After attending the Blog World & New Media Expo for the second year in a row, I have to say that I feel enriched (again) in many ways: I made new connections with interesting blogging and social social media aficionados and experts of all sorts, got many new insights about internet marketing, content development, monetization tactics, social media engagement strategies, video blogging, podcasting, online journalism – and much more.
Here are the 7 takeaways I got from this year’s Blog World Expo:
1. It’s all about providing value.
Whether if you’re a blogger or an internet consultant -always think of your audience first. Make an effort and give them something unique and valuable. High-quality content. Unique information. Outstanding service. Fantastic & lasting products.
2. Blogs are the new mainstream media.
Despite old media reports, the blogosphere is not dying or leveling off, but thriving. The stats of Technorati’s report “State Of The Blogosphere” speak for themselves.
Special blog post about Technorati’s SOTB coming up.
3. Social Media is thriving.
I’ve never attended a conference with so many different and fully packed sessions about Social Media. There were over 30 sessions at the Blog World Expo dedicated to the Social Media business. And this year’s conference even set a Guinness Book World Record “for the distribution of the largest mass message through social media” in a 24 hour period.
Special blog posts about the sessions of BWE’s Social Media Business Summit coming up.
4. Twitter is the new email.
If you ever thought that Wall Street Journal’s article about “The End Of The Email” is ridiculous, go to a gathering of blog and tech nerds. You’ll experience that even two people who are standing next to each other will rather tweet than talk. The coolest thing were the rolling the tweets displayed (in real time) on screens in many of the sessions – as a way to extend the discussion into the twitterverse, and also to figure out evening social plans.
5. Lifestreaming is on the raise, and businesses will have to figure out how to incorporate it into their social media strategies.
I have been fascinated by the Lifestreaming phenoma for quite some time. There were two fantastic sessions about this topic (by Silicon Valley blogger Louis Gray and Edelman’s internet trendscout Steve Rubel - and much more chatter beyond that.
Special blog post about Lifestreaming coming up.
6. Corporate Website will become redundant in 5 years.
Many speakers predicted that more and more companies will shift the focus of their online presence from corporate to the space where customers and prospects are: in the social mediasphere. As a result, corporate websites will become less important. Web Strategist and Social Media expert Jeremiah Owyang even thinks that corporate site will become redundant in 5 – 10 years.
Special blog post about Owyang’s fantastic session about “The Future Of Social Media” coming up.
7. Authenticity and honesty is the new black.
Sleezy sales pitches and suppressing negative buzz is out – honest interaction with customers and listening to criticism is in. Frank Eliason and Scott Monty, the social media gurus at Comcast and Ford, talked in many sessions about this refreshingly new approach – and were only a few of many speakers who confirmed this new trend.
Special blog post coming up.
Here are a few great Blog World summaries from other conference attendees:
- Fast Company Blog: Tips From The Social Media Pros
- SocialMedia.biz: Takeaways from the Blog World Expo
- DavidRisley.com: Blog World 2009 Report
Did you make it to the Blog World Expo this year? What did you take away from it? Let me and everyone else know by posting your comments below.
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