I

Today’s topic will highlight some of the most asked questions about blogging. Consider this a blogging 101 for those looking at starting a blog or at least understanding what they can do for their blog. I've known many people who start a blog not really understanding what else they can do with the content they are creating.

This post along with part II will highlight some common questions I get via email or have come across during the various presentations I've done.

Bringing Great Minds Together

Today I've had a great opportunity to gather with some great minds to work on some projects that I've got going and one that I was brought into. It never fails to surprise me the network that I have, and the types of thought leadership that exist within that network. It is from these individuals that great projects with great outcomes have been born.

I'm curious to know from my readers who they draw inspiration from and if they gather with local leaders to share ideas and lean on one another to start and finish projects. I think it's vital that as much as spend time online, that we not forget the people in our own backyard.

I can say I'm happy to know the people that I know and am always ready, when I'm available, to help them in their endeavors. So share your thoughts in the comments and let me know if you still rely on real world relationships, and also if your real world network has grown due to online engagement.

Photo Credit drinksmachine

Professional Awareness For New Media Types

New Media is the transition that we're seeing now, whereby traditional media outlets are now being transitioned to "newer" types of available media outlets like mobile technology, online sites, and various unique ways of creating content to either share information or promote a product or service. During these times of transition we see a lot of experimentation, some succeed while some fail, but all in all it's a space that is very fluid and forgiving. This allows for many of us who are exploring this space to go "back to the drawing board" as they say and determine what worked and what didn't and become better than our previous iteration. This forgiveness works for the industry and against it.

Live Blogging Introduces Informational Immediacy

For bloggers, nothing says success more than readers, and readers are drawn to bloggers that have valid and relevant information. This relationship can be hard to maintain and sometimes feel like a tug of war on certain days. Still, a blogger that allows themselves to lose the fight will find themselves alone, their message not getting to a single person except for the occasional web surfer that might find their site.

So how do you tackle this? What are some ideas that make viewers want to come to you as the source for information? I hope to answer these questions for you by explaining the tools and techniques of live blogging.

Bloggers Unite for Haiti Relief

If you're looking for a way to make an impact in the world around you, Bloggers Unite has always been a worthwhile cause, especially since...well you're a blogger. I woke up this morning with a notification that Bloggers Unite is looking for a few good writers to help with the relief in Haiti. If you look to the right hand side of this article you'll see a little widget in support of this cause.

Whether you joined the texting campaign or if you'd like to get your community to support the relief in this way, do something to help the millions upon millions affected by this horrendous natural disaster.

I've shown my support, why not get a widget for your site and show your support. If you need the code for the widget, let me know, I'd be happy to share it with you.

Top 10 Blog Promoting Techniques, Part II

I got a lot of really good feedback in the comments section, on Twitter, and on some personal messages on Facebook. A lot of you are really excited to push your content out, especially if you're involved in the 100 blogs for 100 days challenge. Creating content and refreshing your site is definitely key to having your site constantly crawled, but that alone won't draw readers.

So here is the second part of tips to promote your blog with some explanations. Perhaps one of these or more of these are exactly what you need to attract a new audience. If you've got some ideas add them to the comments section below and let's see what the community thinks!

If you missed the first part. Here it is.

The Heart of Community in Social Media Club San Antonio

As co-founder of the local Social Media Club, it's always amazing to see the minds we have in our city. Some will say that our city is laid back, moves at its own pace, is perhaps even boring, and at times I feel like that, but I came from L.A. before I came to San Antonio. Nevertheless, beneath the exterior that so many presume, are the minds of amazing individuals each doing something in their own way to progress not just themselves, but rather everyone around them. The benefits felt from this time of cohesion are immense, but even more so when they openly share ideas for others to grow just as they did.