If I have learnt one thing with my time involved in social media, it is that with the right strategy, there is value and opportunity for anyone interested in anything! However, before that value can be realized an individual or business must understand how social media works, develop an integrated "big picture" strategy, and understand the tools that will allow them to reach their audience.
Enter Social Media Week
Whether you are completely new to social media, or are a multi-million dollar organization, Social Media Week really does offer something for everyone! With over 25 FREE events, including workshops, collaboration sessions, and of course keynote presentations from some of the top thinkers in the field- this is proving to be an incredible event.
Social Media Week Vancouver
Social Media Week is a global event and this year we are very fortunate to have Vancouver as one of the hosting cities (Thanks Socialized!). From September 19th-24th there will be events, presentations, and celebrations all over Vancouver in many different social media fields.
Oh yea, did I mention it's FREE! My recommendation is to head over to the Social Media Week Vancouver site and check out the schedule- find an event that your interested in and make it happen! What do you have to lose? You can decide if you want to participate more in other events after your first experience.
I have had the opportunity to interview a few of the leaders involved in Social Media Week Vancouver and below you can check out what they have to say about the event and the week itself! But first I want to share some of my tips to get the most out of an amazing week like this!
Get the Most out of Social Media Week
- Follow the #SMWVan Hashtag Leading up to the Event–
- Jump into the conversation, engage, build relationships
- This a great opportunity to begin building relationships with other people who will be attending the event, creating a community before you the first day arrives
- Follow the Event/Session Specific Hashtag
- Contribute your thoughts, learnings, and perspectives
- Don't be Shy, Introduce Yourself!
- Social Media is all about building relationships, you will be remembered if you initiate introductions and show genuine interest
- Document, Document, Document
- Whether this means taking personal notes, snapping a few pictures, or maybe even doing some video interviews- this can be powerful content that may come in handy down the road. Here is a post on the power of documentation and social media
- Follow up with the Great Connections you Made
- Another huge benefit of social media is the ability to do the little things well and go above and beyond the norm. If you met a great connection take the time to send them a follow up tweet, email, or even get more creative with a blog post comment or incorporating them into your blog post!
- Use a Strategic Lens
- At the end of the day you have to relate all of the information and learnings back to what you want to accomplish- keep this in mind throughout the event and continue to build and incorporate into your strategy!
What do you think?? What are your tips for getting the most out of events? Are you planning on headed to Social Media Week? What are you looking forward too? What would you change? Please take a second to hop down and leave me a note in the comments, I greatly appreciate it and hearing from you is why I love writing!
Okay! Here is what the experts are saying about Social Media Week Vancouver !
