Earlier this week I wrote about the many successful collaborations between bloggers and brands for Mom Blog Magazine and got to look in my crystal ball to predict some of the top parenting trends for 2011 for Parenting.com.
Here are some other blogging and tech trends that I envision for the coming year:
- Hyperlocal blogging. With the sudden announcement about the end of Silicon Valley Moms Blog sites around the country, former contributors to the local sites have stepped up and started their own blogs. Former contributors to the New Jersey and Chicago sites quickly mobilized to establish their own hyperlocal sites where they continue to write about parenting issues and regional news affecting families. AOL has also launched Patch sites that serve as localized news sites hiring bloggers like Kim from I’m Not the Nanny and TeachMama Amy as freelance columnists. Where do you go to learn about local news in your community?
- Smaller conferences. BlogHer will always be the mother of all blogging conferences but this year new conferences such as EVO and the single day Bloggy Boot Camps were huge hits thanks to smaller number of attendees that promoted meaningful interactions between bloggers and the brands that were in attendance. Blogalicious founders built off of their success of their first conference in Atlanta and provided attendees with time for pampering and relaxation at the Ritz in South Beach. This year Type A Mom, held in Asheville, North Carolina, featured a Dad Track and founder Kelby Carr rebranded the conference as Type A Parent for this coming year’s June conference. Success of the aforementioned smaller conferences has allowed others to take the leap in 2011 and it’s exciting to hear about new conferences popping up all over the place! I manage Blogalicious’ collaborative MyBlogalicious site but am not required to promote their conference on my site.
- Corporations and nonprofits collaborating to get the word out about online safety issues. Rather than reinventing the wheel and trying to compete for parent’s attention about ways to keep families safe online, the partnerships between corporations, nonprofits, government, and education is refreshing. The Family Online Safety Institute’s two day conference in Washington, D.C. was eye opening as members had real discussions about their concerns and problem solved realistic solutions. One of my favorite resources is Connect Safely’s A Parent’s Guide to Facebook. If you haven’t already taken a look at the free resource, do so now!
- Anytime internet access at 4G speeds. I’m like a fish out of water without an internet connection and like my connection fast and reliable. Thanks to Clear.com and T-Mobile Dell Mini 4G, I have the luxury between choosing between a wifi connection or operating off of the 4G network where available. When 4G isn’t available, I’m still pretty content with 3G access. Clear.com device personally purchased. T-Mobile Dell Mini 4G on loan from T-Mobile.
- Continued development of educational iPad apps for use in the classroom and on the go. Despite budget cuts in school systems around the country, districts are choosing to go digital with the investment of iPads for classroom use. Whether used to supplement learning at home or to enhance curriculum in the classroom, more robust apps are being developed to engage student learners. iPads in schools bring up a host of other issues- positive and negative. But I’ll save for discussion at a later date.
What technology trends will be hot in 2011? Which blogging conferences are you planning to attend this year? What blogging trends do you see emerging or continuing?
Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama this year! I look forward to seeing you often throughout 2011!
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Astute insights. I think web integrated TVs will be more prevalent. Being able to watch web videos, surf, microblog, email -everything that you do on your computer and phone -is something people want to do.
In terms of social networking – social shopping may become more popular – going to sites like shopittome.com, buying something and sharing it with your friends which would share the discount. And speaking of discounts – more sites like groupon, living social and tippr will continue to crop up.
Loved the info. I plan to attend three conferences for the first time this year, I hope I will have money to attend all three but I want to try Blogalicious, Relevant and Lavish. I have heard positive things about them.
I think you are right about the expanded use of iPads in classrooms. The current generation of elementary school students have grown up so immersed in high technology, that they almost require multimedia stimulation in order to maintain their attention, and the apps promote the developement of a large range of skills. However, the schools will need to invest in some kind method to protect these expensive devices from drops, since they are less stable, and far more easy to drop thank a desktop computer… We have found that iBallz, work well to cushion any falls… Got them online, (www.iballz.info) and they are less than a third of the price of a replacement screen…