Kickin’ It Twitter Style: The 10-Step Guide To Tweet-Up Success

I’m impressed by how many ways people can use 140 characters of text. Nothing in social media is as captivating to me as the Twitter phenomenon.

My most recent Twitter obsession? The Tweet Up.

Two weeks ago Brazen Dan put together a killer Tweet Up for Team Brazen and other local Twitterers in the Madison area. The turnout was amazing.

With Twitter’s high-speed approach to consuming information, it’s only a matter of time before Tweet Ups start sprouting up in every major city around the country. (more…)

This Is What Happens When Good Community Goes Bad

Last week, Penn State (my alma mater) overcame its most difficult football challenge of the season—defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes. The aftermath was boisterous. A celebration for Penn State fans everywhere. But back in State College, PA, boisterous turned into raucous way too quick.

Students flooded the streets. Beaver Canyon, the core of off-campus life, became a sea of blue and white. And when I first watched the footage I thought, “Awesome!” But I changed my mind.

You see, I love Penn State. It’s still a huge part of my life. And when something remarkable happens to that community, I can be as rowdy as they come. But when a community as great as Happy Valley turns on itself—and ends up hurting itself— it’s just way too ugly to ignore. (more…)

What My Frat-Guy Years Taught Me About Building Community

Most of you don’t know the Ryan Paugh that people knew in college. Most of you know Ryan Paugh “the BC community manager.” But back in college I was Ryan Paugh “the frat guy.”

And at first, saying that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Frat guys get a bad rap, because a lot of us flat-out suck. But many of us are actually pretty good guys … promise.

But here’s the deal. I learned a lot from my years as a greek. Sure, I partied hard, got up late and skipped a bunch of classes. But I spent a lot of that time building community right outside my door, in my frat.

Here are few things I took away from the fuzzy, fun-filled days and nights I spent with my fraternity in college. (more…)

10 Tips for Successfully Managing Online Communities

When I first became the community manager at Brazen Careerist, I was less than enthused. Nobody could tell me exactly what the title meant, exactly what the job was, and so I had no idea where to start.

Five months later, the work has become the reason I get up in the morning. And the reason I keep working late at night. I also feel confident explaining what I can do for a startup in one word—bridge.

When companies, especially startups, get caught up in the hustle of post-funding mayhem, a sturdy bridge is what will keep you aligned with your loyal, pre-funding customers. And those loyal customers are important when you’re community building. It’s a messy and erratic job, but somebody’s gotta do it. (more…)