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Four Ways to Stay Focused at a Conference

By meshmarketing, The Archives

focusWhen you speak at a conference, it’s always interesting to see how people in the audience are actually paying attention…and I mean paying complete attention.

Many people are checking email, doing work, updating social media profiles, writing blog posts or chatting with the person beside them. There’s no rule about doing something other than listening intently but you wonder how much value people are really getting from the different sessions.

So how can people focus at a conference such as meshmarketing? Here are some ideas:

1. Email: Let’s face it, we’re slaves to email. No matter the approach being used, the inbox is a seductive, irresistible beast. It is the ultimate attention-killer.

The solution: One, give yourself three windows to check email: before the sessions start, during lunch and after the last session (but before the after-party). Two, check email during the three or four breaks between sessions. Both approaches offer a balance between keeping on top of email, while still carving out time to digest what the people on stage are saying.

2. Social media: This is also a huge threat to staying focused at a conference; the need to offer updates to the people not at the conference about what’s happening at the conference. It’s like people feel the duty to deliver a public service by providing continual updates on interesting comments and opinions. But at what cost to really focusing on what’s being said?

The solution: Take notes during a session, and fire off updates afterward. Using tools such as Buffer, HootSuite or TweetDeck, you can provide plenty of social media ground cover in a small amount of time.

3. Working: It is a challenge for some people to escape the office to attend a conference because there’s always work to be done (and, sadly, there always will be). It means many people do work at a conference so they can, theoretically, eat their cake and have it too. The question is whether the work or the speakers get the attention they deserve.

The solution: Go through the conference schedule to identify the sessions that offer the most value. It could be only two or three, but be focused when attending. For the sessions that aren’t interesting or relevant, make them work time by either going to a session and paying little attention or, even better, sitting outside a session where there few distractions.

4. Networking: One of the biggest reasons people attend a conference is connecting with new people and friends/colleagues. It’s a great place to catch up personally and professionally, especially at a time when people have a tough time getting out of the office. But networking during a session can be distracting and annoying to the people around you.

Solution: This is where healthy breaks throughout the day are so valuable because they give people time to really connect. Whether it’s a 15-minute break for coffee or a long lunch break, it’s where networking can thrive.

As we talked about in a previous blog post, conferences are a great opportunity to meet new people, be inspired and explore ideas. To get the most out of a conference, it means giving yourself the luxury and time to embrace the moment as opposed to trying to multi-task to meet different masters.

For people attending meshmarketing on Nov. 7, I hope the suggestions above are food for thought as you spend the day listening to a great line-up of digital marketers.

To learn more about meshmarketing, here’s the updated schedule. Tickets can be purchased for $299.

meshmarketing Alumni Insights: Jeff Quip

By meshmarketing, The Archives

As we prepare for mm13 next week (the fifth meshmarketing), we thought we’d call on a member of the meshmarketing alumni.

Jeff Quip of Search Engine People joined us for our first meshmarketing to share his insights and experience in a workshop session titled, “Search Engine Marketing/Search Engine Optimization.”

The Evolution of SEO & Search Engine People

Back in 2009, I had the opportunity to speak at the very first meshmarketing conference about SEO, how to do it effectively, and where the industry was going. SEO is dynamic and ever-transforming, and since that time the industry has changed dramatically. SEO can no longer be thought of as a standalone practice – to be effective it must be an element of an integrated, holistic strategy that incorporates a variety of tactics.

In the current environment, Google wants search rankings to be the consequence – not the basis – of good marketing, and SEO firms have had to adapt accordingly. At Search Engine People, we’ve evolved from a firm primarily concerned with SEO to a full service digital agency. It’s a necessary evolution because search continues to change at a frenetic pace. While SEO is still a big part of what we do, it is by no means the most important part anymore.

The importance of inbound marketing
There was a time when SEO and marketing were compartmentalized and separated, viewed as two unique and unrelated practices. Today, every facet of online brand visibility is inextricably linked under inbound marketing, a process aimed at attracting, converting, nurturing and closing leads into sales.

The better we market, the more we earn Google’s trust, the better we perform not only in rankings but across the board in terms of online visibility.

Inbound marketing is the glue that unites all marketing tactics into a cohesive strategy and serves to increase the effectiveness of all other media tactics. At Search Engine People, we work to identify the pros and cons of each tactic in relation to the client, and how we can maximize its effectiveness. Our approach to inbound marketing encompasses:

1. Traffic Building

2. Lead Generation

3. Sales Growth

4. ROI Analysis

As you can see, SEO is just one facet of a much more complex strategy, which we’ve evolved to capacitate. And ultimately, that’s what clients are looking for when they speak of SEO – a one-stop shop to fulfill all of their marketing needs.

Content is king
One of the most significant changes to SEO is the critical role that content now plays. It has become the quintessential element of search and social media, affecting search rankings, brand authority and overall online brand performance. This is why unique, remarkable content is at the base of any effective inbound marketing strategy.

At Search Engine People, we’ve got a large content group that allows us to facilitate this change and thrive in the new SEO landscape. With so much noise and competition, the brands that succeed online are the ones that can break away from the pack and differentiate themselves. The consistent creation of high-quality, relevant, remarkable content is the recipe for success. Providing content that is useful for your prospects – but also significantly different from the competition – builds brand authority, gets your content shared and ultimately helps you get recognized in terms of search rankings. Building content and websites that are both audience-friendly and optimized for search engines is now an absolute necessity.

The New SEO Landscape
In the new SEO landscape, the message is clear: you have to EARN your position. It’s no longer just about targeting keywords or building links, but creating a cohesive, multi-faceted inbound marketing strategy focused on content creation, branding, and promotion. When it comes down to it, looking at SEO strictly in terms of rankings is one-dimensional and means you’re putting your eggs in too few baskets. Google and other search engines change and update algorithms frequently; if you haven’t focused on other aspects of your overall online presence, you will fall behind.

Carving Out the Time for meshmarketing

By meshmarketing, The Archives

timeEveryone feels time-strapped these days; lots of work to do but only so many hours in the day.

It can make it a challenge to spend all day at a conference rather than at your desk. The thought of work not done, meetings missed and emails gone unanswered can be daunting.

That said, it is important and necessary to step back from the fray once in awhile. While work is a priority, it is also healthy to gain new perspective, explore new ideas and meet new people. It keeps you interested, inspired and fresh.

When you come to a conference such as meshmarketing, don’t think of it as time away from the office. Instead, look at it as an opportunity to expand your personal and professional horizons and take your business in a new or different direction.

It could be the speakers (and we have a great lineup of digital marketers such as Jay Baer and Peep Laja), it could be the person sitting next to you, or someone you meet during a break in the action.

It’s magical is when something new presents itself; something big or small that can make the entire day valuable and worthwhile.

Getting out of the office – be it attending a conference, having lunch or taking a walk – gives you perspective and opens window to the unexpected.

Tickets for meshmarketing can be purchased for $199 until Oct. 30 at midnight. Here’s the updated schedule.