I had a wonderful opportunity to be part of the SoSlam Conference in Knoxville this past weekend. I had a chance to attend this event back in 2011 when it first started, but this time I was not only able to attend the event, but also present. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I was looking forward to this conference for a long time.
The conference this year could be captured into one word – passion. I saw so many professionals, students, and researchers who were at the event who were not only experts and leaders in the field, but they were passionate about all aspects of social media. Social media is not only a tool to be used for communication, but a triggering point to ignite passion and inspiration into your community. Whether it is for your own personal reputation or for a business, these principles can be applied and used throughout your life, which was very exciting.
We were able to hear from experts from all over the world and the USA. I was really excited to finally meet Mark Schaefer in person – we have had many conversations over the years via social media. Mark took the time to talk with me during the SoSlam PreConference Tweet up and again at lunch. Mark is a true thought leader and expert in the area – and he is very generous with this time and knowledge. What I was really impressed was the fact he was not only talking with every attendee at the event, he took the time to take pictures with fans and followers of his work. Mark is the real deal in my book and it was wonderful to meet him in person.
Our keynote for the conference was Jeff Bullas, who is definitely a leader in the field and came all the way to Knoxville from Sydney, Australia. Bullas provided some great tips on how to initiate content and determine what are elements to consider when setting up a blog and establishing your own online presence. The emphasis towards being inspired and passionate about your content was just two points Bullas had in his presentation and address to the SoSlam conference.
There were several themes that came about from SoSlam, which I have listed below:
- Storytelling: You have to look at the content you are creating and how to communicate this effectively through appropriate channels that best articulates your brand/individual story.
- Passion: You have to be passionate and excited about the content you share, create, and even curate for your audiences. Pick an area or niche that you enjoy – you will never feel like you are working again! 🙂
- Creating & sustaining communities: The other theme we heard about throughout the conference was the importance of not only creating communities, but sustaining them with strategies and transparent/authentic communication and dialogue. This is where social media is going in 2013, which is important to note not only for professionals and professors – but also to students as well.
- Having a voice that is authentic and transparent: Making sure you distinguish your voice in a honest and open manner with your audiences – they have to believe and trust you as a source and brand.
- Engagement: Social media is not static – you have to be adaptive and be active with your communities in real time to determine what content they want to receive and share with their followers and communities.
Our panel presentation was focused on crisis communications in the age of social media. I was part of a great panel with Anne Gallaher and Shonali Burke, two ladies who are experts in the arena of crisis communications. It was a true honor to be part of a panel with these amazing ladies. What we did for the panel is to not only discuss key principles and characteristics that are key for professionals to note in a crisis, but also provide resources that may be useful for others to look at for future tips in crisis communications. I had a couple of pre-scheduled tweets to go out during our presentation highlighting some leading resources and experts in the field in this area including Melissa Agnes, Jonathan Bernstein, and Rich Klein.
This was an amazing weekend for me in many ways – I was able to walk around my old stomping grounds before heading to Louisville before the conference. It is amazing how the UT campus has changed in just a couple of years since I have been there, but it was a lot of fun to see familiar faces, visit some of the offices where I worked at, and talk with current students still in the program. It was a wonderful conference to be a part of and great to connect and meet some amazing professionals! If you want to go to a conference where you feel part of a community of inspired, passionate, and wonderful people – SoSlam is the place to be!
Special thanks to both the Social Media Club of Knoxville and Mark Schaefer for hosting and organizing this wonderful event.
Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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