I have spent some time exploring the virtual show floor and various exhibits.  My gut response? I miss shaking hands.

A virtual trade show has some great benefits.  The reduced costs associated with travel is the first to come to mind.  There is also the advantage of being able to go about your day at work, and to hear a notification that someone has stepped into your “booth”.

However, my first interaction with a virtual show hasn’t been the best.  Please do not read that as a condemnation of virtual shows.  I just don’t fit the description of someone who would truly benefit from this show.  It seems that this style of show (virtual) really weeds out the moochers.  What I mean is – there are a few very specific strengths of the show, and if you fit within the target of those strengths, it will be great.  However, if you’re on the fence, you won’t like it.

With 2,300 attendees, Virtual PCB has been great for the exhibitors.  Many have stated that their booths have been consistently busy.  And it would be awesome to be an attendee looking for some services provided by the exhibitors.  The ability to switch in between various companies and instantly chat with them is great.  Exhibitors also have access to attendee lists, which is a very valuable resource when used correctly.

But for me, as a competitor to most of the exhibitors and being a marketing guy without technical expertise, there was not a whole lot of benefit.  Had we exhibited, I might be singing a different song.  This is a great benefit for the exhibitors… having a firewall/deterrant of sorts to their competitors.  There is very little cherry-picking.

What are your thoughts or experiences concerning virtual shows?  They are definitely a piece of the puzzle as it relates to the future of our industry.  UP Media is leading the charge, and sincerely I commend them.  Did you find the show helpful?  Are there aspects you wish were different?

Below is the media portion of my presentation.  It gives a very general outline of the topics I covered and the order.  If you are interested in learning more about the specifics of the presentation, or are interested in discussing how social media and web 2.0 technology might benefit you or your company, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.  My contact information is found in the Author Bio’s and Tweets section.

Enjoy!

The more authors we have, the more dynamic and informative the site will be.  I hope that over time we will have about 15 independent contributors who are able to provide a short 250-500 word article once every couple weeks.

If you are interested in taking on this small, but essential role within the development of HotPCB.com, please feel free to get in touch with us. We can talk about the various potential topics. This site is still very dynamic and your contributions and ideas will help it develop into a great resource.

Call Liam Morris at (800) 217-0202 x13 or email at lmorris@hotpcb.com

We have all experienced that moment where we open our email again even though we just minimized it and there was nothing new.  Or we have refreshed our facebook/twitter to see if anything new has popped up.  Or we’ve closed a browser and out of habit opened it up again even though there is no need.  Or you end up staring aimlessly at your monitor wondering “what can I do?”

You have become a twiddler – metaphorically twiddling your thumbs.

This is particularly dangerous for people who spend all day working at their computer.  It is even more of a temptation when you are able to validate it under the claim that you’re “managing the social media marketing campaign.”

However, there are many effective and fun ways to resist and to maintain productivity.  I hope to open the discussion on ways to not only battle idleness and the trap of twiddlerdom, but also how to make the time you spend truthfully “managing the social media marketing campaign” (because for many of us, that is our job description) much more effective.

Develop a Routine
Set up a game plan, an outline of what tasks are involved daily within your campaign.  Chris Brogan has put together a great list of ways to develop your presence on the web.   These are things that should most definitely be included on your list.

Don’t be a spectator
Although there is a time to browse, if that is all you do, then you are invisible.  Following Chris’ list will help you break out of this.  However, if you find yourself just reading other people’s tweets and updates, take the extra step and reply or comment.  A one sentence comment takes little time, but opens doors.

Take a Walk, Bring a Pen
Rather than stare at your screen and try to think of what to do next, turn around.  Creativity and Ideas are fostered when our surroundings change.  I turn often to a large blank piece of paper that I tape to my desk each week.  It’s my brainstorm space, away from my screen.  Go grab a glass of water.  Go tell your boss something nice – kill two birds with one stone.  Bring a pen – it’s been there for thousands of years as the creative thinker’s best companion.

Throw Randomness into the Mix
Sometimes to spark the creative region of my brain, I will create or find random things.  For example:  Sometimes I scribble on a piece of paper with my eyes closed and then look at it from different angles.  You see different things and your mind goes off.  I used a random word generator with the settings on somewhat uncommon words and it led to this article – “twiddler” came up.

Act on Your Instincts
If you have a thought to do something, do it.  Putting things off is dangerous.  Take a few minutes to do something to push your idea forward, even if it’s just writing it down on the brainstorm page.  Don’t just sit there! You hate to forget your creative thoughts, just as I have forgotten the idea I had about how to end this article.