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October 12, 2020 Content Chat Recap: CMworld Pre-Party: How To Get The Most Out Of Virtual CMworld 2020

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This week is Content Marketing World 2020, which is one of the biggest content marketing events of the year and a favorite for many in the #ContentChat community.

Although we’re sad to not be in Cleveland now catching up in person, we’re starting the virtual festivities with a #CMworld pre-party with Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo), co-founder and chief marketing strategist at NeoLuxe Marketing. Read the full chat recap below for tips on how you can get the most out of virtual CMworld 2020, including how to balance client work during the conference and which sessions we’re most excited for. If you missed the chat and want to share your tips or promote your conference session, comment below. We hope everyone has a great time at the show!

Q1: #CMworld has 100+ sessions across five days. How do you pick which sessions to attend?

Prioritize sessions that will fill gaps in your technical knowledge, expand on topics you’re interested in, or provide opportunities to meet new people.

Some speakers are always a must-see (like Andy Crestodina and Ann Handley), but try to also join sessions from speakers you’re unfamiliar with. If you have friends or colleagues also attending, plan which sessions you want to join together and which you can attend individually and share your notes.

Consider attending sessions on industries you may not be familiar with to learn how pros in that space approach content marketing.

Or, identify topics that you have an opinion on to then see how others approach that topic.

If you can’t catch everything live, write down all of the sessions you hope to attend and you can watch the session recordings at any time.

Q2: Many of our #ContentChat community members are speaking at this year’s conference—tell us about your session(s) and why we should join. If you’re not speaking, tell us about what session you’re most excited for (can be from the community or not).

Check out these Content Marketing World sessions to attend, and comment if we missed the one(s) you’re most excited for.

Content Marketing for Marketing Agencies: Make Your Services Sing with Erika and Maureen.

The Content Marketing Diamond Model for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs with Maureen, AJ Huisman, Bert van Loon, and Jonathan Crossfield.

The Magic of Meetups: How to Use Meetups to Build Community, Drive Brand Engagement and Inform a Content Marketing Strategy, with Dennis Shiao and Rich Schwerin.

Ask Me Anything and Courageous Content: 6 Ways to Get Noticed Amidst the Noise with Jay Baer.

What Podcasting & TikTok Can Teach Us About Creating Empathetic Content! with Brian Fanzo.

Q3: How do you juggle work priorities during #CMworld and how do you manage your internal/external client expectations?

Inform your clients that there is a conference this week and that your availability will be limited. Ideally, these conversations happen well in advance of the conference so you can move any deadlines or calls as needed.

Set an OOO message that reflects your availability.

Block off periods of time on your calendar to attend the conference or catch sessions you missed live.

Prioritize the conference to the best of your ability, and ask colleagues to cover work needs as possible. The conference will make you a better marketer, meaning that your clients benefit when you attend.

And it’s generally a smart choice to stay caffeinated.

Q4: What tools should marketers use during #CMworld to keep up with the conversations happening on social media?

TweetDeck is a must-use to follow along with hashtags and conversations happening on Twitter.

Hootsuite is another tool you can use to track specific hashtags.

Keep an eye on other social channels, too, but Twitter, Facebook, and possibly LinkedIn are most relevant for this conference.

Evernote is great for taking and accessing notes across devices.

And don’t forget your conference essentials: food, beverages, tech to take notes and photos, and backup options in case Mercury in retrograde throws some challenges your way.

Q5: What are your tips for getting the most value out of the sessions you join? What do you bring with you to the sessions to capture your ideas?

Set up a system that best enables you to capture any important concepts or new ideas. This can include taking handwritten notes…

Digital notes through Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Evernote, or other means…

Live-Tweeting sessions…

Or discussing sessions with colleagues.

Q6: Once the conference is over, how do you “debrief” and prioritize the great ideas you’ve gained?

Revisit your session notes to refresh on everything covered in the conference and resurface high priority ideas.

Host or attend debrief calls with other conference attendees.

Debrief each of your audiences individually as relevant. A blog roundup is appropriate for a company blog (to show prospects that you’re on top of the latest marketing trends), walk your team through any new ideas, and inform clients about ways you can shift their program with the knowledge you gained.

Q7: What final advice do you have for making the most out of this year’s virtual #CMworld?

The community shares their tips below. Would you add anything? Let us know in the comments and happy CMworld to all!

Join the relevant CMworld Facebook and Twitter groups, and keep an eye out for hangouts hosted by conference speakers (like Erika and Maureen).

Reach out to new people to schedule intro calls/coffees. The point is not to sell them on your services—use it as an opportunity to get to know them and build a non-transactional relationship.

Engage with other attendees, including through the #CMWorld hashtag on Twitter, and take time to grow those relationships after the conference.

Above all else, have a good time. It is a lot of content, but the virtual format makes it easier than ever to join in at your own pace.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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