Today was a big day – ten hours of conferencing condensed here to give you all the takeaways that I found most valuable in just a few minutes! I attended seven sessions today – here’s the wrap:

Session 1 (Keynote) Social Media Marketing in 2019: What the Newest Research Reveals, Mike Stelzner

Key Takeaways:
  • Facebook has had significant changes over the last 5 years. No longer is it the golden chalice for content, brands and marketing. Its referral traffic has significantly dropped and we need a new way.
  • Need to change mindset - bigger is not better, better is greater than bigger. Make a big impact on a small number of individuals (not no impact on a large number of individuals)
  • We need to connect and influence people who will be our advocates. This does not scale.
  • Most marketers do nothing with Instagram stories. Instagram has 500 million people watching stories everyday.
  • Show cool experiences, share raw content. They disappear within 24 hours, but you can save them to your highlights reel. Opportunity to interact privately with people.
  • Facebook wants you to use live video to enable meaningful social interactions (customised to your audience). It is the dominant platform for live video. Don’t act like no one is there, be interactive. Most live videos are less than 10 minutes.
  • Facebook don’t want users watching a passive video. But YouTube does - people on YouTube watch an avg of 32 minutes a day. YouTube is where your longer videos will be consumed and they let you use end cards (ads for another video) plus subscribers can be notified of new episodes.

Session 2: How To Grow a Vibrant Community Using Social Media by Cate Stillman

Key Takeaways
  • Be really specific about who you are, what your values are and what you’re trying to achieve. Use your language inclusively for your community. It will differentiate your community
  • Share your vision and language with the group. Be specific - “we are...”
  • Take the time to understand what helps your group succeed
  • Set ground rules that line up with your mission and values (in a document)
  • To build a vibrant community you need to build other leaders
  • Get traction quickly by being with your people. Feature success stories.
  • Provide your influencers a way (and a place) to connect
  • What can we do together that we can’t do apart?

Session 3: Influencer Marketing, Lessons from the Trenches Megan Conley (Social Tribe) and Ursula Ringham (SAP)

Key Takeaways
  • B2B organisations can use influencer marketing too! Make sure they are really well aligned with the brand and get to know them first.
  • Influencer marketing needs a long term plan and a strategy in place. Don’t make it about one offs, map a plan, get buy in and understand what success looks like.
  • Take the time to get to know your influencers. Meet them, talk to your peers and people they’ve worked with in the past. Understand them and who they are - it will help to build trust.
  • Plan for the best and worst case scenarios for your influencer marketing and consider, expectations, legal and scope of work. It will minimise liability and risk.
  • It doesn’t need to be an endorsement for your brand, but if the influencer is a specialist in the area of interest, then it can provide you an opportunity to get your brand in front of their audience.
  • Don’t expect to have full control over influencer marketing. It’s meant to be brand inspired, influencer led. Empower them to tell your story, through their lens.
  • Don’t end an influencer relationship via email! Speak to them, explain why and keep them positive about your brand.
  • Your influencer program is constantly going to change - keep testing, learning and iterating.

Session 4: How To Use Facebook Ads and Organic Posts To Build a Sales Machine by Amanda Bond

Key Takeaways
  • Facebook’s recipe for success is: connection, community and conversation
  • Success on Facebook is about keeping the momentum going even after the Facebook algorithm had stopped giving it love. Use a mix of live stream and Facebook ads.
  • There are six ways you can grow your custom audience on Facebook: email, pixelled website traffic, engagement (Facebook), engagement (Instagram business), 3-sec video views (Facebook), 3-sec video views (Insta business profile)
  • Create content that that intentionally grows those 6 buckets and get them in your engagement sequence on Facebook.
  • There are three stages you want to arrange your social media posts around 1. Connect (branding), 2. Commit (lead gen) and 3. Close (sales).
  • In the Connect Stage you need 3 types of content: engagement, position as authority and seed testimonials
  • The Commit stage can work a few ways eg. Lead generation (free program), re-target no action and celebrate them coming on board.
  • Look into Sphere of Influence (SOI) method to use content allowing people self opt in (and use posts to lure them back if they drop off).
  • In the Close stage address their top 3 objections.
  • Use Gary V’s $1.80 strategy to engage with people online via social (direct).
  • Everything you do on social media has to be about growing your custom audiences.

Session 5: How To Get Your Facebook Group Posts Seen in the News Feed by Bella Vasta

Key Takeaways
  • A Facebook page is your front yard. Your Facebook group is your back yard. The backyard is an area where you are invited. Where people are introduced and encouraged to chat. They are served food and we make sure the party keeps going.
  • If you’re trying to outsmart the system, you’re doing it wrong. Facebook wants meaningful connections. Be the destination (not just something people just see in their feed).
  • People want to know 5 things (from you and in your group): we are safe, we are heard, we can get support, we are special, we belong.
  • When people join your free group, ask for their email address and build your email list.
  • How can you engage your audience using a variety of ways that connect with them as a human?
  • Anywhere you put your Facebook link, put a Facebook group link. Prioritise your group over your page.
  • Don’t ever dim your light. People are there to hear from YOU.

Session 6: How To Integrate Messenger Bots Into Your Existing Marketing Strategy By Steven Chou

Key Takeaways
  • There are 1.3 billion Facebook messenger users, they are not going away.
  • You can use messenger bots to steer people towards digital, physical or virtual products.
  • Bots are another way to engage your audience and engagement rates are higher than email.
  • To get started you could provide a resource and they have to go to messenger to get the resource. Do via emails, ads or a post on your current Facebook page.
  • Remember, you have to obey Facebook bot rules which include - you have to get people to engage first and then you can do a promotional message. (That first engagement might be them clicking a yes/no option).
  • It’s recommended to include an unsubscribe link with every first message.
  • Don’t let your block rate (people blocking your bot) exceed 5%
  • Lots of ideas on how to get people to engage with your bot ranging from Facebook live videos, webinars, resources, ecommerce chat, website bots and more.

Session 7: (Keynote) How To Be Remarkable: The Unusual Yet Proven Path To Marketing Success by Andrew Pickering and Pete Gartland

Key Takeaways (as outlined by the speakers)
  • Posting something is not better than posting nothing
  • And posting nothing is better than something
  • But if we post nothing, we won't get anything
  • So there must be something that is better
  • Than posting both something and nothing
  • Which is to do just one thing remarkably well (spend 90% of your marketing on it) Based on reaction spikes
  • Pull the plug on everything else based on data
  • And do it consistently because you have found the fun
  • (And something your audience is enjoying too).
I hope you enjoyed the summary. Also, take a look at the Social Media Marketing World day 1 learnings. Learnings from Day 3 are also now available!