I go to a lot of marketing conferences and they are undeniably a great way to learn, network and stay up to speed on the human and technological breakthroughs that are transforming our business. But how are they changing? How important are they? Does it make sense to attend? To sponsor? This is probably a topic on a lot of minds as our personal time is compressed and travel budgets are slashed so Tom Webster and dove into this topic on our newest Marketing Companion podcast. Some of the topics we cover include:

• The truth and myth of SXSW
• The "beating heart" of great conferences and the one thing that can kill an event
• Conference networking strategies
• Large - regional - local conferences .... which are thriving, which are dying and why?
• The conference "glass ceiling"
• The minor leagues and the major leagues of marketing conferences

• Conferences and content strategy

• Are conferences becoming elitist?
• Does it make sense to sponsor a conference?

Ready to learn more? Of course you are! Here we go!

People mentioned in this podcast:

Jay Baer

Mitch Joel

Gini Dietrich

Jason Keath

John Jantsch

Scott Monty

As many of our channels for reaching customers are getting strangled, brands are turning to new ways to connect and communicate with customers. One natural opportunity is to align with the authentic advocacy represented by bloggers and other powerful content creators. In an information-dense world where it is more difficult to become the signal instead of the noise, blogger outreach is escalating, providing both financial opportunity and ethical dilemmas. This dynamic provides fascinating and entertaining fodder for the latest Marketing Companion podcast. Tom Webster and I dissect some of the most important issues in the field today like:

• Flout: The New Standard for Influence. Really.
• Why bloggers are trumping mainstream media
• A first-hand account of escalating influence marketing
• Why 95 percent brands are stumbling in the influence marketing field
• Stepping over the line -- Influencer or infomercial?
• How to create raving advocates the right way

Hey! I'm ready to listen to this all over again! Are you ready?