Second Annual 'Skill Swap' Set for Online Communicators

Local professionals are on tap to give advice on how to improve a blog or website at the second annual “Skill Swap” communication conference, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Walter J. Lemke department of journalism. The Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Society of Professional Journalist is co-sponsoring the event along with the journalism department and the campus chapter of the society.

The cost for the conference is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Advance registration is available at http://skillswap2.eventbrite.com/. The early registration deadline is at noon, Friday, Jan. 20. Registration will be capped at 40 people.

The conference is open to all who want to learn more about skills needed to communicate effectively online. Two presenters will offer concurrent sessions, which will be repeated so that groups of 20 can attend each presentation.

Angela Belford of The Belford Group of Fayetteville will present a session on using Google Analytics to learn who is finding your webpage and how. The Belford Group is an image-building marketing and website development agency, with more than a decade’s experience combining creative marketing strategies and messaging with graphic design services and database-driven, interactive, web-based technologies, including search-engine optimization.

Jon Schleuss will present a session on "How to Tell the Story: Effective Use of Multimedia." Schleuss was online editor for NWA Media for more than two years, managing the online content for several daily and weekly area publications. He has more than five years of experience in media, including radio, print and online. His work has been focused on bridging the gap between computer-assisted journalism and database-driven interactive projects, allowing the public to engage in online projects.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. The first session will run 9:30-11:30 a.m. The second session will be 1-3 p.m. Lunch will be available at nearby eateries on campus.

For more information, e-mail kshurlds@uark.edu. For directions to the journalism department and advice on where to park, go to the Society of Professional Journalists website.