I’m still on a high from the 2018 Digital Marketer Down Under Conference.

There were so many pearls of wisdom shared throughout the two-day event, that I thought it only right for me to pass some on to you. After all, sharing is caring. 🙂

The themes that underpinned most of the presentations were: Community, Conversations and Customers.

This was a reminder for marketers that their aim is to build and facilitate a community of people who they can help and who can also help each other.

Also, it was clear that conversations with existing, prospective and former customers should be encouraged not automated or avoided.

Finally, the customer must be the hero in your brand story. You are only the guide.

Here are the three key-takeaways from each of the presentations that I attended and a video commentary of each day. I hope you find them helpful.

Day One

(Deadly) Digital Marketing Trends – Ryan Deiss

1. Pick something and do it now

This was an underlying theme of the conference. Ryan Deiss encouraged attendees to start small, to pick one technique that they learn at the conference do it straight away. Don’t wait.

2. The Human element can’t be automated

Well, not yet anyway. While chatbots are on the rise, there usually reaches a point in a chatbot conversation where people want to speak to another human. Chatbots should help to bring in leads, but a human should take it from there.

3. Don’t offer a marriage proposal before even going on a first date

Build a relationship with a prospective customer over time, and provide value to them before asking them to convert.

Zero to Published in 90 Days – Chandler Bolt

1. Writing a book can increase your credibility and position you as an expert.

Writing (and publishing) a book on Amazon about a topic in your professional area can increase your standing as an expert, particularly if lots of people buy it.

2. A book sold on Amazon only has to be between 15,000 and 40,000 words

This was exciting news to me. As an academic, the books that I am involved with have to be at least 80,000 words.

3. Give away an audio version of your book to generate leads

This is a great way to set up a database of people interested in your work and professional interest area.

Crafting Conversation: 6 Steps to Creating the Perfect Email Campaign that Converts New Prospects into Paying Customers – Richard Lindner

1. When it comes to conversion via email (or anywhere really), it hurts to ask if you ask too early

Ask for the next logical step when it is appropriate. Don’t try to rush to the finish line before the prospective customer is still considering whether or not they will put on their running shoes.

2. Conversion triggers include: Personal gain, Logic and Research, Social Proof and FOMO

Richard Lindner explained that playing on someone’s desire to get ahead, providing statistical evidence, proof via testimonials and case studies and using a firm deadline for missing out on an offer are all effective ways of encouraging a prospective customer to convert.

3. Email subject lines must sell the open

That’s right. If an email doesn’t have an effective subject line, a prospective customer will never open the email, let alone read it. Richard Lindner advises to keep subject lines under 10 words, provocative, with odd or specific numbers and/or emojis to help your email to cut through noise in a prospective customer’s inbox.

Day Two

Turning 1 Customer Into 3: Strategies To Turn Happy Customers Into Brand Evangelists and Promoters – Richard Lindner

1. People use social media to elevate their status, help your customers to increase their social recognition

This was an excellent point. Help your customers to associate themselves with your brand by helping them to share and promote their positive experiences with you to their friends and followers on social media.

2. Reward and validate your customers when they share their positive experiences about your brand on social media

Mention them by name and thank them for their post by sharing it and/or comment on it. This also helps to increase the status elevation of your customers. It’s a win win.

3. Stickers are magical marketing tools for you and your customers

According to Richard Lindner, people love brand stickers. They love to stick them on their laptops, on their cars, wherever they can to associate themselves with your brand (again status elevation) and to show their love for you and your products/services. Reward your brand evangelists with love and stickers. 🙂

How to Manage & Grow Your Online Presence The Right Way – Jeff Mask

1. Check your online presence regularly to ensure that all information out there about you is accurate

Jeff Mask explained that there are online community directories that scrape information from websites, but never check or update that information to ensure that it is correct. This means that there may be information available online about your business that is wrong, so customers will be unable to connect with you on their first attempt.

2. The customer is the power broker

This supports one of the overall themes of the conference that reminds marketers the customer is the hero in their own story. As marketers we must help them to solve their problems, not vice-versa.

3. I am a marketer who serves my community

Again, Jeff Mask encouraged marketers to approach their business as one of providing service to the community. Focus on the giving rather than the receiving and the customer will reciprocate when the time is right.

Jeff shared some excellent statistics that I chat about in the video above.

The Secret LinkedIn Playbook to Generate Quality Leads – Ben Kniffen

1. Set up a LinkedIn group on a topic related to your industry and invite relevant contacts to join

Ben Kniffen suggested setting up an industry-related group to share relevant content with relevant existing contacts. Doing this helps to position you as an industry leader and someone who is informed about current events and changes.

2. Share content in the group that will help to solve problems faced by people in your industry.

The aim of the group is to help its members, to provide useful solutions to industry issues that they may be experiencing. It isn’t to blatantly promote your business.

3. When setting up the group, ask 20 of your closest colleagues first to get some activity happening before sending further invitations.

There’s nothing worse than being invited to a party and finding out that you’re the first one there. That’s why it’s important to have some useful activity occurring before asking others to join. The group must seem worth a potential lead’s while from the beginning or they will not stay.

How to Get More Bums on Seats at Your Next Event – Mandy Brasser

1. Focus on the time of registration to the event date to encourage people to attend

Just because someone has bought a ticket or registered to attend an event, doesn’t mean that they will show up on the day. Once someone has shown an interest in the event, it is essential not only keep that interest, but increase it.

2. Increase interest in the event by providing nuggets of value demonstrating what people will experience on the day

Doing live videos or podcasts with the speakers where they provide two points from their presentation as a taster can help to galvanise a person’s decision to actually attend the event. Another great suggestion came from an audience member who suggested hand delivering a ticket to a superfan, videoing their reaction and sharing it to increase enthusiasm surrounding the event.

3. Techniques such as: using multiple communication channels, asking registrants to bring a guest, calling them and VIP ticket levels can all increase attendance

There were many innovative (and traditional) but effective techniques shared in this session to help to increase attendance at events. The main theme was the importance of never assuming that a registrant is a sure bet in terms of attendance. In fact, the registration was really the first step in the dance. As marketers we must continue to woo people who have shown an interest until they make the ultimate commitment by turning up.

How to Build the Marketer of the Future – Ryan Deiss

1. Full Stack Marketers are a necessity

In a nutshell, a Full Stack Marketer understands all levels of the marketing process and has a broad knowledge of other areas such as public relations, advertising, design etc. However, Ryan Deiss suggests that for marketers to survive now and in the future, they must also specialise in two areas, also known as a T-Shaped Marketer. It is this mix of generalist and specialist that will allow a marketer to remain flexible and relevant in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

2. Know the difference between Correlation and Causation

A marketer must be able to accurately analyse data and use this to inform their decisions. However, basing decisions on inaccurate analysis can prove to be very costly to a business. Ryan Deiss suggested that substantial errors can be made when a marketer doesn’t know the difference between these two phenomena. Here’s a basic definition:

Correlation: A relationship between two variables, but it does not mean that if one of the variables changes that it will affect the other.

Causation: One event has caused the change in another event. One variable has and does affect the other.

3. It doesn’t matter what is going to happen in five years, it’s important to connect with people today

Ryan Deiss explained how he gets sick of people asking him what he thinks digital marketing will be like in five years. Instead, he believes that he needs to know what is resonating with people right now so that he can connect with them. It’s the relationship today that is important. If it’s strong, it will continue for much longer than five years.

That’s a wrap

There are many other pearls of wisdom from the conference in the two videos above. A big congratulations to Sonya Keenan and her team from O.M.G. – Omni-channel Media Group for organising such a great event. I’m looking forward to next year’s.

If you have any comments about this post or videos or about the Digital Marketer Down Under Conference, please leave me a comment below.