We just got back from a jam-packed #SFsummit in Austin, TX, and we’re pleased to share some of our top takeaways with y’all. The ‘Smart Social’ theme had us at hello, and the excitement grew from there. Here’s a sampling of the many lightbulb moments we had at Spredfast Summit 2015:
“Social isn’t special. It’s just business.” –@rodfav #SFsummit
— Emily Pritchard (@ejpritch) October 13, 2015
Smart social is about speed and innovation. It requires alignment with business objectives and must provide value to customers, employees, business units, partners, sponsors (the list goes on…). Leaning in to technology helps us bring science to the art of social as we think about social metrics and how to integrate e-commerce, social, CRM, mobile, web and email. As marketers, we must continually remind ourselves of this as we approach our content strategy: 
Social enables us to uncover insights about brand interactions and influencers so that we have the: right message at the right time with the right results.
The Changing Social Landscape
#SFsummit served as a good reminder that:
1. Our context changes daily
2. Data is growing exponentially
3. Anybody is able to become a publisher
4. The rapid influx of new platforms and functionality isn’t showing signs of slowing down
5. Social is cannibalizing web traffic (subsequently, homepages are dying)
6. Consumer behavior is changing (ex. DVR busters) is impacting how audiences (mainly millennials) interact during live events and even broadcast TV shows.
7. Brands are finally shifting from short term wins to building out a long-term social capability
Key Takeaways
1. Brands must think about content differently on social channels. Create custom content that is appropriate for each channel and audience. Allocate budget and resources appropriately.
2. Inspiration has a shelf life. People need room to explore, experiment, test, ACT and learn from their ideas. White space is critical to the creative process.
3. Those succeeding on social are finding ways to entertain and drive core business.
4. Social insights matter—and can be utilized across the enterprise.
5. And pretty much everything Todd Henry had to say:
We must demand discipline in order to be prolific, brilliant and healthy individuals and brand ambassadors. This involves:
Focus – Be present.
Relationships – Be purposeful in your relationships and connect deeply.
Energy – Be strategic about commitments.
Stimuli – Be studious and go outside your comfort zone.
Hours – Experiment with structuring your days differently.
Did you love @toddhenry‘s keynote as much as we did? Find his slides and study guide here: http://t.co/GgMGBn23mr #SFSummit — Spredfast (@Spredfast) October 14, 2015
In all, social business is real and social insights matter. Not just to one specific brand team, social insights can and should be utilized across the enterprise. [Ask Us How].
Want more? We clipped some of our favorite presentation slides on Slideshare. Find them here.
P.S., Thanks for showing us around your HQs, Spredfast & Whole Foods!
