IMC 2016: Sessions

Are you interested in sharing your knowledge of the Middle Ages with the online world? Would you like to build your audience and perhaps earn some income by writing about medieval topics? This workshop will help you learn about finding your own medieval niche on the World Wide Web and the ways people earn revenues through this digital media.

The first half of the workshop will examine how to write effectively for websites, focusing on which topics and what kinds of posts will generate strong audience engagement. We will also look at what search engine optimization (SEO) is and how to market your website using social media and email.

The second part of the workshop will turn to ways of earning revenues from your online properties, starting with running advertisements and making use of affiliate marketing. Then, we will look at how one can sell products through their website, create ebooks, and the possibility of using your online profile to teach courses. Finally, we will talk about how one can earn money through Youtubing and podcasting.

This workshop will be very beneficial to anyone who wants to increase the number of readers on their websites, use their medieval studies knowledge to earn some income, or are planning to have a career in digital media. It will be led by members of Medievalists.net, one of the leading online resources in the field of medieval studies, who have been creating and running websites for over seven years.

Since 2008, Medievalists.net has billed itself as the media site for the Middle Ages, offering news, articles, and videos about medieval studies. It is one of the largest online resources about the Middle Ages, receiving over three-quarters of a million page views per month and with a large social media following of over 42,000 followers on Twitter alone.

There are no pre-requisites for attending the workshop, and tea and coffee will be provided during the mid-morning break. Fee: £7.50.

Peter Konieczny was a librarian at the University of Toronto before becoming part-owner of Medievalists.net. He has been developing websites for 15 years and is based in Toronto. Sandra Alvarez's background is in human resources and social media, while being a partner at Medievalists.net for over 7 years. A former Toronto native, Sandra moved to London in 2013 to become Medievalists.net's European Correspondent, reporting on medieval events, historical sites, and academic conferences. Peter and Sandra have extensive experience in web design, blogging, social media, and the use of digital media to support the dissemination of scholarship to wide-ranging audiences.