19 Unmissable Takeaways From Social Media Experts at Ragan Disney 2016 (Day 1)
/19 Unmissable Takeaways From Social Media Experts at Ragan Disney 2016 (Day 1)
This week sees the 3rd Annual Social Media for PR and Corporate Communications Conference at Disney World, organised by Ragan. Two days of presentations are packed with social media advice and strategy for business. Here are X of the best takeaways from Day 1, as tweeted by its attendees using the hashtag #RaganDisney.
First to speak was Danielle Brigada on ways to measure social media ROI...
Danielle Brigada (@starfocus) is the head of social media for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS), and environmental comparisons played big in her presentation, bringing to life some really helpful social media strategies for measurement and report-building:
"Social media is an ecosystem, and a healthy ecosystem feeds itself." Great analogy from @USFWS's @starfocus #RaganDisney
— Hillary Kwiatek (@hillarykwiatek) March 9, 2016
A super handy analogy to think about the way social media works.
When on social media --Listen, Communicate, Create, Track -- you need to do them all. @starfocus #RaganDisney
— Rachel Griffin (@TravelGriffin) March 9, 2016
No good going into social media with a singular focus; communication and measuring is just as important as content creation.
From @starfocus's talk on #socialmedia #measurement - impt buckets of info to include in reports #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/3tBjKXMaaV
— Mallika Padmanabhan (@mallikarp) March 9, 2016
An easy way to break down and measure soial media ROI...
Danielle shows us a sample quarterly social media report breakdown. #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/7CMUSGnhDO
— Market Me (@marketmeja) March 9, 2016
Want to impress your bosses? Here's a sample quarterly report to mirror.
Show social media ROI with @starfocus - key takeaway: "measure what matters" - align goals with measurement tactics #RaganDisney
— Donna O'Daniels (@DODaniels) March 9, 2016
There are so many variables in a social media strategy. To make sense of it all, isolate the elements that matter most to you, and align with your goals; measure the progress against them.
Video for Social on a Budget (Why Your Smartphone is All You Really Need
Hosted by Justin Allen (@Allen_Justin), social media storyteller and CEO of Ruckus Factory. He shared some great ideas for producing compelling social video using just your smartphone. Here are some of the highlights:
On preparing to get the best footage and audio...
"When you zoom in on your phone you are taking your picture quality & making it worse." @Allen_Justin #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/61LxR6b81k
— Cristina Armand (@CristyArmand) March 9, 2016
Never zoom with a camera that doesn't have an optical lens, else you'll ruin the output.
Getting the download in the latest in video from @Allen_Justin & attn: @rodemics this guy loves you! #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/AvpwEBqTVW
— Karyn Martin (@KarynMartin) March 9, 2016
On embracing the limitations of mobile video production...
One hard and fast rule about editing on your phone: keep it simple! If it's tedious and limiting, it won't work. #RaganDisney
— Vy Spear (@ThatsVy) March 9, 2016
If you're blessed with "sausage fingers", editing on mobile for long periods could get frustrating...
For the bigger more important videos stick to editing on your computer #RaganDisney
— Market Me (@marketmeja) March 9, 2016
On producing compelling video content...
Great #socialmedia video: 1) short 2) simple but visually interesting 3) something you can't live without (at the time) #RaganDisney
— Nalini Padmanabhan (@nalinip) March 9, 2016
Think of a viral video you've seen recently. That's your benchmark and competition!
Sweet spot for videos: 30 to 45 seconds DONE! @Allen_Justin #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/BAatMRdKN5
— Nori Rodriguez (@lifewithnori) March 9, 2016
Depending on the platform, viewers will switch off if the content is too long. For a "catch all" solution, 30-45 seconds is a good length.
Best content gives viewers the "Dude, you gotta see this" effect. #RaganDisney
— PR Daily (@PRDaily) March 9, 2016
Key takeaway from @Allen_Justin - if it's not optimized for the devices, it will not be consumed. #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/LNDHtvWz6q
— Vy Spear (@ThatsVy) March 9, 2016
Preparation and planning video will result in the best results possible.
Closing Day 1 was Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications, who focused on brand journalism on social media
Mark's (@MarkRaganCEO) presentation aimed to make us change the way we approach our thinking towards the very essence of social media marketing, particularly those stuck to using the tactics of traditional media.
On creating a basis for a sound social media strategy
"Don't think like a PR or marketer in your organization, think like a journalist and create a news desk mentality" Mark Ragan #RaganDisney
— Rochelle Siegel (@MyLifesJourneys) March 9, 2016
Rather than thinking like a broadcaster, think like a journalist... make your own stories. Mark said that it isn't about creating more stories, just better ones... quality over quantity.
The new formula for ROI @MarkRaganCEO #RaganDisney pic.twitter.com/H9MqUiQWxq
— Nori Rodriguez (@lifewithnori) March 9, 2016
On optimising social media content for your audience...
Content should be relevant, useful, entertaining, targeted, shareable, discoverable, measured, strategic, crisp, jargon-free #RaganDisney
— Nalini Padmanabhan (@nalinip) March 9, 2016
The content you create should be riveting, Mark said, encouraging us to be the "Buzzfeed" for your niche.
Brand Journalism: Practice the art of "refrigerator journalism" - content so amazing you want to put it on your fridge. #RaganDisney
— Rachel Griffin (@TravelGriffin) March 9, 2016
Good brand journalism: audience centric
— PR Daily (@PRDaily) March 9, 2016
Poor brand journalism: me centric
#RaganDisney
Stop thinking about what your audience could do for you, and start thinking about what you can do for your audience.
Steps to build content strategy: 1. listen; 2. Organize content; 3. Build team and process; 4. Deliver to audiences #RaganDisney
— Laura Sipple (@lmsipple) March 9, 2016
Upon delivery of content, your voice should match your brand personality, Mark said. If you don't have a defined brand voice, just make sure to be authentic and human.
Over to you
What are your thoughts about the ideas shared by speakers on day one of the social media conference at Disney? Let me know in the comments below and check back tomorrow for day two and more words of wisdom!
Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
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