Speaker Spotlight: Brian Rotsztein!

WordCamp Montreal is only a few weeks away! We’re as excited as ever about this event. We’ve prepared a speaker spotlight series that will show off some of our speakers at this years event!

I’m happy to present our next spotlight, Brian Rotsztein!

With over 10 years of Internet marketing experience, Brian brings a seasoned approach to working with clients. As the head of two web design and Internet marketing companies (RedstoneX.com and Uniseo.com), he helps businesses gain a competitive advantage. He holds two Master’s degrees, has taught university courses, and provides training services for topics such as SEO and social media. He’s been a WordPress fan since he started using version 1.6 (in 2005!). Find him on Twitter.

Brian will be giving a talk titled SEO & Social Media for Business with WordPress.

Why WordPress?

Brian Rotsztein

This may sound funny but I started blogging before WordPress existed by literally updating an HTML page. I would write a date and enter my post below it. It made for a very long page! Back then, the concepts of blogging software and content management systems weren’t nearly as common as they are now so it’s no surprise that it took a while to come across WordPress for the first time. When I finally discovered it, I definitely had the “WOW! Factor” come over me. It instantly changed the way I managed websites and continues to do so for millions of users. It’s flexible and easy to learn which are two key reasons to use it.

Why did you decide to speak at WordCamp Montreal?

Based on the seemingly countless emails and calls that come into the office about Internet marketing, especially search engine optimization (SEO), I realized that there is a large need for quality education on these topics. More recently, questions have also been pouring in about social media marketing (e.g., the use of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc). Many people still don’t realize how well-suited WordPress is for online marketing. You can’t just take university or CEGEP courses in these areas since classes on these topics don’t exist. It’s up to professionals working in the field to do the teaching. My company provides training workshops but I feel it’s an opportunity to give back to the community by offering complimentary introductory sessions to the local WordPress community.

What is your talk going to be about?

I am going to provide an overview of important aspects of WordPress that can be used to increase website visibility by way of SEO and interactivity via social media platforms

What are you most looking forward to at WordCamp Montreal?

I’ve been to some great WordCamps and really love the atmosphere. The event provides an excellent opportunity to meet people and share ideas. Individuals who work in our industry frequently do so in isolation and this is a fun way to come out and mingle, not to mention keep abreast of the latest trends. How else can we stay on the leading edge?! The fact that we’re all coming together as a community that loves this software is a testament to the strength of its supporters and the platform itself. If you aren’t sure whether you should come or not, trust me, it’s worth it. I have yet to meet anyone who felt that WordCamp was a waste of time.

What is the one thing you want people to walk away with from your talk?

I hope that attendees will walk away with a basic understanding of SEO and social media platforms, and how WordPress can be used for both purposes.

What is your favourite WordPress plugin, and why?

The peculiar thing is that most of those who know me will assume it would be an SEO plugin. In fact, I have several favourites but the one I’d like to mention is the “More Fields” plugin. I really appreciate how WordPress users can benefit from it by adding functionality to a site without getting overly complex.