Jump-start your conference experience by attending these interactive and practical workshops. These information-packed sessions are a great opportunity to network with fellow attendees while taking a hands-on, common-sense approach to better understanding how to integrate social, digital, and mobile tools into your existing marketing strategy in a way that is not only effective in engaging consumers, but can be used to drive bottom-line results.  These workshops are designed to create a foundation and enhance your understanding of the informative, case study presentations throughout the remainder of the conference.

*** Choose ALL FOUR for Maximum Value and Learning ***

Social Media 101 – Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Pinterest, YouTube -- What’s Out There, What’s Right For You & How To Use It Effectively

Is your business using social media marketing effectively? Is your message clear, attractive, and relevant? Are the time and money you’re spending in on social media paying off?

Your head may be spinning as you realize your business really doesn’t have as much of a focused social media marketing strategy as you hoped. Sure, maybe you have a Facebook page and maybe you’ve sent out a tweet or two, but it really doesn’t feel like any of it is having an impact on your customers and ultimately your bottom line.

Attend this powerful workshop and revamp, enhance, and plan your social media marketing strategy, including:

• Assessing the social media tools available to you
• Understanding what the current status of your online branding and social media marketing is
• Knowing what your competitors are doing in social media and other places online
• Aligning social media tools with your mission and audience to ensure you’re using the best tools for your organization
• Building the proper social media marketing strategy that will be most effective for your business

Between the time you register for this session and the time you attend, something has been updated or improved on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, or any of the other social media sites that are valuable to use for your marketing and branding. Don’t miss you chance

WORKSHOP LEADER: Melanie Nayer is an award-winning journalist and a Senior Creative Writer at SapientNitro.

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Afternoon break/lunch on your own

How To Develop Engaging Content – Video Included -- For Your Communications & Marketing Strategy: Overcoming Common Obstacles & Practical Solutions

Once you’ve chosen your communication tools, it’s the content that truly makes it all come together. It’s an ongoing commitment, but when executed well, pays big dividends and is well worth the time and effort.

Marketing communications is an especially tough road to travel with seemingly impassable obstacles. You have access to great distribution tools, but how do you go about creating compelling content that engages your audiences.

In this workshop, you will be guided through critical concepts that serve as the foundation for developing a content strategy. You’ll learn practical approaches and tips to creating content that engages with your audiences, allowing you to not only share your message, but more importantly, to create a personal connection that opens the door to ongoing interaction.

Through case study examples, you’ll experience common obstacles faced when developing marketing communications content and learn first-hand how these obstacles not only can be overcome, but in some cases, recast as opportunities.

In this compelling, hands-on workshop, you will be shown how to:

• Understand key items and utilize best practices when creating a content strategy
• Develop compelling content that will engage your audiences
• Deal with the challenges and benefits presented by inward vs. outward facing distribution
• Address expectations regarding engaging with and sharing video content and “viral views”
• Develop cost effective video content for multiple distribution channels
• Create a phased strategy for developing content, measuring success and achieving acceptance
• How to apply these approaches to your specific content needs

WORKSHOP LEADER: Denise McKee is COO at AboutFace Media Inc. AboutFace creates short-form, story-driven documentaries for online and social media marketing projects. Their directors are award-winning independent filmmakers whose work has been screened at Sundance, South by Southwest and the Tribeca Film Festival among others. Clients include Sears, Kmart, Wilson, CNH, 3M, Trek, Staples, Florida Tourism, Robert W. Baird, Quad Graphics and Can-Am.

Rave Reviews From Past AboutFace Media, Inc. Workshops:
"I love the group interaction—it forces conversation that makes me think outside the box. I’m taking back some great commentary and “arguments” to our senior leaders."

"This was so good. Great information, great collaborating, and I have tools to take home."

"Denise was great!! :) Absolutely useful! I know what my homework is now. Thanks!"

2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Afternoon stretch break.

2:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP C

Return On Influence: Understanding Your Social Media's Path To A Tangible ROI

Before you can rightly measure and then grow a hard-line return on investment from social media marketing, the proper key performance indicators (KPI's) must be identified. Your KPI’s regard the most integral pieces to the pie like your audience, message, and methodology.

Be sure to secure your spot in this interactive workshop as we address your biggest ROI concerns, as well as provide you with a deeper understanding of:

• What platforms provide the quickest avenue to true monetization of social?
• How should a business segment its time, energy, and budget to succeed the quickest and the longest on these platforms?
• What tools should a business have its tool kit for social listening, promotion creation, and analytics?
• How do you mix true brand awareness with "story selling" on social? What types of posts about your product/service are going to best drive revenue?
• Who should be responsible in the creation, execution, and measurement of your social media campaign? Where does the "buck" stop?
• What time frame should outline successful social media monetization campaigns? Should your goals be monthly, quarterly, or annual?
• Facebook 80-20 Rule to put your Content Marketing into Overdrive
• Must-Have Google Chrome Plug In for Ad Conversion
• Content/Technology/Advertising: The Three Keys to Cracking The Code on Social

WORKSHOP LEADER: As Chief Relationship Officer of Pipeline Social Media, Trey Sheneman’s main focal points include: developing new client relationships, monitoring the satisfaction of existing accounts, taking the lead on our consulting projects and forging new strategic partnerships to grow Pipeline’s market share. With experience in social media campaign management for several different industries, Trey supplies real-life experience on what works and what doesn’t in the ever-changing, data-driven social ecosystem. Our sales department relies on Trey’s ability to capture current market trends and subsequently cast a vision for where the market and the firm are headed.

Wrap up your conference experience with a hands-on workshop that will leave you inspired and ready to embark on your own social, digital, and mobile marketing journey!

Using Social Media To Convert A Crisis Into A Positive For Your Brand

With over one billion connected, social media allows every current (and potential) customer to play the role of an ambassador for your organization. Which sounds good, until it all goes bad.

One unhappy tweet, one negative Facebook status update, one dissatisfied Yelp or TripAdvisor review can spark a social media crisis with astonishing swiftness and result in a damaging effect on the brand. As such, social media can be an unforgiving place for your brand. Or, with the right finesse, it can be a very forgiving place—allowing you to amplify your service recovery and make long lasting brand fans.

In this workshop, we will:

• Review social media crisis case studies.
• Discuss key takeaways for future application.
• Detail best practices for creating an action plan to help handle social media crises.
• Explore tools & tricks for monitoring to make sure you know about impending crises before they explode.
• Dig into a hands-on handling of a simulated crisis.

The goal is for you to leave the workshop with a clear action plan to help handle a social media crisis, as well as an understanding of the various stakeholders you will need to involve in the planning process. Ultimately, this workshop will assist you with ways to act quickly and effectively if such a social media crisis were to hit your organization.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Jon Paul Buchmeyer creates and implements social & digital media campaigns, and has handled social media crises, for a range of travel, lifestyle and financial services brands. Clients have included Absolut, Ecco Domani, The Economist, Levi's, Loews Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, JDV Hotels, Rosewood’s Little Dix Bay and Jumby Bay, Samonsite, Seabourn, Wella, Wells Fargo and Whole Foods Market, among others. As a journalist, he is an expert on social responsibility, regularly contributing to Condé Nast Traveler. His blog is Poptimistic.com @jpbuchmeyer