While many journalists, media and boating businesses are struggling in the current economic environment, some are finding success with original websites, blogs, and “viral content.”
Boating Writers International’s “Newsmaker” session during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will showcase two BWI members who have created revenue-generating websites and blogs, and a boatbuilder whose viral marketing has created reach, buzz and sales.
Each presenter will provide an overview of accomplishments to the general audience, then will break into “separate corners” to answer specific questions.
The “Newsmaker” session will commence after a brief General Meeting that starts at 8 a.m. Friday, October 30, at the Bahia Mar Hotel. Here’s what to expect that morning.
The Panelists are:
Rich Lazzara, vice president of Lazzara International Yachts, who created www.richlazzara.com to “challenge your mind to think about the future of digital marketing and new media tools for your business.” He has 1,100 followers on Twitter (the average person has 80-120) and has turned online leads into boat sales.
Kim Kavin’s personal blog at KimKavin.com keeps editors aware of her travel, interests, and other information that leads to writing assignments. Her blog at CharterWave.com brings a daily news presence to the yacht charter website, which is profitable thanks to industry advertising and a blog syndication deal. Sponsored blogs on Charter- Wave give brokers strong search-engine rankings.
Glen Justice is editor of MadMariner.com and MarineroLoco.com, the online boating magazine that publishes new stories daily (in English and Spanish) and offers features such as web-based video games. Mad Mariner changes for subscriptions and sells advertising across a network of websites. The company also created MarineAdvertisingOnline.com to help marine professionals learn about online marketing.