Interview with Danny Schreiber of Silicon Prairie News(download video here or play it below on the page)

Silicon Prairie News Spotlights Midwest Innovators, Business, & Culture

In a couple of years we’ll look back and say Silicon Prairie News was one of the early benchmarks of new journalism. Its founders, Jeff Slobotski and Dusty Davidson, and Managing Editor Danny Schreiber have created a multimedia stage to tell stories of business, innovation and community about Omaha and the visionaries in the surrounding Midwestern states. As they have grown on the web, many new social celebrities on the coast have taken notice giving Silicon Prairie News a wildfire-like status that attracts the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk pouring for a SPN party at South by Southwest, and iconic CEOs including Tony Hsieh of Zappos and Dennis Crowley of Foursquare will be among the speakers at the Big Omaha conference produced by Silicon Prairie News.

Now, it’s still new and its collaborators still shaping its content and structure. It has the feel of a new venture with a wide open horizon to discover, much like the 360 degree view from it’s origin in Omaha, Nebraska. In my early career I worked in Nebraska as a broadcast journalist with 3/4 inch camera’s a tape deck editors, so I know that literal and figurative view very well. This is a media entity similar in boldness and feel to that of CNN when it first started in the early 1980s. Then local news reporters contributed to CNN’s success by submitting stories, it was a network of part time stringers, the culmination of which was rapid growth.

Silicon Prairie News with Danny Schreiber from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo.

I get the same feeling when I look at Silicon Prairie News, Tech Crunch, and Mashable, yes I put Silicon Prairie News among those new media giants without hesitation. The difference is, this generation of news gatherer is not bound by technology because they don’t need antennas, only the web. They are not fearful of competition because there is more synergy among entities participating in the same social space than animosity. They are not encumbered by bureaucracy but uplifted by the limitless potential of their ideas.

Danny Schreiber, Managing Editor of Silicon Prairie News and I chat in this video about how social media became something that was inevitable for him, the utility of Twitter and the need for improved filters for the social web to provide greater benefits, and his admiration for Princess Lasertron, (it’s a long story, Danny explains.)

Big Omaha

While flying to Omaha is not the easiest of connections, the Big Omaha conference is worth the lay over. It will be a intimate venue with big name players and a look at a part of the country most people fly over. For me, it’s a half day’s drive and a chance to hook up with old friends. Give the agenda a look and consider attending May 13-15.

Energy, Ideas, Generosity

Kansas gets a lot of tornados, one of them is Lisa Qualls. She is a good kind of tornado, the kind that gets people moving, sees the positive in most any situation, and is full of energy. Qualls helped organize the Kansas City tweet up during our SxSw road trip. The people who helped organize these seemingly spur of the moment events during our road trip posses these three qualities

Lisa Qualls of Fresh ID from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo.

1) Energy – yes I know you are a wife, parent, running a business, president of an 1100+ member social media club (insert any one of a dozen responsibilities here), but you still have a few more ounces left for another project, community event, or road trip guest. Thanks

2) Ideas – Oh sure everyone has them, but truly some are better than others. When someone says there are no bad ideas, they are being nice. Innovators have their share of bad ideas, most of the time they quickly recognize them or are smart enough to listen to others who vet them, but innovators have a way of molding an isolated idea into a vision of something. In Lisa’s case one of those visions is Twitterface which is web-based application that allows you to integrate real-time media with online conversations. Her molding skills are being put to the test as the the product is under going a name change to better reflect the true power of the platform….you can learn more about this innovative product incorporating live or recorded video and real-time conversations in my podcast interview I had with Lisa in March.

3) Generosity – Sometimes I think that generosity is the tangible side of faith. Faith that everything will work out just fine. Innovators, the kind that I’ve met in social media circles have no problems with giving their time, ideas, energy, to some community down the street or across the globe. They expect nothing in return, see this is the faith part and that’s what makes them enriching people to be around. Among those Lisa mentions among the innovators in Kansas City are Spiral 16 a sentiment and social media monitoring company and Meers Advertising

Who are the catalysts in your community, and that community can be an online community or one in your town?

Remember every comment on this blog will generate a food item for a St. Paul food shelter.

I’ve travelled around the country meeting with plenty of people from online communities. Some are individuals I’ve met for the first time on Twitter, Facebook, Friend Feed etc. etc. etc. Others I’ve met for the first time in person. As a long time marketer I know getting people out of their routine to attend some event is one of the most difficult tasks of the profession. Whether it’s a political rally, a non-profit fundraising event, or a simple Tweet-up, the commitment of time let alone the energy to engage in conversation is among the most demanding on one’s busy schedule.

So when I see a group come together just to be with each other there is usually a person or two who acts as a catalyst. Catalyst, you know from high school chemistry it’s “a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected.” Or a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. How about this definition from dictionary.com a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. Yeah, that’s the one.

There is a phrase, “make time” which is usually attributed to people that can be found helping everywhere, or who are focused to the point where they can bring about change, their own or for someone else. They just make time.

Now some will say that a super organized person is able to make time because they are so efficient. I don’t buy that. Sure organization is helpful, but the people who are catalysts usually make time by getting to bed later, getting up earlier, taking the dog on shorter walks, giving the kids a Cliff Notes version of their bedtime stories and plenty of other anecdotes that involve sacrifice. The places that have energetic events usually have a catalyst or two to spread their chemical energies and watch the reaction. You just need to see the discussion at the wichita Tweet up about network marketing to see the chemistry.

In this segment of Social Media Innovators of the Midwest we feature Cindy Kelly, also know as WichitaCindy on Twitter.

@WichitaCindy Catalyst For A Dynamic Community from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo.

This series was produced as part of my SxSw Roadtrip sponsored by Verizon Wireless who is also involved in many social media communities like Social Media Breakfast MSP, Social Media Breakfast Des Moines, and Mobile Twin Cities.

This series, Social Media Innovators in the Midwest, profiles several business communicators in the Midwest, a place where innovation that’s practical gets high marks. I developed it in part because I believe that innovation is not limited to the few, or the brightest, but is born along a path of experience. Some on that path challenge convention to create innovation, some are innovative within the parameters of convention. The latter may well be a more difficult feat.

On my road trip to the South by SouthwestInteractive Festival, I thought of the enormous collection of ideas, opinions, and individuals that social media presents to our society. As a consultant in this field I’ve established relationships with many of them who are generous with the time and experiences. This makes everyone richer, which is recycled as others build upon and expand the conversation, keeping the community nourished.

Nathan Wright Social Media Innovator in the Midwest from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo.

I decided to turn the camera on a few of these individuals during this 3,000 mile journey from Minneapolis, through Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, and Wichita, to ask three general questions.

1) Why are you participating in social media?

2) Have we seen all the benefits social media can provide or are there more?

3) What types of innovation have your seen in the Midwest?

I hope you enjoy their commentary and this series, contribute to enrich the path, and share these videos as you see fit.

Nathan T. Wright – Lava Row

Nathan Wright, founder of the firm Lava Row, has his foundation in advertising, but saw the potential of incorporating social media to achieve business objectives for clients. Follow Nathan on Twitter as @nathantwright

Nathan has the perspective of small business and large corporations which is typical of the dynamic of the Midwest. Des Moines is home to high finance and agriculture, a fairly wide spectrum that gives Nathan a good view about the practical applications of technology.

Time 19:56

What if… No ifs about it, you can. As a corporate communications person, PR executive or marketer, you should be chomping at the bit to have your own live news truck. Just think, off to the scene of some speech by a senior executive, a product demo, major event that your company is sponsoring and you whip out a camera, throw up your antenna and upload a live feed.

Then you tap into the social commentary stream and engage in a dialogue by putting around that live video screen, a Twitter or Facebook feed with your appropriate hash tag, you know #Imageniusforthinkingofthislivestreamandchat or something shorter. It’s here and we did it on the #SxSw road trip.

Disclosure: Verizon Wireless was a client for this project and provided the devices, WIFI, and network. This was very, very cool.

Here’s what we did at a Tweet-up organized by Lisa Qualls the guest on this Marketing Edge podcast episode. We used a HTC Droid Eris for the video stream using the Ustream Broadcaster app we downloaded from the Android Market. We connected to the Verizon Wireless network on their MiFi 2200 device. That’s me holding the camera interviewing people around the table. Photo credit for the guy taking a picture of the guy taking video goes to Rick Mahn.

Then using a platform called Twitterface.com created by Qualls’ company Fresh ID we branded the event website and placed Twitter streams for our hash tage and following mentions of @albertmaruggi and my colleague @rickmahn on our way to South by Southwest. Below is a screen shot.

As a former broadcast news reporter this is nothing short of live broadcast feed capability that fits in your pocket. When you incorporate the ability to integrate social streams as you’ll hear in this conversation with Qualls, your mind starts thinking, “that would be great for…

1. Product Launch
2. Internal Communications
3. Event sponsorships
4. News Conference

Please add some of your ideas below and take a look at how Qualls used this live video and social engagement for other companies.

I attended a Tweet up last week in Wichita, KS on our way down to South by Southwest. We talked about the integration of social media in mobile devices, including downloadable applications, using the mobile web to check online e-tailer prices while at a home town merchant, or making social streams from Twitter, Facebook and other networks part of your mobile home page as the Motorola DEVOUR with MOTOBLUR. An interesting take from a couple of folks was that local merchants can monitor the web for the lowest prices online for similar products that they carry in the local store, then be active with the local community online and those merchants will be able to charge the premium while building customer and community loyalty.

Another issue the Wichita covered was about how consumers are being marketers for brands. After all that’s the attraction of social media for many big brands, have customers do with credibility what marketers have tried for years.
Wichita Tweet Up Mobile Apps and SxSw

Wichita, KS Tweet Up, March 12 from Albert Maruggi on Vimeo.

We raised the case of TGIF’s Friday’s integrated campaign to get 500,000 fans in the month of September for their number one fan/spokesperson Woody on Facebook. If you became a fan everyone would benefit with a free Jack Daniels burger. Woody quickly met his goal of 500,000 fans by mid-September, presenting a problem of what to do with the remaining two weeks, and the ad buy. After the grumbling began online they doubled Woody’s free burger allotment to 1 million.

Tom Shaw writer of the Marketing Executive blog estimates that if 50% of the 500,000 fans bring one person who buys a meal and a drink, it will generate up to $5 million in sales.

We put the question of marketing to your network and the Woody’s example to the Wichita group and the feedback was mixed. Some bought into the idea, if they liked a product they would share it with their network, others took a case by case approach, perhaps sharing with only a portion of their fan/friend/follower base, while others shrugged it off as part of the new dynamic of social media. Give a listen to the video. Apologies for some of the side conversation going on in the background.

We met at the Donut Whole, a fantastic place with outrageous donut flavors like bacon maple and chocolate cheese cake. I’m told by one of the employees that one of the secrets is the fresh spices purchased from a local importer. The donuts are worth the trip even from Minneapolis!

Special thanks to Cindy Kelly @wichitacindy for helping organize the Tweet up. I’ll donate a food item to a St. Paul, MN food charity for every comment we get on this blog.

Coverage of the road trip and South by Southwest was supported by Verizon Wireless.