Tag: MDMC18

Posted on

Inspiration and Lessons Learned from the 2018 Midwest Digital Marketing Conference

By: Weber Shandwick St. Louis

Despite the dreariness of last week’s weather, some brightness shone as marketing students, industry professionals and marketing and communications leaders gathered for the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference in downtown St. Louis. Weber Shandwick’s Digital Account & Engagement Lead Obele Brown-West led an engaging discussion on how brands and organizations are leveraging AI on social media to create compelling new content that drives commerce.

Reflecting on Obele’s presentation, I wondered how much have I purchased through social media? How did these ads even target me as a consumer? This world of social commerce isn’t necessarily new, but it’s fascinating how easily it has crept into our daily lives and how rapidly it evolves. Obele mentioned that “this presentation will probably be antiquated by the time we leave this room.” As quickly as things change in the social commerce landscape, that’s definitely a possibility.

Combining the right tools and technology with social media means transforming the way we shop in our daily lives, and transforming how we convert consumers in our professional lives. Social platforms shake up the consumer experience and directly correlate to bottom of the funnel marketing objectives.

While my bias may tell me that my colleague’s presentation was the best of them all, there was still a lot to learn from many other experts attending the conference. From crisis management, to visual storytelling, read some of my colleagues’ thoughts and takeaways from the conference below!

– Rodney Pruitt, Associate, Client Experience Digital

Social Media Crisis Management Panel

Reputation takes years to build and minutes to dissolve in the wake of a crisis. Social media managers need to have the tools and know-how at the ready to manage an issue quickly and effectively, even if they are not crisis communications experts. While most PR professionals know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to managing a crisis, there’s still a lot to learn, much of which can only come from experience. A panel of local crisis powerhouses shared their insights on how to prepare before a crisis or issue, based on their many years in the trenches. Here’s what they said:

 

—Read More at the Weber Shandwick Blog—

 

Posted on

The Ultimate First-Timer #MDMC18 Cheat Sheet!

What To Know About #MDMC18 For First Time Attendees

If it is your first time attending the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC18) and you do not know what to expect, we are here to help. First off, be ready for two days full of exciting activities, new information, plenty of new people, and, of course, a lot of fun!
MDMC Session Schedule
MDMC18 is the largest digital marketing conference in the Midwest region, which is going to take place on March 27 and 28, 2018, at St. Louis Union Station. It is a full, two-day event offering over 100 concurrent sessions across nine tracks, such as, Data, Digital, Social Media, Innovation, etc.
We know, it is no easy matter to choose among the sessions presented by more than 100 speakers from such companies as BuzzFeed, Google, Pandora, Refinery29, SAS, Nielsen, GoDaddy and many more including the local talent, so make sure to read the schedule beforehand and make your choice.
Registration
Registration for the conference starts at 7 am on day one. You can receive your badge in the exhibitor hall: just tell us your name and the company you represent. Please note, there are going to be around 2000 people attending the conference this year so you might want to pre-register the day before the conference kicks off to avoid standing in the line. Pre-registration will be available on March 26, 2018, from 10 am till 6 pm, with free 15-minute parking included.
Keynote Speakers
Mark your calendar and make sure you attend keynote addresses on both days at 8:30 am. As soon as you grab your badge (and your morning coffee to keep your energy level high) head to Grand Ballroom D/E to listen to Dre Baldwin and Pam Moore setting the tone to the conference with their keynote addresses.
Venue Details
This is the third year for the MDMC to take place at St. Louis’ Union Station, which is a 120-year-old National Historic Landmark located on Market Street. The parking will be discounted for the conference attendees by over 50% to only $8.00 per day, just show your MDMC18 badge upon exiting the parking lot to receive the discounted rate on March 26th, 27th or 28th!

There will be refreshments and coffee offered at the conference, but lunch will not be provided. Food trucks will arrive at 11:30 am on each day and will be parked on S 20th Street. If you choose to eat off the venue, there will be a few restaurants in the area, such as, for instance, Maggie O’Briens or Hard Rock Café, providing discounts for the conference attendees.
Exhibitor Hall
While going from session to session, as well as during the lunch time, make sure to visit the exhibitor hall with more than 40 exhibitors this year to learn more about the companies and expand your network.
After Parties
The opening night party on Tuesday called “Your Date With Data”, will be hosted this year again by Momentum Worldwide. Momentum is a total brand experience agency located right across the street from Union Station. The MDMC18 closing party will take place on Thursday, March 28, and will be hosted by CIC and Cortex at 4240 Duncan Ave. Please register in advance for both parties using the official conference app.
Conference App
As a conference attendee, you should have received an email inviting you to download the conference app. The MDMC18 app, Guidebook, will help you access the conference schedule, create your own schedule, learn more about the speakers, see available food options, register for the after-parties, connect with your fellow attendees, and much more.
MDMC18 on Social Media
Want to get a chance to win an MDMC branded t-shirt or a tumbler? Follow MDMC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, and give us a shout out using the #MDMC18 hashtag.

 

Posted on

Sessions to Attend: #MDMC18 Bucket List

The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference, also known as MDMC18, is the largest digital marketing conference in the Midwest, which is going to take place at St. Louis’ Union Station on March 27 and 28, 2018. Going into its sixth year, the conference boasts more than 100 speakers from such companies as BuzzFeed, Facebook, HubSpot, LinkedIn, Google, GoDaddy, Nestle Purina, Monsanto, Yelp, and brings marketing professionals together from all over the US.
Being a full, two-day event, MDMC18 will feature more than 100 concurrent sessions across nine tracks, namely, Data, Digital Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Academic, Career, Creative, Innovation, Social Media, and Technology.
With such a variety of topics offered for discussion the choice which sessions to attend is not an easy one. Keeping that in mind, we decided to help MDMC18 attendees get the most out of their conference experience and advise which sessions might be beneficial for them to attend based on their professional role.

Role: Social Media Manager
For those who manage social media and deal with various social media platforms on a daily basis, here is our recommended bucket list.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Crisis at the Speed of Social, Cully Eisenberg, FleishmanHillard
○          Digital Content Creation – Art or Science?, Finola Austin, Refinery29
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Combining Paid Social and Influencers to Drive Growth for Your Business, Steve Weiss, MuteSix
○          Mobile and Video Media Revolution, Kevin Murphy, DistroScale, Inc.
○          Massive Instagram Growth for Small Businesses, Stefani Pollack, Build Digital Marketing, and Scott Thomas, Grillin’ Fools, Inc.
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          Livestreaming for Your Brand, Stephanie Liu
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Livestreaming Panel
○          Facebook Family Feud, Clayton Clark, Big Rush Marketing
○          How to Create Digital Videos that Drive Real Results, Tyler Kelley, SLAM!
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          The Future of Visual Search, Raashi Rosenberger, Pinterest
○          Metrics That Matter: How to Show ROI On Your Social Media Marketing, Steph Nissen, Atomic Revenue
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
 
Day 2, March 28th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Why is Fewer and Bigger . . . Better on Facebook?, John Patten, Facebook, and Stephanie Harwin, Nestlé Purina
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          $4.6 Million, 24 Hours: Using Facebook Live to Raise Millions in Louisville, Chris Strub, I Am Here, LLC, and Cara Baribeau, Community Foundation of Louisville
○          Social Video: 5 Mistakes You’re Probably Making, Jeremy Corray, Coolfire Studios
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          The Power of Full Funnel Content on LinkedIn, Rachel Rickles, LinkedIn
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          The Secret LinkedIn Playbook to Generate High Quality Leads, Build Relationships, Pat Henseler, LinkedSelling
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          AI Can Drive What We Buy: How Social Media is Changing Content and Commerce, Obele Brown – West, Weber Shandwick
○          #Ad Isn’t Enough: Laws Affecting Influencer And Social Media Marketing, Mark Sableman, Thompson Coburn LLP
 
Role: Vice President / Director
Below is the list of sessions we would recommend to those holding managerial positions and defining company’s strategy.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          The Challenge of Becoming a Data-Driven Company, Sean Cotton, Coegi, and Matt Hertig, Alight Analytics
○          Level Up Your Marketing: Using Gamification to Enhance Marketing Campaigns, Mitch Canter, Vanderbilt University
○          Can Elephants Dance? Agile Marketing At Scale – CA’s Story, Yuval Yeret, AgileSparks
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Marketing & Media: The Intersection, Aaron Perlut, Elasticity, and Jack Speer, NPR-Washington
○          The Future of Advertising, Ben Williams, Eyeo/Adblock Plus
○          Building A Digital Dream Team Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          The Price of Privacy, Ayana Miller, Privilgd
○          Mobile UX Case Studies – Mistakes, That Most Of The App Designers Make, Csaba Hazi, Webabstract
○          Avoid The Trappings That Lead Digital Teams Toward Failure Or Mediocrity, Kevin Farr, CNTRD
○          Live Podcasting Panel
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Livestreaming Panel
○          Why Can’t We Be Friends? A Modern Marketer’s Guide to Teaming With Sales, Sam Mallikarjunan, HubSpot
○          Turning Big Data to Shopper Experiences, Shaun Brown, Momentum Worldwide, and Steve Mackinnon, IBM Global Business Services
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Making The Case For Interactive Email, Heidi Olsen, and Cher Fuller, eROI
○          Ways to Leverage AdWords, Google Shopping, & YouTube for Full Funnel Growth, Brett Curry, OMG Commerce
○          Programmatic: The Quality Conundrum, Lindsey Freed, Centro
○          They Filled Out a Form; Now What? Drives Sales with Marketing Automation, Shane Freeman, Eureka Consulting Group
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
 
Day 2, March 28th
9:30 – 10:40 am
○          How to Supercharge Your Marketing with Competitive Intel, Ellie Mirman, Crayon
○          Building Brand Love in B2B, Jazzy Danziger, Atomicdust
○          Beyond The Tactics: Integrated Marketing Strategy For New Product Launch, Joe Duffin, Spry Digital
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          How To Get Fans To JOIN Your Brand, Andrew Cohen, Moosylvania
○          Your Brand Is A Hypothesis: Data Science & Creativity, James Campbell, Slalom
○          Facebook Advertising Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          What’s The Deal With Location-Based Marketing?, Matthew Davis, Reveal Mobile
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Visual Storytelling: Creating A True Connection With Your Content, Carl Reed, Lion Forge Comics
○          Harnessing Our Humanity: Shifting Perceptions With Employee Storytelling, Kim Clark, GoDaddy
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          AI Can Drive What We Buy: How Social Media is Changing Content and Commerce, Obele Brown – West, Weber Shandwick
○          #Ad Isn’t Enough: Laws Affecting Influencer And Social Media Marketing, Mark Sableman, Thompson Coburn LLP
 
Role: Small Business Employee
Running a small business has its own benefits and challenges. Here are the MDMC18 sessions that we think would be beneficial for those working for small businesses.
Day1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Crisis at the Speed of Social, Cully Eisenberg, FleishmanHillard
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Massive Instagram Growth for Small Businesses, Stefani Pollack, Build Digital Marketing, and Scott Thomas, Grillin’ Fools, Inc.
○          Combining Paid Social and Influencers to Drive Growth for Your Business, Steve Weiss, MuteSix
○          The Echo Chamber: How Content Is Ruining The World And What We Can Do To Fix It, Kasim Aslam, Solutions 8
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          12 Principles Of Viral Content, Ryan McCready, Venngage
○          Live Podcasting Panel
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Livestreaming Panel
○          Facebook Family Feud, Clayton Clark, Big Rush Marketing
○          2018 Hiring And Compensation Trends, Elizabeth Ledbetter, The Creative Group
○          How to Create Digital Videos that Drive Real Results, Tyler Kelley, SLAM!
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          They Filled Out a Form; Now What? Drives Sales with Marketing Automation, Shane Freeman, Eureka Consulting Group
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
 
Day 2, March 28th
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          $4.6 Million, 24 Hours: Using Facebook Live to Raise Millions in Louisville, Chris Strub, I Am Here, LLC, and Cara Baribeau, Community Foundation of Louisville
○          Social Video: 5 Mistakes You’re Probably Making, Jeremy Corray, Coolfire Studios
○          The Blogger’s Mindset – Find Topics, Write Faster, And Reach More People, Mike Alton, The Social Media Hat
○          Facebook Advertising Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          Why You Need To Optimize Your Video Content For Mobile, Elizabeth Giorgi, Mighteor
○          Branding While Broke, Keisha Mabry
○          Search Snippets: How To Create Content That Targets Spot No. 0 in Google, Jared Reed, Pan Galactic Digital, LLC
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Effective Advertising: The Keys To A Great Creative, Elizabeth King, Nielsen
○          The Secret LinkedIn Playbook to Generate High Quality Leads, Build Relationships, Pat Henseler, LinkedSelling
○          Harnessing Our Humanity: Shifting Perceptions With Employee Storytelling, Kim Clark, GoDaddy
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Making Digital More Human, Eliot Frick, Bigwidesky
○          Next Level Native With BuzzFeed, Phil Cara, Buzzfeed
○          Improving Your SEM Campaign To Reach Your Goals Panel
 
Role: Enterprise Employee
Working for a big company has its own peculiarities. We recommend the following MDMC18 sessions for those working for enterprises.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          The Challenge of Becoming a Data-Driven Company, Sean Cotton, Coegi, and Matt Hertig, Alight Analytics
○          Level Up Your Marketing: Using Gamification to Enhance Marketing Campaigns, Mitch Canter, Vanderbilt University
○          Can Elephants Dance? Agile Marketing At Scale – CA’s Story, Yuval Yeret, AgileSparks
○          Crisis at the Speed of Social, Cully Eisenberg, FleishmanHillard
10:40 -11:30 am
○          Combining Paid Social and Influencers to Drive Growth for Your Business, Steve Weiss, MuteSix
○          Poetry Is The One Simple Hack To Increase Creativity, Shawn Pfunder, GoDaddy
○          Massive Instagram Growth for Small Businesses, Stefani Pollack, Build Digital Marketing, and Scott Thomas, Grillin’ Fools, Inc.
○          Building A Digital Dream Team Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          The Price of Privacy, Ayana Miller, Privilgd
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          2018 Hiring And Compensation Trends, Elizabeth Ledbetter, The Creative Group
○          Turning Big Data to Shopper Experiences, Shaun Brown, Momentum Worldwide, and Steve Mackinnon, IBM Global Business Services
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Digital Storytelling: How Brands Can Better Understand Their Consumer Through Underground Blogs, Cami Thomas, FTCTV
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
 
Day 2, March 28th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Data Driven Conversion Optimization, Sara Kear, Adept Marketing
○          Marketing Trends: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Craig Rutkowske, SAS
○          Building Brand Love in B2B, Jazzy Danziger, Atomicdust
○          Beyond The Tactics: Integrated Marketing Strategy For New Product Launch, Joe Duffin, Spry Digital
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Is Your Brand Ready For AI, IoT And The Sonic Revolution?, Gabe Tartaglia, Pandora
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          The Power of Full Funnel Content on LinkedIn, Rachel Rickles, LinkedIn
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Harnessing Our Humanity: Shifting Perceptions With Employee Storytelling, Kim Clark, GoDaddy
○          Making Effective Data Visualization Is A Key Marketing Skill, Kaiser Fung, Principal Analytics Prep
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Next Level Native With BuzzFeed, Phil Cara, Buzzfeed
○          AI Can Drive What We Buy: How Social Media is Changing Content and Commerce, Obele Brown – West, Weber Shandwick
 
 
Role: Non-profit Employee
How does working for a non-profit organization differ from working for a for-profit company? Despite utilizing similar tools, marketing professionals build different strategies, target different audiences and employ tactics specific for the non-profit sector. Here is the list of MDMC18 sessions that we recommend to those employed by non-profits.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Social Media for Non-Profits Panel
○          Digital Content Creation – Art or Science?, Finola Austin, Refinery29
○          Massive Instagram Growth for Small Businesses, Stefani Pollack, Build Digital Marketing, and Scott Thomas, Grillin’ Fools, Inc.
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Poetry Is The One Simple Hack To Increase Creativity, Shawn Pfunder, GoDaddy
○          Data Driven Video – Your Unfair Advantage: Bringing Data to the Entire Marketing Funnel, Tony Yi, Videology Group
○          Mobile and Video Media Revolution, Kevin Murphy, DistroScale, Inc.
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          12 Principles Of Viral Content, Ryan McCready, Venngage
○          Live Podcasting Panel

2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Livestreaming Panel
○          Facebook Family Feud, Clayton Clark, Big Rush Marketing
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
○          Digital Storytelling: How Brands Can Better Understand Their Consumer Through Underground Blogs, Cami Thomas, FTCTV
 
Day 2, March 28th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Why is Fewer and Bigger . . . Better on Facebook?, John Patten, Facebook, and Stephanie Harwin, Nestlé Purina
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          $4.6 Million, 24 Hours: Using Facebook Live to Raise Millions in Louisville, Chris Strub, I Am Here, LLC, and Cara Baribeau, Community Foundation of Louisville
○          Social Video: 5 Mistakes You’re Probably Making, Jeremy Corray, Coolfire Studios
○          Facebook Advertising Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          Why You Need To Optimize Your Video Content For Mobile, Elizabeth Giorgi, Mighteor
○          Branding While Broke, Keisha Mabry
○          Search Snippets: How To Create Content That Targets Spot No. 0 in Google, Jared Reed, Pan Galactic Digital, LLC
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Effective Advertising: The Keys To A Great Creative, Elizabeth King, Nielsen
○          Harnessing Our Humanity: Shifting Perceptions With Employee Storytelling, Kim Clark, GoDaddy
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          #Ad Isn’t Enough: Laws Affecting Influencer And Social Media Marketing, Mark Sableman, Thompson Coburn LLP
○          Making Digital More Human, Eliot Frick, Bigwidesky
○          Next Level Native With BuzzFeed, Phil Cara, Buzzfeed
 
Role: SEO/SEM Managers
MDMC18 offers a number of sessions for those working with SEO and SEM. Here is the list.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Digital Content Creation – Art or Science?, Finola Austin, Refinery29
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Mobile and Video Media Revolution, Kevin Murphy, DistroScale, Inc.
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          How To Befriend Google & Win!, Chris Brewer, Online Marketing Giant and OMG Commerce
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Turning Big Data to Shopper Experiences, Shaun Brown, Momentum Worldwide, and Steve Mackinnon, IBM Global Business Services
 
Day 2, March 28th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Data Driven Conversion Optimization, Sara Kear, Adept Marketing
○          Marketing Trends: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Craig Rutkowske, SAS
○          The Future Of Mobile, Stephanie Cox, Lumavate

10:40 – 11:30 am
○          How To Win At And With SEO, Dave Rohrer, NorthSide Metrics
○          Is Your Brand Ready For AI, IoT And The Sonic Revolution?, Gabe Tartaglia, Pandora
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          Search Snippets: How To Create Content That Targets Spot No. 0 in Google, Jared Reed, Pan Galactic Digital, LLC
○          Content Development Panel
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Mapping Your Digital Footprint, Juntae Delane, Digital Branding Institute
3:10 -4:00 pm
○          Improving Your SEM Campaign to Reach Your Goals Panel
 
Role: Entry Level Professionals
For those conference attendees who are making their first steps in digital and social media marketing MDMC18 recommends attending the sessions listed below.
Day 1, March 27th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Crisis at the Speed of Social, Cully Eisenberg, FleishmanHillard
○          Digital Content Creation – Art or Science?, Finola Austin, Refinery29
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Poetry Is The One Simple Hack To Increase Creativity, Shawn Pfunder, GoDaddy
○          Mobile and Video Media Revolution, Kevin Murphy, DistroScale, Inc.
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          12 Principles Of Viral Content, Ryan McCready, Venngage
○          Live Podcasting Panel
○          The Price of Privacy, Ayana Miller, Privilgd
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          What They Say vs What We Hear: Translating Business For Creatives, Douglas Davis, New York City College of Technology
○          2018 Hiring And Compensation Trends, Elizabeth Ledbetter, The Creative Group
○          How to Create Digital Videos that Drive Real Results, Tyler Kelley, SLAM!
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Social Media Crisis Management Panel
 
Day 2. March 28th
9:40 – 10:30 am
○          Marketing Trends: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Craig Rutkowske, SAS
○          Why is Fewer and Bigger . . . Better on Facebook?, John Patten, Facebook, and Stephanie Harwin, Nestlé Purina
10:40 – 11:30 am
○          Social Video: 5 Mistakes You’re Probably Making, Jeremy Corray, Coolfire Studios
○          The Blogger’s Mindset – Find Topics, Write Faster, And Reach More People, Mike Alton, The Social Media Hat
○          Facebook Advertising Panel
1:00 – 1:50 pm
○          Branding While Broke, Keisha Mabry
○          Search Snippets: How To Create Content That Targets Spot No. 0 in Google, Jared Reed, Pan Galactic Digital, LLC
○          Content Development Panel
2:00 – 2:50 pm
○          Making Effective Data Visualization Is A Key Marketing Skill, Kaiser Fung, Principal Analytics Prep
○          Personal Branding Panel-Creating And Applying A Successful Personal Brand
3:10 – 4:00 pm
○          Making Digital More Human, Eliot Frick, Bigwidesky
○          Next Level Native With BuzzFeed, Phil Cara, Buzzfeed
Check the full conference schedule here.

 

Posted on

Turn Marketing Data Into A Business Advantage With Matt Hertig At #MDMC18


Matt Hertig is the CEO, CTO and co-founder of Alight Analytics – an analytics consultancy which works with such brands as the Memphis Grizzlies, AMC Theatres, Helzberg Diamonds and many others. When working with its clients, Alight Analytics utilizes the technology solution, called ChannelMix®, which is the world’s first data management platform designed for marketing.
During their session at MDMC18 called “The Challenge of Becoming a Data-Driven Company”, Matt and his co-presenter Sean Cotton, are going to share the tips on how to turn marketing data into a real-world business advantage, and generate real ROI from marketing analytics.
In the pre-conference Q&A session below, Mark provides his insights on digital marketing.

Q1. What do you think is the next game changer in digital marketing, such as a new, modern tactic, tool, or aspect of marketing? How will it evolve in the coming years?
M.H.: Right now, for too many marketers, digital strategy is like a puzzle without a box because there are so many channels and sources of data. Marketers have all these different pieces but no overarching view of how they all fit together. 

In the future, there’s going to be less of that fragmentation — as an industry, we’re going to solve the data problem. So instead of being forced to piece all these data sources together on your own, you’ll be able to start with a holistic picture of what happened. 
Q2. According to you, what are the top three mistakes committed by organizations today in leveraging digital marketing?
M.H.: One of the most common problems is using the wrong metrics to make decisions. It’s easy to get distracted by big numbers like impressions or pageviews. But are those really illustrating what’s happening with your marketing? You need to pay attention to the measures that will inform what you should do next. 

Another big problem is when marketers look at their marketing results channel by channel, in silos. We need to view analytics holistically — how do different channels amplify or interact with each other? 

And finally, too many marketers aren’t using analytics to drive their plans. When it comes time to allocate their media spend, they hand out 20 percent to digital, 20 percent to TV, 20 percent to search, and so on. It’s like Mom handing out cookies — everybody gets a fair share. 

But what we should do is leverage our marketing analytics to spend budget where it’s going to generate the best returns. Maybe search drives the bulk of your conversions. In that case, maybe it should get 50 or 70 percent of your spend. 
Q3. Which are your three favorite digital marketing tools?
M.H.: My team would kill me if I didn’t mention ChannelMix, our data aggregation solution for marketing. We can automatically collect, clean and organize all your marketing data, no matter the source, and put it into an analysis-ready format.

Once you’ve got that perfected data, it’s so much easier to analyze and visualize that with best-in-class tools. At Alight, we use Tableau and Google Data Studios. They’re comprehensive, customizable solutions that can do whatever you or your clients need. There are other viz tools out there that promise to be “easier,” but inevitably, we’ve seen people get stuck because those tools are so limited.
Q4. If you were looking to hire a digital marketer, what are the top 3-5 skills you would be looking for in a candidate?
M.H.: If you’re hiring an analyst or anyone who’s going to be directly involved with marketing analytics, there are three things you should look for: 

– a core knowledge of how data works 
– a contextual understanding of how different channels impact and influence each other
– the ability to tell a holistic performance story 

Because if you have all those things — that core knowledge and context — I can teach you all the technical skills you need. It’s a lot harder to teach the intellectual skills. 
Q5. What’s the industry buzzword that annoys you the most these days and why?
M.H.: “Dashboard,” at least when people treat dashboards like they’re a crystal ball that will magically tell them what to do. 

In reality, the dashboards used by most marketers aren’t tracking metrics that will enable them to make good business decisions. These visualizations are usually very pretty-looking, but they don’t contain the kinds of decision metrics that marketers need.  

We prefer the term “performance stories” when we’re talking about marketing analytics. That’s because the different pieces of your data ecosystem affect and influence each other. “I did X, which caused Y, and that resulted in Z.” When you achieve that comprehensive view, you’re going to understand your results with greater insight.

 

Posted on

Combine Direct Mail & Data To Convert More Sales With Danni Eickenhorst At #MDMC18

Danni Eickenhorst is a CMO at ReachDynamics – a St. Louis ad tech startup, where she utilizes advanced remarketing technologies to convert leads and sales. Danni is also a former UMSL Digital Adjunct Professor, and she still teaches marketing methods to achieve business goals for both – businesses and non-profits.

In her session at MDMC18 called “Data + Direct Mail: The Renaissance of a Traditional Marketing Tool”, Danni will talk about the tools and methods to combine direct mail and data in order to convert more sales and generate leads.
In the Q&A session below, Danni shares her insights on digital marketing.
Q1. What are some big mistakes a business could make when it comes to digital marketing?
D.E.: The biggest marketing mistake I so often see businesses make is putting a lower priority on retention marketing and reputation/referral marketing. In my mind, this should be a top priority in every marketing strategy because it’s easier to sell repeat services and products to someone with whom you already have a strong relationship. One important aspect many marketers don’t pursue is to seek out reviews from those happy customers as well. Some businesses choose to ignore this side of their strategy because of a misguided sense that they need to be humble and asking for a pat on the back seems too self-serving, but in my mind, there is nothing more valuable than these reviews and referrals. They are certainly self-serving, but the benefits far outweigh a momentary moment of discomfort in making that ask.
Q2. Share your favorite digital marketing case study. What did you like most it?
D.E.: In my work with ReachDynamics, I had the pleasure of recently writing one that demonstrates the power of utilizing cutting-edge technologies like email remarketing and direct mail remarketing to convert sales and leads. In this particular case study, one brand realized a 200% increase in lead conversions – and the best part is that their approach is easily replicable by other brands.
Q3. Which are your three favorite digital marketing tools?
D.E.: As someone who does a lot of coaching with small businesses, start-ups, and non-profits, I tend to gravitate toward marketing tools that make marketing possible for everyone. With that in mind, three of my favorites are:

• Canva – A beautiful, versatile, FREE graphic design tool that just about anyone can use. 

• SEMRush – An extremely powerful SEO keyword monitoring and research tool, SEMRush keeps adding capabilities that make it more valuable in my day-to-day work. Just when I thought they couldn’t be more amazing, they added content research tools and gap analysis tools that help you realize what content you’re missing when compared with your competitors. I’ve used SEMRush daily for about 3 years, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

  • ReachDynamics – I’ve been working with the team behind this tool for a little over a year, and I’ve implemented them for some of my clients as well. This tool allows companies to identify the website visitors who have left their site without converting, then to follow up with them via email and direct mail – even when they haven’t provided contact information.

  • BONUS – Almighty.Press – This is a newer tool in my arsenal. It allows markets to identify, curate and distribute trending content, before it’s trending. This allows me to cut through the clutter and identify quality content that will perform well.

Q4. If you were looking to hire a digital marketer, what are the top 3-5 skills you would be looking for in a candidate?
D.E.:

  1. PROBLEM SOLVER: I’m famous for telling people to “Google it!” when we’re identifying problems and looking for solutions, but seriously, having someone on your team who can identify a problem and at least do some cursory research to present some solutions to you? That’s a MAJOR asset in my mind.
  2. WIDE BREADTH OF CAPABILITIES: This one always gets me in trouble when hiring – but because marketing is such a varied and flexible practice, an employee that can create quality content, a graphic to go with it, add it to the website on their own, promote it, optimize it, and then track their own analytics is an INVALUABLE ROCK STAR to me. 
  3. LIFETIME LEARNER: I seek out employees that are always learning the newest and latest on their own – from active attendance at conferences, to daily listening to marketing podcasts and reading blogs. A person that keeps their ear to the ground for what’s next will prove a constant value.
  4. EYE ON THE PRIZE: When hiring digital marketers, my primary concern is that they approach marketing with business goals in mind. Let’s not make noise for the sake of making noise. Let’s strategically craft a message and a campaign that provides our clients and companies with a return on their investment.

Q5. Who are three people you respect when it comes to digital marketing?
D.E.:

  • Chris Reimer (@ChrisReimer) – Not only is he an all-around GOOD guy, but he’s also someone you can look to as a consistent presence on social media. While the rest of us go through periods of burnout, this guy keeps tweeting and snapchatting and Instagramming – and he does it well. 

    • Caitie Metz (@Caitie_Metz) and Victoria Emanuela (@victoria.emanuela) – Caitie is an artist, an activist and an all-around inspirational human being. Victoria is a counselor and meditation teacher. Together, they’ve found ways to utilize Instagram to start some really important stories, and to push forward a message of embodied empowerment, body positivity and emotional healing. They do this through a shared account and project @OnBeinginYourBody. While note solely digital marketing, they provide me with marketing inspiration. They’ve done an incredible job of building a following and a successful project – all through some brilliant uses of Instagram.

    • Mike Spakowski (@MSpako) and the entire team at Atomicdust would have to be on this list. I’ve had a professional crush on their work much of my marketing career. As a professional marketer, I keep an eye on what agencies I respect are doing. Mike and Atomicdust have been on my radar for years, and as I’ve watched their insights and their work, it’s been clear to me that they are solidly bringing their A-Game to every project and a mind for strategy as well. When they write a blog, I read it, and I’m always looking forward to what they do next.

Q6. What’s the industry buzzword that annoys you the most these days and why?
D.E.:  Activation! Because I didn’t come up in the agency world, there are plenty of acronyms and buzzwords that seem superfluous and unnecessary in my mind. I always prefer to speak plainly and to work plainly – focusing on the work at hand and the business goals. 

At the end of the day, the “targets” you’re looking to “activate” are PEOPLE and I want to always be mindful of that. Every PERSON has many reasons why they’ll buy a product or engage with a product and many reasons why they may not.
 

Posted on

Learn How To Become An Influencer With Tom Harness At #MDMC18

Tom Harness is the owner and President of Harness Digital Marketing. He is also the U.S. Army Veteran, an entrepreneur, and a community and civic volunteer. Having more than 20 years of experience in Education, IT, Digital Marketing, Leadership, Non-Profits and Business, helped him to define his unique branding style, which he has used to raise over $20,000 for various non-profits and bring awareness to lesser known charities.
His digital marketing team at Harness Digital Marketing has worked with 50+ businesses, helping them increase their website traffic by 1000% through Social Media, SEO, and Email Marketing. This is what Tom says about his business objectives: “I strive for the three C’s in digital marketing for our clients: Customer Service, Content, and Consistency. Without these 3 things working together, the results we want for our clients can’t happen.”

In his session at MDMC18 called “Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone To Brand and Be an Influencer”, Tom will discuss 3 steps on the way to being the must know person. Attendees of the session will learn 3 key elements to building their own personal brand, how to become an influencer, and stepping outside their comfort zones.
Tom is also going to be a panelist at the “Personal Branding Panel”, together Jade Harrel, Avery Pijut, and Stephanie Liu.
We sat with Tom for a short Q&A session before the conference:
 

Q1. What are some big mistakes a business could make when it comes to digital marketing?
T.H.: Businesses don’t always know the right questions to ask when diving into the realm of digital marketing. With new platforms and technologies being developed daily, not all businesses know which one is right for them or RIGHT for them at this TIME.

It’s completely understandable to NOT want to look at a marketing strategy that you aren’t comfortable or knowledgeable in, but it can do more harm than good if you don’t keep your options open.

Remember that digital marketing is a component in your overall marketing strategy.
Q2. What do you think is the next game changer in digital marketing, such as a new, modern tactic, tool, or aspect of marketing? How will it evolve in the coming years?
T.H.: In 2018 and the upcoming years, Social Media is going to be…well, more SOCIAL. Influencer based marketing is going to increase and businesses will also invest more in geo-targeted/location-based campaigns.
The on-line consumer has been slowing giving up more and more information about themselves and in 2018 and beyond, we will see more targeted advertising based on the massive amounts of data they have collected.
Q3. What is your favorite marketing book you have read lately? Or, what are a few of your favorite marketing blogs?
T.H.:  I’m a podcast listener and my two favorite ones are:
1) The Gary Vee Audio Experience
2) The Blog Millionaire 

I have read Gary Vee’s book #GaryVee and Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. I’m a fan of his in your face style of writing and delivery of executing what you say you are going to.

If you are wanting a mixture of entertainment and knowledge, you can’t go wrong with Gary Vee.
Q4. What are some social media time management tips that help you stick to your campaign goals without losing a lot of time?
T.H.: I’m going to be completely honest. Time is irrelevant, there is simply getting it done and getting it done right. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t want to over commit time to developing and executing a campaign, but in the world of social media, it’s 24/7.

Some parameters I have my team try and stick to during business hours is that we don’t want the consumer conditioning us or our clients. It is completely OK to respond and interact (in most cases) with your following within a 12 to 24-hour time frame. If you begin to spend every waking moment on a social media platform replying and engaging, they will begin to expect it and then it will create a situation where your time is no longer yours, it is 100% theirs.
Q5. Share your favorite digital marketing case study. What did you like most it?
T.H.: There are a lot of great Case Studies that deal with Social Media. The ones I tend to levitate more to are the ones that have a balance of quantitative and qualitative results. Data is relevant in the world of social media if we don’t see the other side to it. 

How do brands REALLY make a customer FEEL? 
What would it REALLY take for an upset customer follow your brand back?

I don’t have a specific one that stands out, but I read one study that showed that the value of FOLLOWERS, LIKES, RETWEETS, etc… mean nothing if you are not genuine and authentic with your interactions and engagement.
Q6. According to you, what are the top three mistakes committed by organizations today in leveraging digital marketing?
T.H.: I have seen many organizations and businesses either put too much into the data they have collected or not look at it at all. You have to be able to look at the big picture of what you are spending vs what you are getting out of it. Sometimes those two goals are completely opposite of each other.

Digital Marketing is a tool. In some cases, some businesses and organizations can solely depend on it to grow and brand a business. Other times, you need to be realistic in what your goal is and how you are going to get there. Batman had a utility belt filled with many items for a reason. iSmile

The most overlooked mistake made is simply NOT budgeting any money for digital marketing. The sooner they understand that social media is not a fad and going away, the quicker they can get their brand out there for the world to see.
Q7. Which are your three favorite digital marketing tools?
T.H.: We have partnered with Nuvi for posting and scheduling our clients content and creating reports that are relevant and easy to understand for our clients. 

Another great resource that we use at Harness Digital Marketing is a content management system called Asana. Once I implemented it into our business 3 years ago, efficiency and communication increased over 100%. It allowed me to adjust my leadership style to more of a hands-off approach to my team. I know what they are doing and when they are doing it without bugging them with emails or discussions. We can save team meetings for more important discussions and brainstorming sessions.

I love apps and the ones I lean to quite often are the photo editing ones. When posting content and being able to stand out, we use Canva for the phone and on a website. They are constantly upgrading options and features to help people create amazingly professional and eye-catching images.
Q8. If you were looking to hire a digital marketer, what are the top 3-5 skills you would be looking for in a candidate?
T.H.: I want someone that will fit into the company culture at Harness Digital Marketing that can showcase the 3 C’s:

1. Content
2. Customer Service
3. Consistency

Along with being able to show and grow in those 3 areas, I want someone on our team that is civic minded and has a passion for helping others.
Q9. Who are three people you respect when it comes to digital marketing?
T.H.: If I was put on the spot and forced to name someone, it would have to be (in no particular order):

1. Kevin Hunsperger – Watching him grow his blogging business and presence on line has been a joy to see. Not only is Kevin a close friend, he is another person that takes pride in his brand and really cares about his community.

2. Chris Strub – I met Chris last year and he left a lasting impact on me. So much that I’ve kept in contact with him throughout 2017. We are also on a guest panel at this year’s MDMC 2018. He is a Non-Profit Social Media Master and I watch and listen to him closely.

3. Gary Vee – Sometimes you want to be a person that would like to say WHATEVER you want. Gary Vee has created a brand that no matter what people say about him, they still listen. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I follow and maybe MDMC can get him one year. (Fingers Crossed)
Q10. What’s the industry buzzword that annoys you the most these days and why?
T.H.: I’ve thought about this a lot and it’s not so much a buzzword as it is a slogan: 

These Millennials Don’t Know How To Work

Stop me at the conference if you REALLY want to know how I feel about it. 

 

Posted on

Join the Social Media for Non-Profits Panel with Brandi Bothe at #MDMC18


Brandi Bothe is Digital Marketing Specialist at Midland University in Fremont, NE. At her job she plans and executes digital marketing strategies and campaigns across web, SEO/SEM, email, paid search, social, and display. She also oversees social media across all channels, manages web presence and targeted landing pages, and assists in content strategy creation, and development.
Brandi is a member of the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors, and a volunteer Marketing Manager for Love Pack. She also teaches social media and email marketing for small businesses and beginners via the Interface called “The Web School”. In these workshops, she speaks about the strategy, shares free online resources for scheduling posts, stock photography, email platforms and more.
Brandi is going to be a panelist at the MDMC18 panel called “Social Media for Non-Profits”, together with Aleshia Patterson, Katie Stuckenschneider, Shuntae Shields Ryan, Mich Hancock, Stephen Schenkenberg, and Chris Strub.
 

In the pre-conference Q&A session Brandi shared some of her thoughts about digital marketing:
Q1. What are some big mistakes a business could make when it comes to digital marketing?
B.B.: The biggest mistake a business can make when it comes to digital marketing is not keeping up with current trends and standards. This is the biggest mistake because this one inaction can create a variety of challenges stemming from outdated sales tactics, subpar visuals, low performing content, and missed storytelling opportunities.
Q2. What do you think is the next game changer in digital marketing, such as a new, modern tactic, tool, or aspect of marketing? How will it evolve in the coming years?
B.B.: In addition to the game changers technology will continue to offer, brand responsibility will continue being a game changer in the digital marketing landscape. In recent years, the focus has been on authentic storytelling with a de-emphasis on hard selling. This has already begun evolving to include a focus on socially responsible marketing, which is essentially practicing business sustainably and ethically.
Q3. What is your favorite marketing book you have read lately? Or, what are a few of your favorite marketing blogs?
B.B.:
Book
Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson
Blogs
https://searchengineland.com/
https://neilpatel.com/blog/
https://trackmaven.com/blog
Q4. What are some social media time management tips that help you stick to your campaign goals without losing a lot of time?
B.B.: Plan! Plan! Plan! Planning ahead and scheduling regular content gives you more time to create, curate, and improve future content. If you don’t have a content calendar, that’s the #1 thing you can do to improve your social media time management.
Q5. If you were looking to hire a digital marketer, what are the top 3-5 skills you would be looking for in a candidate?
B.B.: The top three skills I’d look for if hiring a digital marketer would be 1) willingness to learn: the desire and eagerness to stay current, 2) strategy and analytics: the ability to see the big picture while making results-driven decisions, and 3) copywriting: the ability to tell compelling stories.
Q6. What’s the industry buzzword that annoys you the most these days and why?
B.B.: Innovation. Businesses that are truly innovative don’t have to announce it on their packaging or say it in their ads.

Learn more about the 2018 Midwest Digital Marketing Conference! 
Posted on

#MDMC18 Tips On How to Get the Most Out of a Conference

It doesn’t matter who you are right now: a student pursuing a business degree, a recent graduate making first steps in the professional world, an entrepreneur owning a business, or a high-level executive having a solid working experience – everyone will benefit from attending a conference. Conferences offer plenty of opportunities for both – professional and personal development, so get the most out of your experience as a conference attendee.
 
Do your homework
There is always plenty of things happening at a professional conference, so it is easy to get lost. Especially if this is your first time attending such an event. The key to success is being prepared and knowing your goals.
Before going to a conference, check the conference website. Know beforehand which sessions are offered and at what time. Read about the speakers and learn about their background. Check the ticket options and what they include. Is there anything else offered to attendees? Is there an exhibitor hall to take a look at? Are there any fun activities planned? What are the food options? So, be prepared.
 
Be strategic
Big conferences have many sessions running at the same time. Thus, MDMC18 offers about 100 concurrent sessions across such tracks as Data, Digital Strategy, Career, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation. Check the schedule beforehand, mark the sessions that are most relevant for your career and make sure you attend them. You are going to the conference to learn something new, so know exactly what you are there for and be strategic about it.
 
Expand your network
The power of networking in the contemporary world cannot be overestimated. Not only can you meet your peers from other companies, who face the same challenges as you do in your daily work, but you can get some valuable advice from the industry experts. Building your social capital is important, both for your present and future, so set you goal to get as much as possible from your time spent at a conference.
 
Make specific plans
Yes, there will be a lot of speakers from all the big agencies and media talking about cutting-edge technologies and new apps, sharing insights about new industry trends, giving advice on how to deal with certain issues, and providing specific examples on how to achieve your business goals. There will be even more people attending the conference. It is going to be a few busy days, but make sure you get to know people you need. Approach speakers after the sessions to introduce yourself. Exchange business cards and invite for a coffee or lunch. See who else is attending the conference and get to know other attendees. Be proactive in many ways, and the time and money you spent on the conference will soon pay off.
 
Take notes
Do not rely on your memory. With so many things happening during a few days (attending sessions, meeting speakers, talking to other attendees, visiting the expo), it is too easy to forget everything that you have learned there. Always carry a note book, a pen, an organizer, a tablet or a phone (whichever you prefer) to write down your comments, key takeaways and contact details. You will thank yourself for doing that a few days after the conference.
In a nutshell, it is all in your hands. Attending a conference might be a bit overwhelming, but it is totally worth it. Just follow the tips and make sure you make the most out of your time at the conference.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference, which is going to take place at St. Louis’ Union Station on March 27-28, 2018. Learn more about the conference.

*Photo VIA UMSL Daily