Erin Bury's random musings

I often do interviews with the media about Sprouter, social media, and my role as a Community Manager. See below for some of the articles I’ve appeared in lately:

Canadian Business - The Social Network

“Erin Bury gets free stuff that you don’t, gets invited to parties for which you aren’t on the list, and has huge brands waving cash at her—all this because, in a way, she’s rich: she has social capital, or put more simply, influence.” - Jordan Timm

Wired Women of Canada column

“On Sarah’s small team there is another woman who is making a name for herself in the digital world. Community Manager Erin Bury is a well-known face among the Twitterati in Toronto and beyond.” - Amber MacArthur  

Financial Post - Sprouting a Hotbed

“At Sprouter’s event last week, Ms. Prevette’s cheerful community manager Erin Bury is busy playing hostess. One moment she’s flashing her smile at newcomers near the sign-in desk, the next she’s over by the bar talking to a group of people clutching iPads before running off to check in with Ms. Prevette to ensure the projectors are working inside the auditorium.” - Matt Hartley

CNN Money: Facebook’s Very Public Privacy Debate

Video featuring my thoughts on Facebook’s privacy issues.

ITBusiness.ca - Mid-sized firms more likely to consider social media ‘waste of time’

“Sprouter is one business that is definitely not ignoring social media, Bury says. ‘We don’t have a traditional marketing and advertising budget,’ she says. ‘We use social media – we use Twitter, our Facebook page, and our weekly newsletter. We don’t have a ton of resources to advertise on billboards.’” - Brian Jackson

ReadWriteWeb - Never Mind the Valley: Here’s Toronto

“Obviously it’s no Silicon Valley,” says Sprouter Community Manager Erin Bury, “but it’s definitely a thriving community with a ton of tech entrepreneurs, some great funding opportunities, and a hopping event scene.” - Audrey Watters

Toronto Star - There’s a New Mayor in Town

“I’m a young girl living in the city and I didn’t want to advertise my whereabouts to quasi-strangers. Knowing where I am is a privilege I only want to extend to my friends, family and boyfriend.” - Vivian Song

Toronto Star - Group Buying Stretches Holiday Budgets

“Toronto’s Erin Bury, who began to use group-buying websites this summer, says she hasn’t been keen on the idea of sending deals as a gift in an email. But Bury, 25, has saved money by giving gifts she bought on the sites. ‘I’m a really tangible gift person,’ says Bury.” - Allison Cross

New York Times – A Pair of Social Media Predicaments

Quote: “It can be unclear how to keep your personal and professional presences separate online. Everyone can maintain this balance, it just means finding the platforms that work for you.”

MSN Careers – 10 Careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago

Quote: “A community manager is a nontraditional role, so it requires some unique traits: the ability to adapt quickly, the ability to juggle a multitude of tasks while still keeping a smile on their face, and an innate passion for what they do. This isn’t a 9-to-5 job; it’s one that involves being an extension of the brand almost 24/7, which is why loving the company and the job is a prerequisite.”

AOL Small Business – Can Starbucks’ CEO really think like a startup?

Quote: “I would tell Howard to use the people who work at Starbucks to crowdsource — they can help him come up with creative ideas for the new experimental Starbucks locations and provide valuable feedback. Startups are a collaborative environment, and this is one of the reasons that they can be constantly iterating and changing.”

TechVibes – Erin Bury on the role of Community Manager at Sprouter

Quote: “I think there’s a traditional focus on the importance of experience when hiring. Although experience (schooling, work experience, experience with social media tools) should play a role, more importance should be placed on a person’s character and passion when hiring a Community Manager. CM’s need to be passionate about what they do – this isn’t a 9-5 job, nor one you can do in a lackluster way. You need to be willing to devote some nights and weekends to your job, and you need to be as excited about your company as you want your community to be.”

Forbes - 21 Top Twitter Trends

“RedWire, an online collaboration provider, uses Twitter to spread the word about Wired Wednesdays, a weekly gathering of entrepreneurs looking to share ideas. ‘There’s a real time benefit,” says Erin Bury, community manager at RedWire. “We’re trying to facilitate real-time conversations.’” - Daniel Adler

Hip + Urban Girl - Girl of the Week: Erin Bury

Quote: “For anyone out there that’s intimidated by social media I would tell them to look at me two years ago. I wasn’t on Twitter, I didn’t have a blog, and I really didn’t see the point of it all. It was only when I started working at a startup company with no marketing or advertising budget that I realized the potential benefits of inexpensive social media tools.”

Notable TV - Young Professional Daily

Quote:  If you want to be successful you can’t be complacent – no one ever got ahead sitting on their couch watching reality TV. Go out to industry events, start reading publications and blogs in your industry, and start making a name for yourself online and in the community. Your network is the most powerful asset you have, and it follows you no matter what path your career takes.”

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If you’re looking for someone to comment on entrepreneurship, startup life, Community Management or social media get in touch at erin@erinbury.com.