Driving In Traffic

You know, when your 10 years old, the worst thing you should have to worry about is boys pulling your pig-tails. However, Olivia King has Cystic Fibrosis and needs a liver transplant. If that wasn’t enough—she also needs $185,000 to cover the medical expenses (not covered by insurance). Read her Mom’s journal here.

Last week Toby Bloomberg asked me if I thought we could rally the Atlanta blogosphere and perhaps others to lend a hand to get the word out about a very ill young girl, Olivia King, who needs our help. So this Friday, Toby formally tagged me and asked me to help spread the word about Olivia.

So here’s how you can help:

1. Participate in the golf tournament on July 7, 2007 at Orchard Hills in Newnan (My Father-in-law’s favorite course!). CALL 817-232-1773 or 678-522-4941 FOR MORE INFO!
2. Sponsor something at the golf tournament– call the numbers above
3. Donate through Helping Hand Ministries (tax-deductible)
4. If you don’t care about the tax break and want to make an online donation please go to Mom Barb’s PayPal Account. Use kingbkmp1@bellsouth.net as the email code.
5. Blog about this!
6. Send or post a note of encouragement!
7. Go to the Chipin I created to donate directly to Olivia’s Mom
8. Promote the Chipin badge on your MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking sites.

As many of you know, I started blogging in 2005 for business at the encouragement of a close friend. The blogging bug bit me and bit me hard. What started as an academic experiment to boost the company’s google juice, eventually took me to places I never expected and led me to a wonderful set of friends and colleagues.

My enthusiasm over the potentials of this relatively new technology morphed me into an evangelist that had me trying to convince those I met that they, too, could use the technology. Subsequently, over time I began working with people and organizations to help them set up a blog and a successful strategy for meeting their goals.

In the past, I have been hesitant about soliciting for business, given that I had so much on my plate already. Honestly, in hindsight, it just wasn’t the time. However, now the journey that began with me starting the business blog, launching my personal blog (here), then launching my do-good blog, and now being invited to participate in the iVillage social network issues related to philanthropy and giving back, has led me to a place where my confidence that I can help is getting close to being equal with my desire to help.
For a while now, I’ve known that I was on a path toward doing something new. Being one that loves structure and routine I’ve struggled against it. However, the recent technology trials and tribulations with my domain name and blog hosting- gave me the cosmic kick in the pants to get off my duff and try to do what I really want to do— help healthcare and nonprofit organizations use social media strategies to boost their communications internally and externally, with the goal of building stronger relationships.

So with that said and the emotional support of my family (Jump in the water is fine.)— I’m taking the leap. www.drivingintraffic.com will be the online homebase for my services and consulting. Subsequently, with the change in URL of this blog, comes a change in focus.

Drivingintrafficblog.com will now really focus on supporting the efforts of my consulting. As much as I hate to say it– it will likely become more wonky but hopefully not too boring. However being more of a woman of action rather than musing about what can be done, I will still have the business blog and the do-good blog to give me real and genuine experience of the spaces I want to help others join.

I look forward to the new opportunities and meeting new folks on the path ahead.

Thanks to Michael Russell for the heads up about an article published from an interview I did a couple of months ago with Kayt Sukel on the influence of blogs and social media in healthcare.  She also interviewed Nick Jacobs and Mike as folks who get how blogs can be a valuable tool.
Mike purchased the reprint rights and you can read the entire article HERE.

OK– the live blogging thing didn’t work out too well. Mostly because I couldn’t stay connected to the Emory network. Everytime I shut my laptop — it would ask me to re-register. I’m not whining– I’m just explaining… ok… maybe I’m whining a little bit. Anyway, the day was filled with a lot of helpful hints and tips for the newbie and the advanced podcaster. As a newbie, I found the following tidbits helpful:

1. The average podcast is about 20 minutes long. It is always better to be brief rather than long-winded.
2. Start podcasting with a minimum set of hardware & software (free if possible) and give yourself a path for upgrading.
3. There is indeed a minimum leve of sound quality you need and a good $40 USB headset with microphone should be able to get you there.
4. Audacity or Garage Band are two good tools for editing your audio.
5. MP3 is the only universal format and good audiofiles have a bit rate of 64kbps-128 kpbs (96 is good) and a sample rate of 44.1khz.
6. If you don’t have a blog, there are many services that will publish your podcast.
7. Gabcast will let you record your podcast via a toll free number.
8. Podcast directories are good for promoting your blog. Good ones include: www.podcast.net, www.podcastdirectory.com, www.podcast411.com, and www.podcastalley.com.
9. Freevlog.com is a good resource for vlogging.
10. There are a bunch of helpful folks in the podcasting, blogging and vlogging space. If you are interested and/or need help, don’t be afraid to ask someone. Most are willing to help and give advice.

Tags:PodcampAtlanta podcasting vlogging PodcampAtlanta2007 social media

This morning I am attending Podcast Atlanta. Since there is wireless and my computer has become my ole ball and chain… I fully intended on live blogging if I could.

I brought my camera– but it makes too many beeping noises. I’ll be posting pictures later. You can see pictures at flickr .

Dan Greenfield posed the first question of the morning. That gets at how many social media skills are enough. Balancing time resources– how does one know what is enough and should we feel bad that we don’t participate in enough communities.

The overwhelming consensus in the room is to attend to your own needs. Don’t feel guilty or bad if you cannot do everything. The most important aspect is to remain faithful to your own needs and the applicability to the audience you target. Do what you do well. Don’t waste worry or guilt or energy trying to get engaged in every social media community out there.

more later….

Tags: podcampatlanta, podcamp

As I stated in my last post- I’ve got a big case of blogger guilt. Too much to do and Driving In Traffic is suffering. When I write a post for Trusted MD, I usually try to cross post it here. Well… in an effort to save a lot of time not having to reformat and such, this week I have decided to just post the link to the post. CLICK HERE
This week I’m discussing Niche Marketing in healthcare.

Tags: healthcare marketing niche marketing Trusted MD

I’m having a bit of blogger’s guilt. I’ve been swamped lately and Driving In Traffic has fallen behind. Sorry…

What has been keeping me busy?

Well– last week we had the second meeting of the Atlanta Social Media Club hosted by Dan and Dave at Earthlink. There we had a great conversation on “What is a community?” and “What communities do you participate in and why?”

The next Social Media Club will be held at 6:30 on April 4th at the Earthlink headquarters. I will be moderating so stay tuned for the topics. Either way— come out and join us– snacks are on us!

Next– Podcamp Atlanta will be taking place next weekend. I’ll be attending because I’m hoping to begin to use Podcasting at work. But being the anal sort that I am– I’ve got to learn everything before venturing forth…

Lastly– on March 18th… there will be a blogger get together at 5 Seasons Brewing. See Toby’s post for more information. It will be a causal affair where all things bloggy and social media-y will be discussed. All are invited to have a post-St. Patricks brew with us.

I may not be posting… but my addiction continues. Who say’s blogging is for the socially inadept. As the numbers of events indicate… we socialize just fine!

Come join us… there is always room for one more!

Tags: Social Media Club Podcamp Atlanta Blogger Meet-up Atlanta events social media

Once again I will be participating in the Healthcare Blogging Summit to be held in Las Vegas on April 30th. Like the one in December, Dmitriy Kruglyak has gathered a number of thought leaders in the area and the agenda is packed with a lot of interesting discussions.

As a moderator for a panel on the use of blogs for medical and health education, the nice people at the Consumer Directed Health Care Conference have offered me a free pass for someone (not in my organization) who would like to attend.

Click here to see the conference agenda.

If you would like to go, drop me a line at carol{at}drivingintraffic[dot]com. I’ve only got one pass, so first come first served. However, I also can put you in for a discounted registration as well.

Tags:Healthcare Blogging Summit Consumer Directed Healthcare Conference Las Vegas

The blogosphere is all a-buzz about an end of the year major magazine publishing tradition. Apparently, I have won the award this year. Read about it from my fellow bloggers: here, here, here, here, here, here .

My response:

Thank you for the thought, but I must respectfully decline.

OK– social media is giving us all new tools to connect with one another and is having an impact business and media. I don’t argue that. However, in the whole scheme of things, I think the selection is a little rediculous. (However, I must respect the magazine’s savvy use of the social media to to generate a buzz and hopefully newsstand purchases). In the magazine’s defense, at least they did not pick some celebrity disgrace— imagine the sales if they had used that picture of Britney Spears on the day she obviously should have been at home doing the laundry.

Since I’m turning down the award, I’d like to propose someone to stand in my stead. I think these types of things should be given to people who make a difference for the better and give me hope that humankind isn’t going to Hell in a handbasket.

I think I’d like to give my award to:

Matt and Jessica Flannery, founders of Kiva. Kiva is an online microfinance portal. The philosophy behind microfinancing is that you loan small amounts of money to people in third world countries or to people with little or no ability to borrow money to start a self-sustaining business. These types of loans are ones that can eventually lift people out of poverty and allow them to feed and clothe their family.

More on the nominees can be found here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

The Kiva Blog can be found here.

I’ve always loved the idea of microfinance and now Kiva makes it easy to have a trusted way to help people whose stories tug at your heart.

OK– now it is your turn. Please chime in with a comment or a trackback. Let this be a meaningful meme that outgrows the buzz of the clearly empty, attention-seeking actions taken by this publication (which I refuse to name or link to –afterall, they do not need any more buzz). Also please tell your friends about this as I have chosen not to tag this post in any way that would garner more attention for ‘you know who.’

In the days of live blogging, I know I am extremely behind in reporting my thoughts about the Healthcare Blogging survey that was presented at the Healthcare Blogging Summit last week in Washington.

The Healthcare Blogging Survey was conducted by Fard Johnmar at Envision Solutions, LLC and Dmitriy Kruglyak at The Medical Blog Network (soon to be Trusted.MD). There were 214 participants in the survey, and while it wasn’t a random sample, the size of the sample pool likely means that the findings represent a good cross section of those who blog regularly on healthcare issues.  Things I found interesting about the survey include:

• The most common motivation for healthcare blogging is for helping or educating others. Editorial: This was not all that surprising for me.  Blogging is inherently personal activity/hobby or in my case, preoccupation. Additionally, comments are hard to come by and only the rare few bloggers make it to the fame level equivalent to Scoble or Rubel.  So blog authors put in a lot of time and effort crafting posts comparatively little objective rewards  Those who stick with it definitely are blogging because of some other subjective reward.  This finding really resonates with me. I am a helper by nature with a background in continuing education for patients and professionals. I blog for both of these reasons.
• Most bloggers begin posting for modest audiences (<100 people per day).  However, as they continue they see their audiences growing.  Thus their influence and audience reach tends to increase over time.  Editorial:  This was good news for me and reflects my experience.  This information is very important for new bloggers.  It is very easy to give up on blogging because the impact is hard to measure.  It is hard to know how many people subscribe to your feed or regularly drop by your blog. It is also good to have some data that suggests that if you keep at it, the audience will come.
  
• Many of the survey participants believe that most bloggers facilitate open and unbiased conversations about issues.  56% of respondents say that 61% to 100% of bloggers want to make sure that readers understand the complexities of issues they discuss.  Editorial: Fixing healthcare is a Herculean task because of the nuances and complexities of our system.  People are sharing their perspective and views. However, I find the elephant in the room is rationing healthcare.  Many, including me, discuss issues in hopes of finding ways to patch the system together enough without having to resort to rationing care.

There is much, much more in the report.  I would encourage to read the report and also read the summaries of others who have blogged about it including:  John Mack, Fard Johnmar, Unity Stoakes, Colleen Egan, and Craig LeFebvre

Tags: Healthcare blogging, Fard Johnmar, Dmitriy Kruglyak,