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Spot The Story

As an advocate of your brand (be it corporate, entrepreneurial, or personal) you have to be able to spot stories that are around you. This skill may not come naturally, but you can train yourself to do it.

First understand that something in your average day may not be so average to someone else. Your shopping mall may look interesting to someone else in a different part of the world, your meal preparation techniques may be different then someone in your own neighborhood, someone may have no idea how you do what you do in your business. Each of these activities are stories that go behind the curtain (so to speak).

Spotting even the most basic story may lead to a viral push for your brand or message. Consumers are now more drawn to the story of people than a logo. Once the authentic nature of your brands story is told, then you will begin to attract an audience to you that remains loyal to your brand.
Everyone has a story….

So often we hear the complaint that I don’t have anything to share. My answer to that complaint is simply, “YES, everyone has a story and many of us tend to pass by all of the stories that are right at your fingertips.” Start with sharing your journey. How did you get to the point that you are at today. Better yet, WHY are you at the point that you are at today? When you share your WHY, you will be surprised how the right people gravitate towards you.

The obstacles that you faced and the lessons that you learned from those obstacles are all great sources for content. This is content that may find someone stuck in their journey and really help them through a tough spot.

Also, consider sharing the real benefit from what your product or service will offer along with what problem it actually solves. This will require true authenticity on why someone would need to purchase your product or service if you can clearly state what “problem” you are solving.

Additional ideas on creating content around your brand….

1. Look at sharing your milestones (i.e., your business anniversary, your birthday, a move to a new building)

2. Check the trending list on Facebook and Twitter. These list can give you an idea of what the “majority” of people are interested in. Figure out ways that you can tie in your story to stories that already have a bit of virality.

3. Share info about the people in your organization. This is a win all the way around. People love recognition and the people outside of your organization will love to learn who makes your organization tick.

Take-A-Ways From Attending DIGSOUTH

This was my first time attending the DIGSOUTH conference in Charleston, South Carolina.  I have attended many conferences and I have to say that this is now one of my favorites.  Because I was selected to live tweet some of the sessions, I have the perspective of an attendee and staff.

This is the 4th year of the DIGSOUTH Conference and on day one, the conference opened with upwards of 1500 people in attendance. The stage was beautifully designed and the music playing in the background always kept the atmosphere fun.

DIG Stage

POWER

The theme of the conference this year was POWER.  I saw the concept weaved in and I love the idea of the power that we all posses with the support of technology, collaboration, and innovation. This is a great time to be an entrepreneur.  At your fingertips, you now have access to the world.

The Venue: The Galliard Center

The Galliard Center is a new facility located in the heart of the historic district of Charleston. I was able to easily walk to King Street for lunch, catch a trolley that drove around the historic district, and find a nice hotel to stay that was within 2 miles of the venue.

The inside of the venue is what made the conference. From a ping pong table to rooms properly equipped for presentations, this venue was perfect for this style of conference.  The only negative was the fact that the sponsors that participated in the Trade Show were kind of tucked away from the main elements of the conference.  Because they were off the beaten path, many did not think to go visit the sponsor area.

As a side note, I was impressed with the number of sponsors that supported the conference. It may be worth considering to have a lot of small sponsors as opposed to going for just the bigger sponsors. As I put together conferences in the future, I now have a few ideas of how to add in some benefits to some sponsors that may not be able to shell out the big bucks.

Networking

Almost every person that I chatted with stated that they loved meeting the great people that are in #DIGNATION.  People were exchanging information in each of the sessions that I was in, at spaces in the hall ways, and sitting outside on the benches.  Those that attended this conference were a special group of start-ups, seasoned entrepreneurs, techies, e-gamers, and so much more.

Content

The comment that I heard most from attendees was, “I am now even more inspired to go after my dreams.” People left DIGSOUTH with information that they could apply to their businesses today.  Many of the speakers talked about situations that they really implemented on a limited budget. All of the speakers were approachable and willing to share everything that they experienced.

Top Business Take-A-Ways from DIGSOUTH

  1. It’s all about the story you tell about your brand that will encourage people to want to do business with you.
  2. Pay close attention to the e-Gaming industry. It sold out Madison Square Garden in 9 minutes.
  3. Don’t look at social media as a marketing tool, but as a medium to connect.
  4. Focus on the voice of your brand and post good content.
  5. 70% of social videos are watched without audio. – @Shonduras
  6. Humans’ attention span is now less than a goldfish.
  7. Innovation does not care about your feelings. -@GaryVee
  8. Don’t be afraid to use plain text emails. It’s a great way to stay out of the promotions tab on Gmail.
  9. If your demo is 30 and under spend 50% of your budget on Snapchat. -@GaryVee
  10. If pitching an investor, be sure to build necessary relationships first so they will be inclined to pay attention to your pitch.

Are you in?

Yes, that is the question of the day! Are you in?

We have issued a challenge to all of you that are brave enough to take it! We want you to Scope EVERYDAY! Yes, EVERYDAY.

The reason for this challenge is because the number one question that we are receiving at our agency is….’How can I grow the following for my brand?’ The answer. There is not magic bullet to grow your following, but Scoping can help speed the process. Well, if you put out GREAT content, consistently.

Here are the rules of the challenge:

1. Use the #SED16 in your title
2. Sign up for a Katch account at www.katch.me
3. Sign up for our eNewsletter by clicking here.
4. Scope EVERYDAY. There is not time limit on your scopes. The idea is simply to hi the Start Broadcast button.

Winners will be chosen randomly by the team at Selsi Enterprises as prizes are available.

Have fun!