Transcript websitepresentation3.3.2015

CREATING AND BUILDING YOUR
PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL PRESENCE
Presented by the SUNY Oswego Writing Fellows
Greetings!
Kenneth Nichols
Great Writers Steal
www.greatwriterssteal.com
The Genesis of this Presentation
Smart and cool students who should really
spread the word about how cool and smart
they are.
Big-time writers who have no presence on the
Internet.
The Purpose of Great Writers Steal
• To shine a spotlight on underappreciated works and
journals
• To help readers learn about writing craft
• To build a community of writers
• To bring a little attention to my work
• To demonstrate my love of writing and to teach in a
new way
Why Establish an Internet Presence?
• You can make connections with other people in your field.
• Searching for your name on Google will be a fun and rewarding
experience.
• Colleagues and prospective employers will be impressed with your
accomplishments or your dedication to your field
• People will have easy access to your work.
• Networking! Who knows who will read your stuff?
Who Needs an Internet Presence?
Everyone!
Okay, More Specifically…
• Chemists
• Actors
• Writers
• Public Relations professionals
• Lady Gaga
• Butchers
• Bakers
• Candlestick makers
Blogs vs. “Web Sites”
Blogs
Personal?
Dynamic
Interactive
More Fleeting
Web Sites
Subject-oriented
Static
Authoritative
More Evergreen
Basic Resume Site
www.leighallisonwilson.com
Basic Resume Site
http://leekabbottwriter.wordpress.com
Content-Oriented Site
www.greatwriterssteal.com
What Are You Kind Folks Thinking?
What Will You Do With Your Presence?
• Comment upon news stories in your field?
• Post periodic updates about your work?
• Establish a digital resume or CV?
• Develop a creative outlet?
• Invite collaborations for personal or professional projects?
• Showcase your creative and/or professional works?
“Content” Possibilities
• Interviews with important people
• Informational PLUS a great way to network/make friends
• Photographs
• Easy; doesn’t require a great deal of prose
• Infographics
• Not THAT hard to create, but a great way to involve others
• Behind-the-Scenes Insight
• What doesn’t the world know about what you do?
What Are You Kind Folks Thinking?
Tone
Your web site and its connected
social media accounts should
reflect a common tone…
Mine certainly does…
Community
Given enough time, a digital presence will foster a community around
your work and will allow you entrance into other communities.
• Web site comments
• Mentions on other sites
• Social media connections
• Invitations to interact with others
Getting Started
Don’t be scared!
WordPress
• A free content management system
• 15% of the Internet runs on WordPress
• Numerous free options, many reasonably priced options
• Relatively easy for beginners to use
• Allows use of widgets and plugins for enhanced function
• Did I mention it can be free?
Signing Up for WordPress
Simple and free.
Signing Up For WordPress
Dashboard
WordPress Command Center
Posts and Pages
•Posts are the regular updates
you might make.
•Pages are the static “sections”
in your site.
Pages
What Are You Kind Folks Thinking?
Categories and Tags
Help your visitors find specific pages on your site
Search Engines
Search engines privilege sites with:
• Fresh content
• Original content
• Others linking to them
• Higher traffic
• High keyword density
...but you don’t have to worry about this unless you want to. People will
find your Web presence because you will use…
Dedicated Social Media
Sure, you can use your already-established social media accounts. There
are, however, advantages to using accounts that are dedicated solely to
your Web presence:
1. Less of a chance of…embarrassing personal mistakes.
Dedicated Social Media
Sure, you can use your already-established social media accounts. There
are, however, advantages to using accounts that are dedicated solely to
your Web presence:
1. Less of a chance of…embarrassing personal mistakes.
2. Allows you to remain “on message” and to maintain the tone you’ve
chosen.
3. Prevents people from avoiding you and your site because of irrelevant
personal disagreements.
4. Helps you build your “brand.”
The Vast Great Writers Steal Empire
Sigh…So Many Social Media Outlets…
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Tumblr
• Ello
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• ……………………………..
At the very least, you
should reserve the
relevant accounts so
no one else can have
them…
Free Programs
•WordPress
•Paint.NET
•Windows Movie Maker
•Audacity…
What Are You Kind Folks Thinking?
Brainstorming!
What are you going to call your web site?
• Kenneth Nichols
• Kenneth Nichols Writing
• What We Can Learn From Different Creative Works
• Writing Craft Advice 4 U
• K-Dawg’s Writin’ Help
• Please Like Me; I’m So So Lonely… =(
Visual Imagery
Logos and complementary
images
Beware the Copyright Police
For the Next Session
Complete the worksheet I’ve
distributed. I’m really just trying
to get you to start breaking down
some ideas.
See You Next Week!
And thanks for coming!
Any questions?