Tag Archives: Social Media
Internet Marketing and Social Media Events 2012
So we’ve just passed the first quarter of the year and haven’t seen many conferences and events that focused on Internet Marketing, SEO and Social Media. Maybe there were a few events that took place that we were unaware of so if you’ve attended any we welcome your feedback below.
As we move into the second quarter of 2012, we are more keen that ever to see what the online world has to offer. I took some time to research a few Internet Marketing conferences and events that will be taking place in the next couple of months in South Africa.
These events feature some of the top industry heads that will share their insights and knowledge of Internet Marketing and communication with us. If you are a geek or Internet addict like me then you won’t want to miss any of these.
1. Net Prophet
“Take the most innovative/successful/creative/ambitious thinkers and entrepreneurs in the Internet space, and ask them to share their stories, ideas and predictions for the future in a format that is fresh, relevant and engaging. The result: Net Prophet.”
If you are in the online industry or have a passion to learn more about this industry then this is the perfect event for you. Net Prophet is a one day forum about “making business sense of the Internet.” It is intended for the sharing of ideas, creativity, trends and forecasts from opinion leaders and innovators who shape this massively interesting and evolving industry.
The conference will be held at the Campus Courtyard, West Campus, Mutual Park, Cape Town on 8 May 2011. And the cherry on top is… the conference is also 100% free of charge to attend!
2. Integrated Marketing Communications Conference
The Integrated Marketing Communication Conference (IMCC) will be taking place on 5 – 6 June 2012 at the African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel in Cape Town and on 8 – 9 October 2012 at the prestigious Hilton Hotel, Sandton.
Guest speakers booked for the Cape Town conference include Ivan Johnson (BBDO), Jason Xenopoulos (NATIVE), Mike Sharman (Retroviral), Suhana Gordhan (Black River FC), Neo Mashigo – Executive Creative Director at DRAFTFCB and Keith Lindsay, partner and the New Business Director at Prima Integrated Marketing. With a powerhouse combination of experience, creativity and ideas, can you afford to miss such a stellar line up of speakers?
The format of the conference allows delegates ample networking opportunities with top marketing professionals. Personal one-on-one meetings can be arranged on request. As a delegate you will be exposed to practical and innovative workshops and cross reference ideas, concepts and queries relating to the various means of communication throughout the IMCC.
3. Social Media World Africa 2012
Social Media World Africa is Africa’s only dedicated social media event. It is a two day strategic conference and a technology showcase exhibition. The conference features Senior Marketers from the largest brands case studying the latest in social media innovation and excellence.
Social Media World unites the regions leading consumer brands, social networks and their partners to create social media strategies. As consumers open up to new channels, brands are under pressure to develop a social strategy that delivers ROI.
At this event attendees will learn
- How to market your company and win business using social media platforms
- How to create a social media strategy that delivers return on investment (ROI)
- How to integrate social media into your business strategy
- How to create brand awareness and loyalty through social media campaigns
The event will take place from 10-13 September 2012 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
4. Digital Advertising World 2012
Digital Advertising World Africa 2012 at The Internet Show Africa 2012 is a conference focused on expanding the digital advertising industry by exploring the massive opportunities available in Africa. Providing advertisers, agencies, publishers and solution vendors an unparalleled forum that supports the exchange of ideas and emerging models.
If you are a tech geek and want to learn more about the latest innovations in the Digital Advertising World then you cannot afford to miss this event. The event will focus on the following:
- The future of digital ads
- Trends and challenges on digital advertising
- Optimizing the digital experience
- Obstacles faced by businesses in the industry
- Monitoring digital advertising strategies
Pinterest – great for brands
In my previous post I elaborated a bit on the new social media phenomenon that is Pinterest. This week I would like to continue focusing on Pinterest and tell you a bit more about how brands could benefit from the social networking site.
Pinterest has been around for quite some time now. Many brands are familiar with this phenomenal platform, however not many of them have jumped on the bandwagon yet. There are so many sources online debating whether Pinterest is just ANOTHER new social networking platform or if it will become more successful over time. Could this be scaring brands, making them skeptical about joining the social networking site?
Well one thing’s for sure, Pinterest is sizzling and having a Pinterest profile for your brand can only mean positive results. Pinterest has taken the online world by storm recently and millions of brands will follow soon. Creating a Pinterest profile for a brand involves the same process as creating a personal profile. Pinterest doesn’t have special pages for brands yet (like Facebook). Here are a few points to consider.
Pinterest can be a massive online store for brands, however brands should bear in mind that they may not use Pinterest to promote their products and services ONLY. Promoting a lifestyle should be the main goal. This will show other users that the brand isn’t only interested in spamming them with images of their products and services.
When creating a Pinterest profile for a brand, create pin boards which feature the products as well as other products, places, humour or fashion your brand may be interested in. Just because your brand has a Pinterest profile, doesn’t mean that you only have to pin images of your products. By creating diverse pin boards you’ll encourage more users to follow the brand.
Not many people are familiar with Pinterest yet, so integrate it with your other social media platforms. If you want your Pinterest profile to go viral, then share your pins to Facebook and Twitter.
Pinterest is a virtual pin board that focuses on beautiful and interesting images. Show the visual side of your brand. Create interesting and exciting images that will give your profile aesthetic value. Pin images that people would want to re-pin, like or comment on.
Whenever you pin any image make sure it links back to the brand’s website, blog or even Facebook page. You want to drive traffic to your websites so it would be pointless uploading images which do not link back to the original source or any source for that matter. Memeburn did a great feature on 8 strategies for launching a brand presence on Pinterest. Check it out and get started now!
