A Social Media Convention – Right In Our Own Backyard

The business of Social Media is BIG!

The business of TALKING about Social Media is even BIGGER!

And now, in Philadelphia, we have a Social Media Convention to call our own. On Tuesday, May 25th, Social Media Plus – Web 2.0 Business Summit will be rolling into town at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  From the looks of it, it’s going to be a jammed packed day full of information and strategy that businesses, of all sizes and scope, can take with them to fast track their Social Media efforts.

One thing I was immediately impressed with was the way they broke out the sessions – by FIVE business tracks: Executive, Sales, Marketing, Human Resources/Recruiting, and IT. This is important because Social Media for Business isn’t one size fits all. Social Media should be tailored to whatever it is you are doing and what your desired outcome is. What works for the IT department in Social Media won’t work for the Executives. No brainer, huh?

Over the past couple of years, more and more C-Level Executives have embraced Social Media. It has become clear to these Exec’s that they, too, need to open up, be present, and participate in the conversations going on around them. Read more about “How Executives Should Be Using Social Media” on this Newsweek article.

Companies have had to become more creative in generating more revenue with fewer resources. To that end, Sales & Marketing departments have been using Social Media for some time.  However, they have often struggled with measuring its effectiveness and showing monetary value for the time and resources invested.  This has been the hottest Social Media topic of them all and continues to be.

Recruiters and Human Resource departments have also stepped up their game by leveraging Social Media for talent recruitment, building employer/employee relationships, employee communications, and succession planning, too. They’ve realized the medium is a perfect place to stimulate conversations, cultivate relationships, and bridge the employer/employee dynamic.

And finally, IT departments have taken an even greater interest in Social Media these days. These guys and girls usually get it before everybody else in the company. But in a quickly evolving digital world, it’s important to find, understand, and implement the technologies and platforms that make sense.

I’m personally looking forward to learning new insights on the various ways these individual departments are using Social Media – and sharing that information with you on a future blog post.

Marilyn Moran is an Internet Marketing Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With more than 15 years online experience and over 10 years in developing & marketing websites and Internet communities, she has spent the past 4 years focused on Web Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media Marketing.  Additionally, she is an officer in the Philadelphia Chapter of the Social Media Club. You can reach her at [email protected]

Kelly Dunning is a Sales Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With 10 years experience in sales and marketing, she keeps Dinkum’s new accounts, and Rick, in tip-top shape.