{"id":18124,"date":"2019-06-30T17:06:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-30T22:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/?p=18124"},"modified":"2024-11-18T11:56:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T17:56:47","slug":"opening-keynote-panel-rocks-digital-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/opening-keynote-panel-rocks-digital-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Keynote Panel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Opening
Image Credit \u2013 Kostsov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Opening Keynote Panel was presented at the 2019 Rocks Digital Marketing Conference with moderator Giovanni Galluci and panelists Heather Nichols, Nicole Wight, and Cameron Gawley. Here are the takeaways from this session.<\/p>\n

Our day began with a panel discussion regarding Facebook.<\/p>\n

Giovanni noted that unless you are a well-connected influencer, FB is not<\/em> the place to go for organic traffic. Giovanni asked each panelist a question that focused on their expertise first.<\/p>\n

Nicole \u2013 What is the most shocking thing that surprised you this year at F8?<\/strong>
\nA: The Facebook layout is getting changed significantly for the first time.<\/p>\n

Heather \u2013 You manage Mari Smith\u2019s Facebook group; what is the number one problem\/challenge for the group you manage?<\/strong>
\nA: There\u2019s a buzz right now for video, so it\u2019s not just the technical aspects \u2013 so how do you use video to reach the right people?<\/p>\n

Cameron \u2013 What influences the media mix you deal with?<\/strong>
\nA: It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. What\u2019s the objective? Every brand needs to be obsessed with the customer and the customer journey. You always need to start with people first. We look at all of the touchpoints and determine what is the best platform to reach the client\u2019s objectives. The media mix changes based on the brand and the product.<\/p>\n

There is a rumor that Facebook is going to get rid of the newsfeed, and what does FB become without it?<\/strong>
\nA: The shift is actually mostly in the layout. The newsfeed isn\u2019t going to disappear, it\u2019s just going to change placement for communities and stories. Driving brands into having Groups. We\u2019ll see the shift, freak out \u2013 and then adjust.<\/p>\n

Facebook is trying to help people connect with brands and people they care about \u2013 more group interactions are already showing in our newsfeeds. People are already posting more within groups and communities.<\/p>\n

For an agency \u2013 What impact will this have? Is it becoming more difficult for brands to connect?
\nA: <\/strong>The newsfeed is evolving and Facebook is rolling out new features. Voice will be a big player in the future of messaging. Stories and video are becoming more important. You have to just get more creative about your targeting. Facebook knows that FB in its current form is not the future. The newsfeed will evolve, and you just need to go where the people are \u2013 and we just have to keep up.<\/p>\n

How do you, in a world where we have to get results fast, how do you build quickly? Because relationships take time to build. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every brand should, at its heart, understand their audience and choose topics to rally around. Two-part approach: Builders and Drivers. Facebook is a pay-to-play world (as is Instagram). You\u2019re very campaign-focused. If you want to move the needle for a brand, roll out your organic content (12\u201315 pieces of content needed). And you need to be using video, not static image ads.<\/p>\n

We think that we are marketing the product or service, but we\u2019re really solving problems \u2013 what else is happening in their lives?<\/em> Tune into the customer journey. From an advertising standpoint, don\u2019t judge who is on the other side of the click. Awareness, Engagement, Solution.<\/p>\n

You need to start leveraging communities. Create something that they truly care about. If your brand doesn\u2019t have a community, you need to start thinking about this: What does my brand have that people care about and want to discuss?<\/em> Talk with your community about what their problems and struggles are. We want to connect people with the common interest in our product\/service.<\/p>\n

Tell us one tactical thing we can do when we get back to our office and implement in the next 30 days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start a community. Connect at the ground floor level, as a person. Find your top users and invite them to the community. Use paid ads to drive people to the group.<\/p>\n

Pull out your phone, and go live! Video doesn\u2019t have to be difficult<\/em>. Remember to be authentic even if you are imperfect. Then look at your insights and adjust accordingly. Remember: it\u2019s about the who<\/em>, not the what.<\/p>\n

When you start doing video, it\u2019s going to be bad \u2013 but just take the leap, because you will never get good unless you just keep going. You don\u2019t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great<\/em>.<\/p>\n

SEM Rush has a topic research tool. Find out what questions people are asking and answer them. People get stuck because they don\u2019t know what to talk about, so utilize tools to figure out what to talk about. Talk to your customers \u2013 create a conversation. They want a better experience.<\/p>\n

Tips from Giovanni:<\/p>\n