I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Half way through the last day of Social Media Marketing World someone next to me said how impressed she was with how things had been run at the conference for a first time event.

“What did you just say?” I asked.

She had to repeat it, and assure me this really was the first time they had run this event.

Leading up to this moment I had assumed this was the fifth or sixth year for the event, everything had been so well done. Speedy day-of-registration, a thriving LinkedIn group, email follow-ups, well thought out sessions, great speakers, and fun networking events. My hat is off to the organizers for a job well done.

Most of my time at the conference was spent in the sessions, both large and small, and so the rest of my notes below are reflections on those sessions. There are other reviews out there of the events, keynotes, etc that I will try to link to as I find them.

Connecting, Amplyfying, and Growing Your Social Presence by John Jantsch

The big takeaway I had from this session was the following line by Mr. Jantsch

“You can’t have a vibrant online community, without first having a vibrant internal one.”

As social media marketers we tend to do things on our own. There are so many things that need to be done everyday, from keyword research, content creation and curation, audience development, etc. that we feel like we have to do things on our own in order to make progress on our goals. His point was that the more we foster internal community around our social media, brand, and content, the more work is being done to connect and create for our audience by a bigger part of our organization.

Social Strategy for Big B2B Businesses – Panel

By far the biggest disappointment of the conference. It was also the most important to me, since my current position is in a B2B organization. So while I did have higher expectations of this session helping me than was reasonable, it still fell short of providing my anything helpful. Both panelists spent the entire time talking about Facebook and it’s impact on their outreach, and NEVER MENTIONED LINKEDIN once. This is inexcusable and unhelpful. Everyone I know in B2B has their social strategy focused on LinkedIn, groups, page updates, and people connecting with people. Maybe someone else in their organization handles LinkedIn, maybe these panelists were at such large organizations they can still achieve success with Facebook and not need LinkedIn, but for whatever reason I think this was a lost opportunity to provide helpful insight for most B2B marketers.

Part of the reason why this session failed for me also hinted at the larger issue panels vs. sessions. I attended 3-4 panels and all of them were far less helpful when compared to solo run sessions. The panelists seemed unprepared for the questions, in terms of thinking out what they wanted to say and their main points, and many of the session moderators seemed to be winging it, skipping from one topic to the next without a clear objective of where they were going. This is a problem with panels in general vs. solo presenters. One person presenting knows they have to think through and prepare for everything they want to cover, objectives, and have visuals. Panelists get to just show up and answer with the first thing out of their mouths, and there are usually no visuals to support the topic.

Lee Odden: Integrating Blogging with Content Marketing to Inspire Action

The Science of Community Building in the Age of Social Media by Ric Dragon

This material would be have been better presented over the course of a day, and not 45 minutes. Mr. Dragon had discussed some very deep, intelligent, philosophical, and scientific information on social strategy and community building. The problem was you needed more than a minute to digest what he was talking about to understand how important this stuff really was.

However, I’ve gone back and looked at his slides and have a long list of readings to do that will keep me busy for some time. I’m glad I had the opportunity to be exposed to this material, but just wish I had more time with Mr. Dragon to explore all of this more intimately.

Read this post to get a better idea of what Mr. Dragon has to offer: The Power of Small Groups in Online Marketing

How to Build a Business Blog that Grows Your Brand and Generates Leads and Makes Sales. by Marcus Sheridan

By far the best session I attend throughout the event. Mr. Sheridan is a fireball of energy as a presenter and clinically focused on what really matters when it comes to presenting material that will make a real difference in your marketing. He turned much of what we think about when it comes to content strategy on it’s ear by making a compelling case for giving your audience what they want, no matter how you feel the information may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

Two key phrases from Mr. Sheridan highlight these points:

“They ask. We Answer.” It sounds simple, but in practice we make it hard. Answer our customers questions. We fail to do this for two reasons, either we don’t know our customer as well as we think we do, or we are afraid that our competition is going to see what we’ve said and steal it or use it against us. Mr. Sheridan makes a dead simple arguement for how you will beat out your competition with this approach and how it will help you get to know your customer even better.  Start with the top 5 most frequently asked questions about your product and service and write, blog, and podcast those answers for better

“To be a trustworthy company, you must be a transparent company.” Mr. Sheridan points out that people and companies are afraid to talk about themselves, for a variety of reasons. The companies that show their human side and personalities always do better in sales, engagement, etc and Mr. Sheridan offers both anecdotal and qualitative data to back that up.

12 Ways To Turn LinkedIn Into a Generation Machine by Viveka von Rosen

Excellent session. Ms. von Rosen presented the material in a way that I feel helped beginner and experts alike in building out their LinkedIn profiles and pages to work harder at generating leads. She had a ton of brass tacks tips and tricks for every marketer to take advantage of getting more out of LinkedIn.

A great example was showing how to use Saved Searches to have LinkedIn send you new search results via email once a week. For recruiters or sales people that need new leads in common industries this let’s LinkedIn do some legwork for you. Great tip.

Here’s more helpful tips from Ms. von Rosen – What to Do When You Need Better Results Than “LinkedIn Member”

How Online Video Pulls Real Engagement and Definable Revenue – Panel

This panel was very frustrating to me b/c I could tell these were expert panelists on video marketing and production but were not being used correctly for the setting. Each of them represented different backgrounds and had loads of experience to back up what they were saying. The problem was for the most part it took them rambling on for a few minutes each to finally get to what they really thought was the most important thing. Had they been prepped correctly ahead of time they would have known what their best leads/thoughts were from the start. I was most infuriated with the moderator. He seemed very insecure about being up there, had quick-sarcastic things to say, and talked so quickly we in the audience had a hard time knowing what was asked. This isn’t a roast or chance to towel snap in the locker room. You need to clearly and slowly articulate what you are talking about, provide context for how this matters and explain to the panel and audience where in the hell we are going with this line of questioning.

I felt like the goal of the panel was to cover as much material or area as possible, without any thought given to presenting it well.

One great takeaway from the panel came from Jim Louderback -

“The best conversion starts from content to content conversion.”

Very insightful and made me think about how we should be doing more content to content conversion, instead of trying to get a lead or opportunity. It stands to reason that if someone watched your whole video they are more likely to watch another one compared to filling our your “Contact Us” form.

Also, I appreciated Julie Perry mentioning retargeting and b-roll video ads and how important they are in getting your message out. You aren’t paying for ads that are viewed less than 30 seconds so you have your message seen by many and not pay for much. One tip she provided was to front load your most important message at the beginning since people will start to drop off as the time goes on.

Those are my notes. Can’t wait till next year.

Other conference review articles, know of any others, then share in the comments, thanks!

Social Media Marketing World 2013: 7 Brilliant Lessons

#SMMW13 – Day One report

Social Media Marketing Strategy | Top 11 #SMMW13 Insights

Social Media Marketing World 2013

Social Media Marketing World 2013 Wrap Up #SMMW13

Check out some great examples of nonprofit videos here: http://dogooder.thismoment.com/us/youtube/showcase2

Did a video from a worthy cause compel to you share it?

Did a powerful photo-set urge you to send in a donation?

Was someone’s passionately worded letter the impetuous you needed to become a volunteer?

I’m compiling the world’s greatest nonprofit social media content (videos, photos, etc) that was effective at delivering a message or compelling action. These examples will be used to identify the characteristics of compelling content, with the results published online.

Please share  your favorite examples below. Thanks for your help!

Matt Haughey in his article below captures the feeling I have always had about Twitter vs. Facebook. On Twitter I follow only those people who have something interesting or thoughtful to say. On Facebook, 80% of my “friends” are people I”m obligated to follow out of respect for their place in my previous life. My Twitter feed represents my life in a vacuum, I can make it both ideal and meaningful, and never worry about how I will be perceived if I stop following someone or replying to their posts.

I also wonder if Twitter is better b/c of the fact that not EVERYONE we know is on there. Would we love it as much if we had to follow everyone we were friends with on FB as well? I wouldn’t.

Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook – by Matt Haughey

This guy would be great on Twitter. Facebook? Not so much.

I love working with sales people. They are typically the toughest crowd to convince social media is worth their time but those that get it turn into the best at it. Sales people can be great networkers, but need to know the linear steps to take so they get something out of it the process. Sales folks want to have a checklist of things to do and if they compete those things they want to know they will be successful. Since social networking works differently, by building relationships over time, sales pros need to see it a different way. When they see it as building a pipeline for future business development, and more, they catch on quick. It also helps for them to have a little taste of success in the beginning.

I’ve presented the material below to small and large groups of sales professionals as an overview of social networking for their business. They can find tips and tricks elsewhere and most will want to figure that out on their own anyway. What they need and ask for is to be provided a general overview or objective to follow.

Why social media and how does it help your business

• Social networking connects people with common needs and causes. We all want to help others and receive help. If there is an opportunity to assist someone we know with a job search or referral, wouldn’t you take the time to connect people? Likewise when you are reaching out for help, wouldn’t you want that help returned?
• It’s how you can brand yourself as an authority in a specific area, like medical sales. When people hear about opportunities or people associated with that area you want them to think of you first. Making you more likely to be recommended.
• Its how we are communicating. More people are using social networks to communicate since that is where we spend more time. We also segment our lives based on these networks, Facebook for friends and family, LinkedIn for our professional lives, and Twitter for everyone in between.

Focus on the “Big 3″ social networks

• Facebook – Help friends and family learn more about you, your passions, and how you can help each other. Share articles, jobs, company news, and more that relates to your field and expertise. Respond to other Facebook posts that are related to your expertise. Send messages to people that think could help you find prospects or introductions. Follow and comment on companies and brand pages related to your field, people are likely to see your posts and want to connect.
• Twitter – Drive traffic to your hot products and hot topics. People on Twitter want things valuable to them. So give them something to read. Share links to relevant news and other helpful articles. Give your thoughts on current topics as it relates to your field. Read your twitter feed for people posting about similar topics and let them know you are listening by RT’ing. The best thing you can do for anyone on Twitter is to RT them.
• LinkedIn – Connect with connectors. Everyone has a LinkedIn account, but not everyone uses it. Your goal on LinkedIn is not about meeting and connecting with everyone, but to meet and connect with people that are well connected. Who are the people that know everyone else. Start with those that have high LinkedIn connections (500+) that means they are active on LinkedIn and enjoy connecting with others. Let them know who your ideal connection is so if they meet that person they can refer you. Join groups with topic areas likely to attract your key connections and join the conversations.

Build your pipeline by building your audience

• Be present. Listen to your audience more than you speak. Show them you are listening by liking, RT’ing, or sharing their posts. People want to know they are heard, and when you show them that, they will value you as a trusted resource.
• Be informative. This is a chance to educate your audience on topics that matter to you, your expertise area, and more. Share interesting articles that discuss recent trends or news in your field. Give your opinions, thoughtfully of course, on subjects of the day. Ask questions for feedback on areas you would like to know more about or want to her more from your audience.
• Be helpful. Use your expertise to help even if it means you receive nothing in return. It will come back to you again when you need it. Answer other people’s questions. Respond to statements that seek answers or need more information. Take what someone has said and provide an example to improve their point.

Taking it offline – When its time to move the conversation offline, do so politely and succinctly.

• Facebook – “I would like the chance to speak with you more about this, would you mind sending me a message through Facebook with the best way to contact you?”.
• Twitter – Send a Direct Message to them with your contact info and a short request for the best time to contact them to continue discussing.
• LinkedIn – If you are connected to the person, send them a message asking that they connect via email or phone and provide your contact information. If you are not connected, asked to be introduced as a connection by one of your existing connections. Many in sales will find their prospects on LinkedIn, locate their contact information elsewhere, then contacting them and mentioning they find them on LinkedIn. Keep it above board, open, and honest and they will respect you for it.

Nothing screams exciting like social media policy articles, but this one provides an update on things for corporations to consider in light of the recent NRLB’s ruling on Costco’s social media policy.

See on www.michiganemploymentlawadvisor.com

I was fortunate enough to attend the “Results Oriented Social Media Summit” hosted by Level Ten Interactive and Giovanni Gallucci, September 7-8th. The summit had classes that covered everything from creating video content to using social media during live events. All off the classes I attended were helpful, had excellent speakers, and an engaged audience.

The audience at the event, and the conversation happening on Twitter about the event (check out #rowdfw) was what impressed me enough to research and write this post. The questions participants asked of the speakers, and how they helped others in the audience was genuine, thoughtful, and thought provoking. The audience represented a wide range of interests and professional backgrounds, from lawyers to corporate marketing, from nonprofits to country band managers. This diversity gave everyone in attendance a well-rounded view of how social media is being used in different settings.

The list below is everyone that was involved with the event, and talking about it on Twitter. If anyone is missing, or should be added, let me know!

@levelten_tom
@david_hahn
@thatkidmar
@agardina
@Thisis_Julie
@udfd71
@LevelTen
@stephen_person
@AndyOdom7
@hexatrope
@zaneology
@camsicle
@ellehughey
@ToughAct
@dallasdrupal
@glennhilton
@LuisSandovalJr
@samualreinsch60
@iPresort
@sandyhubbard
@dalrhet
@peterbrooke
@schtebnay
@itsjustshelley
@JanetRagland
@EliseBaughman
@tdelano
@Veribatim
@hungrytien
@giovanni
@jackie_smith
@angela_nelson
@iBeErinG
@monikarun
@ice528
@so_amused
@dmnprogrammer
@drnicomartini
@RealGeekDad
@KendallAnne
@DamonGochneaur
@chrisyates11
@JasonEsquire
@August1914
@KyleTaylored
@Sweg
@leightonjaconch
@TheEventNerd
@hiuhime
@Burtqya916
@eddybadrina
@cronan
@BuzzShift
@cgawley
@CarlyJennifer
@danedaniels
@eatdrinkshopluv
@jefflinwood
@AHBick
@xNIPPLES
@Mike_Ippolito
@Skvare
@BrittanyHusted
@Tbanda
@asmallorange
@pelpina
@Texanadian214
@SpychResearch
@bradjdavies
@gbatuyong
@TrendsDallas
@adgrad
@Sarabobera
@carrotmrrecruit
@drummermoe
@nitrospectide
@LandonCLedford
@eMilesMedia
@nickimayes
@Five2media
@karenblanchard
@DanielleMay1
@michmichmartin
@jessisanchez
@shanonharris
@TracyChandlr
@shelly_adams
@stevhernandez
@theresapatters
@LiveLoudTX
@deenam
@PattyChristian
@rosenielson
@vellaamuro
@mikeforester
@gingersullivan
@ron_gutman
@johnbantam
@brittanybwhite
@JamesSantano
@BreanHolmes
@jongoyette
@JenTaylr
@katyhurley
@VeronicaMeadows
@toni_goodwin
@JulieThao
@robert_parris
@LiveLoudTexas
@jessihealy
@arlettehuard
@SallyLauterback
@TaraShaeffer
@BrandonAKrueger
@addaniell
@Phx_Blue
@italot
@YoungbloodJoe

There is an adage in the nonprofit fundraising world that you should thank a donor seven times before asking them to donate again. The purpose of the adage is to ensure people feel appreciated for their gift, are told how their money is being used, and will look upon communications from the charity as chances to inform and engage, not just ask for more money.

Thanking people is also helpful for your business. It shows you care about your customers and staff, appreciate everyone’s hardwork and hard earned money, and are thinking about more than just your bottom line.

Using “Thank You’s” as part of your content schedule for posting online is also a great way to build in content that you don’t have to write a whole lot about. Each day of the week you could designate to thank someone by telling us who they are, why you are thanking them, and you are done. Be sure to let the person know you’ve thanked so they can share it with friends, and so that you know they have seen it.

There is also a subtle subliminal message that comes along with thanking someone online.  You are letting the reader know, the one who has not been thanked, that they could be thanked too someday.  Everyone likes to be appreciated and some of us like that appreciation to be public. People will be more motivated to help, be involved, and ask for that thanks because they saw someone else being thanked.

So who should you thank? The image above has a few ideas, but there are plenty more.  Leave your ideas in the comments below  about who else a business or nonprofit could thank.

Thanks for reading this article!

It captures the spirit of barefoot running, which will speak to the people already trying it or want to try it.

It’s compelling. It tells the story of how they get started, plainly and honestly.

And it closes the sale. It pats themselves on the back and acknowledges competitors with a sly “We’ve been here, welcome to the Crazy party, the tent is big enough to hold everyone”. If you were going to buy five-fingers, would you buy from Vibram, or from someone else?

The Hobbit as Nonprofit Manager: How to Do Great Things without Forgetting the Good Things

In a hole in the ground, there lived a fundraiser.

Two things have defined a large part of who I am today: the career I chose as an adult, and the books that I loved as a child..

The first is that I have spent my entire career in the Land of Non. All but one month of this time has been spent focused on fundraising (oh, woe! the sad moment when I parted from those first 30 days!). I have worked for organizations large and small, and wear the scars of many a battle to make payroll.

I have seen lives broken, and I have seen them rebuilt. My eyes have been rivers of tears; my throat, a furnace erupting in the flames of their stories.

And yet my lungs have been stretched with furious laughter, my tiny mind enlightened with the brilliance of my comrades and my soul enlarged with the selfless love of our donors. In short, my career has been an amazing and unexpected journey of self-discovery and definition.

Yet this journey itself has been largely defined by something else: the first books that I remember reading as a child were the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. When I became a father, one of my greatest joys was the day when my daughters were old enough to sit through readings of The Hobbit.

As we finished the last chapter of that book, it struck me that I have learned a great deal from Master Baggins about how to cope with the pressures and strains of a career dedicated to solving the world’s greatest problems. To wit, here are the lines that end that text, starting with the words of the wizard, Gandalf:

“You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”



“Thank goodness!” said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar.

Nonprofit managers, take heed. The problems that you face – generational poverty, incurable disease, an almost systemic form of despair sown into distressed communities – are vast. And yet you have seen how the work of your hands has made progress against them. You have been held in the embrace of a life changed through the workings of your own ministry and the services of your organization.

How easy it is to think that these moments came through your own virtue. And worse, how easy it is to allow these moments, this work in which you are engaged, to define you. Indeed, to consume you.

Let us not forget that we are among the most privileged people on earth. We have a front row seat to the greatest story being told: the tale of the rise of the social sector in the midst of society’s swelling concerns. Yet we are rarely Bard the Bowman, felling the dragons that threaten to destroy our world. More often we are little Bilbo, there mostly to serve as a vehicle for forces larger than us to weave their work through our words and deeds.

Simply because our lives are the vessels through which great things are done, let us not presume that we are similarly great. Let us sit back, pull out our pipe, and wonder in amazement at our own good fortune for being in this place and time in history.

Work hard. Do great things. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad.

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Jeremy Gregg is a happily married father of two, serial social entrepreneur and furry-toed fundraiser working in Dallas, Texas for the PLAN Fund. Read more of his ramblings at www.JeremyGregg.com.