Last week, I had the privilege of attending Social Media Marketing World for the second year. And for the second year in a row, it blew me away.
If you missed my post “The Introvert’s Guide to Attending a Conference” from last year, you can find that HERE!
This year, I wanted to give my top 5 takeaways from the conference, because I know that a lot of my readers are just like me–moms trying to build a brand/business on social media.
Here we GO!
1.Video is where it’s at.
Video is how people learn to “know, like, and trust you.” It’s how a faceless company becomes a trusted friend. So if you aren’t making videos, it’s time to start. IGTV, YouTube, going Live on FB/IG, TikTok…the more you can create videos that add value to those you are trying to serve, the better. And also: create videos for where you are putting them. Don’t make one video and just throw it on all social channels.
2. Stop focusing on follower counts and START focusing on making connections.
Here’s what’s so easy to forget…behind every @handle is a real person. So if we concentrate only on building up our following, it’s pretty easy to forget to make the friendships and lasting relationships. If we take the time to get to know others, care about what they have to say, and truly get to know who our “people” are..that’s when we build a real community. The numbers just don’t matter all that much when you remember all that.
3. TikTok isn’t just for kids!
I know, it’s hard for me to imagine myself on TikTok too. I even downloaded the app and still haven’t done a video. But actually, 30% of users on TikTok are over age 30! And here’s something super cool–every video created hits the “for you” page…meaning there’s a really good chance for people to SEE what you made!
4. Be authentic.
Being authentic means you will have people that do not like you, but that’s okay. Because when you are your real self, you will find your community. There’s no sense in trying to please everyone–it’s impossible anyway! Showing the world who you truly are is not only best for your business or brand, it’s also best for YOU.
5. GIVE as much as you can.
It’s always about the “sale”–even if we don’t actually sell a dang thing. We’re still trying to get people to read the blog post, trying to get to 10K followers on IG, and yes, get people to buy our products. But when we stop being “salesy,” that is exactly where the magic happens. The best way to stop being a salesperson and start showing you care about your customers? Give them as much information and value as you can…for free. When you concentrate on what your customers need and then just hand that information over to them, no strings attached–that is when you’re building trust. Yes, this takes time. Yes, this takes resources. But when it’s finally time to ask them to “buy what you’re selling” (whether that’s a real product to purchase or not!), they want to do it, because you’ve proven yourself to be knowledgeable, trustworthy, and selfless.
My very favorite part of going to conferences is that it gets your brain MOVING. When I go to a conference, suddenly I have 4000 things on my to-do/idea list that were certainly never there before I was able to step away from my desk. The ideas don’t come while you are sitting at your desk doing the mundane. Rather, they come when you’re energized, learning, growing, and networking. They come when you hear amazing speakers and something they say strikes a chord and gives you your own next step. That’s the beauty of stepping out of the norm and going to a conference–you have the freedom to finally think and brainstorm. You come back recharged and ready to move forward.
Have you ever been to a conference? Did you feel like you learned a lot and came home ready to take on the world?!?
