cabdriver reidar: prsa-sunshine-conference-2012-public-speaking-recap

I had the privilege to speak during and attend the PRSA Sunshine District Conference 2012 last week in Tampa Bay, Florida! The theme was Navigating New PR Channels.

Sunshine 2012 (or hashtag #Sunshine2012) was a fantastic conference that featured speakers in PR, Marketing, and Communications discussing brands from Coca-Cola to Playstation to local NHL team the Tampa Bay Lightning. And included an address by PRSA President Bill Murray (no, not that Bill Murray).

See all of the photos of my trip on Schipul.com & read some of the highlights below!

My Presentation ? SEO Metrics in the Real World

My presentation was on SEO Web Metrics in the Real World. Web metrics can be overwhelming, especially considering the constant changes in web trends and interfaces!

I focused on what metrics matter most when making sense of all of the data available from tools like Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools, and tips for complementing that data with offline metrics.

Major points from my presentation:

Top 5 Metrics I look at when reading Analytics reports:
1. Traffic Trends ? should mirror offline season trends
2. Sources ? including PR & social media linkbacks
3. Keywords ? branded and non-branded
4. Content ? top content & what is changing
5. Conversion Path
Test, Test, Test!
- As Ed often reminds me:??There is no such thing as a marketing argument, only a marketing test?
- Use Google URL Builder to create Campaigns to A/B test ? try to test one thing at a time, and keep iterating
My top tip for tracking offline data: Involve Sales in the process!
- Educate your sales team on SEO, and ask for their feedback on trends they are seeing and ideas for new content. They have great insight from their interactions with customers!
- Have your team who answers the phones ask prospects how they heard about you, including what term they searched in Google if possible
Remember that Rank isn?t everything!?
- Search Engine Marketing is a funnel of impressions in search, clicks through to your website, and if the content on your site is compelling enough ? conversions
- Scrutinize every part of the funnel!

View the presentation slides on Slideshare:?What Metrics Really Matter? ? PRSA Sunshine District Conference 2012

Interested in more Google Analytics training? Schipul is offering a free Intro to Google Analytics training webinar in July ? watch the?Schipul events calendar to sign up!

Insight from the Fantastic Speakers of #Sunshine2012

I got a lot of insight from the informative and actionable content from all the speakers throughout the conference. A few major trends from the conference speakers:

1. ?Brand Control? is moving to the consumers

Allyson Park -?Vice President of Corporate External Affairs, The Coca-Cola Company ? focused much of her talk on how the brand is no longer in the hands of the company ? the brand owner is now the consumer
Coke embraces this ? their Facebook page is still run by the 2 fans who created it initially!
A recent Coca Cola marketing campaign showcases the real people who love the brand ? ?Every bottle has a story? ? including this fantastic video currently shown in the India market:

2. Take advantage of technology tools, especially mobile devices

Many speakers noted new tools and technology that are becoming more and more important as part of the marketing/PR mix. This is all about using all of the tools in your toolkit. For instance: Video content is powerful and easier than ever to distribute. Social Media is a power customer service tool when used correctly.

Check out all the slides from Tony & Amber of Head of Lettuce?s presentation on the Cardinal Sins of Social Media?- including tips for tapping into your online advocates.

Mobile!

Taking advantage of mobile devices to deliver real time relevant content through mobile sites and mobile apps is becoming not just an advantage, but more and more an expectation of brands.?Here are some stats from Jody Haneke?s?presentation on the Mobile Marketing Mix:

35% of mobile workers check email before anything else ? before getting dressed or eating breakfast
53% of tablet users read news on their phone every day
Smartphone and tablet users visit more pages in a given sitting than people on a desktop
SMS still the most widely used mobile data form on the planet.

3. Content Strategy

You can?t be everything to everyone, focus on what makes sense and keep it organization.

Some great tips from?Josh Hallett of Voce Connect, who manages large amounts of content for brands like Sony Playstation:

Plan ?episodic? content that you can schedule in advance ? i.e. ?Throwback Thursday? or Employee Spotlight
Don?t host your video ? post on YouTube or Vimeo and embed, you get the advantage of the second network
Focus on your content plan ? what makes sense for your brand, don?t worry too much about platform changes
Help your visitors by telling them what is the most important item today or this week. Make your top post ?sticky? or give it more prominence ? this helps visitors navigate and helps you promote your top priority
It?s ok to share something more than once ? especially on a real time platform like Twitter. Post at a different time of day with a different call to action or perspective and monitor your results!

4. The Importance of Internal Communication

??As leaders, everything that we say or do communicates something?? ? Keynote David Grossman

David Grossman spoke on the concept that we can?t not communicate ? everything you do from how you speak to how you spend your time to body language communicates SOMETHING to the organization.?Our brains are wired to take in a scene and draw conclusions, so that?s what people do.

This is especially important as the intangible benefits matter more and more to employee satisfaction. Communication is key is leadership, including in meeting employee needs.

What do great leader communicators do?

Become Audience Obsessed
Make messages clear, compelling, & relevant
Plan your communication
Set context and make information relevant
Listen and check for understanding
Select the right vehicle
Communicate with truth & integrity
Match words & actions

I am looking forward to reading more in David?s book ?You Can?t Not Communicate?!

A Great Week in Beautiful St. Petersburg Florida!

St. Petersburg is a beautiful place with unique restaurants and fantastic art! On my trip I got to take in the Dali Museum and enjoy happy hour at the Chihuly Exhibit at the Morean as part of the conference. It was an inspiring trip inside and out!

Dali Museum Foyer - St. Petersburg Florida

Spiral staircase in the Dali Museum

Chihuly blown glass exhibit at the Morean

Thank You PRSA Tampa Bay!

Big thanks to everyone on the PRSA Tampa Bay host committee who did a fantastic job!

See all of the photos from PRSA Sunshine District Conference

cabdriver reidar

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

prsa-sunshine-conference-2012-public-speaking-recap - Schipul Blog