Digital Capital Week

It’s been one week and one day since the closing party at DCWEEK.  Before we completely shut the chapter on all the DCWEEK 2011 events, I’d like to take this time to express what a pleasure it was for me (Danielle Ricks) to serve as the Chief Blogger and to thank some key volunteer bloggers who made my job so easy.

The on the ground DCWEEK bloggers who kept the blog fresh and current while reporting on the go:

Sherif Fahmy is a student entrepreneur and a researcher finishing up a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern. Sherif caught a tech entrepreneurial bug in grad school and has been experiencing symptoms ever since. You can read his blog here.

Heba Saleh is a writer, internet enthusiast, and a true foodie at heart. She has a master’s in English from George Mason with a focus on Cultural Studies, and has taught writing at a college level. Heba has co-founded MidEats.com, a hub for Middle Eastern cuisine and culture and blogs here.

Ashley Smith of the DigiFabelle is a digital media enthusiast who doesn’t discriminate against traditional media! She’s developed digital strategies for national corporations such as Johnson & Johnson as well as local, small businesses. ………………………………………………………………………..

The promotional team that gave the blog legs

Yolanda R. Arrington is a digital media producer and co-founder of the popular entertainment blog Witches’ Brew.  She is experienced in radio, local news, cable, network and private industry.  Find out more about her here.

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Shannon Mouton is a communication strategist with 20+ years of experience. She is a native Washington with a love for the Redskins, passion for social good and heart for her family and friends.

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Bloggers whose recaps and reports made the readers wish they were there in real life:

Xina Eiland – President of The Eiland Group. Xina Aeiland. As a publicist, Xina Eiland has established herself as an authoritative figure on multicultural marketing.

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Abou Kone is a web and mobile developer by trade, and a budding social entrepreneurship with interest ranging from technology in general to gaming and fitness.

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Finally, to our video bloggers who did a bang up job for Artisphere and who also contributed to the DCWEEK blog:

Tanya Ellis is a producer, blogger, and well-rounded gal.  Born in Liberia, raised in Massachusetts, and now living in Washington DC, she works as a media producer for an educational company in Baltimore MD.

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Leon Scott is a comedian, web designer and blogger based in Washington, DC. Check out his irreverently humorous take on everything here.

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Anglea Giles- Angela is recent graduate of George Mason University. The self proclaimed Apple junkie loves all things social media and pop culture.”

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Courtesy nickwhitmoyer’s photostream

Then Live Streaming. What’s Next? The Impact of Social Media on the Fashion Industry– First Bloggers, Then Live Streaming. What’s Next? The Impact of Social Media on the Fashion Industry panel featured:

Leigh MacDonald, Founder of Nice Shoes, No Drama/Fashion & Beauty Expert NBC Washington;

Joi-Marie McKenzie, Founder/Blogger The Fab Empire;

Stephanie Green, Life Style Write Washington Post & Huffington Post;

Holly Thomas, DC Editor for Refinery 29; and

Jian Deleon, Shopping Editor for Valetmag.com/Staff Writer Complex Media.

Social media is everywhere. Its influence reaches far and wide and is even showing up in fashion, an industry that is known for creating and influencing trends and fads for everyone, whether we know it or not.  Just like the fashion industry, social media has a heavy influence on the masses as well. Every couple of years a new platform or app is created to make life more convenient and cool just like your favorite fashion accessory. The above panelist gave tips on how to successfully integrate fashion with social media. I found these tips could be used for anyone who is just starting out in the blog-o-sphere. Here are three of the biggest take-a-ways from the panel discussion:

Tip #1: “If a platform doesn’t work for you, you don’t have to use it” – Leigh MacDonald. If Twitter isn’t your thing, you don’t have to use it. Chopping words up into 140 characters isn’t for everyone. Sometimes you just want more space to express yourself. This very reason is why Facebook is able to still keep hope alive, and why platforms like Tumblr are on the rise.

Tip #2: “Use social media to tell a story” – Holly Thomas + Panel. This really made sense to me. People want to feel connected to something; they want to be able to relate to you. Social media platforms like Youtube and Vimeo provide that one on one interaction between you and your audience. Sometimes it is not enough for someone to read something, they want to see it happening.

Tip#3: “Don’t Force It, Be Yourself” – Joi Marie. If you don’t feel like posting, or are not really into the topic, don’t force it. Also, don’t force another personality on your readers. If you know you are not witty, and snarky, don’t try and come across that way. Your readers can pick up on the fakeness. Be authentic, some one out there will appreciate your style of communication. What works for others, won’t necessarily work for you. Be yourself!

Peter Corbett, Jen Consalvo and Frank Gruber address the crowd at the DCWEEK 2011 Opening Keynote.

Jill Foster kept the Social Good track, well, on track during DCWEEK.  She is a joy advocate, video blogger, founder of Live Your Talk, founding editor of Women Grow Business, speech writer and coach for social tech and startup folk.

Here she shares what she hopes will be the by-product of DCWEEK 2011.

Ben Milne founder of Des Moines-based Dwolla, a peer to peer payment platform sits down with Andrew Warner host of the entrepreneur interview show Mixergy during the closing Fireside Chat.  During the Q & A, Ben was asked a question from the crowd often asked of entrepreneurs, “where do you see your company in 10 years?’  Here’s what Ben had to say: