The Best of PR, Marketing and Social Media – NEXT 2010

Episode: VMC #224 The Best of PR, Marketing and Social Media – NEXT 2010

This year I was invited again to NEXT, but this time instead of keeping you informed with the classic video updates from the venue, I wanted to try something different. So once I got the go from the great Martin Recke (Head of Conference Management) I got the juice out of the best keynotes on PR, marketing, social media and I condensed it into this video. Then if you are interested (and you have enough time) you can have a look at the entire presentations on sevenload.

Why this video? The reason is simple, people have no time. So I thought to share the best communications content ‘in pills’.

It took me a while to create this video but it’s finally done and I really hope you’ll find it valuable. Also, let me know what you think about this new video format directly here on my blog or via twitter @vascellari (just remember to link back to this post so we can track the feedback and conversation, thanks!).

Andrea

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Show Notes & Credits: Next Conference, Martin ReckeBrian Solis, Stefana Broadbant, Stowe Boyd, Andrew Keen, Matthias Lüfkens, Steve Rubel.

+200 Social Media Lists for PR & Marketing

Everybody loves lists…well, this is a ‘mega list of lists’! During the last 3 years I’ve put together a collection of links that lists PR and marketing content related to the social media universe.

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I will keep adding new items to the list and if you are a regular subscriber of my blog you’ll find all these updates in my reports. In this post I mentioned only ‘lists’ but in my reports I include other valuable content too like stats, case studies, ebooks, white papers, info-graphics, etc. so if you didn’t subscribe yet to my blog but you think it would be a good idea, grab the rss feed and stay tuned! 😉

Enjoy it!

Andrea

[Communications Report] for May 18th 2010 – AndreaVascellari.com

Do you want to get these report-updates in real time? Subscribe to the live-report RSS feed! This feed includes only report related items. It’s not a substitute but a complement to my main RSS feed which still remains the official one that brings you all my blog posts.

Age Of Conversation 3 – From Theory to Social Media Practice

Age Of Conversation 3

Age Of Conversation 3 (AOC3), the book that I co-authored with an amazing group of marketing pros, is finally out and you can get it on amazon! It’s available in:

(the proceeds will be donated to an international children’s charity of our authors’ choosing – stay tuned for more updates). Once again a special thanks goes to Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan for inviting me to join this great project.

What’s the book about?

Age of Conversation 3 captures the distinct shift from social media as a hypothetical consumer loyalty tool, as it was considered only a little more than a year ago, to its current state as a staple in the modern marketing toolbox. Although the book covers more than just social media, the topic is ubiquitous among the book’s 10 sections: At the Coalface; Identities; Friends and Trusted Strangers; Conversational Branding; Measurement; Corporate Conversations; In the Boardroom; Innovation and Execution; Influence; Getting to Work; and Pitching Social Media.

Enjoy it and let me know what you think about it here on the blog or via twitter @vascellari!

Andrea

What’s NEXT in the Booming App Economy

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What’s NEXT in the Booming App Economy? We’ll find out next week…

May 11 & 12 I’ll be in Berlin (Germany) for the 2010 edition of the NEXT. Once again I’ve been invited as an official blogger so stay tuned on this blog by subscribing via RSS to get all the juice straight from the event and follow me on twitter (@vascellari) for all the live updates from the venue. I’ll arrive in town the 10th and I will leave the 13th, so if you want to meetup let me know!

What?

We discuss how the currently exploding mobile app store ecosytem (App Economy) affects the digital strategies of companies. The question of how companies will meet their consumers on mobile devices will affect the business models faster than PCs and the Internet did in the past. Therefore the 2010 edition of NEXT presents the most interesting Game Changers and examines with and amazing speakers lineup the booming App Economy.

Who?

The organizers are expecting a hundred international speakers and up to 1.500 participants. Amongst them will be decision makers of the media, technology and advertising sector, agencies and service providers, investors and start-ups. It is the only conference that unites the Internet community with brands and leading companies.

Where?

The NEXT conference will take place at the STATION-Berlin, Luckenwalder Straße 4-6, 10963 Berlin.

What else?

Andrea

Online Personal Marketing Strategy

Few weeks ago I was in Rome with my ‘Get the Best Out of Twitter‘ for the Ignite Italia -O’Reilly. Among the people I met at the event there was also Robin Good. Inspired by my presentation he decided to invite me for a nice walk at the Villa Borghese park and record a video interview focusing on:

  • What steps do you need to take to create a valuable online service or business
  • What’s the strategic approach that an individual can follow to create value, authority, credibility and the opportunity to make business online

Video highlights below. Enjoy it!

@Robin: Thanks for the great time, it was nice to see you again! 🙂

Andrea

Video highlights:

Anyone can do what she/he wants for a living

There is one thing that everybody should keep in mind. Nowadays, more than ever before, everyone has a chance of doing what he or she loves for a living.

Going Global

Why? Because we are going global. With a simple blog and few clicks you have the chance of connecting with the entire world. It’s definitely interesting period the one we are living in.

Being Passionate

At the base, before focusing on technology, it’s important to be really passionate about what you are doing. I see way too many people who are unsatisfied with their jobs, and I can’t stand that. Maybe it’s because I am an entrepreneur. I really do what I love. I love my job. That is what I am really passionate about in my life and I think everyone has some passions. I think they should go for it. Online you are instantly connected with the entire world. You will find other people that have your same passions becoming your target audience, whether you do it for business or not.

What you do doesn’t have to be necessarily related to business (it could non-profit etc.) but let’s say that you have the possibility of finding a place to express yourself. Usually, if something is done with passion, you have that drive to go on that usually other people do not have. It’s not going to be easy. Every time you do something, you will find roadblocks. Ultimately, passion is the drive that makes you go on. Nothing really starts or works in first place if you do not really want it badly.

Start By Listening

First thing you should do is to start by listening a little bit what’s going on and understanding who is already out there. Let’s say you want to start your own small business. You should carefully listen to which are the other players in your field and to understand in which environment you will have to move, because sometimes it will happen… you won’t be the first. You definitely have to pay attention to them, and then of course build a presence on the web that express your strategic communications plan. It doesn’t have to be just ‘a blog’, your online presence is going to be the gate between you and the world or your target audience, so it has to be done really carefully.

Jump Into The Conversation

After that, you can start to jump into the conversation that is happening out there – I do not want to say “join” the conversation, because I am sick of hearing it. Everyone is talking about “joining the conversation” and just few people actually do it. Anyway… you have to start to jump into that, where the conversation is already happening, with your audience, with people within your niche. After that, when you establish a basic connection with this environment that is out there, then you can start to be proactive.

Build Trust, Engage Deeper

Once the trust is built, then you can start to engage at a deeper level and eventually this will translate into business. It could also be just for a passion or for the organization you are working for. It just depends on which is your focus and what are your objectives.

When Does The Money Show Up?

The money comes after you establish a real connection with your audience, after your target audience trusts you. The money will come after, as a consequence.

I tell you an example.

Every time I go to Venice – I come from Venice region in Italy – I go to the market on Friday morning. I go there and buy some good fresh fish. There are tons of people that are selling fish, but I always go to the same lady. There is no way I can go and buy fish from anyone else, because I bought fish from her for years.

How she convinced me at first?

  • observing the crowd and stopping me when she noticed that I need some fish,
  • showing me the really good fish she had,
  • why would have been better to buy from her and not from others,
  • giving me good tips on how to cook fish, and so on.

She established a real emotional connection, so I trusted her and I became her client.

You can basically do the same online. At that point – after you have built all these connections – is where the money is going to come. It’s going to be a consequence.

Word of Mouth

Another important thing is what you call in Italian “il passaparola“, the power of word of mouth. Happy clients will talk to other potential clients and they will bring them to you. It’s going to be also your community that will help you and your business grow.