This weekend, I attended a social media conference, Izeafest 2009. It was fantastic! (We even saw animals from SeaWorld!) The content was useful, relevant and actionable. In fact, the sessions were so full of valuable information that my “top-10 list” grew into a list of 17. Granted, I learned way more than 17 things, but these are the ones that I wanted to share with you. Hopefully, you’ll learn something, too! (If you want to see all my notes, I uploaded the document to Slideshare. Check them out.)
Lessons From Izeafest
- Even before I heard him speak, Brian Clark (aka @copyblogger) was one of my favorites. His blog is a “must read” for me. So, in addition to checking that out, see his latest report, Authority Rules, which offers “10 rock-solid elements of effective marketing.”
- Own the search for your name. (If you’re a business, own the search for that.)
- There are way too many people who pretend to know SEO. Lots of fakers. I learned that most people (myself included) know hardly anything about SEO. Want real experts? Check out@ sugarrae and @graywolf. Crazy smart!
- Create an “umbrella” to guide your personal brand. Sarah Evans has a three-pronged umbrella: 1) To increase network and personal connections; 2) To improve relations between PR, bloggers and journalists 3) To better the nonprofit world. If something doesn’t fall under that umbrella, she doesn’t do it. What’s your umbrella?
- The best time to build a network is when you don’t need one.
- Social media success isn’t about your time commitment, it’s about your commitment over time. (Brilliance courtesy of Chris Heuer.)
- Check out su.pr — the Stumbleupon link shortener.
- If you want to be an influencer, you need t0 respond (which requires thought), not react (a knee-jerk).
- If you’re going to blog for business, play for keeps. Own it.
- Advertisers want to work with mommybloggers because they’re the portal to the home. If you want advertising or sponsorships for your blog, think about being a portal. What or who can you connect advertisers to?
- Marketing is a commitment, not a campaign. (This isn’t new, but it’s a smart, succinct way to phrase it.)
- If you’re not using video, start. (Hmm, maybe prTini needs some video?!?)
- Product reviews aren’t advertorials or advertisements. Include real feedback and suggestions for improvement.
- Tommy Fishback, who had 5 minutes to speak, is everything that’s right with kids today. This 14-year-old talked about breaking down silos. Older people: Listen to him.
- Stop. Collaborate. And listen.
- Give your content “handles.” In other words, share information that people can use … that helps them *do* something. Then, they’ll come back for more. (It worked for Chris Brogan … maybe it can work for you?)
- Take initiative.
If you attended Izeafest, what was the most important takeaway?