It was a beautiful journey leading up to Social Media Marketing World 2016. My professional life was all about photography, graphic and web design. The last few years all the content I created ended one way or another on a social media platform. Which led me to start learning about social media. It felt like everything I did in my life led me to this. Social media content and marketing. So I went on this intense research to learn everything about social media. I read all the books and blogs.

Then I started noticing patterns. Most bloggers and writers have a specialty or a topic they usually cover. For instance some writers will only discuss Instagram or Facebook marketing.  I also noticed that all of the bloggers and writers are social media professionals. As opposed to social media influencers. They collaborate on many projects. But most importantly they go to the same conferences. So, most of these writers are gonna be at Social Media World 2016 and that’s when I decided I have to attend. I emailed them and they were kind enough to hire me as a volunteer.

Fun Facts about Social Media Marketing World

I had to do my homework and learn about Social Media Marketing World and here are some fun facts I gathered along the way:

• The first conference was in 2013
• The event takes place in San Diego, California on April 17, 18 and 19, 2016.
• The key person for the conference’s creation is Michael Stelzner. He is the founder of Social Media Examiner. He is also the author of the books Launch and Writing White Papers.
• Its hosted by Social Media Examiner, which is the world’s leading online social media magazine for businesses, offers the leading podcasts covering social media and is the exclusive sponsor of the Social Media Marketing Society.
• 100+ expert-led sessions and workshops covering social tactics to content creation to social strategy.
• People from over 50 countries will be at Social Media Marketing World.
• Its simply one the biggest social media conferences out there.

What we want to accomplish at Social Media Marketing World

So my goal with this blog post is to simply outline my game plan and maybe help you figure out yours. This is my first time attending this conference so I’m not totally sure what to except but I do have a few goals I would like to accomplish. And I’m sure I will put together a blog post after the conference to cover all the highlights of the conference. In the mean time here are a few things to make the most out of any conference.

• Gain Visibility: When you’re around people with the same interests as you, its easy to talk about your goals and aspirations. You’re in this space where people are actually interested to know what you do and how you do it.
• Take Notes: With days full of speakers and sessions, there’s a lot to take in. So, collect your notes and information in a way that makes it easy to access when you check them again. I’m one of those people that can’t understand my notes sometimes. But I’m definitely better at it now.
• Connect: This is the fun part. In a way, you already know a lot of people there. You read all the blogs and books and you follow them on social media. So you know who to build rapport with.
• Get the Latest News: Conferences are a place for big announcements and budding ideas. Look for the hottest scoops.
• Sizing Up the Competition: If you’re at an industry conference, it is likely there will be some overlap in offerings. This will you help you determine your competitive advantage.
• Have Fun: For a few days you’ll be around people who do what they love for living. So there is gonna be some partying, some dancing and some eating. Come out and love life with your social media friends.

Many famous brands registered to attend Social Media Marketing World including Airbus, Amazon, BMW, Canon USA, Dell, Discover, DoubleTree by Hilton, Nordstrom, UPS, Verizon and many more. Also I’m pretty excited to see some pretty cool people speak at the conference including: Guy Kawasaki, Gary Vaynerchuk, Ann Handley, Zach King and of course Michael Stelzner.

I honestly can’t wait to attend Social Media Marketing World and I’m so grateful I get to volunteer there. Whether you are a social media professional, or a business owner, get your tickets or your virtual pass. Either way, it’s gonna be a pretty big one. Don’t miss the show.

Register Here

Resources

• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/
• https://www.themuse.com