Why? They’re after their 15 seconds of fame on national TV.

One morning this past week, I was watching as feisty weatherman Al Roker approached an excited young lady who was obviously there to promote her nonprofit of choice. She had on her organization’s t-shirt and held her promotional sign, but as Mr. Roker asked her why she was there, she simply squeaked out, “I’m here to promote helping the kids!”

What kids? I have no idea.

It was her 15 seconds, and she blew it. No website, no mission, no details.

Even Al Roker was dumbfounded.

It got me to thinking: While not every one of us has the opportunity to go to NYC and stand outside 30 Rock, we do have our “15 second” opportunities every day. They come up every time someone asks, “What do you do?”

So today I implore you to be ready and take advantage of those “15 second” moments. Arm yourself with your very own “commercial” -- an explanation that clearly states your company’s key messages. While the person approaching you may not need your services, they may know someone who does. The more you are able to quickly articulate who you are and what you do, the better that person will be able to share your message with their contacts. Word-of-mouth is a very reliable form of PR.

As always, practice makes perfect. So, as silly as it sounds, practice your 15 seconds. It will leave those you meet impressed by your skills and seeking out your services and expertise.

You never know when your 15 seconds are up.

That was certainly not the case on Friday at Big Omaha.

The morning line-up featured highly engaging talks from Brian Wong of Kiip, an online rewards network for virtual achievements; Charles Best of Donors Choose, who surprised the crowd with a $10 Donors Choose card for each attendee; Sarah Prevette of BetaKit, an online hub for tech entrepreneurs; and Eddie Huang of New York restaurant BaoHaus, whose candid tale of hustle and overcoming his troubled past, was my personal favorite of the day.

In the spirit of the day, where technology and opportunity come together to create magic, Omaha web design company What Cheer set up a one-off of their "I Live in Omaha" websites for attendees to see where they  might be able to make a local impact using their Donors Choose cards. Even if you didn't attend Big Omaha or receive $10 from Best, I would recommend visiting the site and making a donation to one of our local schools.

So, what did I take away from Big Omaha?

First, it really does live up to the hype. If you're at all interested in entrepreneurship, technology, social media or keeping up with what's happening locally, make plans to attend next year.

Second, no matter what your passion -- if you really live and believe it -- never give up. Believe in your idea and devote yourself to bringing it to life. Each speaker who took the stage showed how worthwhile committing to your idea can be, but you must be in it for the long haul -- because the road will be bumpy.

Lastly, keep your head on straight. Entrepreneurship isn't an "If you build it, they will come" proposition. As several speakers pointed out, if you want to make money on your idea, you have to figure out how to monetize it first -- then share it with the world. Entrepreneurs often approach their strategy in the opposite way, hoping their passion will turn into sales. That's not how it works.

I think I will be riding high on Big Omaha for weeks to come. Entrepreneur or not, it's invigorating to be in such a high-energy environment. I'm already looking forward to next year.

So, did Day 1 of my first experience at Big Omaha live up the hype? I think so. Here's why:

1) Massive amounts of people: More than 600 people are attending Big Omaha this year. What's even more awesome is that 27 states and three countries are being represented. Plus,  it's been reported that more than 400 viewed the live stream of the event.

2) The Tweets. Search the hashtag #bigomaha on Twitter. You will find pictures, video and at least one Tweet per minute from the time the event kicked off on Thursday morning. Tweet a quote from a speaker, watch it get re-Tweeted, follow a new person, gain a follower. Twitter is where some of the most interesting Big Omaha conversations are happening. I was addicted all day.

3) The networking. As interesting and inspiring as this year's line-up of speakers might be, at times they take a back seat to the connections that are being made throughout the presentations. Attendees are there to network, and striking up a conversation with a perfect stranger is the norm. No awkwardness, no cliques -- just real people talking, relating and connecting.

So Day 1 of Big Omaha is in the books, and I'm thrilled to have been part of it. The energy at Kaneko is intoxicating, and I'm looking forward to another fix on Day 2.

Julie's daughter Cat in front of the White House

Last week, my 13-year-old daughter left bright and early one morning for a school trip to Washington DC. The trip had been planned for nearly a year, and her excitement had been steadily building. Two of her teachers chaperoned the trip, and no parents were asked to come along.

Prior to the trip, parents were informed that one of the teacher chaperones created a Twitter handle just for the trip. He told parents he would be tweeting throughout the trip – where they went, what they were seeing and where they are going. This would give parents – especially ones nervous about sending their kids on a “grown-up trip” – the opportunity to track the class’ way through DC!

As a social media professional, I’m thrilled to see how social media is being embraced by schools, especially in cases like this where it makes perfect sense. I hope the trend continues, perhaps with a hashtag assigned to an upcoming event or, in cases of trips like this one, creating a Foursquare account and encouraging the kids to check in and write updates about their experiences.

While my husband and I knew our daughter was in in excellent hands on the trip, we struggled a little bit with letting go. Having the option to “check in” on where she was and what she was doing made it just a little easier to let her go.

Here’s why he’s right and why businesses should take note…

• Instagram can help Facebook business users visually promote like never before. Mobile photographers can take behind-the-scene photos of business as it happens, spruce it up and give fans something to look forward to. Tonight’s dinner special might look drab and overexposed in a typical mobile photo. Instagram’s lens can capture the soul and emotion the chef had hoped for with a few simple tweaks. Images can be organized through hash tag themes to create a following. For example, a makeup artist looking to build wedding day business can share their work followed by #bridalbeauty and hope searching brides like what they see.

• The marriage of Instagram’s technology with day-to-day Facebook activities will allow for easier mobile photo sharing capabilities; something avid users have been craving. Facebook’s uploading process leaves much to be desired in both speed and ease of use, while Instagram’s simplicity leaves you with the ability to share an artful-looking photo all at once on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare and more in seconds. Instagram users can benefit from Facebook’s slick ability to tag others in photos quickly, with access to more friends and without that clunky “@” symbol.

For Facebook-only users, Zuckerberg’s buy is keeping things fresh and exciting, which keeps fans coming back for more. Facebook seems to have mastered the art of user engagement after their launch of Timeline in early 2012. Users were petrified on arrival of the change but were quickly won over by the cool features it provides. Instagram is still new to many Facebookers, and it will be hard not to like as the brand catches on and features are added.

Instagram is leaving the cool crowd and leaping into the everyday social networkers’ world through this acquisition. Businesses that have a visual message to share should not wait to jump on this photo-sharing wagon. Post, like and follow.

For as many accounts that exist of that fateful night in 1912, there seems to be an equal number of theories about why it so captures our imagination: from the glamorous passengers onboard to the stories about heroic acts of gallantry and horrific acts of self-preservation.

But one of the often overlooked reasons why the “faint, grinding jar” that signaled the boat’s collision with an iceberg (so faint, in fact that one passenger said that it would not have caused him to spill one drop of a glass of water filled to the brim) has so resonated with us for an entire century could be because it was one of the first news events to be reported in real time, thanks to the new technology of the day: wireless communication.

The Titanic was even one of the first ships in history to issue an SOS. An article in this week’s New Yorker recounts a 22 year-old junior wireless operator excitedly telling the senior officer “Send S.O.S! It’s the new call, and it may be your last chance to send it.”

Today, of course, we see many terrible events unfold before our very eyes. During the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the events of September 11th, we actually saw the catastrophic moment occur. There is a sense of “if we only knew a moment ago what we know now, would things be any different?”

The Titanic had 37 seconds of warning between the time a lookout spotted the iceberg and the actual collision. It would have been just enough time to Tweet an S.O.S., but not enough to steer clear. Since the ship did use their wireless radio to contact the RMS Carpathia, 705 survivors were rescued, and it is from their accounts that the scores of stories have been told.

I can only wonder how mythic the Titanic would have become today, when everyone on board would have had smart phones to record the nearly three-hour sinking and so many more would have had the potential to
be rescued.

Your personal and professional Facebook and Twitter accounts could do more work for you than you think.

Consider this: According to a recent survey by the Society of New Communications Research, today’s journalists are using more social media in their reporting.

• 78% of the journalists surveyed said they use company websites in their reporting
• 75% use Facebook
• 69% use Twitter
• 54% use online video
• 31% use LinkedIn

In addition, 68% of journalists said that their reliance on social media has increased significantly, and 58% sometimes quote bloggers in stories.

So with those statistics in mind, how can you put social media to work for you when it comes to grabbing the attention of your local journalist? Here are three ideas:

“Friend” the journalists who you want to see you. While reporters may be searching the web for story ideas, they’re not necessarily searching for YOU. Putting yourself in front of them is as easy as a “like”
or a “follow.”

Consistently post your key messages. Be true to your brand and company image by regularly posting stories or ideas that position you as an expert in your field. If it’s good for your clients, then it’s good for the media to see it as well.

Tie yourself to the stories in which you want to be featured. Monitor what your targeted journalists are saying and working on, and track what interests them in their posts. Then tie your messages to their interests. Intelligent and strategic responses to their posts may also draw their attention to you.

The bottom line…current and potential clients aren’t the only ones watching your company online. A proactive social media plan could earn you exposure on more than just the world wide web.

However, for the release of her new album “MDNA,” she agreed to do things a little differently. Eschewing a traditional (and time-consuming) publicity tour full of magazine covers and morning shows, she gave one interview, and the networks were nowhere to be found. Madonna’s interview with late-night host Jimmy Fallon took place in Facebook’s New York cafeteria and aired exclusively on her Facebook page, allowing fans to react, interact and share instantly. This was followed by a live Twitter chat where she talked directly with fans.

The Wall Street Journal touts the launch as groundbreaking: “A social-only promotional effort for a music-industry launch of this size is the first of its kind.” Fans have come to expect nothing less from the Queen of Pop.

The rise of social music engines Spotify, Pandora and Turntable.fm (where music stars have been known to pop on and DJ alongside fans) also indicate that labels and big-name artists will need to engage in order to adapt in a changing industry.

In the wider entertainment world, “straight to the people” is proving to be a successful strategy. In December, comedian Louis C. K. self-distributed his new stand-up special on his website. Bypassing digital rights management and subscriptions, he simply asked his fans to download the special for $5 rather than pirate the video. They did just that, helping him gross more than $1 million in a little over a week.

Larger companies are also getting in on the action. Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” movie used a small-by-comparison marketing staff to build buzz, largely through Facebook and Twitter, for an entire year. A Twitter scavenger hunt is a far cry from the media blitz that fans are used to.

However, with all social media strategies, it’s not all retweets and roses. Negative or positive, social media allows individuals to share at a rate never seen before. Paramount is finding this out as fans vehemently voice their opposition to producer Michael Bay’s handling of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie – sending Bay and Paramount on the defensive – and they haven’t even started shooting!

For the entertainment industry, I see great value in engaging directly with fans. Proceed socially, but cautiously.

1. Blogs don’t have to be long: A common misconception we see among businesses is that blogs need to be long, drawn out and solve the problems of the topic you’re discussing. That’s simply not true. If your blog is too long, your readers will likely lose interest. On the contrary, a blog that’s too short is hardly worth writing. My advice is this: Your blog should be long enough to outline your take on the topic at hand. Also, enlist the help of a co-worker who can look at a draft of your blog with an editorial eye
   before posting.
2. Blogs do need to be kept fresh: Oftentimes we see businesses give up on blogging because they have a difficult time coming up with fresh content. This is certainly a challenge, albeit one that can be easily overcome by enlisting some help. Ask another member of your team to contribute to your company’s blog writing; sharing the work makes it seem less overwhelming, which means you’re likely to stick with your blogging efforts. Or, look outside of your company by asking a peer to guest blog.
3. Don’t over- or under-blog: Striking the right balance between too few and too frequent blogs can be challenging. On one hand, you probably don’t have time to blog more than once per week. On the other hand, not blogging frequently enough will keep your audience from fully engaging in what you have to say; in fact, they may forget that your blog exists. I like a rhythm of at least twice per month, or every other week, and recommend this to companies that are testing the blog waters.
4. Do accept that attracting readers takes time: Blogging, much like PR and other social media strategies, is a long-term approach. The most natural way to build buzz about your blog is to share it with the people you communicate with regularly – that means everybody from your fellow team members, friends and your family to your clients, prospects and referral sources. Cross-promote your blog via social media. Include a link in your email signature. Let people know that it’s there and, over time, you will see it pay off.

Blogging is an accessible part of the communications strategy for nearly any business. The challenge can be in finding a rhythm, defining appropriate content and sticking with it on a consistent basis. But the payoff is almost certainly worth the effort.

Another day passed and the droplets of KONY 2012 information kept coming until finally they were large enough in the fire hose of news items spraying at me to break through. I took note of the passionate graphics and Ugandan children’s faces. I should know about this. I Googled. I followed links my friends shared on Facebook. I watched the evening news.

I’ll admit that many times, world news slips right through my radar. I focus on what people are talking about; the tragic, the triumphant and the stories that pull at my heartstrings. KONY 2012 is one of those stories.

A man named Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is blamed for nearly 30 years of horrific violence in Uganda. He is said to have abducted thousands of Ugandan children and forced them into a life of killing, crimes against humanity and slavery. He was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005 but he continues to elude authorities. Kony is the target of the KONY 2012 campaign launched by a non-profit advocacy group called Invisible Children. American filmmaker Jason Russell has created a 29-minute video intending to spur a movement across the world and make Kony “famous” in order to accomplish arrest.

I watched the film on YouTube. According to today’s statistics, so did 78,295,116 other people and it is now believed to be the fastest spreading viral video of all time. The Facebook fan and Twitter follower counts keep ticking to the tune of over 3 million fans and over 500,000 followers, respectively. There’s no secret to the success; Russell lays out the plan right there in the video.

1. It’s not their first rodeo. Invisible Children has experience with this issue and has built credibility. In 2009 and years prior, supporters blitzed our nation’s capital with pleas for the cause and Russell proves it with video clips of young adults talking to Senators. It landed them an official letter of President Obama’s support and U.S. Troops in Uganda hunting for Kony.
2. Share, rinse and repeat with your social network. Russell has magically intertwined our excitement for oversharing information on social networking platforms with tragic images of the Ugandan children holding guns too big for them to carry and tears running down their faces. Russell confirms that we like to “belong and connect.” We can all “belong and connect” by sharing the video, re-tweeting the message and taking down the bad guy.
3. If Justin Bieber likes it, we should too. The Invisible Children group has mobilized the celebrity opinion leaders to alert their fan base. Lady Gaga has 20 million Twitter followers. A few casual tweets on her part followed by #kony2012 certainly speeds up the information-sharing process.
4. There’s a deadline. The build of support is all leading up to one big, shout it from the rooftops day on April 20, 2012. Fantastically timed, since the primary activists are likely students and this is scheduled in perfect distance between spring break and final exams.

Online news media are calling the Invisible Children’s efforts a success and I would tend to agree. One marker of such success is controversy. Today’s headlines on the subject claim disappointment by Ugandan audiences viewing the video and talk of investigating Invisible Children’s finances. Either way, we’re still talking about Kony.