I recently had the privilege of attending the What’s Next DC Marketing and Communications Conference at The Hamilton Live.
This was my first ever industry event or business conference, so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew I was excited and prepared to be educated on some new strategies and to make some connections.
One thing I was not prepared for on day one was the speed at which information was flying around the room.
As I looked around, I saw some attendees on as many as three or four data-connected devices at one time. It seemed as if the moment a speaker had shared something insightful, the Twitter-sphere would explode with the #WhatsNextDC hashtag.
As I reached for my smartphone to try to be the first to tweet the next trendy line or quote, sixty seconds had passed, and (sigh) I was too late.
Eventually, I got up to speed and was tweeting my favorite moments from the conference like a pro. However, it wasn’t until afterwards that I searched the event’s hashtag and found out what I had really been missing out on.
So, in case you found yourself in a similar predicament, or were unable to attend the first speaking day of this awesome event, I bring you a chronological list of the top tweets from day one of What’s Next DC 2013:
Jennifer Kim Field: redefining partnerships — “how can the tall girl go to the dance with the short boy?” #whatsnextdc
— Frank Gullo (@frankgullo) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @jenkimfield: WWE partnership started in fall 2012. Smackdown on malaria. Working with their divas. Went to Rwanda
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
“@jenkimfield: Comments are currency for bloggers #WhatsNextDC
— Todd Post (@ToddMichaelPost) May 6, 2013
When asked “how many of you are active on twitter,” practically everyone’s hand went up. #mykindofpeople #WhatsNextDC
— Kate Erdy (@KateErdy) May 6, 2013
73% of people who read blogs, are in fact, people. @timwasher starting the morning off with humor… love it! #whatsnextdc
— Emily Cooper (@EmiiyCooper) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @timwasher: Your video doesn’t have to be complex, it just needs to drive people back to your blog.
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
Get someone outside your company to tell your story. People wont feel like you’re selling them something. #goodpoint @timwasher #whatsnextdc
— Emily Cooper (@EmiiyCooper) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @timwasher: With video you’re trying to engage with an audience, bring people to your community not make a direct sale
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
A new idea for ROI – if you can get 5 influencers to share your video, call it a win. @timwasher #WhatsNextDC
— Kate Erdy (@KateErdy) May 6, 2013
Be prepared for failure in social content creation because the failures will help create more effective wins. @timwasher #whatsnextdc
— Daniel Watson (@danielchwatson) May 6, 2013
“User experience is the sum total of ALL a users interactions with your brand.” @theastralj #branding #UI #whatsnextdc
— Emily Cooper (@EmiiyCooper) May 6, 2013
“It’s Not About You” best thing ive heard yet #UserExperience #whatsnextdc
— Jose Antonio Colchao (@jBrandsDC) May 6, 2013
Most websites look like a bad essay – a lot of arguments, but no thesis. @theastralj #WhatsNextDC
— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @theastralj: Your mother, your neighbor, your CEO and your employers — none of the above are your users
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
“If it’s shaped like an ad and moves like an ad, it will get ignored like an ad.” @theastralj #WhatsNextDC #ux
— Britt Kauss (@BrittaKauss) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @theastralj: Get users feet wet before you take them into the deep end of your content
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
Everyone who has a website should be testing. You just need 5 people. After that you face diminishing returns. #WhatsNextDC
— Kari O’Brien ♤ (@KariOBrien) May 6, 2013
While too much choice is problematic, many users already know which door they want, don’t take that away. @hassanyeh #WhatsNextDC
— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) May 6, 2013
Giving social media team wide latitude to break the #AARP corporate rules, while following social media guidelines. Important #whatsnextdc
— Melissa Thompson (@mylisia) May 6, 2013
“Unfortunately, you have to do both” mobile web and apps.Serve different purposes, require investment. @aarp #whatsnextdc
— Rebecca Davis (@makegood) May 6, 2013
You can’t understand your customer if you don’t know what they’re looking at. #TimMcLaughlin #WhatsNextDC
— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) May 6, 2013
RT .@whatsnextdc Know your audience: Mom’s care the most about other moms, use that in your marketing.#WhatsNextDC
— Environics PR (@environicspr) May 6, 2013
Participating in your brand’s online conversations is essential, even if those people may never be customers. #WhatsNextDC
— Kate Erdy (@KateErdy) May 6, 2013
“Your google search results are your new homepage, and you can’t control it.” #whatsnextdc #lisashallett #YES
— Amanda Barrett (@amandabarrett) May 6, 2013
“If we’re talking, our advocates are more likely to talk for us.” Lisa Shalett, @goldmansachs #whatsnextdc
— Rebecca Davis (@makegood) May 6, 2013
34,000 videos on YouTube about @goldmansachs. NONE were posted by them. THIS IS A RISK. #BensCapstone #WhatsNextDC
— Ben Loeb (@loebben) May 6, 2013
Attention paid to CEO’s beard was humanizing coverage for Goldman Sachs and they took it as a win.#whatsnextdc
— Melissa Thompson (@mylisia) May 6, 2013
“The risk of not doing something.” My fav idea from #LisaShalett #WhatsNextDC
— Kate Erdy (@KateErdy) May 6, 2013
Of course @McMurryTMG was well represented:
ow.ly/i/237cI @jckmarketplace @adrianbabiak @roy_jackie representing @mcmurrytmg #whatsnextdc! Ready to learn! @whatsnextdc
— Brittany Siminitz (@JCKmarketplace) May 6, 2013
The pasta here at #WhatsNextDC is not, not good. You can go ahead and process that while I eat. #thehamilton
— Michael Seydell (@TheMikeSeydell) May 6, 2013
In this instant era, we expect to get everything in one click, no hassle #whatsnextdc
— Brittany Siminitz (@JCKmarketplace) May 6, 2013
Fun fact: Amazon actually patented their #OneClick shopping system. They’ve patented a single click. #KateWatts #WhatsNextDC
— Ben Wax (@BenWaxBen) May 6, 2013
The future where brands meet the customer where they are, not vice versa, is nearly here. #KateWatts #WhatsNextDC
— J Williams (@oysterviewpoint) May 6, 2013
Trend: We prefer to do things ourselves (avoid salespeople like the plague). #WhatsNextDC #KateWatts
— Monika Ellis (@monika_ellis) May 6, 2013
@danielscuka @schierholz true story.
— Joachim Baptist (@JustBe74) May 6, 2013
Instant era tech will mean universal shopping carts where brands and shopping will happen where/when we are online. @hugeinc #whatsnextdc
— Frank Gullo (@frankgullo) May 6, 2013
Wow! More than 50% of sales are online or digitally influenced.#WhatsNextDC
— Kari Hudnell (@KariLH) May 6, 2013
Digital is rapidly becoming the 1st place we meet/experience a brand. #KateWatts #WhatsNextDC
— J Williams (@oysterviewpoint) May 6, 2013
Millennials says they are never ‘not online,’ they’re always connected – Kate Watts #whatsnextdc
— Jackie Roy (@roy_jackie) May 6, 2013
The degree to which brands connect with and react to customers online determines its brand value in the instant era #whatsnextdc
— Brittany Siminitz (@JCKmarketplace) May 6, 2013
25% of 2013 #SuperBowl advertisers failed to integrate with the #digital experience. @kateowatts Shocking! #whatsnextdc
— Emily Cooper (@EmiiyCooper) May 6, 2013
Yesterday social was the connector now it’s digital at the center that supports the ecosystem #whatsnextdc
— Jackie Roy (@roy_jackie) May 6, 2013
@kateowatts: “Back in the day…and back in the day being about 6 months ago.” Room laughs. #whatsnextdc
— Julia Osellame (@oselj) May 6, 2013
Follow the @mcmurrytmg digital content team at @whatsnextdc today and tomorrow: @roy_jackie @jckmarketplace @adrianbabiak @cormur21
— Becca Clara Love (@BeccaClaraLove) May 6, 2013
#Amen @kateowatts: Stop chasing data with little meaning. Strive to create a real narrative instead. #Whatsnextdc
— Julia Osellame (@oselj) May 6, 2013
Wow. 90% of Canada is connected to the internet. Good call, Canadian Government. @katrinaklier #WhatsNextDC
— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) May 6, 2013
Beyonce tells us girls run the world. #WhatsNextDC tells us it is really smartphones. Thank you responsive design technology!
— Kathryn Garrett (@klg2a) May 6, 2013
Loving how @katrinaklier has her handle and the #WhatsNextDC hashtag on the bottom of her slides. Now that’s efficient.
— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) May 6, 2013
#whatsnextdc @katrinaklier: In 2009 only about 2% of US adults owned a tablet or an ereader, now more than 1/3 do.
— Brooke Howell (@BrookeHowell) May 6, 2013
Today there are more than 1B active app users. By 2016 it will be 2.1B #WhatsNextDC
— Katrina Klier (@KatrinaKlier) May 6, 2013
“This is not a ‘build it, they will come’ world anymore!” @katrinaklier #WhatsNextDC
— Lindy N Gallagher (@lindyngallagher) May 6, 2013
What if search no longer existed and the content simply came to you? We need to be more universally accessible. @katrinaklier #WhatsNextDC
— Popcorn & Ice Cream (@popcornicecream) May 6, 2013
We also saw PBS’s new twist on an old neighbor:
Auto tuned Mr. Rogers at #whatsnextdc vine.co/v/b2b9HLXj5Bv
— Ben Loeb (@loebben) May 6, 2013
@jseiken says @pbs insisted employees fail in their performance reviews to remove the fear of failure. #WhatsNextDC
— Kari Hudnell (@KariLH) May 6, 2013
OMG OMG OMG PBS hipster vs nerd vid – I’m dying – but I liked it before it was cool ….
#whatsnextdc
— RGI events (@RGIevents) May 6, 2013
@pbs digital innovation strategy: think left/right brain, kill fear, take baby steps, and have a key stakeholder on your side. #WhatsNextDC
— Keith Alexander Ashe (@keithashe) May 6, 2013
In 1970 there were 500 ads a day, now over 5,000 ads a day. #whatsnextdc
— Julia Osellame (@oselj) May 6, 2013
Blending marketing mix with experience proves that Brands are the new media.@holly_golightly #WhatsNextDC
— sayhi2shannon (@sayhi2shannon) May 6, 2013
Always interesting as a millennial to hear how brands are marketing to my generation & how analytics play into great campaigns #whatsnextdc
— Melanie Löff-Bird (@meloffbird) May 6, 2013
.@iragleser: In B2B there’s still the “C” — it’s always important to consider how you’re talking to customers. #WhatsNextDC
— Julia Osellame (@oselj) May 6, 2013
Integrate into your consumers lifestyle. They won’t interact with your brand, they’ll live it. @heidi_golightly #WhatsNextDC
— Tim Washer (@timwasher) May 6, 2013
Feedback = super valuable and people are looking at how responsive you are as a brand. @iragleser #whatsnextdc
— Sabel Harris (@sabelharris) May 6, 2013
“Marketing and communications is like an orchestra – there has to be harmony, theme, and consistency.” @iragleser @cocacola #WhatsNextDC
— Lee Finkel (@leefinkel) May 6, 2013
RT @ssgtkrich Be consistent with your brand but have a “righteous destination” for your community – @iragleser from @cocacola #WhatsNextDC
— Matthew Dybwad (@mdybwad) May 6, 2013
Every day is Election Day for your brand… very true Ira Gleser! #WhatsNextDC
— LisaConnersVogt (@LisaConnersVogt) May 6, 2013
What were some of your favorite moments, highlights, and tweets from day one of What’s Next DC?
[Image: @JCKMarketplace]
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