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Forum Insight: 7 effective ways to feel the fear and network anyway
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If you’re shy, don’t think that successful networking is out of the question. Molly Dyson offers top tips for the less outgoing.

While working with Forum Events we’ve heard from many industry members that their job can be extremely isolating, especially if your position is the only one of its kind at your company. That’s where strategic networking comes into play, but it’s not always easy to get past your fears and meet new people. Here are our top tips to tackle trepidation and go head on into a successful networking event.

1 Set a goal


What are you hoping to achieve by networking? Are you in need of a support group of other, similar employees that you can turn to with questions? Maybe you’re looking for a new job and want to get to know people who might know of available positions. Or perhaps you’re just on the hunt for new contacts. Whatever your goal, have it firmly in your mind so you can be more strategic in your approach.

2 Find the right event or group

Once you have a goal in mind you can be more selective with which events you attend. If you’re looking for suppliers, face-to-face events such as the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit are the place to be. Want to meet like-minded individuals? Join local and national networks to give you the chance to interact with a variety of different people from different backgrounds.

3 Remember you’re not alone


It’s important to keep in mind that you’re probably not the only shy person in the room. Whether it’s your first or fifth networking event, look around the room and spot your fellow wallflowers – they’ll be the first people to target.

4 Jump in feet first


When you’re at the event, try not to spend too much time waiting for somebody else to strike up a conversation. When you’ve spotted the other shy ones in the room, approach them and introduce yourself – you can even make a joke of the fact that you’re there alone. Sometimes it pays off to step out of your comfort zone and make the first effort.

5 Have an elevator pitch ready


Prepare a quick statement that tells others who you are, what you do and what you’re passionate about. This should be no longer than 30 seconds, but preferably less – it doesn’t need to be the story of your life. You just want to give people a taster of who you are so they’re intrigued enough to ask more questions and continue the conversation.

6 Keep up appearances


Your tone of voice and body language make up 93% of a person’s impression of you. So try to maintain an open and positive stance with a welcoming smile on your face, and don’t use negative language. You have to find the right balance of confidence and humility – nobody likes a braggart, but you do have to be able to tote your own successes if you want to maintain professional relationships with the people you meet.

7 Have fun


Need we say more? Get out there and enjoy yourself!

Industry Spotlight: Free help to improve your WordPress
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WhoisWP is a free online detector tool that analyzes any website created with WordPress. The results reveal what WordPress theme a site is using, with the aims to eliminate time spent browsing the WordPress theme directory.

Hoping to save time and encourage inspiration, WhoisWIP can also list WordPress plugins installed on the site, helping you learn from your competitors and WordPress leaders.

Based on visual content and usability research, the team in charge of this project developed this tool to obtain an improvement in the way people express their creative vision when designing their own website.

Their site also features a constantly updated blog section, in order to bring users the latest information.

The premise behind WhoisWP is that “copying someone’s style is flattering and a means to perpetuate the idea further so that more people can enjoy it.” says Ionut Marin, the WhoisWP project manager.

76% of marketers think adblocking is a good thing
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Over three quarters of those in the marketing industry believe advert-blocking software will encourage greater creativity, according to new research.

The study by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) revealed the top priorities for the year ahead, with adblocking becoming a hot topic as another 38% believe it could cause a decline in online marketing.

Trying to get accustomed to an increasingly shifting landscape, marketers believe new technologies such as Chatbots and Virtual Reality, as well ‘short-lived’ content that is only available for a limited on sources such as Snapchat.

A leading priority for many marketers is personalisation, utilising user data to provide specific advertisements, but experts are encouraged by the response.

The CIM believe the most important thing in the current market is to remain open-minded and embrace the changes the internet is bringing, saying that marketers have “a natural thirst for creativity.”

“It was positive to see the majority of respondents rising to the challenge of ad-blocking,” said CIM Chief executive Chris Daly, “the fundamental skills of their profession in terms of delivering more personalised, targeted and influential campaigns, still sit at the core of marketers’ everyday life.”

Understanding that digitally native services such as Amazon and Uber consistently focus and improve upon their customer experiences, nearly half of those surveyed addressed the mounting pressure to reinvent their own customer interactivity.

For many, customer experience is becoming the primary focus of their whole business as further pressure is placed on marketing to deliver.

“no matter what business you are in, the customer should always be at the heart of the operation,” continued Chris Daly, “Marketers have a clear role to play in demonstrating their value to the business, and for making the case for increased investment to meet their organisational goals.”

Gender diversity growth to double by 2020
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The gender gap across the advertising industry has largely improved within the last 10 years, according to new figures.

Part of an annual diversity survey by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the study shows that a balanced workplace is among the industry’s top priorities this year, with a 100% response rate from IPA’s largest agencies.

The data revealed that employment positions such as heads of department, middle managers and other senior staff are considered to be equally balanced with around a 50-50 male-female split.

Higher managerial positions are still struggling to be defined as ‘balanced’ (over 40%), with C-suite positions such as CEO or Chair lagging behind at around 30%. However, this is still an increase on the 23.3% from 10 years ago, growth which is hoped to over double to to 40% by 2020.

“2016 will be remembered as a year when the issue of diversity rose to the top of the agenda,” said IPA president Tom Knox, “but if we are to achieve our targets of gender parity, now is the time to put these thoughts into action.”

Take part in our digital marketing industry survey!
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The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit is an amazing opportunity for collaboration between industry professionals and those looking to provide the latest and greatest products to the market.

It all takes place on May 8th 2017 at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, bringing the digital marketing industry together for one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities.

To help us create the best event possible, we’d love to ask you a few questions about your role in the industry, your thoughts on its key issues and your priorities for 2017.

It’ll take just a few minutes to complete via an online form – plus you can enter a prize draw at the end for the chance to win £100 of Amazon vouchers!

Click here to take the survey

For more information about the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit and to attend for FREE as one of VIP delegates, contact Kerry Naumburger at k.naumburger@forumevents.co.uk

Thank you for taking the time to help us shape the key event for your industry!

Guest Blog: Bea Patman: Addressing the challenges in the marketing industry
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Bea Patman, Head of SEO at Greenlight Digital

The marketing industry is often associated with innovation and creativity. In fact the Department for Culture, Media and Sport found that creative businesses contributed £84.1bn to the British economy, with creative industries growing at double the rate of the UK economy and marketing as one of its strongest sectors.

Clearly it is an exciting growing industry to work in, but what is it really like to work in marketing?

Greenlight’s 41 Hour Report, which assessed the current state of the industry, found digital marketers feel overwhelmingly positive about their role. The large majority of marketers (84%) enjoy their everyday job, with 40% going as far to say they feel “really positive” about their jobs. It seems that their enthusiasm is paying off, with 38% of marketers feeling that their colleagues understand their contribution to their broader business. It is evident that enthusiasm and recognition go hand in hand within the marketing industry.

However, there is always room for improvement and for the 16% who don’t enjoy their jobs, there are key points marketing leaders must address.

The gender pay gap is still commonplace in the marketing industry

Marketing has a reputation for being a female-dominated sector, however the 41 Hour Report discovered that even with that reputation, the gender pay gap is impacting women in this industry. On average male marketers out-earn women by almost a tenth, taking home an average of £48,025 per annum compared to £43,864 for women. This doesn’t differ when it comes to bonuses, with 54% of men receiving a bonus last year compared to just 35% of women. For all marketers to feel like they can progress their careers within the industry, the C-suite will have to look to fill this gap to make sure some marketers don’t jump ship.

All work and no play

When it comes to the biggest pet peeves among marketers, long hours come up top. In line with the marketing industry’s ‘always on’ culture, almost half (46%) of marketers feel like they work too much. The struggle to find the perfect balance is made worse by the rise of mobile, with employees being contactable from anywhere at any time. A healthy work-life balance is crucial for a marketing team’s success, with employees being able to provide fresh and innovative ideas if they are engaged both in and out of the workplace.

Lack of budget impacts success

The struggle to secure budget is a frustration for everyone. Marketers are no different, with 56% saying they struggle to secure budgets on an ongoing basis, whilst almost a third struggle to prove ROI to their bosses. With limited budget available it is no surprise that marketers feel that because of this they can’t perform to the best of their ability. It may not be possible to always get big budgets, but measurement is essential for proving why the budget is needed. To do this, digital marketers must work closely with the C-Suite to provide them with clear and measureable KPIs for the campaigns they are executing. The famous This Girl Can campaign by Sport England and FCB England had a significant budget of £10 million, and with clear, measureable goals it resulted in its video being viewed 36 million times on Facebook and YouTube. Marketers who worked on this campaign can hold their head up high as 1.6 million women were influenced by the campaign to start exercising.

Of course, not all companies will have a budget like this to play with, but if the C-suite takes the time to calculate the budget required and digital marketers map out what they can achieve for that budget, marketers will be in a better position to execute a campaign that will successfully contribute to the wider business.

Marketers enjoy their roles and it is evident that the rapidly changing environment is something they are really thriving from. However, when it comes to securing more budget and proving the worth of the department, digital marketers need to concentrate on measurement to grab the attention of the C-suite. If the C-level executives can see a justification for investment in tools and talent, many of the frustrations that the 41 Hour report has highlighted could be solved.

Forum Insight: Top tips for social media success while attending B2B events
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Whether you’re going to a big industry expo, specialist conference or attending one of our Forums or Summits, social media can help you get the most out of the event.

So we’ve pulled together five top tips to get you going…

  1. Get yourself up to date

Whether you’re an attending as a delegate or a supplier, make sure your personal and company social media profiles are up to date.

That’s everything from the logo and description to posting a few things to the account (whether that’s Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn) to make sure it looks active.

Don’t forget, a lot of the people you meet at the event will do some research on you and your company by way of a follow up ­­– you want to ensure they have a great first impression when they stumble across your social media on Google.

If you don’t have a social presence, you really, really, should. It takes no time at all to get the basics set up on Twitter or Facebook and there are plenty of ‘how to’ guides out there if you need some help with brand pages and the like.

  1. Do some research

So your social media accounts are up to date and ready to go, now you need to find out where the conversation’s going to be happening.

Twitter is will be where you’ll see most activity during a live event, so spend a little time before you get there doing some research – find out what the event Twitter handle is (follow it if you haven’t already) and what the official hashtag will be.

Also, make sure follow a few industry media outlets ­– this will help you keep track of what’s happening at the event while you’re ensconced in meetings all day.

  1. Start the pre-event hype

During the lead up to the event let everyone know you’re going – @mention the official account and use the hashtag. Let the world know you’re super-excited, particularly if you’re exhibiting or speaking – tell them what you’re going to being talking about or the products you’re going to be showing off. You can do this across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Also, think about using a company or campaign hashtag if you’re going to be doing special promotions during the event.

If you are promoting specific products or services, create a landing page on your website with data capture, just for the event in question – you can then push people there via social media so they can request more info.

  1. On the day…

The first thing to do is to check yourself in virtually across your social accounts – you’re in the building and you’re ready for business.

Now, if you have a busy event itinerary you’re not necessary going to have time to live tweet the entire thing. If that’s the case, say it with pictures – busy stand? Take a picture. See a great product on display? Take a picture. Sitting in an interesting conference session? Take a picture. It’s a quick and engaging way of getting your message across.

And if you spot something compelling, post a video.

You can also schedule posts in advance using tools such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. This is particularly useful if you’re trying to drive stand traffic or promoting products – and don’t forget to push people back to that website landing page.

Keep an eye on those industry news feeds – retweet or pass comment on any big announcements and get involved in the conversation.

  1. After the event

This is when you can have some fun. If you have a company blog, write up your experiences of the event. You don’t have to write an essay – 350-500 words would be sufficient – and then push that article out across your Twitter, Facebook and Linked in accounts.

Perhaps the most important post-event task is to follow up on all those delicious new leads and contacts you made – make sure you follow and like their social media accounts, both personal and company.

Finally, it’s worth searching the event hashtag and scrolling back through its timeline to catch up on the show news and, perhaps more importantly, see what your industry peers were up to…

Red Bull named 2016’s most sharable brand
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Energy drink giant Red Bull has been declared last year’s most sharable brand, according to new figures by Unruly.

As part of Unruly’s annual round-up, the video ad tech company has compiled a list of the top ten video campaigns to be shared on social media throughout the year.

Red Bull failed to even reach the top ten most shared single ads of 2016, with that accolade being awarded to John Lewis’ Buster The Boxer Christmas Campaign.

Instead, the global drinks manufacturer was able to secure first place through a constant stream of released content as the company reportedly uploaded hundreds of videos over the course of the year.

The top three brands shared also included Samsung, followed by McDonald’s. From last year’s second place, Red Bull soared into first this year, beating Samsung’s shares by around 15 million.

“The winners hit the mark by creating highly emotional ads that resonated with viewers,” according to Unruly’s SVP Insights and Marketing, US, Devra Prywes, “we have a truly global list of top brands, many of which created videos specifically for and released in individual territories topping the list.”

Unruly held a ‘virtual award’ ceremony live on Twitter, announcing the winners for a number of categories, including Emotional Ad and Most Inspiring Video, all of which can be viewed here

 

The next stage of software automation
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Digital engagement specialist Parker Software has released ThinkAutomation 4.0, a sweeping update to the company’s leading business automation software. The upgrade adds extensive new functionality to the product, such as sentiment analysis, social media monitoring and SMS-driven automation, making it ideal for logistics, marketing and retail businesses looking to streamline processes. 

ThinkAutomation allows businesses to increase efficiency by automating tasks and processing documents and inbound messages. Version 4.0 builds on these functions with advanced document processing, which allows automatic conversion of file formats as well as attachment analysis, and SMS hotline functionality that can improve business communications.

Automated SMS functionality allows businesses to update systems via text. This is achieved by establishing hubs to receive specific messages, such as internal communications and delivery enquiries. Customers and employees text these numbers with enquiries or updates and ThinkAutomation sends personalised responses, as well as updating all relevant systems and databases.

“The development of business technology has meant that offices now operate in environments that are increasingly hectic and process-intensive,” explained Howard Williams, marketing director of Parker Software. “The latest update to ThinkAutomation adds more capabilities for the software to help businesses cut through the noise and stay on top of what really matters.

“Almost everybody has a mobile phone now, whether it’s a smartphone or a more traditional device. The introduction of SMS to database functionality in our software means that tasks can be streamlined more than ever before. Curious customers or ill employees will no longer have to navigate complex procedures, they simply send a message on-the-go and ThinkAutomation handles the rest. It’s a convenient business solution for the twenty-first century.”

The software also provides businesses the ability to monitor how people are responding to their brand more closely through sentiment analysis and social media monitoring. By setting the software up to process inbound data from social media accounts, ThinkAutomation can respond to key words and phrases and action them accordingly – either by notifying relevant personnel or by delivering automated responses.

“The rise of social media and internet forums has meant that customers have more platforms than ever before to review businesses in a negative light – with ever growing audiences,” continued Williams. “This poses a problem to businesses in that the vast quantity of data generated by monitoring company mentions is not only daunting but, for a large percentage, not meaningful or useful.

“Sentiment analysis allows businesses to break down online interactions by specific search strings, individually highlighting both the positive and negative content. This can then be automatically responded to with keyword recognition and pre-determined answers, or even create a new entry in a database.”

Welcome to the new Digital Marketing Solutions Summit!
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The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit is set to take place on May 8th at London’s Grange Tower Bridge Hotel.

Formerly known as the Internet Marketing Summit, the event will once again match senior marketing professionals with leading product and service providers for a day of match-made business meetings.

Last year the event attracted over 65 senior professionals from the likes of Bupa, Lloyds Bank, Tesco, Hilton, BT, Vision Express, Investec, Legal & General, MetLife, Paragon and more meet and network with companies including Amobee, Click Consult, Adestra, Redfish Group, King Content, Yoyo Design and Soak to discuss their respective requirements.

Attending the event is free for all marketing professionals and your complimentary place includes lunch and all refreshments throughout the day. You’ll also get access to a seminar programme covering topics including Web Analytics and Search Engine Optimisation, Content Marketing and Email Marketing.

 

To find out more about attending, contact Kerry Naumburger on 01992 374099 or email k.naumburger@forumevents.co.uk.

 

A number of supplier packages are available for companies looking to meet with some of the UK’s leading marketeers. Contact Carlos Dieguez on 01992 374091 or via c.dieguez@forumevents.co.uk to find out more.