Audio: mesh 2009: Brands in online communities and boring corporate blogs

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Running time: 13:46

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Toronto Mayor David Miller is a Twitter geek -- even if he won't admit it.

That was just one of many takeaways from my trip north of the border this week for the mesh 2009 conference.

The fourth annual installment of "Canada's web conference" focused on the disruptive forces of the Internet and social media -- and not just in the marketing and PR industries. Mesh featured keynotes and panel discussions on the evolving worlds of music, microfinance, education, and -- there was a Twittering mayor onstage, remember -- public policy, too.

Mesh also built in ample time for the ever-valuable hallway conversations, allowing me to ask my Canadian-based counterparts these two questions:

1) Just why are corporate blogs so boring? (a nod to the recent Forrester Research study (disclosure: Forrester provides LiveWorld with some consulting services) indicating that corporate blogs are at the bottom of the trust ladder)

2) What advice would you offer businesses and brands looking to build and/or join an online community?

I think you'll find the answers both wide ranging and revealing.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the eight interviewees featured in the mesh 2009 audio wrap-up:

* Martin Waxman | @MartinWaxman | Palette PR
* Dave Fleet | @DaveFleet | Thornley Fallis
* Doug Walker | @DougWalker | Social Media Group
* Michael O'Connor Clarke | @MichaelOCC | Thornley Fallis
* Sean Moffitt | @SeanMoffitt | Agent Wildfire
* Eden Spodek | @EdenSpodek | Bargainista.ca
* Angie Kramer | @Angie Kramer | Capital C
* Saul Colt | @SaulColt | SaulColt.com

MORE MESH LINKS

* Mesh 2009 Media Hub
* mesh 2009 Flickr photos
* #Mesh09 Twitter posts