Speaking out

Yesterday I spoke on a panel about How to Use Social Media at MarketMix 2010 which was produced by the local Seattle chapters of the AMA and DMA. Our panel was well attended and it was great to engage with people at a conference from outside the social media fish bowl.  Since many of us have been deeply immersed in social media for what seems like a long time, it’s always surprising to find other marketers that are just starting out. There were many great questions, both from the crowd and our uber-moderator, Kunal Muzumdar, who kept things moving.  One of the most popular questions was for a book recommendation on learning about social media.  Although it seems like everyone in social media has a book (or at least an upcoming book deal), the one book that has had staying power for me is Join the Conversation by the inestimable Joseph Jaffe. Published 3 years ago, this book still resonates.  Jaffe is very passionate about the subject and gives  great examples of how companies are doing things right in conversational marketing.  And that means giving up control, not always being right, respecting people building relationships instead of running campaigns, listening and acting like caring human beings. And since I’ve now outed myself as a true Jaffe fan-boy, his new book, Flip the Funnel is a fantastic take on loyalty and Retention Marketing. A Must Read!

Now back to the conference

Seattle Chef Tom Douglas gave a fascinating lunch keynote in which he shared his approach to branding while he prepped a beautiful king salmon as a metaphor for his branding and connection to the local market. Fascinating speech with some great sound bites:

The conference was a big success with over 400 people in attendance, the most popular conference that we’ve had in a month of marketing/ social media conferences in Seattle.  Congratulations to conference organizer Brian Ratzliff for a splendid event.  At the end of the month, I will also be speaking on Listening at the Social Media Conference NW at Western Washington University.  I hope to see you there.

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