Aussies: Win a Trip to Africa to Blog for Good

It’s been a couple of weeks since I returned home from my Tanzanian Blogging for Social Good trip.

I reflected to a friend this morning that the trip changed me on many levels – both personally but also as I reflect upon how blogging and social media can be used to make the world a better place.

Aussies: You Could be on the Next Trip!

I’m really excited today to be able to announce that together CBM Australia (the organization I traveled to Tanzania with), Telstra and ProBlogger are running a competition to identify another Australian Blogger to go on a similar trip in 2012.

If you’re an Aussie and blog (or want to start a blog in the next few months) you can be a part of this journey to identify the next blogger.

Terms and conditions are being finalized at the moment but the prize for the blogger selected will include:

• a week long trip with CBM to a country in Africa (to be determined)
• training from CBM for the trip (this was invaluable for me)
• return economy airfare, accommodation, meals etc on the trip
• we’ll also get to meet in the lead up to the trip as at the least I’ll be involved in your training/preparation (I’m trying to be able to come on it with you too)

In the lead up to the trip we’ll also be running some ‘blog for good’ coaching sessions (both in person and online) so that bloggers preparing their blogs to enter can have them in tip top shape before judging commences later in the year.

Free Melbourne Coaching Event Next Tuesday

The first of these coaching sessions is on in Melbourne next week on 29 March (next Tuesday). It’s a free event for all Melbourne bloggers – you can get details and reserve your spot here. For those of you not in Melbourne – there will be online events coming soon.

At this event on Tuesday we’ll be sharing more about the competition as well as reporting on the trip we just did. I’ll also be presenting a few tips on how to build a more successful blog – whether you’re going to enter the competition or not – and there will be plenty of time to interact with other Melbourne bloggers so should be a lot of fun.

What Next?

If you’re interested in entering the ‘Blog for Good’ competition the best thing you can do right now is start working on your blog.

We’ll release judging criteria as the year progresses but we’ll be looking for bloggers who have the ability to communicate, who are building engaged audiences and who have a heart for using blogging and social media for social good.

Entries will open for those who want to enter on December 1 2011 so you have plenty of time to get your blog firing. The winner will be announced in January 2012 and the trip will take place in Feb/March 2012.

We’ll publish more details as the year progresses but I wanted to get this out there today so that everyone knows what’s happening – particularly about the event in Melbourne next Tuesday night!

Also: Check out Telstra’s announcement of Blog for Good here.