Another Rocks Digital Marketing Conference is now in the record books and as usual, I learned so many new things that will help me be even better able to serve my clients. I always wish that I could clone myself for the day – then I could attend ALL of the break-out sessions.
Each year conference organizers Lissa Duty and Bernadette Coleman bring together the brightest minds in digital marketing to educate attendees on the latest and greatest in local, social and mobile – and Rocks Digital 2017 certainly continued the tradition!
This Live Blogger’s 5 Takeaways from Rocks Digital 2017
This is year 4 for me to live blog for this annual conference and write the final wrap-up post for you to read. Here are just a few of the highlights from the 27 presentations that attendees enjoyed at this two-day conference.
1. From Digital Mapping to BLE Beacons and More
If you are a business that does work with local clients, there were a number of really good speakers who covered everything from Digital Mapping and Geo-Targeting to BLE Beacons (and I didn’t know Beacons existed until I read Edgar’s live-blog about it)!
So, what’s this live-blogger’s last word this year? Actually I have two words: goals and tools. In his Rocks Talk, Dean Lindsay talked about Big Phat Goals right out of the gate. This theme recurred throughout the conference: The importance of goal-setting and the importance of being able to measure progress.
2. Your Goals? Write Them Down
I’m sure most of us have heard that people who write down their goals achieve them more consistently. Part of that is because writing them out helps you get clear about what you want to accomplish. Another part of it is having something to go back to and measure your success. Katy Katz talked quite a bit about social media goals, metrics and measuring in her session.
3. Understand the Importance of Tools
The way to measure your success? Utilize tools! I know that so many times, small business owners can feel like they can’t get what they need without spending a lot of money. But as Beth Kahlich pointed out in her workshop, one of the key reasons to use Google Analytics is because it’s FREE.
While it can be great to get a pro’s advice, sometimes you can find some interim measures until your business grows to the point of being able to afford to hire a professional. John Nosal talked about a number of digital marketing audit tools, and I’m already putting them to use and gaining some really valuable insights.
4. Start with Free and Go from There
Many tools have a free version, and you can use that to start with. It will help you determine how important it is for you to have the paid, premium features. And often, if you search a bit, you can find a free version of another tool that does something similar, so stay alert for options. Bill Hartzer shares a few tools to check out for on-page and off-page SEO.
And sometimes, even when you pay for a tool you can do so in a budget-conscious fashion. For instance, Joe Youngblood talked about how to dominate on Facebook for less than $100 a month.
5. The Most-Key Takeaway …
So, this live-blogger’s real last word is this, and this is from the heart – you’re missing out if you don’t attend the Rocks Digital Marketing Conference. If you can’t make it live, please be sure to read all the live blogs. While I only mentioned a few in this post, there are a total of 19 you should read. (Here’s the link to access all the Rocks Digital 2017 live blogs!)
This isn’t a matter of self-promotion on my part; I sincerely believe there’s so much to be learned from the speakers that the Rocks Digital Marketing Conference brings together every year because I’ve experienced it! I’m truly honored to be asked to live-blog every year, and am looking forward to live blogging in year 5 (for me) in 2018!
Here’s What a Few Others Shared About Rocks Digital
With 250+ in attendance, I’m not the only one with takeaways! Others have already published about theirs, and here are the links: Atomic DC, Bill Hartzer and Navads.
Have you attended Rocks Digital before? Comment below and share some of your takeaways!
