#SMWChicago Recap

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Social Media Week Chicago for work. Although it already feels like eons ago, I still wanted to share some tidbits I picked up that helped spark my creativity.

Social Media Week Chicago is held once a year and is chock-full of interesting panels and presentations (and a few happy hours) with really knowledgeable speakers. The event is good for a lot of skill levels, and I think especially valuable for people who consider themselves beginner/intermediate. Sometimes even just the Q&A portions of sessions can be a great way to spark creativity.

If you weren’t able to attend Social Media Week, check out the tweets and comments after the jump that express some of my key takeaways from the panels I attended.

Here was something shared at the Masterclass: Infographics — How to easily turn content into visuals people will want to like and share. It’s no secret people’s attention spans have dwindled. As bloggers, we have a leg up since our content relies on photos and graphics. If you’re looking for even more ways to cut down on your words, try using free graphic tools like PicMonkey or Canva to tell your story through infographics instead.

Also related to above, and also no secret, Instagram has pulled ahead in the social media ranks. I’m curious to see what’s next for the app. Will the ads take off? What other features will be unveiled? Only time will tell!

Even though everyone kept harping on images, that’s not to say that writing and blogs are dead. Instagram, photos, infographics, they’re all just pieces to support the bigger picture you’re creating in your own little corner of the Internet. As Erin shared in her Masterclass: Keys to Working with Bloggers and Influencers, bloggers can offer brands and audiences something that not everyone else can.

And speaking of your blog, here’s a reminder to create good content! It’s what helps you rank well, not checking all of the boxes that some plug-in says you need to. People want to hear what you have to say and they want to know that you really care about the content you’re sharing.

Aside from the above advice, another thing harped on at Social Media Week Chicago was being true to your brand. I think we can all agree that’s perhaps the biggest piece of the social media puzzle.