Last week we boarded the train and headed into New York City for Social Media Week NYC 2016. This week gave us chance to learn more about new industry trends, get inspired and spread that inspiration and wealth of knowledge with you. From measuring data for orchestrate a strategic content marketing plan to taking risks and getting ultra-creative and personal; learning how to find the right connection with customers was a big theme. Here’s a taste of what I learned from their massive schedule of master classes.
Social Media Week
Social Media Week delivers some of the best ideas, strategies and insights shared by those who are shaping the future of digital content marketing. In its 8th year, Social Media Week’s global theme, “’The Invisible Hand: Hidden Forces of Technology (and How We Can Harness it for Good),’ explored how mobile technology, networked connectivity, data and machine learning, and other technologies are the attributes of a new paradigm.” This paradigm is literally changing how we connect, consume and communicate every day.
Our Nuggets of Insight
1. Most people experience the internet on their phones. 70% traffic comes from mobile. Embrace how people are already using the internet instead of fighting it.
2. 41% of millennials say their phone is an extension of themselves (not a phone).
3. 72% of all internet users are now active on social media.
4. Video is becoming increasingly more important in social – without spoken words.
5. You have 3 seconds to capture your audience’s attention on video…before they click away.
6. Facebook’s auto play feature was inspired by The Harry Potter Daily newspaper.
7. Old school thinking: How do we get people to our website? New thinking: How do we bring ourselves to our customers?
8. Brands have moved from pushing product to having a conversation and talking about their brand purpose…what do you stand for as a company?
9. Discounted customers are not usually lifetime customers.
10. 50% of consumers are more likely to buy a product from a company that they can contact via social media.
11. Identify brand ambassadors; the public wants to hear from humans to make your company sound more authentic.
12. Squares take up most real estate on mobile; they work well across all platforms. Don’t obsess about resizing images for different platforms.
13. 31% of consumers say that their decision to buy a product was influenced by something they read in a blog.
14. Optimal number of blogs for small businesses to post per month…10.
15. Develop your voice as a company & embrace it. Learn from your hits…replicate them.
16. Create 9 different touch points with your audience for any event.
17. Content should INSPIRE an action.
18. Get your entire business involved to capture the right voice of your brand – take social out of the silo.
19. Pinterest is the center of future discovery.
20. 39% of pinner have replaced search engines with Pinterest….discovering new things and take action on them.
21. 87% of its users make purchasing decisions based on what they discover on the site – it’s the power of Pinterest.
22. Pinterest is not just for e-commerce. Other companies can benefit by gaining brand equity and creating an honest conversation with consumers.
23. There was more content uploaded yesterday than a single person could consume in their lifetime. Make yours stand out.
24. 70% of social sharing is “dark” – as in when you email or text a link to a friend. More than 50% of your social conversions/sales may be dark.
25. Put humans at the center of your product. The more personal it is, the more valuable it becomes.
26. Think about content as a user journey and experience rather than a campaign.
27. Humor and informality will always feel more natural and human.
28. Get comfortable with failure. The only way you’ll grow is by experimenting to see what works.
29. To tell amazing stories, you have to take a step back and be vulnerable to take risks that might inspire.
30. Capture the moment by creating a lot of moments.
CMDS in the Forefront of Small Business Digital Marketing
Since 2002, CMDS has provided competitive level of marketing strategies by designing a simple creative solution for our clients that generates a positive response from their targeted consumers. We’ve implemented both creative and marketing for many industries, which enables us to know how people become engaged, and essentially buy. As a boutique web design and digital content marketing agency, our marketing professionals at CMDS can help you shake things up. Contact us at 732-706-5555 or email info@cmdsonline.com.