The New Word of Mouth Marketing: September 10–11, 2008 — Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA

Conference Schedule Thursday, September 11, 2008

8-8:45 a.m. Plenary Session

What is the ROI—the Risk of Ignoring—When It Comes to Social Media

Denise A. Sposato, Director, Communications & Communities, Digital Tax Marketing, H & R Block

H&R Block has had great success with their social media initiatives, and Kansas City-based Denise A. Sposato will share the secrets to this success as she explains how social media can benefit any company of any size. She will discuss how ROI can also stand for “risk of ignoring” and how ignoring this new form of marketing can actually hurt the bottom line of your company. She will also give advice on how to get buy-in on social media programs from the decision makers at your organization.

9-9:45 a.m. Plenary Session

Getting it Right: Marketing to the Social Web

Ryan Turner, Associate Director of User Experience & Social Media Lead, ZAAZ

This intensive seminar will explain what to look for on the horizon as you scan the landscape of web social media, including what types of social media sites are on the web and what functions differentiate them from each other. Learn to develop a marketing plan that includes the most effective social media sites for your product or service. By “getting it right” with your social media choices, you will save time and money in marketing your product.

10-10:45 a.m. (Breakout sessions)

Measuring Success: Goals, KPI’s and Analytics for Social Media,

Ryan Turner, Associate Director of User Experience & Social Media Lead, ZAAZ, # BC08F31

So how do you measure your social media marketing? Learn to understand the differences in approach in measuring social media as compared to web sites, how to measure engagement and show the ROI for social media efforts, develop a measurement strategy, identify KPI’s (key performance indicators), and tie social media analytics to web channel and business goals.

Use Video to Increase Sales, Build Your Brand, and Engage Your Customers

Eric Grimstead, Business Advisor, Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics’ Small Business Development Center, # BC08F33

You may have watched a funny video online but did you know that it can also be a powerful marketing tool? Learn how to strategically incorporate this medium into your marketing plan. Hear ways to create valuable and relevant content, and how to track and control that content once it hits cyberspace. Make your Web presence come alive and increase the bottom line with the power of video!

Building Online Communities. Creating and Nurturing Relationships that Matter to Your Business
Charlotte Jones, Product Manager for MSN Groups and Windows Live Events, # BC08F34

Static websites are no longer enough to build relationships with customers using the internet. Web 2.0 and the growth of social networking have created exciting tools for businesses to find and communicate with customers on the internet. Businesses that aren’t aware of these tools could be passing up opportunities to create a competitive edge and risk looking staid to an increasingly savvy and “social” internet population. Learn how to create the relationships that matter most to your business.

Bullet Proof Your Organization for Social Media (Repeat)

Shari Burk, big smartie, and Matt Barnhardt, big mucky-muck, Pivotlab, # BC08F21

Social media can dramatically dilute your company’s image and create confusion for your audience. The best way to protect yourself is to create a strong and authentic brand foundation that reflects your company’s core values. Is yours strong enough? Learn how to evaluate if your company is ready for social marketing and determine if your brand is strong enough to withstand a Web 2.0 world.

Time to Build A Blog, (Beginner level)(Repeat)

Greg Marshall, Director Community Education, Whatcom Community College, # BC08F15

There’s no magic to it, or even money needed to build a blog…all of the components are on the Web and free. All you have to do is provide the content. Learn an easy process to build a blog, including naming it, adding articles, pictures and links, and building in widgets, information that can change daily automatically! Get ready to go live with your blog with this hands-on class!

Using Google AdWords to Boost Your Online Marketing (Repeat)

Mark Lee, Partner /Creative & Marketing Director and Doug DeVries, Partner/Production Manager, Big Fresh Media, # BC08F23

Google is not only the most popular internet search engine, but a powerful marketing tool for your business. Hear how to create your own online ads to direct people to your website and choose keywords to attract the right audience. Learn how to set up, manage, and effectively use AdWords.

11-11-45 a.m. Plenary Session

Washington Rock Stars in the Hot Seat!

Brett Allsop, President of Allsop and Co-founder Chairman of Yapta, Bob Pritchett, President/CEO of Logos Bible Software, and Chris Galvin, Vice President of Organized Play for Wizards of the Coast, with moderator, Matthew Dunn, Ph.D, Founder, Socratech. The conference finale reality show!! Watch three leading executives from three global companies get hit live with hard questions about how social media has changed their businesses, resources, policies, and plans. This session incorporates the information discussed in the conference and much more.