Social Media in Minneapolis (or your town)

Foggy Town by Sri Dhanush Here’s another learning from my recent travels across the country.  It has to do with community, and regional participation.

I happen to live near and work in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area, and we have a very good, active social media community.  Because of this, its been easy for me to focus locally and (kind of) forget how many other large and small urban centers also have great communities.  That’s been the biggest learning as I’ve meet folks from all corners of the U.S. and around the world.

We all have vibrant social media communities, but they’re all different.  Some areas seem to be better at marketing, some better at technology or funding.  Regardless of the size of the city, the interest and enthusiasm always seems to be bigger than you’d think… and that’s the really fun part.

So my question to you this afternoon is what you’ve been doing to support that community and help it flourish.  The benefits of understanding what social media can do for individuals, businesses and your physical communities is growing at an impressive rate.  Its more than simply mainstream usage, it’s about people (society) adapting to new ideas and tools that support those ideas.  It’s cultural change which can be challenging for some organizations and individuals, and this is where you can help your community.

Getting involved in your local community is the best way to make things happen.  Find out what the need is and work on filling it.  It may  be getting people together at meetups, answering questions, or maybe training.  In any case, participating with your local community is as important as keeping up with the new ideas and tools that come out every day.

Picture courtesy Sri Dhanush

Changes & Opportunities

Rick MahnIt’s been a long time coming, but there are significant changes taking place here this week.  The first change being a new look* and updated layout here on the site.  The current design was done almost two years ago by Mykl Roventine, a great designer & creator of things ;-), and has served this blog well during that time.
The next evolution of this site, needs to support the evolving needs I have online and in working with clients and organizations.  More information on resources, ideas, offerings, services, and such are part of that plan, and I think the new design is going to fit those needs nicely.  In addition to that, it’s just time to freshen things up a bit to go along with that new direction.
The other portion of the refresh is around opportunities.  The growing Social Media Breakfast community here in Minneapolis & St. Paul is one part, but also the national organization is working together as it grows.  The education needs of our communities are growing, the number of businesses both large and small in need of advice & direction is expanding along with the opportunities to mentor folks who need it.  All these things are part of my thinking in this redesign and direction for the future.
So when you ask?  This week I say!  Much of  the new design is ready to go and I’ll be working into the wee hours here & there to bring it live, but it will be done by the end of the week.  Gotta go now though, still much to do, and still more to share later.
🙂
* New design now live, the old one looked like this.

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