Not this!

I was at the Social Media AZ conference last Thursday, and some of the well-known practitioners (note: everyone’s refraining from the word ‘experts’)  seemed to affirm what I have been talking about. I also learned a lot in six hours.

Here are some great takeaways — longer version at ValleyPRBlog.com:

• “LinkedIn is the new Rolodex” – Al Maag

• “In social media, do you want to measure the media, or the social?” – Ed Brice

• “The ultimate metric is trust.” – Jay Baer

• “Create a content stew” – Pam Slim

• “Humanize your company” – Jay Baer

• “Focus on the bottom of the marketing funnel” –  Chris Hewitt

• “Segment your audience before forming tactics.” – Michael Corak

One of my big lessons, and something I tend to articulate differently to my clients is that blogging and tweeting, in and of themselves, are nothing if they don’t connect the dots between other activities, content buckets, people, and online/offline properties.

A blog or a podcast will not automatically solve every communication issue.  Unless you allow social media to leave ‘breadcrumbs’ between the different tactics, then all you might be doing is creating new silos.

Download or listen to the presentations:

• The anatomy of a social media plan – Mike Corak & Chris Sietsema
• The Seven-Step Program – Jay Baer
• Cutting through the social media noise – Panel moderated by Kathy Sachs
  
• The ROI of Social Media – Ed Brice
• Amp up the Personal in your Brand – Pam Slim

I think of a blog as the second hub that has dotted lines –pointy arrows in, pointy arrows out– between branding, marketing, HR, PR, the people in the organization. Why? because this is what gives the content more depth and wider context.