We have just wrapped up another epic Social Media Week! More than 280 guests attended Social Media Week Lima 2019 (#SMWL19) for a high-energy #Craveable experience. Our goal is to provide a close-to-home local event that highlights how brands can use the power of relationship marketing via social media to be found, be social and build repeat and referral business.
Our theme this year was #Craveable: How to Create an Irresistible Brand, and we are excited to say that it was a SWEET success! More than 30 speakers provided stellar marketing tips on how to create craveable content that converts and grows your social media community. Here are a few of these key craveable takeaways.
Day 1
Jessika Phillips - Welcome to SMWL19 - #Craveable
@JessikaPhillips
Our keynote speaker was our very own NOW Marketing Group President, Jessika Phillips. Jessika broke down what it means to “Be Craveable” and why it’s important.
Jessika referenced last year’s HXperience (human experience) theme and how it encouraged businesses to seek and reach out to their community, or the people their brand serves. This year, she took a dive into the importance of nourishing that community with content that keeps customers coming back for more.
Most importantly, she made it clear that the sales funnel is dead. Instead, using a flywheel concept will keep brands focused on activating a tribe willing to share your message for you. Turning your followers into fans, clients into advocates, community into collaborators and your team members into evangelists.
The concept in marketing should be flipped to focus the clients you’re already serving and continuing to nurture that relationship.
“Delight, Deliver and Do it Again” - never stop focusing on creating experiences worthy of being talked about.
“What you do is not unique… but how you do it can be” - create personal experiences that are memorable.
“Your message is bigger than your product” - Brands should ask themselves “for what purpose” should someone choose them. What is their end mission and what do they stand for?
This means building a community and focusing on experiences and the relationships that come from it. Know your consumer then find out how you can deliver more than you promised. Give them the VIP experience ongoing not just as a new sale.Discover what your people crave and generate experiences online and off that satisfies that craving. Most importantly, know that this is more than just a craving for your product, it’s a craving for the belonging that solves the pain points of your followers and helps them reach a goal. Be worthy of being talked about and nurture the relationships that spark conversation.
Stephanie Liu - Captivate on Command: How to Motivate the Masses with Only Your Words
@HeyStephanie
“Be soul food… not eye candy.’
Stephanie Liu spoke about captivating our audiences by learning and understanding how they communicate so we can follow suit, but first, the details...
- 2 out of 3 employers rank communication as the top skill they want
- 44 percent of senior executives believe employees lack essential soft skills
- A business with 100 employees spends an average downtime of 17 hours a week clarifying communications
After hitting the audience with the numbers, Stephanie introduced us to the idea of communication representational systems. She said there are four types of communicators, each with their own little languages.
They are:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinesthetic
- Digital
Each of these types communicates a little differently. A visual communicator tends to speak fast and think in pictures. They need visuals to understand what you’re talking about. You can show them flywheels and blueprints and illustrations to make what you’re saying more captivating. Paint pictures with your words when we speaking to them.
Auditory people, learn by listening. Then they can repeat things back to you, but they’re easily distracted by noise. They will also pay close attention to your tone of voice and the words you use.
Kinesthetics are the feelers. And, they use a hands-on approach to grasp the essentials while sifting through information.
Lastly, there are digital people. These guys are logical. They can get stuck talking to themselves in their head. They need to quickly have access to the logic, sense, and rationality of the information you are providing.
Creating a captivating message first starts with knowing how to communicate with your audience, identifying those communication styles and practicing how to speak to them will help you build your army of advocates.
Curious to see what type you are? Take Stephanie Liu’s quiz here!
Bryan Cramer - Live Hotseat
@bryankramer
In a society that markets the messages it thinks people want to hear, Bryan Cramer taught us the importance of scaling the social media noise, understanding what matters to you, and delivering that message.
We often view our relationships as something transactional. We offer one thing and hope for something in return. Bryan encourages that we take time to ask ourselves how we can serve our community with our purpose in life. It’s about building trust and intimacy with your customers, and ultimately creating more joy in your life.
Panel: Increasing the LIVE-Span of Your Business
Led by Ross Brand @iRossBrand with Jen Watson @JWatson_WX, Judi Fox @Judi_Fox, and Daphne La Blanc @DaphneFLeBlanc
Our very first panel was all about live video and why it’s such an important part of today’s social media. Kicking off the discussion, the panel spoke about how this relatively new delivery method allows brands and marketers to be relatable and authentic to their audiences. It’s a real-time, real-life form of communication. You can have a conversation with your customer as you are sharing information, your viewers can chime in and give you direct feedback or ask questions. This back-and-forth dialogue allows you to truly engage with the audience on an entirely different level.
Live video allows you to be raw and real, to be yourself. Most consumers these days have a good BS detector. They’re looking for something that’s real and that they can trust. Live video helps you connect with them in a way that’s not overly produced. It’s one of the best ways to reach them for one-to-one conversation and education.
If you’re just getting started the panel agreed there are some basic gear that’s good to have on-hand… a webcam, smartphone, or DSLR to capture the live video. Be sure you are recording in a space with good lighting. If you aren’t blessed with a great natural light source, a ring light or square LED is a great option. If you’re shooting with a phone or camera, a wide angle lens is good to have and you’ll want to have a tripod to hold the device steady. Lastly, don’t forget about good wi-fi! If you’ll be walking around, test the wi-fi throughout the location to make sure there are no dead zones that would potentially drop your video.
Don’t forget to start a conversation while you’re doing demonstrations and hosting live videos. People are watching you live and they’re there to interact and talk. Ask questions, say hello as you see viewers jump on and extend an open-ended question to start those conversations.
Utilizing Emotional and Social Intelligence to Create Authentic and Craveable Content
Tiffany Lanier
@LiveWithTiffany
Make a point to make it a practice, to know thyself, your strengths and weaknesses, what makes you happy, and what causes you pain. This is the first step Tiffany Lanier discussed as she spoke about the importance of using emotional and social intelligence when it comes to creating content that resonates with your audience.
Being self-aware for a brand means knowing its personality, values, and what it offers. When it comes to motivation, remember why you are taking action toward what you want and take an honest look at how it will impact your audience.
Put yourself in someone’s shoes and empathize, too. Know what your audience cares about and keep changing your language and imagery accordingly. Be thoughtful and introspective when creating content. Does it align with your needs as well as those of your customer? Lastly, practice authentic human communication and social skills through all channels.
When it comes to craveable content. Tiffany broke these points down using the S.P.A.C.E formula or:
- Social Awareness
- Presence
- Authenticity
- Clarity
- Empathy
With social awareness, it’s important to understand the context of a situation and how it impacts those around you. Furthermore, it’s vital to know how to respond to that situation and how to behave. Think of your presence, or the impression and whole message you are sending with your behavior, does this show authenticity, honesty, and congruence when it comes to your values? Also, is it a clear message? When done right, your content should spark a feeling of mutual empathy between your brand and another person.
Turn your emotions and their emotions into a content superpower!
The State of Video Marketing with Wave.video and Mari Smith
Did you know? Video marketers get 66 percent more qualified leads per year! Yet some marketers still aren’t using video. That’s because 23 percent of them say they lack time and 21 percent say they don’t know where to start. Well, Mari Smith joined Jessika Phillips and Daniel Glickman via livestream to share some quick tips on how marketers can avoid those two humps.
Wave.video has 100 million video clips under $5, with many of them less than $1. It’s an amazing way to create amazing videos with great footage quickly and inexpensively. And, starting in August, this will be available for free for anyone on the web!
If you are into making videos for your audience, this is a great way to show up and build relationships. You can start with affordable tools like Wave.video to enhance your video! It’s quick and easy! Yay!
A Real Discussion on Creating a Craveable Brand Through Content
Troy Sandige @FindTroy, Demian Ross @demianross, and Brian Fanzo @iSocialFanz
In a world of perfect Instagram feeds and selfies, Troy Sandidge, Demian Ross, and Brian Fanzo reminded us that making your brand craveable comes from your desire to care about others… #ShowUCare. This panel was all about putting the social back into your social media content. Vital tips from this panel for creating craveable content included:
- Understanding your goals and who you are
- Knowing your blindspots when it comes to connecting with your audience
- Showing that you care about others more than your overall mission
- Improving on communication by making it valuable
- Being transparent
When it comes down to it, the nuts and bolts of creating a craveable brand through content is to be real and talk about real things. This will give your audience insight into who you are and make your brand more craveable and relatable to the humans you are serving.
Your Story Matters: Be Honest, Be Vulnerable, Be Real
Jeff Howell @JeffHowell76
Tell your story. Jeff Howell asks and answers the question of how can you build trust with your audience? By taking a risk and sharing your story in a vulnerable, authentic and real way, you’re opening yourself to building an authentic community.
Telling your story means taking a risk to create an environment where people are free to be themselves. And that, takes some humility.
What does it mean to have a valuable relationship?
To tell your story, you have to know your audience and the types of stories that are relevant and resonate with them? Knowing your audience allows you to tailor the manner in which you deliver your message.
Be humble and truthful. Fake humility doesn’t work. They can tell. Being honest about the stories you tell will encourage others to share their truth and build a community with others. Find the stories within your organization. You can tell other people’s stories. Celebrate when a client wins! Celebrate your team members!
Don’t forget to take risks. Be unique. It might not even be a product or service you provide.
Risks could mean:
- Online ridicule
- Lack of revenue
They can also humanize your brand and:
- Spread your message
- Open infinite opportunities for relationships
There are no shortcuts in creating and building relationships need to be cultivated and it takes time.
Panel - The harsh truths about content and what to do about it with Chris Strub @ChrisStrub, Mike Alton @mike_alton, Christine Gritmon @cgritmon, and Ai Addyson-Zhang @aiaddysonzhang
We all want craveable content, and we want it now! The internet is filled with tips and tricks for quick success; however, Mike Alton, Christine Gritmon, and Ai Addyson-Zhang made it clear in their panel that content marketing takes time. In order to reach that craveable level of content, you must:
- Be consistent. Show up. Do the work.
- Be the best of who you are when creating content
- Meet people in the same arena as you (such as visiting conferences like #SMWL!)
- Focus on the quality of content rather than the quantity of it
- Always be learning ways to make your content better
Creating craveable, quality content means being a quality human being and being willing to put in the work for your customer. When it comes down to it, focus on the value of one-on-one conversations (DMs) rather than the amount of views and likes you receive.
Relatability and the Future of Marketing - Brian Fanzo
@iSocialFanz
Where is the future of marketing… relatability! Brian Fanzo hit the nail on the head with the statement that our job as marketers and business owners is to build trust with our audience. Unfortunately, trust is hard to come by. Marketers have exploited the trust and now we have to work harder to shrink that gap. How? Being more empathic. We need to inspire and teach change.
You can’t just put your head down and work to get noticed anymore. You have to tell your story to get recognized. The time to change is now. And great content is how we’re going to do that.
It’s not content for content’s sake. Today’s consumer simply does not have time for crappy content. Instead, relatability is the key. The consumer needs to know that you understand them and how to solve their problems. By relating to people, you extend trust. Empower your audience and empower your employees. The future of innovation lies in collaboration.
“Today’s consumer does not have time for crappy content.” – Brian Fanzo
Marketers need to tell stories, not to market to people. Connect with them. Give your community a window into who you are, and to provide transparency. Always default to authenticity. By doing so, you will build a connection with audiences that will drive engagement to your pages and ultimately create marketing your consumer trusts and believes in.
Building a Superpower Personal Brand - Mia Voss
@MiaVosOnTheGo
Mia Vos, shared some awesome insight into creating a craveable personal brand… quoting Dolly Parton, “figure out who you are...and be that on purpose” It’s about finding your “what,” living large, and having fun.
“Live large, have fun.” - Mia Voss
Take time to think about your unique brilliance proposition, or the “soul” that defines your personal brand. Identify what makes you stand out. Need help figuring this out? Use this formula:
Your Accomplishments + Your Secret Sauce = Your Unique Brilliance Proposition!
After you have discovered your “what,” and the unique soul of your personal brand. It’s time to put your personal brand into action with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, which are:
- Be impeccable with your word
- Speak with integrity
- Do what you say you will do
- Set boundaries and stick with them
- Don’t take things personally
- Your personal brand is not for everyone
- It’s not about you
- Focus only on what works
- Don’t make assumptions
- Communicate clearly
- Reduce conflict
- Ask clarifying questions
- ALWAYS do your best
- Focus on only YOUR best
- Know that results may vary
- Remember that comparison is a crusher
Overall, business culture and strategy tends to focus on action and assertiveness rather than reflection. Mia showed us that by taking the time to discover who you are and who you want to serve, you are on your way to building a meaningful personal brand and even more meaningful relationships.
Day 2
Creating a Craveable Social Media Workflow - Jessika Phillips, Brian Williams, Jacquelyn Beckner, Betsy Lee
Day two of Social Media Week Lima 2019 began with a panel of our own featuring Jessika Phillips, Brian Williams, Jacquelyn Beckner and Betsy Lee. We shared a behind-the-scenes peek into the processes we take at NOW Marketing group to create a craveable social media workflow.
Where to start? Getting to know clients and their audience is a key part to our craveable secret sauce. We are always working to make sure social content aligns with client buyer personas, or the semi-fictional representations of people with whom you’re trying to do business. Knowing their pain points, their daily life, language, and what kind of content will relate to them sets down the strong foundation required for a craveable brand.
Another secret ingredient to NOW’s craveable workflow is getting clients involved in what we do. Whether it’s highlighting an employee on social media or providing a sneak peek into the daily workflow of a company, NOW always encourages showing the smiling faces behind the logo with fun ideas including:
- Sharing employee birthday posts
- Posting pictures of company holidays and parties
- Going live at a company event
- Hosting fun contests that get customers involved
After posting engaging content, it’s time to start building those meaningful relationships through consistent engagement with followers and fans. While likes and views are good to see, it’s ultimately that true one-on-one engagement we keep as a top priority.
Next, the team broke down the steps for developing some sweet social media content. When it comes to generating craveable social media posts, it’s important to keep the 4-E rule in mind. Meaning your posts should either Entertain, Engage, Educate, or define you as an Expert in your field. You can take a look at our fun 4-E infographic here. When we are working on our social plan, we also keep the 10:4:1 rule in mind to create 15 posts for the month. The ratio breaks down to 10 posts from third-party sources, 4 from your blogs, and 1 should include a landing page and a sales pitch. You can click here to learn more about this handy formula.
Lastly, NOW dished out some tips and tricks for your content. If you’re looking to create more eye-catching photos and visual graphics for your social pages, Marketing Manager Betsy Lee highly recommends using sites like Canva or RelayThat to turn up your craveable game. If you’re looking for cool social images to download, you can try any of these stock image sites:
All of these tips and tricks from the NOW team can help you build the craveable brand of your dreams. If you are looking for more insights from the NOW squad, check out our blog page!
Creating Craveable Messenger Marketing - Kelly Noble Mirabella
@Stellar247
“You got to have fun when you got bots hun, cuz baby got bot!”
Kelly Noble Mirabella brought the fun as she taught the audience how to create a more craveable chatbot experience. When it comes to chatbots, people think they’re annoying, boring, and that they trick you. However, chatbots have the potential to provide personalized interactions like never before.
Start putting some energy into your chatbot to make it less boring for your customers! Use a genuine voice that connects to the real people behind the screen. Don’t be afraid to have fun and use emojis, too! This is a great opportunity to make those important, human connections.
Remember: you got to have fun when you got bots hun, cuz baby got bot!
Also, your fans want to know more about you, your mission, and what’s going on with your brand. This is where chatbots can really amp up the craveable factor. Celebrities utilize chatbots all the time to connect with their fans and let them in on what’s happening in their lives, and this makes their fans go crazy! So, think of your brand as a celebrity. This will allow you to give them insider details, let them get to know you, make them feel special, and build community.
Know that there is more to your chatbot than just promotional content, too. Be sure that your potential subscribers know what they are getting into and what to expect from your brand. Follow through with your brand promises and then delight your fans again using the same formula. Overall, RESPECT your audience, even if it means making it easy for them to unsubscribe if they find your brand is not for them.
Statement of Worth - The Essential Brand Value Your Company Your Company Desperately Needs and Customers Can’t Resist - Angus Nelson
@AngusNelson
What is worth? What is the worth of your brand? Is it the worth of your physical product and its monetary value? These are the intriguing questions that kick-started Angus Nelson’s session. When it comes down to the worth of your brand, it’s all about knowing yourself, your mission, and the community of people you want to serve. When it comes to worth, you need to spell it out:
Who are you trying to reach?
Your product is one thing, but your customers are why you get up every morning. Find your market. Then find a niche within that niche. It’s critical to start speaking to the individuals you are trying to reach. This means digging into the demographics and finding that unique market that matches your soul and your mission.
Opportunity
Take the opportunity to make your product irresistible in your unique market. Cultivate a brand that has the soul, leaders, mastery, and expertise needed to serve and empathize with your market.
Relationship
Remember that your brand is all about building relationships. If you don’t care for your market then someone else will. Your brand has to provide empathy, connection, belonging, cause, and customer-centric marketing. Keep in mind that you are building something more than a product. You are building a community that will advocate for your mission and your brand.
Thinking
You have to belief in the power of your brand. It’s all about the mindset, energy, and the impact you bring to it. This is the part where you need to learn, grow, and create momentum in your mission. Your brand is worth it and you are worth it.
Heart
Lastly, your brand has to have heart. You need to be a brand worth loving, a brand that helps, and a brand that is human. It is not your ultimate goal to be the hero. It’s not about you. It’s your goal to be the Yoda that empowers the Luke Skywalkers of your market!
“Be the Yoda. Empower Luke” - Angus Nelson
After spelling it out, Angus gave us a much different perspective on providing worth to your customers. You have to have a good grasp on your mission and the community you want to help and raise up.
Facebook Groups: How to Grow Your Backyard Party - Bella Vasta
@Bellas_Pets
Bella “Be the Destination” Vasta shared with us some strategies for growing Facebook groups. Why Facebook groups, you may ask? Well, because of the amazing engagement you get with your audience. While pages receive up to four percent for engagement, groups receive more than 60 percent! That deserves repeating… groups receive more than 60 percent engagement versus four percent on your pages!
How? You have to be the destination!
You need to make your Facebook group the place to be. Bella used the idea of a backyard party to explain what she meant by that. She said that while a backyard party is exclusive to the guests, it’s something that is heard throughout the neighborhood. People can hear it, even see some of it, and it makes them want to attend.
“Be the destination!” – Bella Vasta
But, you have to decide what kind of party it’s going to be. A kid’s birthday party is different than a beer and brats cookout. You have to know who is going to attend and be the destination for that person.
In addition, you have to know what value the party offers and you have to find a way to keep the party going. What are you going to offer and continue to serve to your party to keep it going. What does this mean for your brand… invite others to join the group who might find value in making connections with others who are already engaged. Provide valuable and meaningful content so your “guests” are finding purpose in belonging. And keep engaging! The more active your group members become, the more they’ll want to keep coming back.
When your Facebook group is the destination, you’ll have people excited to join you and if you keep serving them, they’ll stay. Then you can direct them to your brand.
Panel: How small businesses are creating #Creaveable social content that grows ROI
Led by Mike Gingerich @mike_gingerich with panelists Terry Duperon @GoodPeopleGoods, Sara Anderson @sarassweetslima, and Dan Muhlenkamp @PreferredInsCtr
During our final panel we heard from a couple local small business owners on how they create the social media content that their audiences crave. Led by Mike Gingerich, we listened to Sara Anderson from Sara’s Sweets, Terry Duperon from Good People Goods, and Dan Muhlenkamp from Preferred Insurance Center.
The first thing the panel talked about was the platforms they used. They all agreed that you have to focus on the platforms that work for you.
Terry spoke about giveaways on Instagram and using them to drive engagement with others.
Sara shared how she uses demonstration videos to teach people. And, she also uses Facebook to build support and engagement from fans for her themed days.
Dan and the rest of the panel also shared how they are using live stories to get feedback and engagement from customers and clients so they can learn more about what they want. These features allow you to poll followers and ask them specifically what things they’d like to see and give users the ability to ask direct questions.
They also use their social media accounts to experiment and determine what works with their audience and uses their platforms to speak directly with their audiences.
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Social Media Week Lima was an epic experience and we learned so much that this was just a tiny sampling of all the great takeaways that were shared.
Did you attend Social Media Week Lima this year? What did you learn? We’d love to hear what you took away from the conference.
You won't want to miss Social Media Week Lima's 2020 conference as we are taking a deep dive into becoming #Unfiltered: Growing your Brand Through Genuine Authenticity and Community. Experience the conference first-hand at the very best pricing... click here >> to reserve your tickets. Hope to see you next year!
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