Are you excited? NMX is coming up fast and there’s a lot to get excited about. For me, the Las Vegas edition of NMX brings back many fond memories of connecting with peers from a mix of industries and expertise. From brands to soloprenuers and marketers to public relations professionals, all have the same areas of focus in common: content and community.
When you look at Las Vegas history, the 1960′s holds some great memories too. Few exemplify the energy and excitement of the playground that is Las Vegas more than the Rat Pack. Fans would pour into the city of lights from all over the country to hear the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford perform.
The New Media Rat Pack
For a few days in January, thousands of people will converge at the Rio to learn about every aspect of new media publishing and community building that you can imagine from what I’d like to call, “The New Media Rat Pack.” From branding to legal to online TV to content marketing, some of the world’s top experts will be singing their songs of advice about how to be successful in today’s new media world.
To help you tap into the fun and infotainment to be experienced at NMX, MarketingBlog.com has partnered with NMX to create a Visual eBook with tips, tactics and smart advice from an impressive mix of NMX speakers. With practical tips from their presentations, this eBook has been designed to highlight what NMX has to offer.
To help you decide what sessions will be “hot” and where the action is, here’s a bit of a preview from each chapter of The New Media Rat Pack: 52 Tips On Content and Community From the Experts of NMX.
Branding - The Perception of Your Brand Drives Sales
In the age of hyperconnected consumers, branding is more important now than ever. Twenty or even ten years ago, had you ever heard of a brand advocate? Your company has the opportunity to become recognizable, popular, and even loved among social fans and customers. Michael Brito of Edelman who is presenting, ” The New Influencers: Brand Advocacy Inside & Out” offers this advice:
“Brands must do more than just “empower” their brand advocates. They must “enable” them by creating specific programs that encompass content, measurement, longevity of the program; and more importantly, how their content can feed into the overall marketing strategy.”
Blogging – A Quantity of Quality is the Key to Blogging Success
Recent industry surveys show 92% of companies who blog several times per day have acquired a customer from their blog, yet 65% of business blogs haven’t been updated in a year or more. It’s important to take an optimized approach to blogging. Who are your readers? What are they looking for when they visit your blog and are you successful in fulfilling that need? Patrice Yursik of Afrobella will be presenting, “How To Actually Grow A BIG Brand & Community With Just A Simple Blog” and offers this advice:
“Follow your passion and create an online platform that’s genuinely reflective of yourself, your interests and your beliefs. That will ensure that you never lose that passion for your subject matter, and that your readers will respond to you in a similar fashion. Staying true to yourself always pays off in the long run.”
Social Media - Positive Social Exposure Affects Consumer’s Overall Satisfaction
A recent survey of tech buyers found that a whopping 95% use at least one social media site and that exposure to a product on that site had a positive effect on their likelihood to purchase among 44%. Social media is helping brands build trust, loyalty and brand recognition, among other measurable benefits. Ninety-two percent of global consumers say they trust earned media above all other forms of advertising. Jay Baer of Convince & Convert will be talking about the importance for brands to be useful through social channels in his presentation: “Youtility: Why Smart Companies Focus on Helping, Not Selling.” His advice:
“Change your marketing objective from selling to helping. If you sell something, you make a customer today. If you help someone, you may create a customer for life. Try to make your marketing so useful people would theoretically pay for it. If you make your marketing astoundingly useful – your customers will do your promotional work for you.”
New Media Law - Even A Small Legal Blunder Can End Up In the Headlines
Media law may not seem a pressing concern in everyday business at the typical organization. Yet every so often, a legal blunder in the online space makes headlines. How can you protect your company from litigation and prevent missteps outside the law in regards to labor and employment, intellectual property rights, securities and consumer privacy? Art Neill of New Media Rights will help clarify legal questions as they related to social and digital media with his presentation, “Legal Ease – What You Should Know to Stay on the Right Side of the Law.” While it’s not exactly legal advice, Art offers these smart insights:
“Having a working knowledge of copyright when sharing video on the internet is important. The chance you’ll actually be sued for an isolated infringing video on the internet is low, but getting your video taken down can have all kinds of other consequences. You could get an account strike. Account strikes may prevent that person from becoming a YouTube partner, for instance. Two or three strikes can get an account completely banned, erasing the time and money you’ve spent, and the goodwill created by your channel. Knowing your rights can keep you creating rather than wrapped up in legal disputes.”
Mobile - How Can Your Business Get Ahead of Consumers Who Are Already Constantly on the Go?
In 2009, comScore told us the number of people who used their cell phone daily had doubled over 2008, to 22.4 million U.S. adults. At the time, downloadable maps were the most popular application.
Fast forward to today. Mobile phones have become smarter and consumers hungrier for information to help them make better buying decisions. Tablets are all the rage. Now, consumers are moving away from PCs in favor of more powerful, portable mobile devices as their default gateway to the Internet. Brian Wong of Kiip will be discussing “The Art of Mobile Business” and offers this perspective on the value of mobile:
“The intimacy of the mobile device can help you build closer relationships with consumers by creating a connection that is less interruptive and more personal than ever before.”
Content Marketing - Investment In and Expectations From Killer Content Marketing Is On the Rise
Ninety-two percent of U.S. adults read content online, spending more than seven hours per week looking for content. A viable content marketing strategy means more than creating a greater volume of content, or even publishing a regular schedule of content. Ann Handley of MarketingProfs, who is presenting as part of the BusinessNext conference, collocated with NMX, shares this advice on content marketing:
Give your content wings and roots. Focus not on just creating content. Instead, focus on creating content that’s worth sharing. The best content marketers involve their customers at a fundamental level, by putting their customers at the heart of their larger story, and allowing them to share it, all across the social web.
Video - Optimize Your Video Strategy For Fan Preferences
Over the past year, there has been a 38% increase in the amount of people accessing video online and a 34% increase in accessing video on smartphones. Video consumption on tablets has already exceeded smartphone viewing, and consumers are using their devices simultaneously; 85% of tablet viewers have been on their tablet while watching TV. Annunziata Gianzero of Ivy Media Group will be presenting, “Acting Up! How To Do Your Best Work For Any Screen.” She offers this perspective:
“Even though it feels like everybody and his brother are making web series, there really is a core community you should join in order to network and enhance your visibility. They are a supportive and creative group and essential to sustaining a career in the web series world.”
Podcasting - Make the Most of Your Audience’s Time
Podcasting is a fantastic opportunity for companies and individuals to establish expertise, build their brand and influence consumers through portable audio content they can digest on their own time. Jason Cabassi, from The Walking Dead ‘Cast is presenting “Tips and Techniques For Building a Successful Fan Podcast ” and offers this basic, yet important tip:
“When you first get started, act as if you already have the audience you want, in size and character. Be persistent with it and you’ll draw them to you.”
Websites - A Great Website Design Must Cater to the Needs of the User
Website design concerns have increasingly moved to mobile, as more customers are researching and shopping on the go. However, the desktop experience can’t be overlooked or left behind. Design is not only about design elements or outward appearances; usability, ease of navigation and function are all top priorities for a corporate or e-commerce website. Mitch Canter of Studio Nash Vegas will present, “Advanced Blog Design: The Latest Tools, Trends & Best Practices You Can Implement Today” and has this to say about responsive web design:
“If there’s any design “trend” that you should focus on, then make sure your site is “responsive” to a mobile device. Mobile devices aren’t going anywhere, and it’s up to content creators to give users the best experience for viewing their content.”
As you can see, NMX has a LOT to offer. Hopefully these speakers’ tips will help get you into the goove of New Media Expo, Vegas style. I’ll leave you with a few tips that will be helpful no matter what situation you’re in with new media:
- Align your customer and business goals for measureable online marketing objectives.
- Determine which online marketing tactics you want to implement or refine in 2013.
- Give yourself time to implement new tactics in a way that will have the highest impact on your business objectives.
- Identify thought leaders and key influencers within your industry that you can learn from, and engage with.
