Social Media Day 2019 Recap

Social Media Day San Diego took place at the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Beach on June 28th, 2019, in anticipation of “World Social Media Day” on June 30th. 

Attendees were given the chance to discover the latest social media trends in the world of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Video, Social Ads, and Influencer Marketing! Sponsored by agora pulse, this year’s Social Media Day San Diego featured social media industry professionals from the likes of Owen Video, Tyler Anderson, and Pat Flynn.

IMI sent our Social Media team to attend and soak in all there is to learn about Chatbots, YouTube Ads, User Generated Content, Podcasting, and more. Here were our team’s favorite takeaways:

Takeaway: Gina Ingoglia | Facebook Groups

With all the recent updates Facebook’s been making to their platform in order to be transparent, there’s an emphasis around community. Facebook Groups are designed for people to feel a sense of community where they can share their opinions and communicate freely with people who have similar interests. This sense of community that admins want to facilitate creates trust amongst Facebook users. There are a plethora of categories of groups on Facebook; recently engaged, local runners, local dog walkers, etc. You name it- there’s a group for it! Keynote speaker Bella Vasta is a Facebook Group Expert and shared tips on how to use Facebook Groups in order to convert members into sales by becoming an expert with this Facebook feature.

1. Slide into those DMs of any member if there’s something you want to know more about
2. Be active in the group and comment, react to posts 
3. Provide value to group members through your engagement

In a digital age, people are craving authenticity. People enjoy personal messages and responding to comments on their posts. Building trust with users in a Facebook Group will show them the value of your product or service because they know you and they feel comfortable with you. Your referrals and comments come from honesty and compassion to help people make impactful decisions.

The push for community from Facebook will lead to an increase in group membership and engagement within the next year. Don’t miss out on knowing how your users enjoy your product/service and learn how you can improve. Take the time to create a Facebook Group about your business and allow that community to build. Over time, you will learn more about your customers in this trusted, shared space and what they want from your business. In the end you can make smart and impactful decisions on your business and how you want people to think about your business. 

Takeaway: Alli Gross | YouTube Ads

Considering YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine and the 2nd most trafficked site behind Google, it should come as no surprise that two talks from Social Media Day San Diego were dedicated to YouTube. The biggest takeaway of which being, if you aren’t already on it, you need to be! The statistics are staggering with over 1.9 billion logged-in users visiting YouTube each month and over a billion hours of video watched every day. Sadly, however, only 9% of small businesses report that they use YouTube as part of their social media strategy. 

If your small business is part of the 91% of those who don’t have YouTube integrated into your social media strategy, you can develop a presence easily and (relatively) inexpensively through the use of YouTube Ads. Here are some quick tips from the YouTube Ads track speaker, Owen Video:

1. Set up an Ad account.
2. Create a G.R.E.A.T. script. 
   • Grab Attention
   • Restate the problem
   • Explain your solution
   • Actual Proof (Reviews, UGC, etc.)
   • Tell them what to do next (CTA)
3. Make the video 30+ seconds long. (You only pay if the user watches for 30 seconds or longer OR clicks on the video!)
4. Test. Test. Test.

YouTube ads offer the most bang for your buck and are reporting to bring a higher ROI than TV in 77% of studies. With odds like that, what do you have to lose?

Takeaway: Danielle Savich | Facebook Messenger Bots

Since late 2014, the monthly active user count for messaging apps has steadily surpassed that for social networks. With over 1.4M monthly active users on Messenger and over 20B messages between business and users every month, it’s evident messenger has become the go-to solution for customers wanting to contact a company. With so many communications daily on messenger, chatbots are essential to make sure all communications are being handled. 

Not sure where to start when setting up a Facebook messenger bot? Natasha Takashai, Founder of School of Bots, explained the five steps to get started:

1. Implement One Use Case at a Time – What actions are you trying to promote users to take? Whether that’s promoting users to continue shopping, reevaluate their abandoned cart or use a special offer promo code, be sure to only test one at a time for at least a week to determine significance. 
2. Take What’s Working Well and Replicate It – Utilize your content or special offers that are already performing well with customers, and position it as an evergreen offer to users through your bot.
3. Capture Additional Details – After a customer has engaged with your chatbot, ask for their email or phone number to send them more information, promos or special offers in the future. 
4. Test as Many Entry Points as You Can – Don’t rely on one entry point to grow your audience. Continue to test other entry points such as Facebook Messenger ads, adding a button on your website, including a customer chat widget on your website, etc. With thousands of entry points out there, play around to find the entry points that work best for your company. 
5. Add More Tools to Your Stack – Once you’ve mastered your chatbot strategy, start incorporating some more tools. Some tools to play around with are Nifty Images, Dialogflow and Integromat. 

Utilizing the steps above will help guide your business to success with chatbots. With over 40M+ businesses active on Messenger, chatbots have become the new standard for users to communicate with a company so don’t wait any longer and start chatting today! 

Takeaway: Kristin Gross | Podcasts

Is podcasting the new blogging? Well, that’s the opinion of many marketers including renowned marketer and author, Seth Godin. Just like blogs, podcasts are used as a platform to connect with a greater community and share content and ideas. With 51% of the population currently listening to podcasts, they provide an opportunity to get your name or brand out to a larger audience. At Social Media Day San Diego, Smart Passive Income host, Pat Flynn, spoke about podcasts and how to use them as leverage to grow your business and gain more exposure. He presented some interesting insights and statistics regarding podcasting and it’s benefits. 

Here are 5 benefits of podcasting that you may not have realized before:

1. It’s a brilliant asset for networking – Podcasting presents ways to build relationships within your industry that you may not have had the opportunity for without it – guest blogging is a great example of this. 
2. A deeper connection with your audience and customers – Ensure you are telling amazing stories that make a lasting impression on the listener. Building trust and loyalty with your audience is also key for a successful podcast.
3. Content can become evergreen – Just as blogs can become evergreen, so can a podcast. This is mainly due to “binge listening” from new users, an old podcast can become new again to someone who has just started listening to a podcast for the first time.
4. Monetization – This is the most important benefit for many. Podcast listeners are a slightly more affluent demographic with 51% of listeners having an annual household income of $75k, compared to just 38% of the population. In addition, 54% of podcast listeners are more likely to buy from brands they hear advertised. Other ways you can monetize your podcast is through affiliate partnerships, sponsorships and advertising. Just be careful to ensure that these partnerships feel authentic to the audience. 
5. Influencing people and changing lives – Last, but certainly not least (and my personal favorite benefit), podcasts can help influence positive change and make an impact on someone else’s life. Inspiring others and making meaningful connections sounds like a pretty amazing benefit!