A garden center that uses social media can learn a lot from the local dentist that uses social media, and the local dentist can learn a lot from a Fortune 500 company that uses the social web. The reverse is also true because there are many common aspects of social media and content marketing across industry segments. Think about it this way… you can go into a biker bar, or you can go into TGI Fridays… although they are very different places, you can probably get a burger, beer, and a barstool in either one and have fun in both.
Because there are many commonalities, you should look to the successes of others and find out what they are doing right and learn from what they have done wrong when you map out the plan to market your conference or event using the social web. It also pays to get out of the comfort zone that is in the meetings and events industry and see what others are doing to shake shit up.
So, where can you find people who can teach you all about how to do this thing called content marketing and social media? Who are the good people to listen to, and who can help you succeed while skipping all of the bullshit, hype, and snake oil that is out there? That is the easy part because I have a list to get you started.
Here are 23 content and social media freaks that I follow and learn from daily. Not everything that they write about applies to what we do, but I would guess that 80% is.
There are some things you have to skip over…. like ordering the garden burger with extra sprouts at your local biker bar.
Get reading… time is a wasting.
Social Mouths
Francisco Rosales is one of my favorite social bloggers on the planet. This dude not only teaches good social, but he practices it as well. From trying new things on his Facebook page to throwing down on some Pinterest, you will learn much from his little corner of the internet.
As of November 2023, it looks like the site is gone, but you can still follow him on LinkedIn
Valeria Maltoni is the Senior Director of Strategy at Empathy Lab, and her blog can teach you a lot about big-picture, big-brand social media, and conversation marketing.
Jamie Turner knows his shit. Just look at some recent posts, “Cutting-Edge Techniques to Improve the ROI of Your Next Marketing Campaign” and “Mobile Advertising Spend to Reach $2.5B by 2014, According to Google”. These are both things that event marketers need to know. Even if you are planning the pet show in Poughkeepsie, you need to understand how mobile will affect your future and what you need to do to start measuring your campaigns.
Christopher Penn is the author of this site, and he covers a little of this and a little of that when it comes to social. I have gotten the most out of this blog by hitting his stuff on email marketing and brand.
Podcasts, videos, and standard posts are all geared (or so it would seem) toward larger brands. There is much to see here and much to get lost in.
Wayne Sutton is an entrepreneur, advisor, and technology journalist and he writes on the same.
The post that is top of their site today is “6 Facebook Marketing Mistakes to Avoid”. Enough Said.
The day that I wrote this post, the lead item was “Content Marketing: The Cliff Notes Approach to Editorial Calendars”. Bang, that is all the shit you need to know.
Seriously, with posts like “Twitter 101” and “The Ugly Side of Social Media,” this should be required reading for event marketers who are just getting their social on.
Social Media B2B
The tagline says it all… “Exploring the Impact of Social Media on B2B Companies”.
As of November 2023, it looks like the site is gone.
Love Beth’s blog. Recent post? “How and When Should Your Nonprofit Organization Invest in Mobile.” Run, don’t walk.
Fluency Media
OK. I think (and I could be wrong) that Fluency’s blog posts are more “state of the social industry” than a how-to, and that is a good thing. It gives you a heads-up on what is coming, what is failing, and what to expect from the companies that supply your social animal.
As of November 2023, it looks like the site is gone.
What to pin on Pinterest and how to be human as a brand. This is not beginner stuff, but it is all information that you will need to know to be successful.
This is what you need to make your social sexy… if it weren’t already. But since your social is already sexy, these folks can help you keep it looking good for years to come with little snips like “how to get more YouTube views,” and what social manager doesn’t wonder about that shit.
How to make money from what you do on social. OK, that is the point, isn’t it?
It is an awesome 101-type site. This is an excellent place to start for many conference and event marketers.
Social Caffeine
All around type site. A little of this, a little of that, and a sprinkle of other good stuff. Cool quotes and how-tos that will keep you interested with things like “how to choose a social media consultant”.
As of November 2023, it looks like the site is gone.
This is the Mack Daddy of social media how-to websites. It is so good that I bought one of their books.
Great name. Great content, and she even throws in video posts on occasion. The short of it is that there is a lot to learn here from someone who knows their stuff and also knows that you need to be real to make the social web successful.
Social Media Biz
This is an awesome blog and should be a highlight. These guys are all about practical no-nonsense things that you can do to become a better social marketer. This one is on the top of my feed reader.
As of November 2023, it looks like the site is gone.
Take what others are using to be successful and add the “how’d they do that” element, and you get the idea of this blog. From user-generated content to how Red Bull got like 8 bazillion people to watch a guy jump from space, you cannot go wrong here.
I love Neal’s Schaffer’s blog. Period, Hands Down. I love it because he is pushing content like “The Tethered Generation Thinks Mobile-First…and So Should You.” This is the stuff that event marketers need to know in order to be successful.
Self-help for the socially inept? How to blog? All of the above? Yeah, that is what I would say, and on top of that, it is a fun read.
There you have it. I like this list. It started with 30, I got it down to 23, and it may change over time, but I think this is a pretty good start.
