Blogging

We’re really picking up steam with our tips on Iternet Marketing Conferences, appropriately enough, during SES San Jose. Our next tip comes from Robert Scoble, Managing Director of FastCompany.TV and blogger extraordinaire.

I caught up with Robert at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco and he agreed to play along and answer a few conference tip questions. The insights below are transcribed from the video interview I did with him during the event.

It’s tough because I’m the guy who likes to hang out in the hallways. I hate being stuck in a conference session unless I know I’ll learn something. To me the hallways are great because that’s where I do my networking and find out what’s really going on.

Stewart Butterfield showed me Flickr in the hallways of the Emerging Tech conference and he didn’t even have a spot on the stage, he said, “Hey check this out:”. Typically that’s been true that the more interesting stuff happens in the hallways. Unless you’re at a really top rate conference like TED or Pop Tech then it’s an experience. So if you go to one of those, I always sit in the front row.

I went to Davos and sat in on several sessions and always sat in the front row. Mostly so I can capture video and see things and participate in the conversations better, get seen if I want to ask a question.

Watch Twitter. Twitter is now the back channel for a lot of these conferences and you’ll see people talking, particularly in a multi-room conference. At SXSW there were several things going on at one time. The Twitter stream sort of told you what other people were experiencing and if the talk in your room was really boring you could switch rooms and go to another talk that might have been much more interesting.

With the parties being able to pace yourself is important. With SXSW there’s so many parties that you could go to, you’d be up to 4 in the morning every morning, you can really burn yourself out pretty fast.

Have a sense for what exhibits are there and see what people are talking about. During the day, I would watch a site like Techmeme (at least if it’s a tech conference) to see what other people are talking about at the conference that you might want to see or partner with or build a relationship with.

Learn about new technologies so that even if you don’t use it, you’re educated and can inform your boss, who’s paying for you to go. If it is something you might use, you’d better get business cards from the people that you’d want to partner with so you can make things happen.
Bring business cards that are memorable.

Super advice Robert, thank you.

Who could possibly be next you’re wondering? What further internet marketing conference wisdom could possibly be in store? Out next tipster is none other than Danny Sullivan of Third Door Media and the Search Marketing Expo series of conferences.

Do you have tips for getting more out of internet marketing conferences or any kind of conference for that matter? What insights can you share? You never know, maybe one of these conference organizers might actually notice these posts and your brilliant ideas and ask you to speak or moderate or who knows? The future looks brighter with your internet marketing conference tips in the comments below.

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Excerpt from:
Internet Marketing Conference Tips: Robert Scoble FastCompany.TV

I learned a good lesson on writing surveys. On last year

Record high commodity prices, the subprime debacle, a bust in the US residential housing market, stockmarkets in a downward spiral - is this the harbinger for marketing cuts?

A recent survey of marketers by IDC indicates a mild slowdown. IDC released its results of a survey of 40 tech marketers who figure an average marketing spend increase of 4.0% for this year vs. 6.1% a year ago.

The advertising industry, ever so sensitive to economic downturns, maintains that there are no ill signs. In February, BtotB Magazine interviewed executives from BBDO, HSR Business to Business, Doremus and Ogilvy New York who all attested to a buoyant market. In January, the Economist interviewed the heads of Publicis Groupe and WPP who are excited by the prospects of America`s presidential election, the Beijing Olympics and the European soccer championship driving ad growth.

Although there is not a consensus on how the weakening economy will impact marketing, it is clear that the marketing environment is very different today than in 2000 - 2002 when irrational exuberance in brand-building marketing spend was quickly followed by a massive 10% drop in advertising spend in America in 2000.

The lessons from the last recession do not seem lost on the B2B marketers today. Our organizations are much more lean and accountable. With a proliferation of online media options, CRM systems and tracking tools, we are in a much better position to justify our marketing budgets.

Like the financial planner shuffling their clients` portfolio into defensive industries like retail and consumer packaged goods, marketers are spending more on online marketing where ROI can be easily measured.

Indeed we have less distance to fall than in 2000-2002. However we also can control our destiny as savvy marketers.

Go here to see the original:
Is Marketing in for a Soft Landing?

This past weekend, my wife and I held an informal wine tasting for our neighbors.

We were joined by Simon Beck, Editor

Roy Young and Laura Ramos, VP, Forrester Research opened up the MarketingProfs B2B Forum today.

Laura cited four key success factors for B2B marketers:
- Focus on customer data
- Understand the buyer`s journey and which metrics matter.
- Shift from lead generation to lead managment.
- Closing the loop with sales .

Laura likened a blog to raising a child - you`re in it for the long haul.

Then I joined a breakout session on blogging. Josh Hallet from Hyku moderated the panel `Bringing B2B Blogging to the New Level`. According to Josh, his mission was to ensure that `the panel didn`t suck like most panels`.

Deb Franke, e-Marketing Manager, Emerson Process Management engaged our session with a lively and very informative presentation.

The process to launch an external blog was lengthy. It took place after the marcom group changed and it now reported to the services group. From inception to launch, one and a half years transpired. Deb underestimated the amount of time required for education which she figures is 50% or more.

The goal was to raise the visibility of Emerson Experts by promoting thought leadership and increase search engine rankings. Deb generated some laughter when she defined the blog: Blog means `Better Listings On Google`

The benefits to Emerson were recognized as promoting Emerson`s views, unfiltered by the media and present a human face and voice for the organization.

Phil Gomes, VP, Edelman me2revolution reinforced that it is preferable that B2B marketers join communities rather than create communities. Further, we should participate, not pitch.

Phil cited a humorous quote: `Blogging requires passion and authority, which leaves out most people.`

For lunch, Paul and I broke bread with Laura Ramos, VP, Forrester Research. We were interested in trading Web 2.0 research stories. Although our sample size and method of sampling was more modest than Forrester`s, most of our conclusions on the usage of Web 2.0 tools for demand generation were compatible.

As it should happen, our session at MarketingProfs was scheduled at the same time as Laura`s.

We all were slotted for the last session of the day and of the conference.

I was the straight man to Paul`s color commentary. As Paul talked to his experience in using five different types of Web 2.0 tools, I chimed in with the results from our Web 2.0 tools research.

Our relaxed presentation style encouraged a healthy number of questions from the audience.

We were pleased with the reception and look forward to participating in another MarketingProfs conference.

Then we packed up and took the train to O`Hare for our flights home. All in a good day`s work.

Read the original here:
MarketingProfs B2B Forum - Day 2 Highlights