Peter Caputa IV is the founder of WizSpark, an events organizing and promotion company based in Westborough, MA. He also writes a savvy blog about Web 2.0 style promotion called PC4Media. In the following interview Peter and I discussed the use of blogs, MySpace, tracking technology and incentives to promote events. WizSpark does some work with nonprofits, helping with a recent walk to raise money for cancer research, for example.

My principles get a little rankled by some of Peter's ideas, but maybe I'm just uptight. In a world desperate for drastic change - agents of change should consider all possible options. At the very least, I hope you will find this interview to be an interesting look inside the mind of an intelligent specimen, a trail blazer, of a type of vendor ready to burst upon the scene: the social media fueled organizer/promoter. I appreciate Peter taking the time to answer my questions.

Marshall

Can you begin by giving me a big picture of what Wizspark does?

Peter

We help others market and organize their events. That's the short of it. We've build an online services that lets an event planner do a lot of different things. From A to Z in the process which starts with email invitations and ends with collecting fees and registration information. In between is the magic sauce, though

Marshall

I presume you bring insights or methods into that process from your engagement with new, online media - don't know how you feel about the terms Web 2.0 or social media - but can you tell me about how these developments have influenced your practice?

Peter

I dislike terms. If something can be "termed" and "categorized", i don't think it's very creative. But, that's just me. However, as you know, I am certainly paying attention to what new developments are happening online. We show organizations how to leverage blogs, myspace, email to effectively promote their events. And our service allows them (or us for them) to manage that process, track it, and reward people that help spread the word.

Marshall

How are people rewarded for spreading the word?

Peter

In a million different ways. And based on many different metrics. We can measure how many invitations someone sends, how many are opened, clicked, how many of those people either RSVP, sign up for a guest list or register and pay for an event. So, we can set the threshold for the reword based on any of those criteria.

We can also give people points for certain activities that are chances to win or directly give them prizes when they do something. The actual prizes that they get depend on our clients. Sometimes, it's a free pass (or a special VIP Pass), a t-shirt or other merchandise, a free pass to give to clients. Sometimes, it's a bit more intrinsic. For example, we trade "sponsorships" to people if they help spread the word.

Marshall

How do blogs and MySpace work relative to this approach?

Peter

We might give someone (or their business) placement of their logo and link on the event website, a table at the event or passes for their clients. We typically use myspace for events that are either music related OR for a younger audience. What we do is show our clients how to recruit people to spread the word, how to compensate them and how to measure their performance.

Marshall

What kinds of methods are available and appropriate to spread a message inside MySpace?

Peter

It could be as simple as free entrance to a concert when they get people to buy a ticket or sign up on the reduced cover guest list. I don't think there are too many inappropriate methods. But, people can send bulletins, add stuff to their profile, send personal messages, send personalized notes.

Marshall

Automated mass friend requests?

Peter

I don't encourage people to do automated mass friend requests. Not because I think there are problems with it. But, because it isn't that effective.

If someone is going to message someone they don't know, I encourage them to target it to people they think will be interested and offer them something for free.

What's interesting to me, though. We've done a few events like this more than once. Over a few years. Or a few months. I have noticed that any kind of mass messages are a lot less effective. Which makes it all the more important to get people involved through 1 on 1 communication.

It's important to get the right people involved that can spread the word and make it worth their while to do it. It's really no different than events have been promoted for a long time. It just happens online now.

Marshall

What's the best way for a busy organization to do that in the most efficient manner? I imagine one-on-one is unappealing to many people who would prefer to just blast out a single mass message.

Peter

Find centers of influence that reach their intended audience. I think that for most non profits, they'll find local bloggers that are receptive and more effective - as compared to Myspacers.

Peter

So, they should find 10, 20, 50 people, businesses, organizations, etc. and make it worth their while to help promote the event.

Marshall

And you haven't found that an incentive strategy is considered anathema to the ethic of blogging?

Peter

Some people are against it. Yes. But, if it is for a good cause, and said blogger gets to associate their name to it, and they get to pass a discount on to their readers, I've found many that are receptive.

Marshall

That's quite interesting to me.

Peter

I think the average blogger isn't blogging to be a journalist. Us "writers" don't realize that. One example http://linneadates.com/main/?p=#comments

Look at one of your employers. [Mike Arrington of TechCrunch] He passes on discounts all of the time to conferences. I am sure he's not sitting in the bleachers.

Marshall

Are there ways you can recommend to find the local bloggers who are most effective? I imagine many organizations would look first at recognition and esteem in the offline world.

Peter

Blog search engines are good. For topic based stuff. [See, for example Technorati's search by tag for whole blogs.] I follow blogrolls on other blogs to find local bloggers. We are actually going to be making this a lot easier for non profits. In the near term (next 6 months), we've partnered with a local event planner who will be planning events and we will be inviting non profits to help us promote them. When a non profit refers someone that registers, proceeds will be donated to them. So, we're flipping the model around a little. But, this way for the non profit, they don't have to plan the event. It's technically a fundraising opportunity for them.

Our business also has a network effect which has kicked in locally and is starting to expand geographically and subject wise. The more people using our tools to help market an event, the easier it is for a new entrant to come and use the network to effectively market their event.

Peter Caputa IV is the founder of WizSpark and writes the blog PC4Media. The following are the 5 most recent blog posts Peter has made.