Win a Pair of Passes to KEEN Digital Summit!!

Really – who wouldn’t love an excuse to visit Nashville?



There’s a new kind of conference coming to Nashville in October, and it has something for everyone.

KEEN Digital Summit is a three-day networking, digital media and brand development conference that will serve as the Omni Nashville's grand opening event from Oct. 24-27. It's an official partnership with the city of Nashville, and there are four tracks--family, technology, food/drink, travel--all of which will bring some of the top innovators in their fields to Nashville to share the latest in digital and mobile technologies, while offering a venue for connecting digital influencers with brands.

I love this concept of covering so many topics, because let’s face it: Twitter has ruined my attention span. I’m used to reading 140 characters of philosophy, then seeing a sunset photo, then reading a vaguely angsty statement, then laughing out loud at a witty remark.

And I kinda love it that way.

So with the four focuses of this conference, I can jump back and forth as my attention span demands, learning from the top industry experts of each one. And regardless of how you use Social Media, you are certain to find a track that fits you. Plus, as a bonus, you will get to enjoy the luxury of being one of the first to experience a brand new Omni Hotel!



They have reps from Ogilvy, Microsoft, HGTV, Southern Living, Expedia, Jeff Corwin's team and other big companies speaking on panels and conducting Q&As. And one of those fantastic experts happens to be Alabama’s own Erin Shaw Street from Southern Living!

Also, students and recent grads can get their tickets for half-price – only $149 for the entire three day event!

I have two passes to give away to one of you. If you would like to win, simply use the options in the Rafflecopter Widget Below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will be open until Sunday, August 18.  We will notify the winner on Monday, August 19.

Good Luck!

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Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but was given a two passes to cover the event. All opinions are my own.

Y’all Connect: A Social Media Beacon for Birmingham.

By Rachel Callahan

On July 23, Birmingham hosted the first Corporate Storytelling conference in the world, Y'all Connect Presented by Alabama Power. More than 200 attendees came from as far as Oklahoma to hear a stellar lineup of speakers.

Although the target market was corporate CEOs and Social Media Executives, I quickly realized that the networking opportunities and depth of information available at this conference was not just for the business world. As a blogger, I was able to visit with fellow local and national bloggers, increase my understanding of tricky subjects such as SEO, and glean tips on how to tell better stories.

Alabama Power's Social Media Genius, Ike Pigott, opened the conference with his keynote address. He provided context for why storytelling is an important facet of communications - because facts are boring. We have infinite facts at our fingertips, thanks to the digital age. But storytelling is about leveraging a story to communicate better. An important point that he made was that stories should not be all about the teller - they are also about listening and understanding what role we play in other people's lives. I especially resonated with this important point, as I find my reader's comments and input equally important to my own story.

Ike also stressed the importance of having a strong social media network. Your network can and will share information with you that you didn't even know you needed, giving you an edge over your competition.

"The dynamic for success used to be based on what you knew, then on what you found. But the dynamic of success is now shifting towards what your network finds for you!" ~ Ike Pigott

He also made the valuable point that because of the closeness of our network to our own lives, we will get much more relevant news from them than from any newspaper headline.

After the Keynote, I attended Mack Collier's session based on his new book, Think Like a Rock Star.

The premise of Mack's research is that rock stars can easily create and cultivate fans when companies simply cannot, and he set out to discover their secret.

But what he realized is that there was no secret: rock stars simply go out of their way to create a deep and emotional relationship with their biggest fans, with the thought that doing so will create sales. While most companies focus on new customers, rock stars focus on brand advocates, who will market to new customers for them in a much more powerful way than they could accomplish by themselves.

Mack shared four ways to connect and cultivate fans like a rock star:

1. Get in the face of your fans. Understand your fans because you're having constant interaction with them, and reward the behavior you want to encourage.

2. Give up control to get control - Fans look for ways to take control and want control - they want to act on your behalf and help you reach your goals.

3. Find the bigger idea behind the content you create.

    a. Raise awareness of ideas and news that's relevant to your customers.

    b. Be a teacher - share your knowledge. If you have a skill, teach others how to do this skill. This establishes your expertise.

    c. Create inspiring content - create customer centric content, and teach your fans how to use your product better.

4. Love the people that love you! Figure out ways to give your fans special access that isn't available to the general public.

Ultimately, you should strive to have the mindset that your fans are the real rock stars, not you - a concept that is applicable to corporations and bloggers alike. Mack’s ideas were fresh and eye-opening – I hope to find time to read his book soon.

I was also able to hear from Mitch Canter, who discussed how best to tell the stories you own; James Spann, who spoke about the changing Social Mediacentric world and how not to panic because of it; and my dear Twitter friend Jenny Schmitt, who taught us all about the Millennial Generation and how to reach them.

Wade Kwon, the Conference Organizer, reflected later, “My biggest takeaway was meeting as many guests as possible and learning about what they do and what they were learning at the conference. It was fun just being able to chat with folks as they were in line for the lunch buffet.”

And I agree – the chatting in-between was just as valuable as what I gleaned from the sessions.

I was able to visit and deepen relationships at the pre-party, lunch, and snacks (although I skipped the after-party to get back to my family.) I left feeling exulted and enriched, excited about my city’s social media presence and leadership. I would highly recommend attending next year, which is currently slated to be June 2014.

The Twitter Transcript of the conference is available here, and videos of all of the sessions will be available soon at the Y’all Connect website.

All photos courtesy of Jack Wyrick/Y'all Connect.

Rachel Callahan is a blogger in Birmingham, Alabama. She writes at Grasping for Objectivity and runs the blogging networking site Alabama Bloggers.

Giveaway - Y’all Connect Conference! {$129 Value}

On July 23, Birmingham will once again have a major social media conference: Y’all Connect. Focused on helping companies use social media tools wisely and efficiently, many experts will be teaching the basics of corporate storytelling.

The conference’s director, Wade Kwon, explains the value in this skill: “Many bloggers already know how to tell a good story about their kids or their lives, but businesses often stumble when talking about their own histories. We can help. Instead of selling and marketing, they will find ways to attract fans and customers through good stories and strong engagement.”

The speakers at Y’all Connect will include familiar Birmingham icons as well as national experts, all of whom utilize social media tools with great expertise. So far, this fantastic group includes James Spann, Ike Pigott, Andrea Weckerle, Nichole Kelly, Peter Shankman, Whitney Breaux, Shelly Kramer and Mack Collier.

"Y'all Connect is a conference aimed at CEOs and marketing managers who want to show how their companies stand out,” Kwon explains. “They may have used blogging and Facebook and Twitter, but aren't sure how to use them wisely and efficiently.”

This conference isn’t focused on theory and motivational speeches - there will be practical takeaways so that the attendees can leave and immediately put new ideas to use to expand their business’ social media platform.

"We expect 500 attendees, with half coming from all across Alabama and the rest coming from out of state. I can't wait to show off my hometown of Birmingham," Kwon states.

There will be a kickoff party on the evening of July 22, then on July 23, sessions and speakers will be scheduled from 8:30-6:00, followed by a closing night party. As such, there will be significant amounts of time for learning and networking.

The conference will be held at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, and lodging will be available at a discounted rate in the adjoining Sheraton Hotel.

If you would like to attend, I have one conference pass to give away! To enter, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter Widget below:


[CONTEST OVER]

But if you don’t win, I do have a Promo Code for the rest of you: Enter ALABLOGSWEET for $30 off regular tickets!

This giveaway is open until Monday, May 6 and the randomly chosen winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 7

Best of luck!

Giveaway - Paint The Town Red!

The annual digital art celebration and street party is just nine days away!

Paint The Town Red is a charitable event taking place on Saturday, April 14 supporting the Jefferson-Shelby Chapter of the Red Cross. It's location is 2nd Avenue North and the shows will run from 5pm to midnight, featuring 17 bands and 23 artists sharing their stunning arts.

The event is filled with visual spectacles and audio experiences, including a 44 foot tall geodesic dome that houses a dance floor, a DJ, and a fabulous digital art show.



Street entertainers will include a drum line, break dancers, skate boarding demonstrations, belly dancers and moving theater performances, all adding to the electrical atmosphere.

"We are so excited about the entries for this year's event, including work by students, amateur and professional artists from across Alabama, Florida, Pittsburgh and Italy. Works include still images, digitally manipulated videos and animations projected on existing architecture of 2nd Avenue North," shares Celeste Laborde, the Arts Chairman of the event.

Tickets are $10 advance sale and $15 at the gate. For more information and advance sale tickets, visit PaintTheTownRedBham.com.

Paint The Town Red has been kind enough to give us a pair of tickets to give away to one of you!! But hurry and enter - the giveaway ends this Monday!

To enter, simply comment on this post!

Please either leave your email address in your comment or make sure that your email address is visible from your profile, otherwise you will not be eligible to win.

You can earn up to two additional entries by:

• Liking Paint The Town Red on Facebook.
  
• Tweeting, blogging, or Facebook statusing about this giveaway.

(be sure to leave separate comments for your extra entries.)

The winner will be notified by email on Tuesday, April 10th. Good luck, and I hope to see you at Paint The Town Red!

Disney Live! Huntsville - Giveaway, Discount Code!

Disney's Phineas and Ferb Live! Is coming to the Von Braun Civic Center on March 16!

With showtimes at 3:30 and 6:30, your Phineas and Ferb fans are sure to be thrilled with adventure and excitement.

If you would like to go, I have two pairs of tickets to give away to the 6:30 show!

Simply comment on this post to enter.

For up to three extra entries, you may:

• Follow Alabama Bloggers on Twitter.
• Tweet, blog, or Facebook about this giveaway.
• Like Disney Live! on Facebook.
  

Be sure to leave one comment per entry for your extra entries to be counted!

Winners will be randomly chosen on Monday, February 20 and announced on Tuesday, February 21.

Best of luck! But if you don't win, I also have a discount code available to everyone - enter ALBLOG at Ticketmaster or at the arena to get $3 off on all premium seating. Discount not applicable to premium tickets or day of show tickets.

Giveaway, Discount to Freestyle Motocross!

Freestyle Motocross is coming to the BJCC on Saturday, March 10!

Doors open at 6:30, and the show begins at 7:30.

Riders will be doing mind-blowing tricks, launching their bikes and performing mid-air acrobatics.



If you would like to attend, I have three pairs of tickets to give away!

Simply comment on this post to enter - make sure your email address is included.

For up to three extra entries, you may:

• Follow Alabama Bloggers on Twitter.
• Tweet, blog, or Facebook about this giveaway.

Be sure to leave one comment per entry for your extra entries to be counted!

Winners will be randomly chosen on Monday, February 20 and announced on Tuesday, February 21.

I also have a discount code available to everyone - enter ALBLOG at Ticketmaster or at the arena to get $10 adult tickets - a $6 discount per ticket! Discount not applicable to premium tickets or day of show tickets.

Hear the King of Alabama Social Media at the next alsocme meet!

I've been waiting for this moment since I first heard of the forming of alsocme. When I received the email yesterday, it's a possibility that I might have squealed with girlish glee.

James Spann is speaking.

There is quite literally no one in the state of Alabama that deserves more respect and honor for their utilization of social media, and as such, no one more qualified to share innovative and effective ways to use the tools of Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Blogging.

Just recently, after the last tornado hit our area, Mr. Spann was able to leverage his social media presence along with his followers' retweets and responses to gain the attention of ABC's national news, who had reported that Alabama was struck with "surprise" tornadoes with "no warning", which was clearly untrue. They later aired a much more accurate story as well as conducting an interview with Spann, although I'm unaware if the latter was ever aired.

From the alsocme site:

“The secret to social media is all about treating people right, and getting them engaged,” Spann says. Attendees will learn how to increase followers and create more meaningful conversations through his practical examples and insight.

I highly recommend attending this FREE event. It is scheduled for Monday, February 20th at 11:15 at the Hill Event Center. Lunch will be provided by Ted's Restaurant. Be sure to register at alsocme.org before all spots are gone!!

WordCamp Birmingham Quickly Approaching!

Are you looking for an opportunity to take your blogging to the next level?

Do you use WordPress, but know that you're not using it to it's fullest potential?

Or have you wanted to make the switch from Blogger to WordPress, but just didn't know how?

WordCamp Birmingham is a great solution - and it's local, inexpensive, and a wonderful way to get to know your fellow Birmingham bloggers!

WordCamp Birmingham takes place Jan. 14 at the BJCC Birmingham and Jan. 15 at Samford University. Attendees will learn everything they want to know about WordPress, blogging, content management, site design and development. The cost is $35, which includes lunch on Jan. 14, T-shirt and after-party.

There's a fabulous line-up of speakers, who will be covering every level of WordPress use. They will be sharing practical information for everyone, from beginners to professionals.

For more information, visit http://wpyall.com.

ALsocme Collecting Clothing for Tornado Survivors

The Alabama Social Media Association is having a mixer on Wednesday, December 14, of the tacky variety.

They will be having a Tacky Christmas Sweater contest at Rogue Tavern from 6 to 8pm, and the worst sweater will receive a door prize. They ask that you bring new clothing to donate to tornado survivors, of which they will distribute to appropriate charitable organizations.

“Our organization is glad to continue giving back to the community as we’ve done throughout our inaugural year,” said executive director Stephanie Hutcheson. Past donations have included food and cash for various charities.

It's a great opportunity to get out and socialize with other Birmingham social media users and give back to the community all at once. The event is free, they just ask that you RSVP on their Facebook page.

Find Out What Motivates Your Social Media Audience!

Have you ever wondered why your social media audience does what it does? What motivates people to respond to your tweets, to comment on your blog posts, and to interact with you? Why do some people pay attention to everything you say, and others never bother to even check?

The next ALsocme meeting will address this subject. Jenny Schmitt from Cloudspark will be sharing a talk on “The Digital Divide: The Psychographics of Social Media,” where she will discuss how different generations use and integrate social media into their lives and what motivates their nearly every move online.

The luncheon is on November 9th from 11:15 am to noon at the Hill Event Center. The event is free, and lunch will be provided. If you haven't been to an ALsocme event yet, this is an excellent one to attend!! I highly recommend coming to network with others and learn from Jenny's talk.

For more information, click here.

Upcoming Social Media Events!!

Just a reminder that two great opportunities to meet other bloggers in person are coming up toward the end of this month:

1. ALsocme's Tech Tweetup is September 21 from 5 - 8 pm. This event will be a wonderful opportunity to network with people you've already met via social media and meet new people, as well as learn more about social media as it relates to Birmingham.

Mayor William Bell will be presenting a short address on the state of technology in the city from 6 - 6:30, and there will be networking time before and after. Dinner is free, and will be provided by Ted's Restaurant.

Tickets are free, but attendees must register at alsocme.com.

2. See Jane Write's See Jane Write Blogger Bash is on Thursday, September 29 at The Wine Loft. It starts at 5:30, and there will be door prizes!!

If you would like to come hang out with a bunch of other area women bloggers, be sure to sign up for this free event!

The hashtag for the event is #sjwbhm.

See Jane Write Blogger Bash

See Jane Write is an awesome organization that is encouraging women writers of all kinds. They have held several educational meetings, and on top of the valuable information shared, everyone has just wanted to visit and get to know each other.

So, to give ample opportunity for that, they have put together a social event specifically for bloggers! The See Jane Write Blogger Bash is on Thursday, September 29 at The Wine Loft. It starts at 5:30, and there will be door prizes!!

If you would like to come hang out with a bunch of other area women bloggers, be sure to sign up for this free event!

The hashtag for the event is #sjwbhm.

ALsocme Tech Tweet-Up September 21!

One of the chief purposes of Alabama Bloggers is to encourage relationship building between area bloggers, and specifically to offer opportunities for bloggers to meet in person. Although the social media world is a fabulous place to make friends, those friendships grow exponentially when you actually speak face-to-face. It is for this reason that I am so excited about The Alabama Social Media Association (ALsocme). They offer excellent opportunities to meet other social media professionals and hobbyists within the state, as well as increasing knowledge and awareness of social media. If you haven't been to an ALsocme meeting yet, I highly encourage taking advantage of this next one!

It is scheduled for September 21 from 5 - 8 pm. This event will be a wonderful opportunity to network with people you've already met via social media and meet new people, as well as learn more about social media as it relates to Birmingham.

Mayor William Bell will be presenting a short address on the state of technology in the city from 6 - 6:30, and there will be networking time before and after.

This event is sponsored by Wesban Financial Consultants, and dinner will be provided (and free!) from the amazing Birmingham Landmark, Ted's Restaurant.

Tickets are free, but attendees must register at alsocme.com. I hope to see you there!

Birmingham Restaurant Week Kicks Off This Weekend!!

Last year, a new and wonderful development hit the streets of the Birmingham food scene: Birmingham Restaurant Week. Being in love with our city's amazing local dining, my husband and I were in heaven. We attended the preview party and delighted over the samplings from all of our favorite restaurants. Then we proceeded to plan our entire week's dining around eating at the participating restaurants.

And this year - well, it promises to be even better.

Offering amazing prices on three course dinners, almost thirty local restaurants are participating in this epic ten day eating extravaganza.

Beginning this Friday night, BRW lasts through August 28. Designed to fit into any budget and eating experience, there are three price options offered by the various restaurants: $10, $20, and $30. I recommend that you start to scour the menus now to plan your week around visiting your favorites!

But don't miss out on the event before the event: the preview party is, in my opinion, one of the best features of the entire week. At the amazing price of only $20 per person (or $30 per couple), you will be served a full meal's worth of samplings from a dozen of the participating restaurants.

The preview party is this Thursday night at the Hill Event Center from 5:30 - 8:30. You can order your tickets through Eventbrite by clicking here.

Tornado Relief Volunteer Day Saturday August 13th!

Social Media has already done so much for our state's disaster relief recovery - it has been amazing to see our community step up and make a historical difference in the relief process. I am proud to say that Alabama will be a model for how to handle disasters going forward, especially with regard to how to maximize the value of Twitter, Facebook, and blogging in the wake of tragedy.

Thank you all for the part you've played in that!

With that in mind, many of us have want to do help, as so much help is still needed. So our next meet-up will be a Tornado Relief volunteer day!!

We will be meeting from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, August 13th. If you can't come for the whole time, no problem - come when you can!

I am talking to the amazing volunteers at Scott School and at the Christian Service Mission to see who can best utilize our group on that day. Depending on the group size and the needs at that time, we will be at one of those locations serving our neighbors. I will be emailing the registered attendees as more details are available.

Pratt City

As far as what we will be doing entails, we will either be distributing donated items, helping in the Christian Service Warehouse, or doing whatever we can to lessen the load on the tireless volunteers.

If you would like to join us, simply register with the Eventbrite event either below or at the Eventbrite Page.

Online Ticketing for Alabama Bloggers Tornado Relief Work Day powered by Eventbrite

So whether you're a Blogger, on Twitter, or none of the above, join us and help serve our community!!

Thank you for your continued efforts of tornado relief!

The hashtag for this is #AlaBlogVol. Thank you!!

ALsocme Educational Meeting July 27

Have you made it to an ALsocme meeting yet?

If you have, you already know that you want to make it to another! If you haven't, well, it's about time!!

Their next meeting will be on July 27 at 11:15 am at the Hill Event Center. Lunch is FREE and will be provided by Urban Cookhouse.

The relationship-building alone makes it a worthwhile event (and the food, of course), but they are bringing in Atlanta-based social media expert, Daniel Davenport of THINK Interactive, to talk about using location-based services (Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places). It's sure to be a fascinating discussion.

If you want to attend, be sure to register ASAP at alsocme.com - space is limited and it usually fills up fast!

Upcoming Event - So You Think You Can Blog?

Have you heard about See Jane Write? It's a wonderful new women's group started by the accomplished and inspiring writer, Javacia Harris Bowser. Javacia is determined to help foster the art of writing among the women of our state, and in doing so, has organized some wonderful panels and discussions about writing, tweeting, and social media.

The next event, scheduled for Thursday, July 28th from 6-8 pm, is titled "So You Think You Can Blog?", and, as the name suggests, is going to be all about the art of blogging.

I am honored to be on the panel for this event along with two fabulous bloggers, Laura Kate Whitney of Magic City Manifesto and Jen West of The Jen West Quest. The three of us will be discussing blogging and all of it's aspects with the help of Javacia as our moderator. We will also be taking questions from the attendees, and there will be plenty of time to visit and network before and after our presentation.

The event will be an amazing opportunity to meet some of the ladies that you may have already been interacting with via Twitter and blogging, and to meet some great new friends as well.

We would love for you to join us for this event! It is a free event, but registration is required at the Eventbrite page.

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So You Think You Can Blog?
Presented by See Jane Write
July 28th, 6-8 PM
Homewood Public Library
1721 Oxmoor Road
Homewood, Al 35209
Free tickets available here

Recommended Upcoming Events

ALsocme is hosting their first family social event on Saturday, June 25th at the Alabama Theatre. Lunch will be at noon at Lyric Hot Dog and Grill, and then they will be watching "The Wizard of Oz" at 1:20.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for kids and seniors.

ALsocme events are great ways to get to know other social media / bloggers in Alabama - I've been to two events so far, and have been able to put many faces with names, blogs, twitter handles, and avatars! I highly recommend getting involved with this stellar group.

You can RSVP to this event on Facebook.

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The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is hosting a Father's Day train ride where ALL TICKET REVENUE will go towards Tornado relief!


Their trains are wonderfully historic and a ton of fun - a great family activity. They will be having trains depart on June 19th at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets range from $9-$27 and can be bought online.

See Jane Tweet - Rescheduled!

By Javacia

The social media seminar See Jane Tweet has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 26. It will be held from 6-8 p.m. at Matthew's Bar & Grill.

Originally scheduled for April 28, we postponed the event due to the devastation our city faced after the tornadoes of April 27.

See Jane Tweet is a seminar designed to help women writers discover ways to use Twitter and other social media tools to promote their work, connect with other writers, and get published. Our speakers, Erin Shaw Street and Kristen Record Heptinstall, will also teach participants more about digital branding.

As our state struggles to pick up the pieces and rebuild things like social media may seem trivial and insignificant, but I disagree. It is actually because of the storms that I approach See Jane Tweet with fresh perspective and a better understanding of just how useful things like Twitter can be.

When I lost electricity in my home I was still connected to others and still aware of when the tornadoes were getting closer to Birmingham because of Twitter updates from my friends, which I was able to access through my phone. Lives were saved as pictures and videos posted on social media sites proved to people that these storms were serious threats and that they truly needed to take cover. Our speakers will also share stories of how social media tools have been vital to the coverage of the storms and the aftermath.

As Christy Turnipseed wrote on her blog LifeofaTurnip.com, "with the new day of social media, it seemed as if we were all one family huddling together keeping one another informed and making sure we were all safe."

I hope to see you all at See Jane Tweet. Register for this free event at www.seejanetweet.eventbrite.com.

Food Blogger Bake Sale this Saturday!!

Two of Birmingham's top food bloggers, Alison of Ingredients, Inc and Jason of The Messy Epicure are hosting a Birmingham Food Blogger Bake Sale!!

The sale will be May 14 from 10 AM to 3 PM in downtown Homewood at the corner of 18th Street and 29th Avenue. All proceeds from the bake sale go to Habitat for Humanity.

With Alison and Jason cooking, the food is guaranteed to be excellent! But you can cook too - they are opening it up to ALL bloggers to participate, so if you have a special recipe that you're dying to share, join in the fun!

If you'd like to make food to sell or help work the bake sale itself, email jason@themessyepicure.com. They would love to have you! But even if you can't make anything, be sure to put it on your calendar to come by and sample the treats from everyone else, and get to say hi to a bunch of other local bloggers!

This bake sale is a part of a national Blogger Bake Sale Initiative, which can be read about here.