Thanks to the Washington, DC Economic Partnership for lending us their swank space for our event, as well as to Niambi Jarvis and the DC Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives, and Food Arts DC for the delectable refreshments.

If you missed the event, don’t worry – you can check out photos here.

Stay tuned for a meetup in your neck of the woods soon!

Image Credit: The Research Goddess

Jonesie, Ny and I are firm believers in putting out into the universe what we hope to receive. And, we like to conduct business that way. This includes “paying it forward” by lifting up others in recognition of those who lifted us up. Do I sound sappy enough yet? I say all of this, because it’s the truth!

We were contacted awhile back by the wonderful Research Goddess, Amybeth Hale, who was writing a story about “media professionals to watch,” and we were honored and humbled to learn that Elisa Camhort-Page of BlogHer had given our names as women to be featured in the story. {I especially love how she came up with the idea in the first place.}

You can link to the original story on Mashable here and the expanded story on the Research Goddess’ site here, but that’s not the point of me posting. What I really wanted to do is acknowledge the importance of paying it forward to those around you. In this day and age, when so much of social media is clouded with negative publicity and pitting various groups against each other, it is so heartwarming to know that, at the core of the medium, community and relationships remain the driving force. So thanks (again) to Elisa and Amybeth!

Who would you lift up to pay it forward?

Due to the overwhelming success of the February Blogalicious, D.C. meet-up, Blogalicious is hosting another event for new and beginning bloggers and women in social media entitled Women in Social Media: Creating Your Digital Footprint.  The purpose of the event is to bring together a multicultural community of women who are interested in building their digital footprint online and getting strategies on how to create an online identity.

Blogalicious D.C. meet up is scheduled for April 27, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. at the Washington, DC Economic Partnership located at 1495 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. To RSVP please click HERE.

Terri Holley and Michele McGraw will be speaking at the event and Ananda Leeke will be the moderator.

Terri Holley is CEO and principal of Creative Blog Solutions. Terri is also a contributor to Women Grow Business, recently recognized by Forbes magazine as one the best marketing and social media blogs written by women.  She is the host of the Social Media Voices Project, a podcast that spotlights the leadership techniques of nationally recognized authors, speakers, social media strategists, and interactive marketers.

Michele McGraw is CEO of Mom Geek Media and creator of ScrapsofMyGeekLife.com, offering daily commentary, advice, reviews and shared experiences of how her real life and the digital domain connect. Michele previously served as a Director of Internet Services and board member of Mothers & More providing online support for a national website, forum and e-mail support groups. She is currently serving as an Ambassador for the Mom Bloggers Clubto provide support and information for Mom Bloggers. Michele also works as Community Manager and Director of Social Media for a new start-up company, FormerFatChick.com. Follow Michele on Twitter at http://twitter.com/scrappinmichele.

Anande Leekeis a lawyer turned innerpreneur, author, artist, DC Social Media Examiner for Examiner.comand yoga teacher. Since 2009, Leeke has been teaching online yoga classes for computer users on Stickam.com and MomTV.She also taught yoga at social media conferences such as Blogalicious, She’s Geeky DC, and Latinos in Social Media. She spoke about the way authors use social media to build their audience and market books at the Capital Bookfest.

Event Agenda

5:30 – 6:00 Networking

6:00 – 6:45 Panel Discussion

6:45 – 7:00 Q & A

Please tweet and re-tweet if you’re so inclined!

On the one hand, it’s great that big agencies and brands are recognizing the potential to connect with the people that they serve, and their consumer base, by taking to the social media streets; on the other hand these entities need to make sure that they know what they’re getting into.  The panel expressed that effective social media interaction requires a sustained effort on their part. It’s one thing to have access to the media, but it’s another thing entirely to actually be social.  Companies take heed: you must engage your audience.  It’s not enough to just have a Twitter account or a Facebook fanpage. You need to actively use it; listen to the conversations and add value to them.  That’s the way to effect change, gain consumer feedback and develop goodwill.

The best advice? Hire someone that understands the space. You’ll be glad that you did. Another great place to start is to attend a workshop on the subject.  When used properly, the fruits of social media engagement can be plentiful.

Please RSVP today and tell your friends.

I logged in expecting to see a few tweets about the tragic earthquake and was immediately taken aback that #HelpHaiti and #TextYele and #Port-Au-Prince and #RedCross are all trending topics. This, this, is where the power of social media really shines through. My heart was warmed to see the support that Yele Haiti, Wyclef Jean’s Haitian Relief Organization, is receiving. Mamalaw has long been a supporter of Wyclef and this great organization and we keep the Yele button on our blog to spread the word to all of our visitors. His plea for everyone to donate $5 by simply sending a text is being re-tweeted like wildfire.

The country of Haiti is near and dear to our hearts. Justice Jonesie’s family comes from Haiti and she still has several family members that live there. In fact, she just returned from visiting Haiti for the holidays less than 2 weeks ago. My mother volunteers with Project Medishare for Haiti and frequently makes trip to the island to help the poorest of people. I often hang up the phone after our conversations in tears after listening to her describe the sad scenes and unthinkable conditions that she’d witnessed. In short, Haiti is special to us.

And how amazing to see that Haiti is important to the Twitter community too. Our very own Blogalicious supporter @LuvvieIG has rallied her blogging community to generate support for Haiti by challenging everyone to place the Yele Haiti banner on their blogs and to donate both money and clothing to Haitians in need.

Blogalicious Weekend will be donating $.25 to the people of Haiti for each Twitter follower that we have. The mobilization and charitable support for Haiti on Twitter and the blogs today is amazing. And really embodies the essence of social media: Community.

We encourage our community to spread the word about the various ways to donate and to keep the earthquake victims in their thoughts and hearts.

A word to the wise: Don’t take your social media influence lightly. With a quick re-tweet on Twitter, a short status update on Facebook or a meaningful post on your blog, you can make a difference in the lives of people hundreds of thousands of miles away. That’s the real beauty of social media.