I’m betting you all remember Thomas Umstattd’s celebrated session on social media at PA. It’s one of the most popular sessions every year. Just last year, student reviews ranked it the second-most-popular session of the Academy—tied with another stellar session on teambuilding by…Thomas Umstattd. (One wonders how things would have turned out if he had presented only one.)
Some of you have taken his advice and engaged on social media at a new level. I’ve seen several new blogs by PA alumni, and I hope to see more. This post is for you, and for anyone else who want to bone up on making an impact online.
When he’s not giving gripping presentations on strategy at PA, Thomas is a self-described “Speaker, writer, entrepreneur, WordPress guru, political troublemaker, homeschool graduate and Christ follower.” He built his first website at the age of 13 and taught his first web design class at only 16 years of age. He has been helping authors and small businesses use the web ever since. As an award-winning speaker, Thomas teaches all over the world. He currently serves as the CEO of Castle Media Group LLC, a company that builds websites for world-changers. He’s got a branch for authors, a branch for small businesses, and a branch for conservative politicians (future candidates, take note!). I’ve been following his business for a while now, and I’ve been blown away by its savvy online presence.
Below is a video lecture he’s shared with us on building a better blog. Remember that PA session? This is more of the same, but for blogs. Blogger or not, you’ll want to check it out. You just may decide to start one by the end. Even if you don’t, a lot of his tips apply to practically any kind of networking. People are people, after all.
If you’re still working on getting started blogging, check out this step-by-step post on setting up your own blog in 20 minutes by Michael Hyatt (and follow him while you’re at it—he’s got a fantastic leadership site). From the research I’ve done, the hosting service he recommends, BlueHost, is one of the best out there. You should be in good hands. Then go back and watch Thomas’s video again. The conservative movement, and any other movement you ever stand for, will thank you.
