It’s been two years since anyone from our team has attended an in-person conference due to the pandemic. However, that all changed this past week as two ANDERSON team members had the opportunity to attend Digital Summit in real life! Digital Summit is a multi-day conference sponsored by vendors that discuss emerging trends from social media, email marketing, content management, analytics, design, and more. If you weren’t following our Instagram takeovers as we attended the event, you definitely were missing out, but don’t worry we have you covered as we share some things we learned!
Benefits of Digital Summit
Amy: I really enjoyed Digital Summit. There was a lot of valuable information shared at the conference and helpful tips that could be applied to my job as an Account Coordinator as well as many other jobs in the digital space. It was interesting to have a wide range of topics discussed at the conference because there was a little something for everyone. It was also cool to be able to bring back that acquired knowledge to a team that can benefit from the information as well.
Austin: I really found Digital Summit to be valuable, especially as the Digital Media Manager. Attendees were able to get a better understanding of emerging trends (such as the Metaverse) before anyone else. In addition, Digital Summit offered networking opportunities which was a great thing because it allowed us as marketers to expand our knowledge and leverage outside perspectives in case we ever have questions about things.
Things We Wish We Could Change
Amy & Austin: We both agree that we wish some of the sessions had been longer! Some only lasted 30 minutes—such as the ones about the Metaverse and Ways to Improve your Reporting. There was so much content being thrown at us in that small period of time.
Favorite Session
Amy: “Instagram Marketing with Intention,” by Quinn Tempest. She shared some useful insights on different ways to improve your brand’s presence on social media. I was able to relate her session’s content to some of the things I oversee and work on as an Account Coordinator and within social media. My main takeaway from her class was that your brand’s purpose is important to define very early on—this helps to keep your brand consistent. I also really enjoyed the session, “The Power of Sound and Silence: How to Create Audio Worth Listening To,” by Jenny Hoffman from Spotify. Jenny’s session was captivating and she shared information that could be applied to professional and personal life.
Austin: I agree with Amy on “The Power of Sound and Silence: How to Create Audio Worth Listening To.” Jenny Hoffman was able to provide valuable insight into how audio impacts our daily lives. I also really enjoyed a session by Colleen Harris in regards to reporting. As a digital marketer, reporting is essential and we want to provide our clients with a story. One thing that is always important when it comes to reporting is consolidating and highlighting the successes. It was refreshing to see some new insights on what should be included in a campaign report after sticking to a formula that has been tried and true.
Valuable Insights
Amy: In “The Power of Sound and Silence,” Jenny Hoffman shared “the ABCCs of Good Marketing,” a different way to think about your marketing approach. She broke down each letter to represent a different aspect of marketing for a company. A for Anima, which is the part of your brain that acts without thinking. Jenny explained how we can tap into this by taking a little bit of time to practice silence each day. B is for Brand, and she explained that marketers need to ask themselves three things: What makes their brand stand out? What do people like or dislike about their brand? And What actionable steps you can take with that information? C is for Consumer, it is important to know who your target audience is and what makes them unique. The final C is for Culture, thinking about what is happening in our culture in current time and how we can include that in marketing.
Austin: At the “Mental Health in the Social World: How to Survive, Thrive, and Enjoy Your OOO Time” session I attended by Maria DeCabooter from Northern Arizona University, she stated, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” Meaning that as humans the more we are able to set boundaries and expectations it will be easier for us to get into a better work-life balance. In addition, setting boundaries with yourself isn’t enough. We need to be able to share with others so we can hold ourselves and the team accountable to ensure that the best work is produced.
Final Thoughts
Amy: I was glad to be able to attend this year’s conference, especially since it was held in-person! I left the conference feeling more knowledgeable and felt like I had a better idea on topics I had been wanting to learn more about, such as the Metaverse. It was also cool to hear from industry professionals on their different areas of expertise, and to be able to bring my learnings back to my job and team.
Austin: I am grateful that I was able to attend Digital Summit and having it in-person was so much better than it is entirely virtual. I learned so much that I am still working on organizing all my notes! Each session I attended was valuable for my growth as a digital marketer and human.
