Content marketing has grown by leaps and bounds during the past five years. Unfortunately, too few event organizers fully embrace the long-tail, pull benefits of content marketing. Likewise, many conference professionals have no idea what embracing the long-tail, pull benefits of content marketing even means. It’s a foreign concept to them. Most marketing and communications teams agree that content marketing serves as the foundation to their conference marketing strategy. Still, very few … [Read more...]
10 Ideas for Improving Your Pay-to-Play Conference Presentations
There’s a place for sponsored content in conference programs, if you’re thoughtful in your approach. The seventh of the TED Commandments — “Thou shalt not sell from the stage: neither thy company, thy goods, thy writings, or thy desperate need for funding; lest thou be cast aside into outer darkness” — is especially timely advice. Why? As more sponsors embrace content marketing or thought leadership as arguably the most powerful strategy for improving attitudes and perceptions of their brand, … [Read more...]
Attract With Content; Keep Them With The Experience
The internet has made world-class content front, center, mobile and affordable—often free. Anyone can hear the best experts for free (or nearly free) on almost any device they own. Anyone can get thought leadership at their fingertips. And your conference audience does. They have access to the same information you do. They can hear, watch and read the greatest speakers anytime. Technology Disrupts Traditional Content-Driven Conferences So why should someone pay a registration fee, book a … [Read more...]
Ninja Moves for Improved Conference Session Marketing
Better session copy helps put butts in seats! As conference education trumps the exhibit hall experience at many association meetings, or creeps into your trade show experience to create a solutions-driven, holistic experience for your attendees, upping your game with session titles, descriptions, and learning objectives has become more important than ever. In 2013, we partnered with Tagoras on a research project and produced The Speaker Report. 48 percent of the 120 conference/education … [Read more...]
Betsy Bair Joins Velvet Chainsaw
VCC is excited to welcome Betsy Bair, Vice President, Strategic Narratives to the Velvet Chainsaw Consulting team! To better resonate with target attendees, most of our clients are embracing new and more agile attendance acquisition and communication strategies. Betsy’s vast expertise in content and digital marketing will improve our ability to help conference organizers engage and amplify their conference stories. She also comes with significant expertise in medical meetings and the complex … [Read more...]
Building Your Conference Community Drip By Drip
Seth Godin has tremendous influence, particularly in marketing, publishing and entrepreneurial circles. At last count, he's written 17 bestselling books. Earlier this year, Seth published his 5,000th blog post. While other bloggers float in and out of my daily must-read list, Seth's been there for years. He's been dripping valuable insight into my brain, one post at a time. While his books provide deep learning surges, that's not why I follow him. I follow Seth because he shows up regularly and … [Read more...]
Five Forces Reshaping Associations
This past week I heard an amazing presentation by technology guru and business futurist Scott Klososky. I've been following Scott since 2007 when I first hired him to present. His presentation, "Leveraging Disruptive Innovations For Business Success," was one of the best I've seen in a while. And, it has given me a lot to consider. Technology Mastery A Must To Succeed Today Scott says that all organization leaders need to have technology mastery to succeed today. If you don't, it's a … [Read more...]
Content Marketing Strategies Light The Way For Weary Travelers
Traditional marketing methods such as broadcast emails, magazine, radio and TV ads, and web banners are fast losing their appeal. They are expensive as compared to other methods. And we ignore those ads, fast forward past TV ads on our DVRs, buy advertising free radio, use sophisticated spam filters and caller ID, and delete most broadcast emails. We walk through exhibit halls and rarely remember escalator ads, wall ads and other forms of screaming logos. In fact, research shows that most … [Read more...]
