While the first day of the three-day phenomenon that is Social Media Marketing World 2016 had some valuable workshops and provided an incredible networking opportunity aboard the U.S.S. Midway, day two gave attendees a lot to digest in terms of where the future of social media is going. With the who’s who of social media marketing in the house, names like Gary Vaynerchuk, Guy Kawasaki and Mari Smith to name a few, this was an opportunity for people looking to boost their social media marketing offerings – and doing so on the shoulders of giants in the social media space.
The morning began with Michael Stelzner talking about the power of social media and how mainstream media is sourcing celebrities from social media to get a boost in ratings. The Amazing Race featured contestants with a combined 33,000,000 person following, hand-picked by the show’s casting directors, as a means of generating a buzz to increase viewership. This should be a direct message to businesses of all sizes – if a company like CBS sees the value in social media to help their product, an industry that was founded on making celebrities now finding their next big things from social media platforms, imagine what you could do with the proper social media marketing and management.
Once the Keynote ended, the almost 3000 people in attendance dispersed and vied for the valuable real estate that a chair provided for the workshops and presentations available. With 7 learning tracks available, finding a way to better understand content marketing, analytics and strategy could not have been made any easier to accomplish. With so much to learn, selecting only a few takeaways wasn’t easy.
Content is King
Social media success is predicated on consistency. The most consistent and persistent message from the moment we walked into our first session at Social Media Marketing World 2016 was the importance of content. How content is shared, what form it comes in and what platforms are being utilized to communicate with different demographics. Content is the backbone of any successful digital marketing plan.
Whether through sharing engaging content on a website or posting live video on Snapchat and Facebook Live, all successful social media marketing campaigns are predicated on building a large, loyal following that craves what your company has to offer in the content realm. Content Generosity was discussed and the term outlines how brands can use free, engaging content to build a relationship with potential leads and current customers. Basically, content is a value add that businesses have no choice but to utilize to begin the conversation.
Shaan Puri of Blab gave a stirring presentation that showcased the power of influencers, poignantly summed up in his analogy of your audience being more like a Tribe. With so many brands looking to hit a home run by signing a Kardashian or a Seacrest to their brand, he laid out the need for brands to look at creating 1000 influencers to create the buzz of 1. These influencers can form a “tribe.” Think of what a tribe means to you. A group of people with one common goal, moving in the same direction to maintain survival and ensure the long-term health of the group for generations. Now, think of what that means in terms of building a following. One consistent & unique voice, creating value by providing pertinent information your audience searches for and finally, making your social media Page or blog a place that generations of consumers will look to for their content needs. Only after building your audience by gaining their trust can you then look to monetize that relationship.
Live Video is the way of now and the future
50% of all mobile traffic now is now made up of live video, according to Amy Schmittauer. The Savvy Sexy Social star from Youtube and www.savvysexysocial.com used her “How To Use Video to Build Brand Authority” session to also shed light on future trends. That number, according to Schmittauer, is expected to reach 80% by 2019. And that’s not just mobile traffic. That’s 80% of all INTERNET traffic.
With such a dependence on video related content to share with social media users, understanding how your business can benefit from this reality was top of mind for us here at Social Know How.
The rise in video has also brought to light the shorter attention spans of the average user. In many rooms we were in, the key point that jumped out was just how little time you have to make a first impression on people who come across your video. You have 3 seconds to capture someone’s attention and about 8 seconds before they decide to keep watching your video or skip it. The emphasis on having quick, impactful messages or grabbing your audience’s attention immediately is more imperative now than ever. And, with the growth of Snapchat and Instagram video, younger audiences flocking to these platforms will be reaching prime consumer demographics in no time.
The Highlight of the Day
With all of the talk about attention, who better than Gary Vaynerchuk, a man who is a self-proclaimed “day trader of attention,” to close out the day during the final Keynote. Granted, Tim Washer’s comedic “Social Media Production Hacks” was a great lead-in following a day on presentations and workshops, the attention of the audience was squarely on Vaynerchuk and Marcus Sheridan as the Panel Discussion to end the day captivated the entire contingent.
In fine form, the cooler headed Sheridan played the perfect foil to the manic energy of Vaynerchuk – a man who’s made a living on hustle, foresight and bursts of genius that have made him a go-to for social media marketers looking for social media advice in an entertaining way.
While topics like “Facebook Live vs. Snapchat” were touched upon, the biggest takeaway from the session was gaining insight into the man behind the wildly popular #AskGaryVee & The Daily Vee. After a day of taking in plenty of information regarding current and future trends, it was refreshing to get a little perspective on the personality of an individual who has made this space his playground to grow businesses and create a cult-following.
Stay tuned to this blog tomorrow for a recap on day 3 of the conference as the Social Know How team has another full day of sessions and speeches to take in. Visit the Social Know How Facebook page for photos of our team and some of the event’s biggest names
