What to Expect at the Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp - Morning Session

During this live hands-on session, Impact Communications' team of experts will help you build out your branded Twitter and blog pages, complete with your first videocast, podcast and several foundational entries. This will be a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves working session conducted live in Denver.

Logistics:

1. Check in at the FPA main conference registration area by 8:15 a.m. local time. Get your name tag. Find your way to the Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp room.

Colorado Convention Center - Room 403 | 700 14th Street, Denver, CO 80202

2. Arrive in the Boot Camp room between 8:15 - 8:25 a.m. You should bring your own laptop, mouse and all corresponding batteries, cords, etc. We will provide a wi-fi internet connection for each participant. Hook up your equipment. If you need a loaner computer, please let Marie Swift know ASAP by sending an email to her assistant maryellenbanta@impactcommunications.org or by calling the Impact office at (913) 649-5009.

3. You should dress in a professional manner - business casual, at a minimum. We will be filming your first video-cast. You may write your own script and deliver it on your own, in a one-person face-front fashion. Or, you may use a version of the script sent to you with registration confirmation and Andy Millard will briefly interview and interact with you in a two-way dialog. We will provide the video equipment needed. You will need to bring your talking points / script. We will discuss this on our pre-Boot Camp Webinar, providing tips and advice so that you are ready when you arrive.

4. You should arrive with your initial blog and Twitter pages established and ready to load with the podcast and video clip that we will be creating live at the Boot Camp. Remember: we'll be giving you a step-by-step demonstration of how exactly to set up your initial blog and Twitter pages during our pre-bootcamp webinar on 9/29/10. For the live boot camp: Bring your username, password and urls to both your blog and your Twitter accounts. Again: We will discuss this initial set up requirement on our pre-Boot Camp Webinar, providing a virtual tutorial to get you started.

5. You will be shown how to record your first podcast using a telephone (land line that we will provide). You will need to bring your talking points / script. We will discuss this on our pre-Boot Camp Webinar, providing tips and advice so that you are ready when you arrive.

6. At 8:30 a.m., local time, Marie Swift will welcome the group and introduce the coaches who will be assisting her that day.

• Special appearance by advisor/blogger extraordinare Andy Millard - star pupil from the premier Boot Camp session offered by FPA on 2/28/10 in Dallas. How Andy has been using his blog, videos and podcasts in conjunction with his enewsletter to build relationships and buzz. How he applied what he learned from the boot camp he attended. How's he modified and improved his approach since then.
  

• Tips on developing good content and headlines for blogs by professional writer/blogger Tom Nawrocki - founder of Triton Financial Newsletters, former journalist who once wrote for the Rolling Stone (and other more traditional business publications).

• How to communicate well when recording your first video and podcast clips - coaching from professional podcaster Chris Hall - co-creator of www.AdvisorPod.com.
  

After the 1 hour foundational conversation, Marie Swift will break the room up into 3 groups - Red Team, Yellow Team and Blue Team. Each team will have a team captain (a volunteer from the attendee group).

For the next 2 hours, attendees will rotate to 3 planned workstations:

• Podcast recording room (coach: Mary Ellen Banta)
  
• Videocast recording room (coaches: Leslie Swid and Andy Millard)
  
• Content creation and file upload center (coaches: Quinn Law, Chris Hall and Tom Nawrocki)

Anyone who still needs help setting up their Blog and/or Twitter pages will stay in the:

• Brainstorming and foundation coaching room (head coach: Marie Swift)
  

We will come back together as a big group approximately 11:30 pm to share what we learned, insights gleaned, etc. You may wish to show your newly branded blog and Twitter pages to the group. We will have an LCD projector and screen, as well as an internet connection established, at the front of the room so all you will need to do is key in your blog and Twitter URLs.

6. The session ends at 12:00 noon. There will be a one-hour lunch break before the after noon session "Managing and Leveraging Your Social Media Strategy" begins at 1:00.

If you have not yet signed up for the afternoon session, you may do so now or on site. A separate fee will apply. The afternoon session is described below.

PACKING LIST FOR DENVER

Please be sure to bring the following items with you:

1. Laptop, batteries, cords, mouse. We need everyone to be self-reliant with their own computer equipment; however, a few "loaner" laptops will be available for emergency use.

2. Your customized scripts / talking points for both your audio recording and your video recording. You should have received two base scripts - one for the audio and one for the video - to edit and "make your own" (earlier this week, from Danielle Hall at FPA). If you did not get your base scripts, contact MaryEllenBanta@Impact Communications.org. If you don't have time to customize them before you arrive in Denver, don't worry, we will have hard copies at the boot camp and you can do quick edits there.

3. Ideas for your first "foundational entries" for your newly established blog and Twitter page. You can also just "get into the spirit" and create them in the moment while in the Content Creation Room in Denver. Professional bloggers Chris Hall and Tom Nawrocki will be on hand to help you with any mental blocks. Professional web master Quinn Law will be there to help you with any technical / upload and posting issues.

4. URLs, passwords and usernames for (a) your blog account (b) your Twitter account. You will need to get into both your blog and your Twitter accounts to post content.

5. Wear camera-ready attire. We will be filming you.

6. Smiling face, alert mind, energy!

Don't worry if you don't have everything "perfect" before arriving in Denver. Just be sure you have your basic blog and Twitter accounts established. Your head coach, Marie Swift, will be on hand in the Foundation Room to help you finish up that process if you have not had time to get through that entire set up process.

The goal of the boot camp is to show you how easy it is to create and upload content to your blog. We will also help you do your first couple of Tweets to draw traffic to your blog and/or website (or to other important articles).

If you need to hold back a little bit due to needing compliance approval first before going "live" with any audios, videos, text, etc., no worries. You can use this as a practice session - and, who knows, compliance may approve your content "as is" once they see it.

Here's contact info for my team:

• (913) 649-5009 - Impact Communications Main Office (will route calls to me or the team)
  
• info@impactcommunications.org - (staff will respond and/or forward notes to me)
• (303) 618-2755 - Coach Mary Ellen Banta's cell phone
• (303) 503-1157 - Coach Leslie Swid's cell phone
  

My team and I will be on the ground, in Denver, as of October 8th.

See you there! We are going to have a lot of fun creating and adding content to your newly established blog and Twitter pages.

Warm regards,

Marie Swift
President and CEO
Impact Communications, Inc.