The 2011 Internet Summit is in the books. I had the opportunity to attend both days of the conference for the past two years, along with a handful of other tech conferences in the region. Once you attend a few of these events, you start to hear similar themes and opinions on the evolution of technology. For those of you that couldn’t attend this year’s Internet Summit, or maybe you were too busy networking to hear any of the panels, here are a few takeaways from the conference:
1) The Integration of Social and the Web. Social media, SEO, PPC, and the rest of the web marketing universe are no longer separate entities, they are all intertwined. Social media is becoming a vital component to any web marketing campaign. Without it, you’re attempting to solve a puzzle without all of the pieces.
2) Geotargeting. As social expands, consumers are consulting the local community more and more before making buying decisions. People are much more likely to buy a product if it’s endorsed by one of their Facebook friends, while we’ve grown immune to these broad appealing ads on the internet and TV. As influence from our local community becomes a vital part of the purchasing decision for consumers, marketers must use highly targeted campaigns to stand out in the crowd. Adding geotargeting to your web marketing campaign can greatly increase its impact and conversion rate.
3) Increase in Choices for Consumers. This theme wasn’t directly addressed at the conference, but it’s apparent when you look at all of the innovations in technology. With all of the segmentation in the market, there are opportunities for new companies to make an impact. There are so many cool start-ups in the area. The best part is that many of them are free, or at least offer free trials.
Post or comment with any added themes or takeaways from the conference. We hope to attend as a demo company next year!
Posted by Zach