Published: April 25, 2016
While our social media community manager, Heather, was attending Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Marketing World 2016 conference, another familiar face was present – one of our clients.
Before jumping to the mixed feelings of fear, nervousness, or discomfort that might be associated with being at the same conference as your client, remember – you’re both there to learn and grow, and it’s not as scary as you might initially think. It’s reassuring to realize everyone has something to learn, and oftentimes, you know more than you think you do. We sat down with Amy Bailey of Festival Foods, who shared her perspective on attending the conference with us, her agency partner.
Running A Marathon
“I liken it to the Boston Marathon, which was also happening at the same time as #SMMW16. Picture the blind runners, the ones that are completely capable of running a marathon, but they need guidance, someone to tell them if there’s a pothole coming up or an opening they need to push hard at certain points in the race. This is how I feel. I’m completely capable of navigating the social media waters, but to have someone alongside you, guiding you through the changes and the developments in this ever-changing space is extremely helpful. You ultimately can take their advice or leave it, but to have someone say ‘This is what you need to do right now,’ is like those blind runners, trying to best pave their way through.”
Focused On Facebook Live
Amy also shared how many of the conference sessions focused on social media and live broadcasting like Facebook Live, something she has been doing for Festival Foods weeks before the conference, with guidance from our team at Envano. “It was nice to feel a little reassured and know a little bit about what these sessions were teaching ahead of time,” Amy shared.
Being An Ambassador
From our perspective, it was awesome to have conversations with other conference attendees where organic, real, and honest testimonials spurred from our client. Amy was able to express what it was like working with Envano and Heather was able to share how we can best help businesses like Festival Foods grow in digital.
Looking To The Future – Virtual Reality
So what’s ahead for the world of social media? Amy and Heather confirmed virtual reality is coming onto the social scene. While there aren’t a lot of examples of what virtual reality actually looks like on social yet, it’s easy to see the future benefits. Picture seeing, feeling, and experiencing what a grocery store is like, before you walk through its actual doors in person. Amy shared how useful this could be for Festival Foods. “Especially as we open stores that have a new look and feel, and not your ‘traditional’ grocery store layout, guests would have the ability to experience ahead of time what a Festival Foods is like.”
The connotation of being at the same conference a client is at can create anxiety for some, but with the right partner it can be healthy for the overall relationship. Heather shared, “I’m extremely appreciative of the opportunity to have been at the conference with Amy. We both learned tons about our industry, and I’m especially thankful for all of the new relationships we both were able to obtain from being at #SMMW16.”
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By Stevie Sleeter, Content & Social Media Manager
