Social Media Week Lima 2024, the eleventh year of our annual conference, took place on June 19 + 20, 2024, and we are still riding the amazing energetic high!
We are amazed by how much value was shared in just 2 short days packed with learning, laughter, relationship building, and an unforgettable emerging experience. We're thrilled to welcome over 200 incredible attendees!
Not to mention, our incredible speaker lineup blew our minds and got us ready to truly emerge into the ever-changing world of digital marketing.
There was a feeling of collaboration and creativity in the air between all of the attendees, speakers, sponsors, and NOW team members! It truly was one of the most interactive and community-oriented years we have ever had for our conference, and it was clear to see that everyone was in Lima to connect.
Here are our top takeaways from Social Media Week Lima 2024!
Day 1
Building your Brand Roots to Blossom Your Business Success
Jessika Phillips
- Sometimes we can feel that taking people back to our roots can be embarrassing.
- We feel like those parts of our story can define us
- When times look dark, remember what YOU were created to be.
- Plant desires and nurture them
- Embrace the journey. The bad moments allow you to appreciate the good.
- Mindset matters: garbage in = garbage out
- Know what you’re created to be and repeat it often
- Gratitude mindset: speak goodness wherever you go
- Feed your soul what you want to create
- Create your brand manifesto: LINK
- Activate your purpose and align it with your belief
- Relationships are the currency of business
- Experiences are the way the transaction is exchanged.
- Building the right relationships is essential to our growth.
- ROOTS -
- Relationships we create
- Opportunities we take
- Obstacles we overcome
- Testimonies we tell
- Stories we share
“Your path may not always be clear, but the key is to keep showing up.” - Jessika Phillips
What Getting Smacked By A Tree Taught Me About AI And The Future Of Technology
Mark Suter
- AI is exciting, but it’s dangerous
- ELI5 = Explain like I’m 5
- Only experts can do ELI5
- Dunning-Kruger Effect - the ELI5 version: The Dunning-Kruger effect is when people who don’t know much think they know a lot, like when someone who doesn’t know how to tie their shoes thinks they’re really good at it. And sometimes, people who are really good at something might think they’re not as good because they know how much there is to learn.
- LLM (Large Language Models) - Models trained on immense amounts of data making them capable of understanding and generating natural language and other types of content
- Education - Hyper personalized, change what we’re educating for
- Prompt engineering - Writing and refining commands given to ai to get what you want.
- Prompt chaining - Using the result of one prompt to add to or refine the next prompt
- AI Hallucinations - When an AI begins to make up stuff not in line with reality.
- AI Accuracy - You must check the information for errors
- If AI CAN augment your job, it WILL.
- How do you get over the anxiety of AI? PLAY with it. Not necessarily for work. Have fun with it.
"If you're training for things that AI can do, you’re setting up people for failure against AI, or people using AI. How do you get over the anxiety of AI? PLAY with it. Not necessarily for work. Have fun with it." - Mark Suter
Leveraging AI Tools for Successful LinkedIn Content Creation
Judi Fox
- AI cannot be me, but can be leveraged to assist us
- Generative Al has the highest predicted usage increase in the next year
- LinkedIn already has AI
- Interact with AI Articles
- Step 1 – Pick ONE “top voice” Topic www.linkedin.com/pulse/topics/browse/a/
- Step 2 – Contribute to 3 Different Articles
- Step 3 – Get Likes
- Step 4 – Follow LinkedIn feedback
- LinkedIn Newsletters ARE surviving the AI Newsfeed Changes
- "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast“ the Algorithm
- Outwit = SEO, Generative AI Search Results
- Outplay = Embed Video, Podcast Players
- Outlast = Visibility from Notifications + Email
- Leverage AI on LinkedIn
- Content – AI can draft LinkedIn Newsletters & Videos
- Marketing Data – AI can create strategy from your LinkedIn analytics
- Lead Generation – AI can identify leads & track follow up tasks
- AI amplifies human creativity
- AI is powerful, but the core of LinkedIn is still Human Connection & Storytelling
- Stay “AI”daptable
"Change will happen! Stability comes from radically owning your response." - Judi Fox
Authenticity with Personal Branding Content
Jeff Howell
- Creating Your Authentic Personal Brand
- Know Thyself
- Take the time to reflect on your values, passions, strengths, and quirks. What makes you tick? What sets your soul on fire? What makes you, well, you? Embrace your uniqueness--flaws and all--and let it shine through in everything you do.
- Define your why
- Take a moment to ponder: Why do you do what you do? What drives you to get out of bed every morning and tackle the world with gusto? Your "why" is your North Star--let it guide you on your personal branding journey.
- Be consistent
- Consistency is key in personal branding. Authenticity isn't a one-time act--it's a lifelong commitment.
- Know Thyself
- Bringing Your Brand to Life
- Tell Your Story
- Share your journey, your triumphs, your failures, and everything in between. Don't be afraid to get vulnerable--embrace your scars, share your struggles, and let your authenticity shine through in every chapter of your story.
- Cultivate Your Online Presence
- Take the time to curate a cohesive, authentic presence across all your digital platforms. From your LinkedIn profile to your Instagram feed, make sure every piece of content reflects your personal brand and resonates with your audience.
- Engage Authentically
- Take the time to engage authentically with your audience, whether it's responding to comments, participating in discussions, or sharing valuable insights. Authenticity isn't just about what you say--it's also about how you listen. Be genuinely interested in your audience's thoughts, opinions, and feedback.
- Tell Your Story
- Amplifying Your Online Presence
- Cultivate a Cohesive Digital Footprint
- Ensure that your online presence, from your website to your social media channels, reflects your authentic personal brand. Maintain a consistent visual identity, tone of voice, and messaging across all digital platforms.
- Leverage Social Media Strategically
- Actively engage with your audience on social media, sharing valuable content, participating in discussions, and building meaningful connections. Use social media to showcase your expertise, share your story, and foster a sense of community.
- Embrace the Power of Blogging
- A well-crafted blog can be a powerful tool for personal branding, allowing you to share your insights, expertise, and unique perspective with your target audience. Use your blog to deepen your connection with your audience and position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Leverage Video Content
- Video content has the power to bring your personal brand to life, allowing you to showcase your personality, authenticity, and communication skills. From live streams to pre-recorded videos, leverage this medium to engage your audience and amplify your message.
- Cultivate a Cohesive Digital Footprint
- The Authenticity Mindset
- Embrace Imperfection
- Authenticity doesn't mean perfection. Embrace your flaws, quirks, and vulnerabilities, and let them shine through in your personal brand. Imperfection makes you relatable and human.
- Stay True to Your Values
- Your values are the foundation of your authentic personal brand. Align your actions, content, and decisions with your core beliefs to maintain a sense of integrity and trust with your audience.
- Cultivate Self-Awareness
- Ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness are crucial for maintaining an authentic personal brand. Regularly check in with yourself, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and make adjustments as needed.
- Embrace Vulnerability
- Vulnerability is a superpower in personal branding. By sharing your fears, struggles, and personal experiences, you create deeper connections and demonstrate your authenticity.
- Embrace Imperfection
"Authenticity is the key to building a strong personal brand. Consistently embodying your values and staying true to your authentic self, you can earn the trust and loyalty of your audience." - Jeff Howell
Cultivating Opportunity: Growing Community and Economy
John Heaphy
>>> Watch John's session
Geared for Growth: Making Your Monstrous Impact Through Social Media
Bryce Kenny
Started off in drag racing now a monster truck driver; “Finding your next G.E.A.R.”
- Momentum is your friend
- You learn how to drive a monster truck from a podcast or a youtube video, it takes mentorship and hands on training
- We must recommit to mentorship “I need someone who can see the future with me in it.”
- Grow, experiment, assault their senses, risk it for the biscuit
- “What you don’t know costs you the most.” Experiment in life to get unstuck and commit to personal growth.
- Make memories and not ego; be careful of getting your ego inflated
- Know your reward and what you’re working towards and understand what is at stake
“I’ve become obsessed with finding out what gets people stuck in life, and then helping them find their next gear.”
“In monster jam, sometimes you’re lucky, and sometimes you’re good”
“you cannot fuel others from an empty jug” - Bryce Kenny
>>> Watch Bryce's session
The Root of Success for Your Business
Terry Weaver
- Good leaders tend to hide their magic; your brand and your uniqueness is the most powerful thing you have in the business.
- Make it clear what you do and what your business does.
- A.W.A.R.E: Awareness, work, admin, revenue, exposure
- Assess where your time is going, stop wasting time on things that aren’t pushing growth (you need to think about what’s next)
- Have a mission that’s so clear that you know exactly why you’re getting out of bed in the morning / Get hungry about YOUR THING , YOUR BUSINESS , ETC
"Your brand and your uniqueness are the most powerful things you have in the business" - Terry Weaver
>>> Watch Terry's session
Panel: Live your Purpose & Impact the World Positively through your Business with a 3P Focus
Mike Gingerich, Tyrone Russell, Chad Peterson, Jamie Staples, Jena Stearns
- “3P Arena”
- People impact
- Planet impacts
- Foster human connections, value customers that spend 1 dollar just as much as customers who spend 100 dollars; lean into sustainability- use products that are renewable and biodegradable when available; see people and help them to be heard
- Start small rather than trying to conquer too much at once.
- Interactions grow businesses
“We have the opportunity everyday to make a difference with our business.” - Mike Gingerich
“Positivity is contagious” Jena Stearns
“The best way to take care of the planet is to take care of the people around you.” - Tyrone Russell
>>> Watch this session
Getting to Page One on Google: Winning SEO for Your Business
Rich Brooks
- Seo circa 1998 was print newsletters; true og seo content
- Ai’s impact on Search, Ai’s overview- There’s no organic result until scrolling further down on the page. (example gemini)/ we are on a new playing field with SEO 2024
- Focus on your money making pages- SEO Is not a set it and forget it type of strategy anymore
- Focus on Buyer personas using chatgpt to research specific industries
- Use the relevant words that our ideal customers are searching, use tools like chatgpt and market muse to breakdown top search results and build more relevant personas
- Use power words, don’t repeat words over and over again too much though
- Most important word placement is IN THE TITLE , have 1 H1 TAG PER PAGE
- OPTImize site pages first and then start to focus on inbound links-
- Have https not http
- Slow pages gonna ping you in search links and broken links can be a bad user experience
- Create specialty landing pages
"Start with you money-making pages, highest converting pages, service pages.” - Rich Brooks
>>> Watch Rich's session
Navigating Compliance Challenges: Crafting a Humanized Social Media Plan for Engagement & Growth Success
Izabela Bos
- Make sure you are collaborating with legal teams
- Research your industry, research your clients, follow the rules
- Create a committee if you don’t have a legal team, have people review
- Be Creative but compliant
- A gold fish has an attention span of 9 seconds, a human has an attention span of 8.2 seconds. Gold fish are smarter than us
“Lawsuits associated with social media posting can be anywhere from 1,000 to 30,000 dollars per like.” - Izabela Bos
>>> Watch Izabela's session
How Podcasting Can Be A Content-Generating Machine
Katie Brinkley
- Podcasting is an effective content generating machine and strategy
- Played a pre famous ed sheeran song for us. He had to listen to eminem bc he had a stutter
- Top 1% globally top 6 all time chart
- Be consistent- The average podcast lifespan is only 6 episodes; don’t get the pod-fade
- What do you want to get out of podcasting- know this before you start
- Podccasting can build trust
- Podcasting attracts the RIGHT people to be your fans
- Don’t create content just to create content
“When you have an audio strategy as part of your marketing plan, you’re going to build trust faster than other methods out there.” - Katie Brinkley
>>> Watch Katie's session
Go Deep with Your Video Audience BEFORE They are Customers (and actually make more revenue!)
Owen Video
- YouTube is made to sell products
- 5 Rules to Dominate YouTube:
- (Rule #1)Think Like a Soap Opera
- (Rule #2) Think Like Netflix (Make multiple videos on a topic to create binge-watching)
- (Rule #3) Think Like a SITCOM
- (Rule #4) Think Like Adam Sandler
- (Rule #5) Think Like Friends - Time spent on the platform is what YouTube executives care about. They want binge-watching sessions.
- Create a SILO (several videos under the same topic.) Similar titles.
- Find a word that you want to be known for.
- Record 8 videos in 1 day. 4 horizontal videos and 4 vertical videos. This will give you a month of content publishing twice a week.
- Showcase your product as the solution to the problem.
“YouTube executives care about time spent on the platform. The best way to achieve that is by creating binge-watching sessions on your channel.” - Owen Video
>>> Watch Owen's session
Rooted in Purpose: Aligning Your Passions with Your Life’s Mission
Marc Bowker
- Show up as the best version of yourself every moment
- What is you
- 3 components to hopes
- Inner-net vs internet
- Spend more time on the inner-net and less time on the internet
- What do we love and what are we good at doing and where do they overlap?
- We discover by doing
“Purpose gives us hope.” - Marc Bowker
>>> Watch Marc's session
Day 2
Implementation – The Art of Using What You Learn
Roger Wakefield
- Why do certain people grow on YouTube?
- The Thumbnail grabs attention
- The Title Opens the Door
- Implementation - Lean something, walk out and do something with it
- What do you expect to learn?
- What is it going to do for you?
- What are you here for:
- Consistency - show up over and over
- Calendar - Creator this so you can stick to it
- Community - Turns customers into community
- Instant Success
- This is not a thing!
- You have to implement
- It takes WORK
- START
- Pick One Thing - Act on it
- New Top of Funnel
- Create Evergreen Content
- If you’re a specialist in something, create content around that, do things others can’t
- Own Social Media - Take long form content and repurpose it in different areas
- How Can You W.I.N. Social Media?
"Don’t attend an event and leave without a plan to act. You can drink from a firehose, or you can focus on something and do it first. " - Roger Wakefield
>>> Watch Roger's session
Digging Deep to Find Your Core Competency
Jennifer Brogee
- Underground, trees are much bigger than what you see on the surface
- How to find your core competency:
- Your strengths & skills
- Your values
- Your working style
- The unique contribution you (& your organization) make to the world
- Self-leadership requires first understanding one’s strengths, values, and assets and finding the opportunities that match them. - Peter Drucker
- How to find your strengths?
- Reflected Best Self (RBS) method by Roberts
- Identify those who know me well
- Collect feedback of when they saw me at my best
- Search for common themes
- Compile a self-portrait that portrays my strengths
- Create a plan to build on those strengths
- Assessments
- Personality style - Myers-Briggs
- Strengths Finder
- Other various assessments
- Feedback self-analysis
- Keep a journal of decisions you make and projects you work on
- As time goes on, note which ended in success and which did not, and why
- Your Values
- What is important to you, and does it match the organization’s values?
- What problems do you want to solve?
- How do you want to be part of the solution?
- Your Working Style - What environment brings out your best work?
- Your strengths + values + working style + customer needs = core competency
- What makes you weird? - How can your weirdness benefit others?
"Your values must be compatible with the organization's values and/or your customers’ values in a way that both can coexist. A values mis-match will make you less effective in your work." - Jennifer Brogee
>>> Watch Jennifer's session
Don’t give me SaaS! When to pay for software and when to not.
George Witcher
- Subscriptions add up and can be expensive!
whether or not to use Saas depends on your individual needs. - Your Business Has Its ROOTS in Software!
website, crm, social media, ecommerce, etc - The web is NOT “one size fits all”
For websites: Wix (beginners) and Wordpress - WordPress is open source and you can do anything with a skilled developer and/or the right plugins.
- For ecommerce: Spotify and wordpress + woocommerce
- For Newsletters & SMS: Brevo, MailChimp & Klaviyo
- For email: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
- For Client Relations Manager (CRM): High Level, Hubspot, Salesforce or Custom
- For Social Media: Canva Pro, Agorapulse - Great for many clients, ChatGPT + Keywords Everywhere, Capcut, Google Analytics &Google Suite
- For Ads: Keyword Planner, Google Analytics, Tag Manager & Looker Studio
- For AI: ChatGPT is FREE
- For App Development: ShoutEm, AppSheet, OpenAsApp & Custom
- Assess your needs. What is a want and what is a need?
- Make sure all your needs are met. Not wants. Needs.
- Calculate your current fees and add them up over a year. Hiring a developer could save you THOUSANDS in a years time when compared to your project cost. It could also not.
- What is your “pain cost”? If something is costing you significant time and effort that is time lost that could have been used for new business.
"Hiring a developer is easy! Assess your needs and set a goal. Save money!" - George Whitcher
>>> Watch George's session
How-To Hire, Strengthen and Scale an Internal Social Media Team
Andy Pondillo
- Managing Social Media Professionals - Creating, growing and managing a team
- 57% of social media managers leave their job within 2 years.
- 29% of social media managers plan to leave their job within a year.
- 40% of social media managers believed they were able to advance.
- Why do social media managers leave? We are asking them to do ALL THE THINGS:
- Copywriting
- PR
- Graphic Design
- Photography
- Video Production
- Video Editing
- SEO
- Crisis Management
- Community Management
- Measurement and Analytics
- Are you over indexing or under indexing on skillsets necessary for your social media team?
- Do we need to cross train skillsets because we are over indexed in one area?
- Is agency help needed to fill the gap? How long do I need an agency for? How do I define roles of an agency with my team?
- Search hashtags on LinkedIn
“As a leader, your job is to manage ROI. You’re team needs you to support them, but ROI is YOUR job. Are you part of the solution?" - Andy Pondillo
>>> Watch Andy's session
Panel: Brand Building, Specifically Growing Roots and Building Engaged Communities, Consistent Strategy Development, and More
Jennifer Watson, Victoria Gonzales, Sara Anderson, April Spencer
April Spencer
- Small Local sponsorships helped her business.
- Get involved with the community anyway you can. She did it by offering art classes.
- Focus on Social Media Retention numbers. Not losing anybody.
- Block out the bad and negativity.
Victoria Gonzalez
- Be transparent with your community.
- Be transparent with your storytelling through social media.
- Look for active engagement and post more of the content that your community engages with.
- Join social media groups about your niche in your industry.
Sara Anderson
- Host free local activities (they did a bake-off contest and the upcoming Bakery Olympics)
- Try to get people something to do.
- Keep it personable. Share real personal stuff so people can relate and know that there is a person/ human behind the company.
- Take ownership of your mistakes and always do the right thing. (Story about selling chocolate/peanut butter chocolates as Chocolate/chocolate)
- Automation and email marketing will help you sell more.
- Email marketing will help you reach the right audience.
“People are relatable to vulnerability.” - Jennifer Watson
>>> Watch this session
The Art of Placement: How to Choose the Right Ad Platform for Success
Tony Christensen
- 5 levels of awareness: unaware, problem aware, solution aware, product aware, most aware
- Where does your product or service fall?
- When one platform isn’t working, test another (example facebook vs tik tok)
- If your product service is cheaper, then google can be your better option.
- Linkedin does not have as many capabilities for certain industries.
“If your product service is cheaper, then google can be a great option.” - Tony Christensen
>>> Watch Tony's session
Advanced LinkedIn Ads: How to Double Your High-Quality Traffic With the Same Budget
AJ Wilcox
- LinkedIn ads can have hyper targeting and less restrictions for hiring ads
- Thought leader ads are seeing 10x in some cases, and can be retargeted
- Document ads and posts exist as well.
- Maximum delivery bidding is the most expensive way to pay for traffic, there is cost cap bidding, as well as manual bidding which is the cheapest way to pay for traffic most of the time.
“Thought leader ads are seeing 10x in some cases, and can be retargeted” - AJ Wilcox
>>> Watch AJ's session
Understanding Platform-Specific Nuances
Nisha Kishyap
- Format matters. Search for the correct format for each platform.
- Take longer long videos and break them into snippets and use them as reels.
- DO NOT POST LINKS ON INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS/COMMENTS. They will not hyperlink.
- Use the tools that the platform is giving you. For example, use the TikTok/Instagram editor
“Know your audience & know your platform!” “Format Matters” - Nisha Kishyap
>>> Watch Nisha's session
T.E.L.L. Your Story: Secrets to Creating Your Powerful Brand Video
Ryan Koral
- Video is essential. Videos capture attention, build trust, and drive real results for your business.
- Be intentional with your videos. Create connection with your idea client by inspiring them.
- You have the tools you need. An IPhone, some basic lighting, and mic are enough to create a powerful and inspiring video.
- Ryan uses uses descript.com to edit his videos.
"Videos will help elevate your brand and inspire, it invites people into your story and into your journey.” - Ryan Koral
>>> Watch Ryan's session
Post-Conference Action Steps:
It's all too easy to get information overload after attending a conference. That's why we want to help you implement everything that you learned!
Or hey, maybe you're reading this and didn't even attend the conference! We're here to help you too! We encourage using our post-SMWL action plan below as a way to tap into the power of the ideas generated in Lima for your business!
Here is our post-SMWL24 action plan:
- Make your "critical three" list - aka write out the 3 most critical action items that you want to take as a result of listening to all of the amazing speakers. (Here's a tip for one item: join our SMWL24 Facebook Group if you haven't already!)
- Follow our speakers on social media
- Exchange phone numbers with someone you met at the conference that you'd love to have as an accountability buddy for taking action
- Revise your website copy or social media posts to be more authentically you
- It's time to open your notebook from Lima and browse back through the notes you took. It's amazing how quickly time flies and there's a good chance that you haven't been able to follow up with everyone you wanted to and/or take action on everything you had in mind when you left Lima. Now is the time to make sure you do them!
Pro tip: Put these to-do list items in your calendar. This is a great way to hold yourself accountable.
- Mark your calendar for SMWL25! Before you know it, June 18 + 19, 2025 will be here and we'll be doing this all over again!
Conferences can be overwhelming at times, and the emotional crash afterward is totally "a thing," which is why we're here to help you keep that momentum going!
Sponsors:
Our event truly would not have been everything that it was if we didn't have the generous and incredible support from this amazing lineup of businesses:
- UNOH - University of Northwestern Ohio
- Westgate Entertainment Center
- Ohio Means Jobs Allen County
- My Wood Flowers by Cruikshank Farms
- NGP Printing Professionals
- Beyond Laser Creations
- Sara's Sweets
- Lucky Limo
- Miss Mel's Bakery
- The Innovate Summit
- Red Pig Inn
- The Meeting Place On Market
- Logitech MEVO
- Biggby Coffee
Thank you SO much for all of your support! Our conference would not have been what it was without you.
What's Next:
Social Media Week Lima 2025: The theme is Meraki – Inspiring Passion & Purpose into All We Do and All We Create
Join us, June 18-19, 2025, for Social Media Week Lima, a dynamic gathering where creativity, innovation, and passion converge. This year's theme, "Meraki: Using Our Unique Heart, Spirit, and Soul in All We Do," celebrates the nature of pouring our very best into everything we undertake. Meraki, a Greek word signifying the soul, creativity, and love put into our work, will be at the heart of our discussions, workshops, and networking sessions.
Over two days, you'll connect with industry leaders, influencers, and like-minded professionals who share a commitment to excellence and authenticity in their social media endeavors. Hear from top experts and visionaries who embody the spirit of Meraki in their work.
🔵 Interactive Table Talks: Gain hands-on experience and practical skills to enhance your social media strategies.
🔵 Panel Discussions: Engage in thought-provoking conversations about the future of social media, digital marketing, and personal branding.
🔵 Networking Opportunities: Build meaningful connections with peers who share your passion for creativity and innovation.
Join us at Social Media Week Lima 2025 #SMWL25 to explore how infusing your unique flavor, heart, and soul into your work can transform your brand and your social media presence and drive lasting impact. Let’s celebrate the power of Meraki together! For more information and to register, visit our website at SocialLima.com
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