Social Media Marketing World Review

Phew! What a head spinning couple of days. Here’s my Social Media Marketing World review with a summary of my takeaways from this jam-packed two-day conference.

I’m not embarrassed to admit I’m a well-seasoned bargain shopper. I’ve always refused to be a sucker and pay (inflated) full prices, choosing instead to treasure hunt at Marshalls, TJMaxx, and DSW. But, last year I got a little wiser courtesy of a few tough lessons. Today, I understand that just because something is more expensive doesn’t always mean it costs more in the long run.

When I went to the website to buy my Social Media Marketing World 2016 ticket, I believe my reaction was something along the lines of “WTF???” I immediately messaged my client who had offered to sponsor me and let him know that $1,350 was FAR too much to spend. It had been decades since I had attended a professional conference, but I couldn’t imagine they could deliver that much value in just two days.

I was wrong. My client will very likely recoup his investment in just a few short months.

The recent release of Facebook Live to the general public—and the growing popularity of Snapchat – were the buzz of the event. Every speaker I sat in front of proclaimed 2016 to be the year of live video. I’ve known about this trend for awhile…in fact, I talked about it quite awhile ago in Tip #6: The Importance of Video Content. It’s the result of people demanding more real, unscripted, easy-to-digest social media content.

The bottom line – it’s time to get over your shyness and start filming. The sooner, the better. Facebook is pushing their newest and coolest feature by rewarding Live users with seriously boosted organic (unpaid) reach…a precious gift in a time where every company is seeing rapidly declining visibility.

Social Media Marketing World 2016 Workshops

Both days began with an opening session, included a menu of about (45) 45-minute workshops, and ended with a closing keynote speaker.

Choosing a single workshop in each time slot was anywhere from difficult to excruciating. After studying the Conference Guide, and consulting with my client, I attended the following:

• Social Media Marketing in 2016: What the Newest Research Reveals (Michael Stelzner)
• How to Double Your ROI with Facebook Video Ads (Rick Mulready)
• How to Turn Pins into Customers and Profit with Pinterest (Natalie Jill)
• How to Connect and Engage Your Prospects on Linkedin (Viveka von Rosen)
• How to Create a System for Organic Facebook Growth (Holly Homer)
• How to Get the Most Our of Your Social Media Agency (Tyler Anderson, Mitch Joel, Lee Odden)
• Live Video: Why the Future of Marketing is Going Live (Mari Smith, Kim Garst, Shaan Puri)
• How to Grow Your Email List with Facebook Ads on a Budget (Amy Porterfield)
• 9 Essential Tools for Every Social Media Marketer’s Toolbox (Ian Cleary)
• How to Use Facebook Live to Market Your Business (Lou Mongello)
• How to Use Facebook Groups to Build a Highly Engaged Community (Pauline Stockhausen)
• How to Get People to Consume Your Content in a Noisy World (Bryan Kramer)

The amount of information was mind boggling. My goal from the outset was to absorb the big picture and bring home several new strategies to better serve my clients. Success!

Here are my takeaways:

• Ensure every client understands the importance of incorporating live video into their social networking strategy and teach them how to do it well.
• Help my clients understand that growing their email list should be their #1 priority and this should primarily be done through Facebook ads.
• Encourage my clients to adopt a marketing strategy that builds community and creates consistent opportunities for customers to help spread their word.
• Suggest to my clients that the focus should be on ROE [Return on Experience] rather than ROI [Return on Investment] when analyzing their investment in social media.
• Recommend several time and money-saving apps, including MeetEdgar, Adspresso, and Dasheroo.

Social Media Marketing World 2016 Review | Scribaceous.com

In the next several months, I will fill in the gaps in my ability to perform every aspect of Rick Mulready and Amy Porterfield’s outstanding Facebook ad funnel. This highly effective strategy includes writing epic blog posts, creating valuable “free-miums,” designing and developing opt in lead pages [and corresponding Thank You pages], creating the Facebook ad graphics and copy, and using the new Facebook pixel to narrowly target the ideal custom audiences. This is HUGE!

The most amusing moment at Social Media Marketing World 2016? When I was sandwiched between two 20-somethings at the Linkedin workshop. The gal on my left never looked up from her Facebook feed…the guy to my right was glued to Twitter. Irony at its best.

My head has stopped spinning. I’ve purged the info that’s extraneous to my clients and have retained the most relevant so that I can better serve my clients, especially the one who gifted me this invaluable opportunity.

UPDATES:

• Here’s an extremely detailed post covering the latest popular social networking sites for 2020—Most Popular Social Networking Sites. It’s time to get reading and be social!
• Want some more social media help? Check out “Social Media Marketing Ideas” by ExpressText!

I hope my Social Media Marketing World review fires you up. If you’d like any help, don’t hesitate to message me.