Tuesday Blogversation 3-2-2010: Colleen McGuire

This week’s Tuesday Blogversation is with Colleen McGuire. I had an inkling that I wanted to interview her for this week, but I received a few recommendations from people specifically mentioning her to do an interview with. She graciously allowed me this opportunity. Thanks Colleen!

Colleen McGuire (blog | twitter) is a communications professional working in the heath insurance industry for the past 11 years. She is a music junkie and relies on City Pages for concert information for the Twin Cities music scene. She has been posting to her blog since August 2009.

How important is it for you to blog?

Blogging is an educational experience for me. I value every element of it. I entitled my blog, “Social Media Journal” because it is just that – documentation of my journey – the good, bad and ugly. I learn from reading others stories, and I hope others get the same value from reading my blog entries.

How does being in the PR industry affect the topics that you write about?

Living and breathing PR means I approach each topic with a human relations story in mind. If the general public is going to not only understand what I’m writing about, but relate at the same time, I need to keep my blog simple and conversational. One of my most successful blog posts to date was “Social Media is Like the State Fair.” It’s just a lighthearted comparison of social media and the Great Minnesota Get Together, but it seemed to strike a cord.

I noticed you’ve had a few guest posts: How do you choose the guests?

In the spirit of my journal, I have asked individuals whom I’ve met on the local social media scene to share their personal social media journey. I find it remarkable how we all come to this same place. I always ask them, “what was your light bulb over the head moment?” The stories fascinate me. And sometimes they morph beyond the “light bulb” moment into “this is what I’ve learned.” Again, education to inspire others. That is truly my mission with online engagement.

How do you use your blog to complement your other online activities?

I am a certified Twitter addict, and sometimes 140 characters isn’t enough space to complete an idea. I think Twitter has actually sharpened my ability to condense thoughts, but the AP Stylebook trained writer in me still has a difficult time expressing thoughts in shortened abbreviations. I need to flesh out conversations from time to time, and my blog has allowed me to do that.

What do you hope to accomplish by writing more than 140 characters at a time?

I work in the health insurance industry, which is strictly regulated. I cannot do social media without being very creative with disclaimers and copy, and even getting to that point took time. I decided I needed to blog personally, for several reasons.

1. Stay ahead in my industry by practicing online what I was preaching in white papers to the CEOs and legal department;

2. Have documentation to use as example when I was ready to approach company executives about corporate blogging; and

3. Create a track record of trust that could demonstrate to the legal department that I was not a radical blogger that would be the demise of the corporation.

Your Twitter bio says “Music geek by night”: What do you enjoy about the local music scene?

I’m a music geek and the Twin Cities are the best kept secret on the national scene, I believe. I thrive off of opening the City Pages on any given night and finding almost 100+ shows to choose from. That is rare in most cities.

What free advice can you give here that you would give to your clients about their blog or other online social activities?

Be real. I have found that when a CEO blogs about what excites them, readership goes up and more comments flow in. People want to engage. Why do celebrities have so many followers on Twitter? It’s about engagement with individuals you might not have access to normally. Plus, blogging is a great way to interact with the community around you. It also keeps a person “in the know” about what is being said about them. In this day and age it can be damaging not to respond to praise or complaints. Be humble. Accept what people say and respond. Engage.

Who inspires you?

My social media inspiration comes from a group of people. Social Media Breakfast in the Twin Cities is an amazing gathering of people from all walks of life. Spend five minutes in a room with them and you’ll realize you among some of the smartest people you’ve ever met.

Which blogs do you suggest others in your field read?

I recommend the super-blogger standards:

Jason Falls at socialmediaexplorer.com

Jay Baer at convinceandconvert.com

For PR rants and raves I recommend Communications Conversations by Arik Hanson at arikhanson.com.

I also recommend people subscribe to SmartBrief on Social Media and Ragan Communications e-blasts.

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Tuesday Blogversation is a weekly series on iamdez.com featuring bloggers of all kinds from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis / Saint Paul) area. If you’d like to be considered for an interview please send mail to dez [at] iamdez [dot] com or get ahold of me on twitter.