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4 Essential Trends in Social Media Marketing in 2014

michael stelzner

The energy was sky high at Social Media Marketing World this year.

Marketers, brands, consultants and business owners from over 40 different countries gathered together to learn about the latest innovations in social media marketing, rub shoulders with social media rockstars, and enjoy unprecedented networking opportunities. Having the event in beautiful San Diego CA didn’t hurt either.

I had the pleasure of sitting in the opening keynote speech from the conference organizer Michael Stelzner, and he did not disappoint. Setting the tone for the days to come, Michael discussed the trends that he thinks will be making the biggest impact in social media marketing in 2014. Smart marketers should take note, because his presentation was chock full of excellent opportunities for businesses to increase the value they are getting from social throughout the coming year and beyond. Below are four key takeaways:


4 Essential Trends in Social Media Marketing in 2014

How Content Plus an Influencer Network Can Grow Your Business

Lee Odden

Photo credit: DJ Waldow

Your customers are experiencing content shock. Every day there is more content being created than the day before, and it’s up to savvy content marketers to cut through the noise and increase the number of people who view and engage with their content.

After years of experience, Lee Odden has learned that co-creating content with influential people in your industry can give your brand the visibility that your content needs to succeed. Co-creating content can help you increase the content’s exposure, grow out your social following and increase your brand’s influence.

An excellent example of co-created content is the SlideShare presentation Riding the Waves of Social Media: 38 Tips from the Pros that Lee created for this conference: SMMW14. He’s also co-created 36 Content Marketers who Rock for Content Marketing World 2013 because co-created content works!


How Content Plus an Influencer Network Can Grow Your Business

Employees Are Your Best Social Media Advocates – Here’s Why #SMMW14

Jay Baer

What if I told you that you could increase the reach of your social content by a factor of ten by utilizing a resource that you already have?

What resource is this, you ask? Your employees.

Jay Baer, CEO of Convince and Convert explains that when your employees are satisfied with their job, they become your biggest brand advocates. True advocacy is born from culture, not technology or marketing.  Brand advocates, whether they are your customers or employees, appreciate and relate to the culture of your company.

Your employee’s happiness can also have a huge impact on your brand’s social media success. In fact, in 2012, 40 of the top companied to work for were also some of the most successful companies in social media.


Employees Are Your Best Social Media Advocates – Here’s Why #SMMW14

5 LinkedIn Marketing Tips to Optimize Your Social Media Success

LinkedIn

Image source: Slideshare

Last week we published the first Social Media Marketing World conference eBook and while it’s had over 15,000 views on Slideshare and many thousands of views here already, I think we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg.

As a robust sized eBook, it’s full of practical advice including platform specific tips like the following 5 nuggets about LinkedIn.

With over 277 million members, 3.5 million active company profiles and 187 million unique visitors across LinkedIn web properties, there’s a remarkable opportunity for companies to connect with business professionals on LinkedIn. Luckily, when we interviewed a selection of SMMW14 speakers, 5 of them gave specific tips about how to optimize LinkedIn for social media marketing. Here are their excerpts from the SMMW14 eBook:


5 LinkedIn Marketing Tips to Optimize Your Social Media Success

Riding the Waves of Social Media – 38 Social Media Marketing Tips from #SMMW14

Lee Odden SurfingA few years back while vacationing in Oahu, we decided to take surfing lessons. Well, everyone but me.

I made up all kinds of excuses but when I saw my 8 year old daughter pop up like it was nothing, I had to try. The guy running the lessons had really been around and the young men helping him were clearly “all-in” for the surfing life. They were experts. With their help and my daughter’s example, I quickly went from disinterested to being eager to go again.

That story reminds me of how a lot of marketers take a turn with their digital and social media marketing skills. Getting inspired and then connected with people that really know what they’re doing can be a direct line from zero to social media hero.


Riding the Waves of Social Media – 38 Social Media Marketing Tips from #SMMW14

5 Reasons Why We Can’t Wait for Social Media Marketing World 2014 #SMMW14

Social Media Marketing World 2014

Most businesses are aware of the importance of social media marketing, but the number of companies really succeeding at it represent just a drop in the ocean.

When you think about it, the world of social media is a lot like the ocean actually – constantly moving and evolving due to trends and feature updates. Those who really want to to succeed at social media marketing are like expert surfers, continuously swimming in the seas of change, riding the waves of trends, finding the best tools to keep their boards working well and keeping a close eye on the horizon for new best practices.


5 Reasons Why We Can’t Wait for Social Media Marketing World 2014 #SMMW14

6 Upcoming Marketing and PR Events to Learn About Influencer, Social and Content Marketing

Marketing & Public Relations I’ve always said, “The best part about Minnesota Winters is leaving for somewhere warm.”

Over the next 2 months or so, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing and I’d like to invite you to join me at one or more of these 6 upcoming events in cities that range from San Francisco to New York to Denver to learn about integrated marketing topics with a particular emphasis on the role of influencers and content.

Beyond content and social media marketing, these events and conferences will cover a wide variety of essential digital marketing knowledge, so there’s plenty to learn, numerous smarties to network with and in some cases, a little warmer weather to be enjoyed.


6 Upcoming Marketing and PR Events to Learn About Influencer, Social and Content Marketing