How to grow a blog using Google +: Nate Riggs interview
By Carol Bryant
BlogPaws is a few weeks away… seriously, can you believe the fourth annual conference uniting people from around the country (and world) will make its mark in Salt Lake City in June?? If you haven’t heard, BlogPaws was founded in 2009 by three dedicated pet lovers and bloggers. BlogPaws is dedicated to pet writers/bloggers, pet lovers, pet people on Twitter and Facebook and brands eager to tap into a growing, vibrant, vocal community of serious writers, bloggers, tweeters. And BlogPaws gives back to the pet community.
In our BlogPaws Speakers Series, we’ve been showcasing a variety of dynamos in their respective fields, and today we are very excited to bring a content marketing guru to the masses. Nate Riggs describes himself as a bluegrass-loving dad of three who also speaks nationally on how businesses can use social media and other disruptive technologies to win and keep the attention of their customers. You’ve piqued our interest, Nate; tell us more…
BlogPaws: Welcome! Tell us about your BlogPaws session.
Nate Riggs: It’s called Content Marketing Plus Your World — 13 Tips for Using Google+ to Up Your Game as a Blogger.
BlogPaws: Excellent; that is something from which all attendees can learn; improving our blogs is something the beginner to the seasoned pro all have in common. How often have you attended BlogPaws?
Nate Riggs: I attended the conference in Columbus a few years ago. That one was particular memorable for me since my pup, Lenny, came with me. He had been abused as a pup before I got him and it was one of the first times he had been in a close environment with so many people and dogs. I was a bit nervous, but he did really well with it. Must have been a good vibe.
BlogPaws: Awwww, that is terrific, Nate. We love stories like that! What do you hope folks learn from your session?
Nate Riggs: There are a lot of social networks out there and with each, the rules are slightly different. My hope is that BlogPaws attendees walk away from my session with a general understanding as to why Google+ should be important to them as an online publisher.
BlogPaws: What do you like most about attending BlogPaws?
Nate Riggs: As with all of these conferences, I enjoy the people most. Not that the content and sessions are not great — they're awesome. Still, having a few days to shut off the grind and get to know other bloggers as well as some of the folks from sponsoring companies is invaluable.
BlogPaws: We’re with you; we love it all, it’s great to shut down the grind and connect with a wag. Speaking of which, what pets aka furry family members do you have?
Nate Riggs: I have four total: Jasmine is my 8-year-old old female calico. She's a big baby and a lap cat. J.J. Is my tiger striped American Shorty Hair cat. He's about 7 years now and fully believes he is actually a dog. Lenny, mentioned above, is my black dog with the floppy ear. We actually have no idea what Lenny is but think he may have some Chow and Shepard in him. Mira is my brindle boxer-pittbull mix. She was raised by cats and is fluent in the language, often rubbing her head and body between peoples legs when she wants to say hi. I have also caught her purring with the kitties on a few occasions, no joke…
BlogPaws: BOL! (bark out loud). Love that! How about telling us where folks can find you and a fun fact about yourself we might be surprised to learn.
Nate Riggs: You can find me on Twitter @nateriggs, on the web at http://nateriggs.com, on Google + http://plus.ly/nateriggs, and my interview from my last BlogPaws: http://bit.ly/JZa4UJ.
Fun fact: I love me some bluegrass picking! I've been going to festivals since I was in high school and have spent most of my adult life listening to bands like Yonder Mountain String Band, The Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, etc. Most people think I'm probably into metal or something…
Catch up on all the speakers we've interviewed; we have the scoop here: BlogPaws Speakers Series
Sign up for BlogPaws 2012 and say hello to Nate in person. See you there!
