Last week I attended the Social Media Marketing World Conference.  If you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you saw some of the excitement. During the course of the week, I attended 16 different sessions and I learned something in each that I will apply to either my own business or my clients.

The New Facebook Algorithm

Just over two weeks before the conference, Facebook announced a major change to their algorithm.  Marketers worldwide were biting their nails, worried that their industry had just collapse.  But the organizers of SMMW18, Social Media Examiner did a phenomenal job of switching gears and preparing.  With less than two weeks to make changes and 4500 people heading their way, they did a brilliant job of gathering information and finding speakers to address the issue of the new Facebook algorithm.  

After four sessions on just the Facebook algorithm, the take away was that yes, there are some changes.  Yes, fewer people are likely to see what you put in the newsfeed if you continue down the same boring road.  But this is good for the creative marketer.  This gives us a chance to make some changes and come out on top.  Most people will not have gotten the message.  Most people will continue down the same boring road.  But not us.  Our clients are going to see more videos.  We are going to create ambassador programs.  We are going to teach our clients and their staff about live video.  We are going to take the challenge and watch our clients' businesses grow, because we are a creative marketing team and adapting is what we do best.

Chatbots

My clients know I am a fan of email marketing.  Even while I was away I had a client call me to say he made $15,000 in two hours because we were on top of his email campaigns. Email is a near perfect way to reach your customers directly with services and products you already know they like.

Chatbots take that a step above.  Chatbots will help us extend this marketing plan to your Facebook Messenger app.  We will be able to reach your customers and fans directly and offer them quality content, whether it's in the form of frequently asked questions or an easier way to schedule an appointment or a chance to buy your product directly.  Chatbots are going to be a game changer for almost all of our clients.

Live Video

ASMM has been talking about live video for some time.  We are huge fans.  But not all of our clients have bought in.  That's going to change now.  Live video is going to be an important part of the new strategy.  We will help our customers get comfortable with live video and show them how it's the mistakes we make that make us real.  If you are a client or you know me at all,  you know that I am genuine.  I am goofy and hopefully fun. I am friendly and I am fierce.  But mostly I am genuine.  And that is a quality that people respect.  This is what live video let's you show.  I pick my clients carefully.  I work with good, quality people and because of that I am excited about helping your clients and customer get to know you.  This doesn't mean we have to put the CEO in front of the camera on a daily basis but it does mean we have to find fun, creative ways to show how your company is genuinely better than your competitor. Live video will get us there.

Connections

Connections run through everything we do at ASMM.  We believe it's the connections you make that make the biggest difference in business as well as your personal life. One of the biggest takeaways I had from this conference actually came from within.  It was a confirmation of what I already knew. We are not a business to business company and you are not a business to customer company.  We are all people to people companies.  When it comes right down to it, we are people trying to offer something of value to other people.  And ultimately, it is this that makes social media such a powerful tool for us.  We are people trying to help other people and using social tools like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter is the single best way to do that.