Join with Trent: Marketers Unite: Join us for April's Mega Social Media Marketing Conference #SMMW16

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Social media marketing is no longer seen as the passing fad it once was. In fact, brands have invested billions of dollars trying to build a social community that would ideally build awareness, engage potential customers and eventually lead to sales.

However, to this day over 65% of marketers are still challenged to assess the effectiveness of their social media activities and 62% are still struggling to design an effective social media strategy (eMarketer).

It's clear that while there is opportunity with social media marketing, there is still much to be learned. Later this month some of the TopRank Marketing team will be attending Social Media Marketing World in San Diego. This conference is the largest of its kind and will not disappoint social media marketers looking for a way to improve effectiveness and create a more effective social media strategy.

Below are just a portion of the sessions that we are most excited to attend and cover at the upcoming conference. Let's dive in!

Influencer Playbook: How to Identify, Qualify & Recruit Effective Influencers

Speaker: Lee Odden, CEO TopRank Marketing

Date/Time: Tuesday April 19, 1:30pm

Do you have the skills necessary to compete in the influencer marketing game? According to recent research, 61% of companies can't find real influencers and another 56% can't quite figure out how to recruit influencers that they want to collaborate with.

In his session, Lee will teach you a framework for effective influencer marketing, tools to help with the heavy lifting, and tips for recruiting influencers to put you on the path to success. If you're interested in adding influencers to your digital marketing mix, or would like to be more successful with your current program, this is a must attend session.

Snapchat Marketing: How Businesses are Connecting With Millennials

Speakers:

Carlos Gil, Senior Social Media Manager, BMC Software

Joel Price, New Media, San Diego Chargers

Shaun Ayala, Lead Marketing Strategist, Best Buy

Shaun McBride, Digital Media Strategist

Callan Green, Director of Social Media Communications, L'Oreal

Date/Time: Monday April 18, 10:30am

Marketers everywhere are trying to find the most effective ways to connect with Millennials. One of the ways that many brands are finding success is by incorporating the use of apps like Snapchat to create this connection.

This session is filled with brand heavy hitters that are known for their Snapchat expertise. If you're on the hunt for a way to reach Millennials on a platform where they're spending their time, lend these top brand marketers your attention to learn how to create a successful Snapchat strategy.

How to Create Experiences That Inspire People to Share

Speaker: Brian Solis, Principal Analyst, Altimeter Group

Date/Time: Tuesday April 19, 10:15am

The experience that you create for your prospects can be the difference between them becoming a customer and moving on to another brand for a solution. Brian Solis is a strong proponent of the importance of customer experience and the opportunity that marketers have to create more meaningful experiences.

In this session he will share some of his original research as well as insights for ways to create memorable connections with your customers that will ultimately inspire them to share.

How To Create A Content Marketing Tactical Plan for LinkedIn

Speakers:

Jason Miller, Global Content & Social Initiatives Leader, LinkedIn

Alexandra Rynne, Associate Content Marketing Mgr., LinkedIn

Date/Time: Monday April 18, 11:30am

Who better to teach a tactical plan for one of the largest social networking platforms in the world than two of the people leading the charge for LinkedIn's own marketing? Utilizing a platform like LinkedIn requires a plan that is customized for the platform, and the audience that you're trying to engage.

Jason Miller will outline how you can build a more effective marketing plan for LinkedIn, complete with examples (we love examples!). Additionally, Alex Rynne will provide insight into 4 essential LinkedIn content marketing tools to drive results.

Live Video: Why the Future of Marketing is Going Live

Speakers:

Kim Garst, CEO, Boom! Social Media Marketing

Mari Smith, Social Media Strategist

Shaan Puri, CEO, Blab

Joel Comm, CEO and Founder, Joel Comm, Inc.

Date/Time: Tuesday April 19, 8:30am

If someone were to ask you only a couple short years ago what role live video played in your marketing strategy, they would likely receive only puzzled looks. Now however, live video has taken off and tools like Periscope, Blab and Facebook Live are on the tip of every marketer's tongue, and the top of their minds.

This panel includes marketers with experience using live video for business, as well as the CEO of one of today's biggest live video platforms, Blab.

How Companies Are Succeeding With Facebook: 7 Power Tips

Speaker: Mari Smith, Social Media Strategist

Date/Time: Monday April 18, 2:00pm

Every time I have seen Mari Smith present I have walked away feeling like I not only learned, but retained a wealth of information. The queen of Facebook will be presenting 7 power tips to help companies succeed with today's biggest social network.

In this session Mari will cover how successful companies have been able to:

Maximize organic reach

Generate authentic engagement

Build loyal communities

Create high-converting ads

Substantially increase revenue

Twitter Marketing: How Big Brands Get Ever Bigger Results

Speakers:

Aggie Nixon-Kirschner, Senior Manager of Marketing, Marriott International

Brian Carter, Founder, The Carter Group

Mikey Kilun, Sr. Director, Digital & Social Strategy, House of Blues Entertainment

Juntae DeLane, Digital Brand Manager, University of Southern California

Lauren Harper, Senior Manager of Global Social Marketing, Oracle Marketing Cloud

Date/Time: Tuesday April 19, 11:15am

Many customers that need instant resolution for issues are turning to Twitter for answers. The brands that respond and engage in real time are the ones that experience the rewards.

This session will take a dive into how brands can use Twitter to improve customer service and make it a better experience for customers, and companies.

Let's Connect at #SMMW16

In addition to Lee's information packed session at Social Media Marketing World, myself as well as TopRank Marketing Vice President, Jolina Pettice will be providing live coverage of the event and interacting with fellow attendees.

If you are unable to attend, or would just like to learn more you can find our coverage on on TopRankBlog.com or interact with us on Twitter by following @TopRank, @LeeOdden or @azeckman.

Disclosure: LinkedIn Marketing is a TopRank Marketing client.

Header image via Shutterstock

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