Before we leave behind the interview with Scott Walker of TeacherTechBlog, let’s review some blog best practices that he shared with us. If you missed our two-part interview with Scott, then take a few minutes and read it at the two inks below. We’ll wait.

How an Educator Uses Social Media to Share Ideas- Part 1

How an Educator Uses Social Media to Share Ideas- Part 2

So, what are some of the takeaways for the rest of us to learn from Scott?

1. He has accomplished one of the primary goals of blogging in that he has established himself as a credible authority on educational technology and other educators look to him for guidance and insight.

2.  He confirms the commitment of time required, but also sees that time as an investment in building a high-value experience for his readers.

3.  Scott’s readership growth in one year from launch to 10,000 means that his tech tips were successfully viral as he has achieved exponential readership growth in one year.

4.  He has built readership by reaching out to others in the blogosphere tackling similar topics and now has readers in 103 different countries. That is an impressive metric for one year’s work.

5.  Blogging has become an integral part of his own professional life.

6.  Even though he is not eliciting lots of comments on his blog (something that many bloggers focus on), that was not a part of his intention which was to share his technical expertise with other educators and so Scott has built a community of people who look to him for thought leadership and practical advice. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week we talked about finding and listening in on conversations that your customers and prospects are having on the web. This week we’re hearing from an avid teacher-blogger about his experience in sharing technology tips with his fellow K-12 educators. Here is part 2 of our interview wtih Scott Walker of TeacherTechBlog.

6.   What is the absolute best part of this [blogging] experience for you?
The best part about blogging has to be the networking that comes with it. I have made several incredible friends/colleagues that I never would have. People from complete opposite ends of the earth have given me useful help, ideas, and insights that have not only helped my strategies but have also been an incredible encouragement. 

Some of these connections have taken me places that I never would have been. One of my first big experiences that I can remember was getting invited to FETC in Orlando to blog as a member of the press. I can’t even begin to say how remarkable an experience that was, and how many great opportunities happened because of it.

7.  What are the top three (or five) things you would share with another educator about the benefits of blogging?
Blog about what you know and love, even if you think other people won’t care about what you have to say. It is one of the few opportunities where you can filter out everything except what you passionately love about what you do. Read the rest of this entry »

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What better way to find out what educators are talking about on the web than to talk to one who is using some of the new social media tools. Today I have the privilege of introducing an avid teacher blogger, Scott Walker.

Scott blogs at TeacherTechBlog where he helps other educators better understand how to incorporate technology into their classrooms.

Scott graciously answered a series of questions that allows us a peek into not only the types of technology teachers are incorporating into their classrooms but how social networking facilitates the distribution of that information . This will be a two-part series. Read the rest of this entry »

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Okay, now that you know where your customers and prospects are at their various social websites, how do you engage them and what should you say?

First, you need to listen to them for awhile. It’s okay to be a “lurker” until you grow more comfortable with blog and social site “netiquette.”

Here are some of the things your customers will say:

–what they like and don’t like

–what programs they use

–what they don’t have

–what they wish they had

–what they would use if…

–what problems they are trying to fix

Locating and listening to your customers talk to each other is a wonderful marketing research channel. Try it out. Visit some of the sites. Monitor some conversations. You  might be surprised at what you learn. There is no commitment on your part just yet. You’re just listening. And what are you hearing?

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Do you know where your customers and prospects are? Do you know where they congregate to gather and share information? Do you know that they may be talking about you whether you are there or not?

Online communities facilitate conversation between people of like minds. So what is the cyber equivalent of the back fence for educators? Where can K-12 publishers pick up on the current concerns of teachers and administrators?

Click through to one or more of these online communities to find  teachers, technology specialists, media specialists and administrators using social media to talk about what is on their minds from what is working in their classrooms to the pace of education reform.

http://www.weareteachers.com/

http://edublogs.org/

http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/

http://edublogger.org/

http://www.theedweb.com/

http://tappedin.org/tappedin/

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