Today was the first day of Vocus’ Demand Success 2014 conference, and it definitely lived up to all the hype! If you couldn’t make it, here’s a quick recap of all the fun and great though leadership you missed:
The morning kicked off with a keynote presentation from Randi Zuckerberg, where attendees quickly learned that she is more than just Mark Zuckerberg’s sister. Zuckerberg discussed 10 exciting marketing trends, some of which are popping up now and some that are predicted for the future. I’ll elaborate on a few of them here, so take note and act quickly because, as Zuckerberg says, “Now is a great time to take a risk. Be innovative. Be first”.
One interesting trend is the concept that connections have become a form of currency. For example, a hotel might offer a free night’s stay to social media posters who promote them. Rewarding that kind of loyalty and investment from your customer base is a great move because you definitely want influential posters to continue telling everyone how awesome you are.
Another trend was the idea that every single one of us is now an individual media company. We have everything we need to produce content literally in the palms of our hands. Live tweeting at events that your customers are interested in is one great way to utilize this power.
I want to briefly touch on one more point that Zuckerberg made just because I love talking about it. Everyday access to 3D printing is on the horizon. Imagine not having to pack any bags for vacation because you can 3D print what you need when you arrive. Yeah, awesome. 3D printing creates a great space for marketers because products can be dispersed to the customer base practically instantly.
Another great session today was “The Content Boom” with Richard Binhammer, Nichole Kelly, Christopher Penn, and Joe Webster. There was a lot of lively discussion surrounding the oversaturation of content in the market place, or “infobesity”. One great takeaway was that a visual post packs a lot of power. It is far more likely that your customers will take a moment to look at a picture than take 5 minutes to read your blog post.
Adrian Grenier’s keynote capped off day one. He spoke on the prevalence of niche markets today. Targeting and fostering loyalty with a specific audience is a great way ensure the longevity of your business. Grenier himself loves to target niche markets with his business endeavors, most recently with his craft beer company, Churchkey.
Day 2 promises to be full of more great thought leadership with speakers like Google’s digital marketing evangelist, Avinash Kaushik, and Judy Smith taking the stage.
