Chances are you got fired up at CMC. Don’t let that fire fizzle out when you return to your home and job. Use the first few days after you return home to apply what you learned and build relationships with the people you met.
Congratulations on recognizing the importance of content in today’s marketing environment! By attending CMC, you invested yourself in producing excellent content. We hope the insights, techniques, and ideas you encountered at CMC will help you reach the next step in your content marketing life.
Five Tips to Apply Your CMC Experience to Your Professional Life
1. Organize Your Notes
Note management apps like Evernote and Google Keep both make it easy to create searchable archives your notes for future reference. Be sure to record details like the speaker’s name, location, date, and keywords to help you access those notes whenever you need them. Many note taking apps allow you to attach PDF files, images, and other media. By using the offline version, you may take notes even with a weak Wi-Fi signal.
Do you prefer handwritten notes? Evernote features optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities that convert handwritten text to searchable text. Simply use a scanner or your phone’s camera to scan your notes directly into Evernote. The conversion is considerably slower in the free subscription than it is with the premium subscription.
2. Identify Action Items and Next Steps
Chances are the dynamic conference environment provided you with ideas that you would like to implement. Some people find it helpful to jot down their ideas in the margins of their handwritten notes or to surround their ideas with a symbol in their typed notes. This makes it easier to review those ideas later. Update your to-do list to include any ideas you want to pursue or research. Strategic follow-up is often the difference between having a good time at a conference and using the conference to help you excel in content marketing.
3. Reach Out and Follow-Up
When you attend a conference, you meet creative and like-minded people. Be sure to follow-up on those new contacts to start building relationships with other content marketers. Take a few minutes to send a thoughtful email, text message, or direct message on social media. While you are at it, consider doing the following follow-up steps:
- Scan any business cards you received, phone apps offer an option to scan and store business cards and some even integrate with CRM programs or note apps like Evernote.
- Send a LinkedIn connection request to anyone you would like to connect with, take the time to write a message reminding the connection of how you met at CMC.
- Follow connections on your favorite social media channels including Twitter or Instagram if appropriate.
We previously published an article on how to follow up with conference and convention contacts.
4. Collect Your Newly Discovered Resources
Throughout the conference, you probably learned about books, podcasts, TED talks, or YouTube channels that you want to check out. When you review your notes, compile a list of these resources then locate them online. These tools build on the knowledge you gained and offer inspiration throughout the year to keep you fired up until next year’s CMC.
5. Follow-up on Social Media
Extend the conference energy by debriefing on Twitter or your favorite social media platforms. Consider sharing a few of your thoughts using the official CMC hashtag #CMC2019 and be sure to search that hashtag to read other attendee’s thoughts. You may even make interesting connections with like-minded content marketers you missed during the conference!
Next, follow your favorite speakers to keep up on the latest trends. For example, if you enjoyed Josh Bernoff’s session on Writing Without Bullshit consider following him on Twitter. Twitter lists are a convenient way to curate your conference contacts into a custom feed. Don’t forget to also follow or connect with fellow conference attendees that you would like to stay in touch with. Take a few minutes to find them on Twitter, LinkedIn, or any other platform you use for professional networking.
Bonus Tip: Quality Content is a Team Sport
Don’t let the inspiration end when you get on the plane to return home. A conference like CMC is a starting point to help you grow as a content marketer. However, you don’t need to manage your content strategy alone.
Great content doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it requires fresh ideas, insights, and expertise. Working with skilled content strategists and writers allows you to access this expertise while freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your business.
Contact Writer Access to learn more about how a content strategist makes it easier than ever to produce quality content that converts.
Sam S is an active blogger who manages two publications. Her flagship site covers fitness, food, and lifestyle. She also maintains a book and entertainment blog. In addition to her blogs, Sam is an active guest contributor. She contributes on-going columns for a few publications. These on-going gigs include a weekly consumer tech column, a comparison shopping guide series, and a bylined series on social media marketing and personal brahttps://www.writeraccess.com/writer/15764/nding. Offline Sam is an experienced conflict mediator. This allows her to explore the reader’s real interests even in emotionally charged situations.