Keep Social Fresh with Personality, Low Effort Content and Fan-Owned Social Networks

So I attended a conference last week in Florida, and actually paid attention. This is news because at most conferences I am busy typing away on my iPad, trying to keep up with the social conversations occurring with my brand, not paying attention to a word the speaker is saying. I already know how to Tweet, I know what Pinterest is, I know how to use hashtags...so I eventually tune the speaker out and go back to work --> Not with Social Fresh. Something incredible happened at this particular conference where I all of a sudden felt a need to put my iPad down for two seconds, and listen to what these incredible speakers were saying about trends and forecasts for the social media industry.

What was so different about these speakers? For one, they worked for brands that are very similar to the brands I manage. I could actually directly relate to what they were saying. Secondly, they didn't just sit there and run through social media tips that everyone has heard a million times. They actually used real world examples of issues that come up in social media, and solutions for them.

So, here are the top three things that managed to win the war between Social Fresh and my iPad:

• Personality is Essential
• Laurie Meacham of Jet Blue made excellent points throughout her presentation that a brand needs to engage with its consumers using some personality. After all, we are speaking to humans out there, not automated robots. 
• Low Effort Content = High Results
• Chris Moody of Oracle gave an awesome, humor-filled presentation on how fan generated content (low effort content) yields the most leads to conversions. Use your fans' content, and encourage them to share stories with your brand. 
• Fans Own Social
• Jessica Gioglio of Dunkin' Donuts gave great examples of DD fans engaging with the brand on social with everything from coffee cup Halloween costumes to engagement stories that involved the brand. Give your fans the spotlight, and you'll be amazed by how many stories and engagement you get.

To be honest, most of my enthrallment with the conference probably came from the fact that it validated EVERYTHING I've been trying to push with my own team. Personality IS important with a brand, USER generated content is king and you need to remember that your fans do own your channels. YES.

Number one reason I paid attention this time? ---> These presenters followed their own advice, and shared stories with personalities, instead of just selling me "facts".  Well played.

- Marji J. Sherman