POB
Hi, I’m Patrick O’Brien, and I manage OBrienMedia.com , my personal blog of product reviews, audio, mobile technology, and a few life observations in and around the Washington, DC area. It’s a way of keeping on top of my digital trail, sharing some of my experiences along the way.
This blog does not represent the views or opinions of my employer.
I’m an Emmy-Award winning web producer turned Digital Development Director for WUSA 9, the CBS affiliate and flagship station for Gannett. I oversee all internet operations for wusa9.com, metromix.com, momslikeme.com, and the 53 neighborhood websites using the Datasphere platform. I also work with the Gannett corporate offices on a few projects for mobile, social media and site development. I’ve been in media for 16 years, and of those, 12 years in web operations. I spent 3 years in morning radio, and 1 year as a Chief Audio Engineer for a recording studio.
Running my first marathon in Alaska
My main contact points are through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare.
While here in Washington, some of my success stories have been:
- Growing our site traffic substantially in both uniques and page views Y-o-Y.
- Creating additional revenue opportunities beyond banner ads using social media, text messaging, mobile apps, infomercial campaigns and station events.
- Building the largest group of Twitter and Facebook followers for local TV in Washington, DC.
- Leading social media experimentation on a local level, such as the first to organize a Foursquare ‘Earn Your Badge’ party in Washington.
- Sponsoring global scale events on a local level, such as the Twestival and Foursquare Day.
- Host meetups in Washington for mobile products such as Foursquare and Evernote.
Outside of work, I enjoy making new friends and building relationships through social media. You can find me running a few miles in a nearby park, jumping around at some great concert, or attending events around social media and journalism.
My hometown is St. Louis, Missouri, where I lived for more than 30 years before moving to Washington in 2008. I’ll trade frozen custard and toasted ravioli for cupcakes any day. Go Cards!