Actionable Marketing Guide Newsletter – Off to SMMW18 Edition: Conference & travel tips you can use

Published: Mon, 02/26/18

actionable marketing guide

Dear ,

As you read this, I’m in pre-travel frenzy mode since I’m leaving for Social Media Marketing World 2018 in San Diego. (BTW, if you’re unable to attend for whatever reason, consider getting a virtual ticket for all of the social media and content education.)

Before diving into the actionable conference and travel tips. Here are 2 key points for those who are attending SMMW18 and for those who aren’t –

For SMMW18 attendees:

Attend my Quality Idea Session on Friday, March 2^nd at 1:30 PM in Room 25ABC. Please join me! HINT: There’s a prize for 3 attendees.
Meet me at the pre-conference drinks on Tuesday, February 27^th or the opening event on Wednesday, February 28^th.
Get my input for your SMMW18 conference content. Please ping me via email or Twitter so we can meet IRL. (TIP: I’m a sucker for a dark brew Starbucks coffee with milk and sugar at the conference.)
Come up and introduce yourself to me. Don’t worry about being introverted or shy! I’m always up for a SMMW selfie!

For virtual or non-SMMW18 attendees:

Follow the #SMMW18 social media streams to get the latest social media news.
Comment on and share your favorite content to feel like part of the party.

Here are some pre-conference tips:

Jump on the social media groups and participate. Your goal is to get to know other attendees. Beyond connecting with presenters, build connections with other attendees. For example, I first met RazorSocial’s Ian Cleary when he was at Content Marketing World as an attendee.
Download the conference app. Get know how to use it to save time at the conference. Many conferences require pre-registration for popular sessions.
Develop a conference plan. Determine your business and personal goals for the conference. Write them down. Then make meetings to achieve these objectives.
Outline your conference content. In addition to your other business goals, outline at least 3 to 5 pieces of content that you can publish before, during and after the conference. Need help? Here are 20 conference blog posts you can write. Also here’s how to create in-person conference content.
Plan me-time. Conferences can be non-stop activity. Make sure that you plan some down time whether it’s hitting the hotel gym, taking a local run or spa treatment. Many conferences offer fun activities like early runs. Pamper yourself – you need to recharge your batteries and process all the input you’re getting.

Here are some of my pre-business trip tips that every business traveler can use. Even people who travel for fun can use them.

Backup your computer and other devices before you leave. You never know what might happen to your laptop or other device on the road. Regularly backing up your devices to either an external device or the cloud is like an insurance policy.
Put mission critical documents on a thumb drive. Include your presentation or client information. You never know when your device may not work. This ensures that you can shine regardless of the connectivity or other location drawbacks.
Go old school for identification, tickets, reservations, medications (dose and name) and key business documents. Carry a paper back up of your passport, driver’s license, marriage certificate (if you have different names), and credit cards (both sides). If you’re without connectivity or your device has a code, this can save your life. Also pack 2 copies in different bags. (FYI: our hotel in the Belize jungle had WiFi that was satellite based and didn’t work for the 5 rainy nights we were there.)
Carry an extra set of power cords, external batteries, and foreign adapters (where appropriate). If you misplace one, you can't be sure of finding a supplier. This is particularly important if you’re on a short trip where every minute counts.
Take paper or moleskin and pen. Yes it’s old school but you never know when you’ll need to jot down ideas or information. Further, not every airport and conference location is wifi and electric outlet friendly. This happened to me at the recently constructed Marriott in Brooklyn!

I look forward to seeing those of you who will be in San Diego and having fun!

For those of you who can’t attend—don’t worry I still care about you. I plan (fingers crossed) to set up my Twitter feed for my presentation.

Safe travels and happy marketing,,
Heidi

Heidi Cohen
Actionable Marketing Guide

Social Media Marketing World 2018 Join me at:

Social Media Marketing World 2018

Brought to you by Social Media Examiner, this is the conference for anyone wanting to learn how to make the most of social media and meet the companies and experts in the field.

Join me at this exciting event. I’ll be speaking about Content Creation.

This year you have a wider choice of attendance options:

All Access Pass. Allows you entry to all of the sessions and parties. It’s the traditional offering. This is good for people interested in social media who want all the networking benefits of the parties and gatherings. Learn More.
Content Creator. Is tailored to content creators. Its lower price point helps content creators on a budget. It limits your attendance to creation sessions (including mine) and the general sessions. Learn More
Virtual Ticket. Gives you all of the conference content from the comfort of your computer. You don’t need to leave home. It saves you on travel as well as other live expenses. Learn More

Don't delay – Register Now and Save! (affiliate advertisement)

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HEIDI COHEN ON THE WEB

Fill your social media fields with Brand24's Top 100 Digital Marketers for 2018. Heidi Cohen ranked #17 for digital marketers beyond social media...
... and 84th overall.
Heidi Cohen was featured in Shane Barker’s massive roundup post on SEO. It’s worth your time since it covers many key challenges for marketers in 2018.

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