I had the opportunity to attend Social Media Marketing World in 2016 and in a word, it was awesome. I’ve attended dozens of various industry conferences and this one left a real impression for it’s uniqueness…

First, there’s the fact that it’s set in an insanely gorgeous waterfront convention center. And, the fact that the social media marketing conference itself has over 3,000 attendees. Plus, there’s the variety of sessions and free workshops geared specifically at agencies, so you can do a mental-upload from a variety of industry leaders.

The networking opportunities are out of this world. Frankly, there aren’t many conferences where you can eat lunch with Guy Kawasaki or hang out with Jay Baer, but these guys… they’re at SMMW for the very same reasons you are!

So, whether you’re a rookie attendee or a seasoned vet, you’ll be glad you went. And in order for you to make the most of your experience, I’ve compiled a list of some of the sessions I’d recommend.

Social Media Marketing World Must-Attend Sessions for Agencies:

How to Write Blog Content People Want to Read

by Chris Brogan

Writing your blog the right way is the difference between standing out and being sought after, versus being just another agency blog. Chris Brogan knows all about using content to build trust and authority with the right audience. I know he’ll be delivering a great session that will help agencies create valuable content for a blog that prospects will seek to find.

How to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog

by Syed Balkhi

When you or your team spends time and energy writing a killer blog post, you want to make sure it gets read and shared. Right?! Syed is one of the smartest marketers out there and his tips will absolutely help your agency grow. And, he totally gets where you’re at because he’s an agency owner himself. Hands down, Syed will deliver one of this week’s must-attend sessions for agency leaders.

How to Use Social Media Analytics Tools to Produce Better Results

by Ian Cleary

It’s all about the results and making sure you can show results to your clients, especially when it comes to social media. Ian knows it too, and that’s why he created the PRISM framework for establishing authority using social media. Reasons for agencies to attend Ian’s session are two-fold: learn about using analytics to benefit your agency marketing and for your clients. (Plus, I believe when you’re able to share results with clients you can charge more based on those results 🙂 Don’t you want to charge more?)

Why We’ve Failed: The Customer is No Longer Our Focus

by Scott Monty

Scott was the Global Head of Social Media for Ford and now runs a consultancy with huge international clients like Coca-Cola, IBM, and Reebok. Having worked both sides of the business, I know he can give agencies great perspective on what clients actually want, why we’ve failed them, and what to do about it moving forward.

How to Staff Your Social Media Team in a Changing Marketplace

by Jay Baer

Building a team – getting the right butts in the right seats – is always a challenge for agencies. I know Jay is a leader in digital marketing and one of the leading social media experts out there. He’s built an amazing agency and it was no accident. I’m positive Jay’s session will help every agency build the right social media team as the social landscape continues to grow and evolve.

How to Generate Large Amounts of Revenue From the Content You Create

by Joe Pulizzi

OK, so you create a ton of content but then what? Is it actually generating revenue for your agency? Joe, one of the founders of Content Marketing Institute, knows exactly how to really leverage your content and monetize it. You can expect an amazing session from Joe on making sure your content is a revenue-generating marketing effort.

How to Create a Hit Episode That Will Skyrocket Your Downloads

by Pat Flynn

I’m always hearing from agencies who want to generate more leads. And, one of the best things I think an agency can do is create a podcast to help their ideal clients. Pat is the best – he’s the reason I started my podcast nearly 3 years ago. Podcasting is still really an untapped market and this session is your chance to learn from the master. In fact, you can prepare for Pat’s session by checking out why and how to get started.

Social Media Marketing in 2017: What the Newest Research Reveals

by Michael Stelzner

As an agency you need to know what is coming and make recommendation for your clients. Michael is the host of the Social Media Marketing podcast and I’m certain he has his finger on the pulse of the latest industry trends, backed up by research.

Becoming Known: How to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader

by Mark Schaefer

If you want your agency to be “the choice” rather than just “a choice,” you need to be considered a leader in your market. This will be a great session for learning to position yourself as a thought leader. Think Gary Vaynerchuck and how he dovetailed his personal brand into growing VaynerMedia. Mark has done a ton in this area and I’m expecting this to be a great session for agency owners who want to establish authority.

How to Use Facebook Messenger for Conversational Selling

by Molly Pittman

Facebook Messenger is HOT right now as a tool for connecting with prospects and really standing out. I’ve been using Facebook Messenger for a few months, and teaching my clients about it too. It’s yielded us some huge results. Molly is the VP Traffic Manager at DigitalMarketer, so I know she’ll have some excellent info on why and how to deploy this strategy for your agency.

Creating YouTube Video Ads That Cost Less and Convert More

by Derral Eves

Video is where it’s at in 2017 and Derral is the YouTube King. He is one of very few named by YouTube as a Certified YouTube Consultant. He also runs a very successful agency, which makes him uniquely qualified to give some great advice to agency owners on YouTube marketing strategies to increase your business. This is an absolute must for agencies who need to up their YouTube game.

How to Use LinkedIn Company Pages to Drive Traffic to Your Website

by Viveka von Rosen

LinkedIn can be a little tricky when it comes to using it as a marketing and sales tool. But when done properly it can be an amazing way to reach more of the right clients. The operative word being “right”! Viv is the authority on making LinkedIn work for your business and she’ll show us ways to use this social tool to drive traffic.

How to Turn LinkedIn Into a Funnel for New Leads

by Koka Sexton

In my experience, I find a lot of agencies think of leads the wrong way… they aren’t driving their prospects into a funnel. Most are only using their ‘Contact’ page or ‘Request Quote’ page to create a list. However, developing a funnel is a strategy that will generate a ton more business. I’m anticipating some great information from Koka on a unique way to use LinkedIn for prospecting.

So as you might have guessed, I’m super pumped to be going back this year… if you see me there, be sure to say “hey”! 🙂

Moving Forward

If you have an interest in improving the social media marketing for your agency, a ticket to Social Media Marketing World is a must. But what other struggles are you having? How can I help you moving forward?

During my time in the industry, I have had my own experience running my own digital agency and helping other digital agency owners so there are many topics where I can offer guidance. Whether you are experiencing challenges as an established agency or a new agency unsure of what the different phases of growth you will experience will look like, I’ve got you covered.

As you continue to grow your agency team, I can show how to recognise when it’s time to hire a sales manager or expand your sales team to perfecting your business strategy with creating a process for performance based pricing and how to keep your big name clients happy.

Are you ready to create something cool and want more advice? Learn about my career and different experiences as well as tips, tricks and insights by checking out my blogs that cover a wide variety of topics.

Check out more from my Ask Swenk series and more of my videos on my Youtube channel. There you will find advice from myself