SitePoint Tribune

Introduction

I'm excited to be writing this edition of the Tribune as a guest author. I've been reading this newsletter for years, and have always enjoyed Brendon's excellent tips, advice, and commentary.

As I was sitting in one of the many sessions of Blog World Expo, I wondered what to write about as guest author. Then it came to me -- conferences! These forums offer amazing learning and networking experiences that few web developers and business owners take advantage of. So I'm going to talk a little about how conferences can be beneficial to your business and your brand.

I'll also touch on a hot news topic right now: the FTC ruling on endorsements that could cost bloggers $11,000. I'll explain how this ruling will affect us professionals, and how you can make sure you and your clients comply.

Lastly, there's been a lot of discussion in the forums lately on dealing with difficult clients. I'd like to share one of my personal experiences and how I handled it.

I hope you enjoy it.

Brandon Eley
tribune@sitepoint.com

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Summary

• Introduction
• Conferences: More than an Education
• FTC Ruling Regarding Online Content
• Killing Them with Kindness
• Latest Tutorials
• Hot Discussions
• New Blogs

Conferences: More than an Education

There is no doubt conferences are great for keeping your mind sharp. You can stay up to speed with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices. Miles Burke wrote about making the most of your conference experience in a previous issue of the Tribune, and has provided conference dates in several issues since then.

But there's more to conferences than the sessions and learning opportunities. In fact, this year at Blog World Expo, I only attended a handful of actual sessions. I've found that conferences offer much more than furthering your education, and I wanted to share some insights into how to maximize your conference experience.

Fewer Sessions, More Loitering

It might seem wasteful to pay a lot of money to go to a conference without attending all the possible sessions, but that's what I suggest you do. The first several conferences I attended I went to every single session that was relevant to me. I filled my days with back-to-back presentations in the hope of making the most of my conference experience. What really happened was that I ran frantically from room to room the entire time I was there, and was exhausted by the end of the conference. I learned a lot, but the following year much of the content was similar ... and I realized I was learning less.

This year, I decided to take it easy. Now I only go to about two sessions per day (instead of six), spending the rest of my time in the break areas and loitering around the high-traffic sections. I've seen tons of people I know and had a chance to really talk to them. It's led to some amazing conversations and my mind is swarming with ideas.

Party It Up

The true conference experience also includes what happens once the sessions are over. Most conferences have planned events in the evenings where attendees come together for dinner or drinks and mingle. The relationships you build at these parties can be the most valuable thing you take away from a conference.

If you're at a conference without planned events, you can still schedule an informal tweetup (that's a meetup of Twitter users), or just go out to dinner with some colleagues. Take advantage of the time you have to meet people in the industry and socialize.

Become a Speaker

Speaking at conferences helps to establish you and your company as experts in the field. It assists in building your brand and adds credibility. If you're uncomfortable about giving a solo presentation, consider putting together a panel of peers to discuss an issue facing the industry.

As an added bonus, guest speakers can often attend the conference for free. In some cases, speakers are even compensated with travel expenses covered.

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FTC Ruling Regarding Online Content

Recently in the US, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) updated their guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. The Commission has now made it mandatory for online content publishers to disclose any compensation received for publishing reviews or recommendations. This reaches beyond blogs to all forms of online content.

Regardless of whether it's monetary, a product, or a service in exchange for a review, you (or your client) are required to disclose that in your recommendation or endorsement. The maximum penalty for failing to comply with the new regulation is an $11,000 fine per post or violation. If you recommend products or services in your web site or blog, or via social media, I recommend you create a disclosure page on your site; then link to it from every page or communication you send out. DisclosurePolicy.org is a free web service that generates a sample disclosure policy after asking you several questions.

The IAB responded to the changes with an open letter to the FTC, questioning the constitutionality of the updated guidelines. They argued that it "would explicitly muzzle online media, while exempting offline media from equivalent scrutiny or penalty."

The new guidelines go into effect December 1, 2009. For more information, check out Whitney Hoffman's excellent post, the FTC announcement, and the new guidelines themselves.

Killing Them with Kindness

Have you ever had a client be disrespectful or rude to you on the phone or over email? It's easy to become frustrated and let your emotions take control of you. But some people use attitude and anger to manipulate people into giving them what they want. I'd like to discuss an experience I had with a client, and how you might handle it if it happens to you.

We developed a web site for a company many years ago. Several business partners were originally involved, but the organizational structure changed and a new person was brought in to manage the business. This person had been in contact with us and we were familiar with him. We knew he worked for the client's business -- rather than being an owner -- so he was unable to authorize work to be done.

This new employee contacted us requesting a change to the web site. We stated that one of the remaining owners would need to authorize it before we could make the change. We never heard back from this person, and several weeks went by. Then, out of the blue, we received several angry phone calls and emails demanding that the change be made immediately. It was condescending, threatening, and completely uncalled for.

It's easy to respond too quickly or overreact in a situation like this. Personally, I believe life's too short to put up with this attitude. I simply replied with a brief email stating that no change would be made until we received authorization from an owner; I added that none of his phone messages would be returned, nor future phone calls taken, because of the disrespect he'd shown us.

I'd rather lose a client than tolerate such negative behavior. You may be unable to just fire a client, but you can decide how and on what terms you'll communicate with them. Remember to remain professional and lay down the ground rules for what's acceptable and what's not. Make it clear that you expect them to remain professional and respectful, even when they're dissatisfied or unhappy.

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That's all from me for now. Hope you enjoyed the read.

Brandon Eley
tribune@sitepoint.com
Guest Author, SitePoint Tribune

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