Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs

I love webinars and encourage everyone to sign up for webinars with interesting topics. It’s a great way to continue your ongoing education and keep on top of trends (which is very difficult to do sometimes!). Even if you can’t make the webinar at the scheduled time, the host usually sends out a link afterwards so you can listen at your convenience. One of the webinars I “attended” recently was “Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs.” I wanted to share some important takeaways from the perspective of focusing on the content, which is what I do as a copywriter. Plus, I am a HUGE advocate for businesses using blogging as a marketing tool and a way to communicate with potential and current clients.

My Webinar Notes:

-blog traffic spikes in the morning and at lunchtime: people like to check blogs first thing while drinking their coffee or right around noon to take break
-make other bloggers a key target for readership
-the user is looking for the answer; that is what you need to center your posts around
-organize content around keywords. My note: don’t make your posts sound ridiculous. If readers can tell what your keywords are, you are doing this incorrectly
-make a list of your top keywords. Think what TERMS drive your business
-what is the language of the customer? Use these words in your copy
-again, think about what people are going to type, and talk about that
-nobody wants LONG thought leadership posts. They want 1) the quick answer to their problem and
2) multimedia
-people skim content online; they want credibility, so give something of value
-to get higher in search, create more content
-a great blog post idea: tell the stories of your company: what problems have you seen? How does your product solve a problem?
-the key getting links (important in SEO) is to write good content
-the TITLE of the blog should be based on keywords as well

For non-techies, SEO is a difficult concept to wrap your brain around. It is certainly very trendy right now, and the amount of information on the web is overwhelming and at times, contradictory. This webinar was worth the hour it took to review the information .That takes a lot for me to say, as I am very protective about my time! Tip: if you attend the webinar from a download after the “live” event, what I think is fabulous is the ability to speed ahead or go back using the fast forward and rewind buttons. Note – I am not affiliated with this webinar. Just a fan!

Trends in Sales, Web Marketing, and Business Development

Last Thursday I attended B2B Marketing University in Atlanta that was sponsored by Silverpop. It was an interesting concept – invite your target audience to an educational seminar in which there are NO product pitches whatsoever (having it at a top-notch hotel and feeding attendees doesn’t hurt either). Genius. Certainly companies and backgrounds were mentioned but it seemed done more so from the standpoint of establishing credentials.

Over the course of three hours I took five pages of notes, front and back, which I’ll be sharing on this blog. Although I’m no longer in B2B Marketing, it was important for me to be there to learn what the “big boys” are talking about and see how this translates to Small/Medium Businesses (SMB). It is ESSENTIAL in this day and age to stay updated on trends that affect a business owner’s market. One of the speakers even uttered my mantra: “change is the only constant.” Companies that resist change and evolving are going to quickly get left behind.

A few themes developed for me as I was reviewing my notes, and instead of writing one gi-normous post I’ll write a future post on “Tips and Information for SMB." So below are a few of the trends that everyone should become familiar with, according to Silverpop and its comrades:


• The buyer is changing – companies/freelancers are shortlisted before they’re ever called
• Social media is critical to making buyer decisions. So why should a business owner have a blog, submit articles to content-sharing sites, have a Twitter account? Because if he/she doesn’t and their competitor does, it’s an easy decision for the buyer.
• If you can’t be “found” easily, it sends up red flags. When I google a company and can’t find it, it screams out “sketchy” to me.
• There is a fundamental shift focusing on raw leads to managing buyer dialogue to nurture sales-ready relationships
• A trendy new term is “inbound marketing.” Inbound is the ability to 1) Get found and 2) shape community dialogue (this is done via a blog, social media site, etc)
o A fictional example, but one that people can identify with is Dunder Mifflin’s failed “Infinity 2.0” social media project from the popular TV show The Office
• Static websites are dead; websites need fresh, relevant information for SEO purposes. What does this mean for people who have to continuously pay webmasters to update? I don’t know. But for those who don’t have sites yet, keep that in mind.
• Trending words are “manage,” “manage,” and “manage.” Manage the process. Again, back to entrepreneurship 101 of having a proactive not reactive business model.
• Change is the only constant. Get onboard and stop resisting/whining. I tell my husband this all the time as he hates FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc.
• More ROI pressure is being put on vendors. Example: I gave you a $1, now how much is your service giving back?
• Marketers have to adapt, but it is not completely out with the old, in with the new
• Buyers want relationships
o I disagree. I think the word ‘relationships’ is getting old, fast. Buyers want a company with personality. They don’t want you to be their best friend and you shouldn’t like that. But you should stand for something, know how to communicate that, and show up (meaning, be found). • Trend: do to your customers what you’re doing to them. If they mention you on twitter, you do the same. If they comment on your blog, you do the same. Mirror
• Lastly and very important, the difference between “Email Marketing” and “Marketing Automation:”
-EMAIL MARKETING: is more B2C
-MARKETING AUTOMATION: B2B or Complex sales process

Interesting Hospitality Industry Articles...

Interesting news I read this morning...

1. City Tweets to Curb Tourist Drop-Off Good for the city for keeping up with trends

2. Rite Aid Nixes Baltimore Convention. Boo!

3. Second Life's Linden Lab Sells Virtual Realities to Businesses. Maybe the future of meetings, teamwork, and corporate communications?

Good Quotes in "Meetings and Conventions" Magazine

Last night I read an article entitled “Defending your Event” from Meetings and Conventions Magazine.

As I know not only from the perspective of a planner but also an attendee, half the value of meetings, tradeshows, and events comes from the socializing portion where attendees put on their casual clothes, loosen up, and become their true, authentic selves. There is nothing like bonding with your fellow colleagues out on the dance floor or at an off-site event.

So I enjoyed this article quote by meetings tech guru Corbin Ball: “There is no such thing as a virtual beer. It is for this reason that face-to-face meetings will remain viable for the future, despite recession-induced drops in attendance.”

Another noteworthy quote: “When Obama was trying to get his budget passed, he didn’t go do a webinar and he didn’t get on TV, which he could’ve done. He met with people, let them look him in the eye and ask questions. Face-to-face is still the main way to get business done and will be for a long time to come.” Vicki Hawarden, VP of Knowledge and vents MPI, Dallas

Read the full article here.

Becoming a Resource

Justificiation is a big word out there right now - justifying a job position, justifying an expenditure, justifying time spent doing something if no immediate ROI is demonstrated, justifying a face to face business event, etc. It's a hard time to be in any position right now, let alone sales, marketing, and business development in the meetings and events industry.

While our clients are currently in a holding pattern until they are given leeway from their bosses to begin face to face meetings again, my company has brainstormed how we can continue being a great partner and asset. So, we have turned part of our focus to becoming a resource. And this is part of the beauty of social media! We have created a Delicious page, which is a social bookmarking tool that allows us to share links of relevant articles and information. Best part is that we can categorize and "tag" the content, so people can easily navigate to the subjects that most interest them. We read A LOT, and now we can share the best of the best out there with clients, potential clients, vendors, colleagues, and anyone else interested in meetings and events. Please check it out and let me know if you have any feedback: http://delicious.com/dynamigroup.

Ethics in the Meetings Industry

Today I attended a GaMPI meeting at the Westin Atlanta Airport. Michael Shannon, CMP, presented on “Everyday Ethics for the Meetings and Sales Professionals.” Although not exactly the most sexy topic, the presentation addressed important items that are on all our minds these days. Specifically, TARP, SOX, and of course ethics. Here are a few highlights:

-SOX has put much more scrutiny on expenses (necessary and frivolous). More people in an organization are reviewing and signing off on budgets and expenditures and planners need to be able to support and justify choices
-Keep a paper trail and document everything (even personally, I do this with everyone from my health insurance company over the phone to our roofing contractor in person. I always document date, time, who I spoke with, outcome, and anything else noteworthy. Make this a habit in your personal and professional life!)
-TARP: it is important our industry self-regulates and holds ourselves to standards vs become subject to government intervention. Be an advocate on our behalf!
-Perception is Reality – we now need to step it up by getting educated and effectively communicate on behalf of meetings and incentives
-Ethics are very important and it’s easy to overlook things or step over the line when it comes to accepting gifts, going on FAM trips, etc. Act consciously and consistently; once your reputation gets tarnished it’s hard to fix it

Summary of Briefing Paper: "The Case for Meetings and Events: Four Elements of Strategic Value"

Never before have meetings garnered such attention in the press and at the C-suite. So if anything positive is going to come of this intense scrutiny of our industry, it is the drive to make meetings and events even more strategic and in-line with company objectives. Which is not a bad thing at all!

So I read a briefing paper put together by MPI and Boone Associates entitled "The Case for Meetings and Events: Four Elements of Strategic Value." And I'm not going to lie to you - the 9 page paper hurt my head and I had to re-read it several times to make sure I understood the full scope. Don't get me wrong; it's a great read but definitely reinforces the thought that heavy-duty reading has been a far cry from the baby books I have read lately and I am going to have to step it up if I am thinking of pursuing my MBA. Anyway, here is my short and sweet review in bullet points to make for easy reading:

• This crisis brings an unprecedented opportunity for collaboration (and strategic discussions) between the people who plan meetings and the powerful stakeholders. Previously the meetings industry has been thought of by executives as frivolous and party-planners.


• Meeting Planners need to present a clear, comprehensive business case about how to achieve strategic value to gain the resources needed to transform their organization through the effective use of meetings.


• 4 Elements are necessary for driving the strategic value of meetings and events (and apply to for-profit and non-profit organizations): 1) Portfolio Management, Meeting Design (which seems to be the main focus of this paper), Measurement, and Advanced Logistics


• Portfolio Management:
  -How do all of an organizations's meetings and events contribute to the mission, strategy, and objectives?
  -Efficiency orientation vs Effectiveness orientation
  -"Event Alignment" incorporates change management, technology analysis, policies and compliance, processes, and measurement, to achieve results greater than mere cost reduction.


• Meeting Design:
  -Many individual meetings are expertly planned but not expertly designed
  -Meeting Design = the purposeful shaping of the form and content of a meeting to achieve desired results
  -Incorporates methods and technologies that connect, inform, and engage a broad range of stakeholders before, during, and after the meeting.
  -Meeting Planning on the other hand focuses on the logistics of meetings (venues, travel arrangements, lodging, registration, entertainment, staging, etc)
  -Meeting Design is different than Meeting Creative. Meeting Creative=ideas for staging and communications, "broadcast" messages such as PowerPoint design, theme, speakers, entertaiment, videos, set design, etc. Meeting Design=how people will interact before, during, and after the meeting PLUS how leaders tap into the intellectual capital in the room.
  -Meeting Design maintains a laser focus on the business drivers for the meeting and organization as a whole.
  -It is critical that the designer be involved throughout the process.
  -Meeting Design is not the same as Instructional Design=training or activities at a meeting
  -Excellent Meeting Designers have working knowledge or expertise in: social sciences, social network analysis, complexity science, strategic planning, experience design, IT/social media, and more
  -Meeting Design is a collective effort between: meeting owners, selected meeting participants, the meeting planner, designer, and creative and instructional design.
  -CSR and Green initiatives should be addressed in Meeting Design
  -Multi-purposing a meeting =the practice of taking an existing meeting and addressing objectives that were not initially part of the reason for holding the meeting.


• Measurement:
  -Good Meeting Design is linked to meeting measurement
  -A good ROI Model consists of 5 levels of measurement: 1) Reaction and planned action 2) Learning 3) Job application 4) Business Impact and 5) ROI
  -Up to 80% of meetings should be measured at the "learning level." 10% should be pushed to the "business impact" level.
  -ROI should NOT be used to evaluate the performance of the planner; it is about process improvement
  -Complexity-based software and methodology combine qualitiative and quantitative approaches to understanding the impact of meetings on corporate culture, continuous learning, organizational performance, and other areas.


• Advanced Logistics:
  -Portfolio management encompasses procurement.
  -Although contracts with key suppliers and vendors should be negotiated, flexibility is important for strategic needs identified by meeting design that fall outside of these partnerships

I am excited to apply these practices to our clients' events. MPI is going to begin rolling out webinars and workshops on these 4 elements, so much more to come. In all, this was a great article and Mary Boone seems to be a pioneer on this topic and has carved out a great niche for herself.

Loews Atlanta Site Visit

Today we had the opportunity to take a hard hat tour of the Loews Atlanta Hotel. Slated to open April 2010 they are a few weeks ahead of schedule and drywall will be coming up shortly. It will be a great property and will help solidify Atlanta's Midtown Mile. Loews will have 414 rooms which all have great views. One of my favorite parts of the hotel is that it is filled with floor to ceiling glass windows. Another favorite is the terrace that is just off the pre-function space of the ballroom. Very unique and private which is great for events. This corner room under construction is a standard room so make sure to request it for an extra special experience.

Loews has 18 hotels and resorts in the US and Canada. They aren't Starwood or Hilton and they don't want to be. Their motto is that they "go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience." We can't wait to do our first Schmooze event here!

Thank you, G.J. Hart and Texas Roadhouse

I am now a huge fan of Texas Roadhouse. Although it seems like everyone is cancelling meetings these days, a few forward-thinking leaders are still out there. This video is a must-see! Texas Roadhouse CEO G.J. Hart is not only still holding a 5-day combination incentive/business meeting in San Francisco worth over $2 million, he is going on the news and having a very frank discussion on the benefits of this event. He quotes that "People are the best asset we've got" and you have to "give a little to get a lot." Even during the hard times, you have to recognize and retain good people.

It's so refreshing, and a very sincere thank you is warranted. Let's all support this company that is supporting and celebrating it's workforce. Kudos!

The Hospitality Industry and Economic Woes

The hospitality/meetings/events industry is suffering so much now due to the AIG effect and economy. I subscribe to the Business Helping Business newsletter and this latest request sums it up perfectly:

0407.N1 - SUMMARY: I need to fill a 4 million dollar cancellation at a Conference Center that has over 900 overnight guestrooms and 250 meeting rooms in the metro Washington DC northern Virginia area. This cancellation caused us to have to lay off 8 people last week.

Cancelling meetings is not the answer! I truly believe that businesses will benefit 100 times over by meeting face to face.