I Was on Staff At Social Media Marketing World 2024! Here's A Couple Of Takeaways For You!

What a week it's been! I'm writing this newsletter to you from sunny San Diego after spending four days at Social Media Marketing World 2024.

I had the honor these last four days to serve on the Experience Team for Social Media Examiner Social Media Marketing World. This was my second time attending the conference and first year on staff. This year all I wanted was to bring joy to others through the power of cultivating a fun offline experience, hense why I wanted to serve on the experience team. Throughout the decade of my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing events & conferences from 4 different perspectives: the attendee, the marketer, the speaker, and the host/producer.

As a conference organizer, it was incredibly important for me to be part of and see what goes into running a multi-day large-scale conference at a convention center.

As a Social Media Coach, it was incredibly important for me to keep on growing and learning.

As part of the Experience Team not only did I get to be the best hype gal from Texas all week but I also got to be the TikTok Mascot and lead a protest protesting social media things (Marketers will get these jokes) I’ve had the MOST FUN serving on this team and being NERDY with other marketers around the world.

And while I was having fun. I also experienced a lot of Social Media/Marketing takeaways & personal reflection lessons I would like to share with you.

Let's start with Social Media because...obvs.

Social Media has the power to do so much good. One thing I always ask my clients is, “Are you working towards creating meaningful and authentic experiences online and offline in a world that is in constant disruption?”

While Social Media Marketing World sessions prioritize tactics and strategies for marketing & social media professionals, it goes beyond that fundamentally.

Here are some takeaways from several sessions

? Our Voices DO Matter. Which means we need more of them online (yes that means the voices of minority businesswomen who often are underrepresented and underserved). 46% of content online is VIDEO and 25% is written. Our Story and the ability to take up space is INCREDIBLY important!

? Old ways will not work, we need to embrace change and seek new ideas always. Some of you are playing checkers when you should play chess. When it comes to strategy and experimenting, what can you question and get curious about for you to ELEVATE? What limiting beliefs and truths do you still hold on to that you need to let go of?

? We must be unapologetic in our marketing and our lives. Authenticity & vulnerability will always win! It’s okay to be playful and fun, less professional especially online. To build trust with your audience, are you the same person offline as you are online?

Now for the more personal reflections. As a Founder & CEO, I couldn't help but realize the importance of PREPRATION. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And so is failure. I failed to prepare for this trip, meaning I was last minute to book my flight, and my hotel, and had trouble with my luggage. The experience I was having wasn't good because guess what, I was not aligned with my highest self. I was leaning into my old ways of being a last-minute Lucy, not preparing and I fear missed out on really being in the moment because of it.

I had a real "kick in the behind" moment the other night and realized that to ELEVATE we always need to prepare. We need to change habits, or we will have moments that are going to force us to change whether we like it or not.

Besides the personal chaos, my experience at Social Media Marketing World on Staff was INCREDIBLE and allowed me to not just learn but take action and do! And for that, I'm forever grateful!

See you in 2025, Social Media Marketing World!