Confab 2012 is over, and man, was it fun. Our speakers were amazing! Our audience was engaging and enthusiastic! Betty Crocker made us cake!
One of the things people seem to love most about Confab is the opportunity to hang out with folks they have so much in common with. More than a few times, people thanked us for providing them with the community they so desperately needed. Content strategy can feel like a lonely battle, and knowing there are others who share similar experiences is both a relief and an inspiration.
London Content Strategy Meetup
Image courtesy of Together London
So, let’s keep the community spirit momentum going. I have a job for you. Yes. You. It’s time to go find your people. It’s time to get your meetup on.
Let’s officially make July “Content Strategy Meetup Month”
Why July? Why not. Did you know …
- There are 41 Content Strategy (CS) Meetups around the world?
- There are 2,526 people waiting for CS Meetups in their cities?
- That CS Meetups aren’t just for “official” content strategists? They’re for anyone who works with content.
- That content-lovers are generally smart, fun-loving people who are passionate about their craft?
- That CS Meetups are all kinds of fun?
What are you waiting for?
If you run a CS Meetup …
- Hold one in July. Let me know when it is—I’ll tweet about it and list it on a follow-up blog post. And remember: Meetups don’t always require formal programming. Hanging out at a bar, restaurant, park, or seedy bus station also counts.
- Try to keep this one free, or at least cheap. If you have to charge something, see if you can let first-timers in for free!
- Find a central location. The easier it is for people to attend, the better.
- Send out a few reminders. That is, hassle people to show up.
- Take a photo at the meetup—we’ll create a Flickr group (watch for details at the end of June via Twitter) to post them on. That way, we can see the CS community in action. Seeing is believing.
If you already belong to a CS Meetup …
- Make sure there’s one planned in July. If there isn’t, bug the organizer.
- Go. Invite at least one person to join you.
- When you attend, be a good host and seek out the newbies. Use your innate charm and razor-like wit to make them feel welcome.
If you haven’t been to a CS Meetup …
Find out if there’s one near you! Here’s how:
- Search by your ZIP code, country, and/or city: http://content-strategy.meetup.com/
- Check out this list: http://content-strategy.meetup.com/all/
Find one? Then go. Take a deep breath, leave your inner introvert at home, and do it. Even better, bring a friend.
Don't be shy. Content people are friendly!
Image courtesy of Together London
If there’s not a CS Meetup near you …
Then it’s time to start one.
Sound intimidating? It’s actually pretty easy. And, once you’ve met for the first time, you can probably find a co-organizer or two to help you plan future meetups.
Just go here and start typing: http://www.meetup.com/create/
Worried whether or not people will come? I’ll give you two reasons not to:
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Check out this list of people waiting for Content Strategy Meetups in their cities: http://content-strategy.meetup.com/all/
Do you see your city? You DO? Excellent. When you start a CS Meetup, those people will automatically receive an email notifying them of said meetup. So, in this case, if you build it, they actually will come.
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Remember, I’ll tweet your new meetup info and list it in a follow-up blog post here. Free publicity, FTW.
(NOTE: There are lots of meetups that list “content strategy” as one of their areas of focus. That’s cool, but you might want to find or start a CS-focused meetup. Just sayin’.)
OK. Let’s get going!
I foresee a fun content strategy party in your near future. Please report back in the comments below. And watch this space for more fun instructions. (Do you like how I call them “instructions” instead of “suggestions”? It’s because I am bossy. It’s part of my charm.)
