Build a Facebook App, Win Cash and a Job

CivicScience, Pittsburgh gurus of user preference demographics and data, is challenging students to build popular Facebook Applications…in 60 days. Students can work alone or with a team of friends to design and build a Facebook Application using the CivicScience polling, data analysis, user comparison and social networking platform.

Qualifying applications will be selected by a team of expert panelists including prominent software executives, engineers, venture capitalists and other people that could be important to your career someday.

Selected applications will then be deployed into Facebook for six weeks. At the end of six weeks, the most-downloaded application wins. Period.

Prizes include $3,000 cash, awesome tech gadgets and even a paid internship with Civic Science. For more information and to sign-up, visit the competition website. A meeting is set for November 13 with free pizza. Need I say more?

10 Ways to Increase Attendance at Your Event

Subtitled:
“You Need to Play to Win,
But You Also Need to Win to Play”
– Michael Scott

So, with the start of the new blogging year (of course that’s relative to the PodCamp Pittsburgh calendar), I am fulfilling my new year’s resolution to blog more with…a blog post.

Recently, I’ve been witness to some fairly poor marketing strategies surrounding local events. These ill experiences make me cringe every time I see something from these organizations and companies. So…I thought it would be appropriate to list some easy ways you can increase attendance at your event without breaking the bank.

1. Avoid Lame Gimmicks
Busy professionals don’t need gimmicks to get them to attend an event. Themes and novelties do not add value to the event program. For the busy professional, content is number one. So long as the content is engaging, elicits emotion, builds credibility and appeals to a relevant, targeted audience, the event will speak for itself. Gimmicks detract from an organizations mission and message of the event. The goal of the event should be to add value through a quick, meaningful program. If you need a gimmick to get attendees to your event, perhaps you should re-evaluate the event’s content.

2. Start Your Viral Strategy Early
Too many event organizers begin their viral marketing campaigns when their attendance isn’t where they’d like it to be, and by that time, it’s too late. Viral strategies should begin in coordination with the first release of information about the event. Additionally, strategies should be tiered to offer additional points of interaction on a gradually more intense level as the event draws closer. When considering these viral efforts, remember that people are about 6-times more likely to act on what someone tells them, over what they read. Dan Zarrella offers some great tips on creating contagiousness for viral marketing efforts.

Pittsburgh Tweet Up Coming Soon!

The second Pittsburgh Tweet Up is happening this Friday, November 14, at 8 p.m. at the Mattress Factory. The Tweet Up is for social media enthusiasts to gather and connect in person over drinks and hors d’oeuvres. All levels of experience are welcome to attend.

This particular Tweet Up will be held in conjunction with the opening exhibit for PREDRIVE: After Technology. Attendees are welcome to blog, tweet, post, etc. the event, as free WiFi will be available.

Register Via Mattress Factory

LinkedIn at PCPGH3

It has been a great weekend at Podcamp. Lots a great people and a great network of knowledge for us social geeks.

Blake Imeson and I just finished our session on LinkedIn (here’s the LinkedIn session presentation). There were some great questions and a ton of good discussions, but the best discussions (I’m sure) will take place in the following months. Use the PodCamp PGH LinkedIn Group if you have some questions. Also, feel free to connect with the Pittsburgh Technology Council Group to facilitate interactions with the southwestern Pennsylvania technology community.

Podcamp Pittsburgh in Two Days

We totally swipped this information from their site, but PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 is right around the corner and is adding stuff daily…it is a great forum for anyone with any ties to social media. There is definately something for everyone at every level. I will be presenting a session on Sunday with Blake Imeson on LinkedIn 101.

Digital media creators, unite!

Bloggers, podcasters, artists, musicians, journalists, designers, programmers and web surfers of all stripes are invited to share their insights and meet potential collaborators at the 3rd annual PodCamp Pittsburgh!

Students, educators, small business owners and the generally curious are invited to learn more about social media from the people who create it on a regular (sometimes daily) basis.

Whether you’re a veteran blogger, an aspiring podcaster, a business person or instructor in search of new tools, or simply interested in learning more about emerging media and technology, there’s something for everyone at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3!

(Oh, and it’s free! — unless you want to be a VIP for $25!)

What does the VIP package include??

• 1 PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 T-shirt
• 1 Swag bag from our lovely sponsors
• VIP listing on the PCPGH3 registration page
• VIP name badge @ PCPGH3 with your photo & URL

We’ve compiled some quick links for easy use:

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