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My Confluence Diary

Day One, Thursday September 10, 2015

8:45 AM
One of the first faces to walk through the doors of The Lyric Theatre is Beth Dean, the winner of a free ticket in the Confluence social media contest. She’s so excited and very eager to listen to the speakers. Welcome, Beth!

9:14 AM
Talking about raw meat at 9 AM will really wake you up! We’ve got the Cafe Evoke coffee and our creative juices flowing. #ConfluenceCon Year 3. Let’s do this.

9:22 AM
Weird, significant, and useful: connect the dots. Ian Lurie gives us the low-down on collaborative filtering. Because that Cadillac buyer might just be a mountain bike buyer too. You’ve got to optimize content for your entry points and speak to the weird. Weird people are just people who are looking for a specific thing, and you’re helping them find it. How weird is too weird? Well, as long as you’re still significant, you can get awfully weird. Be significant: show something to me and get me to share it.

10:14 AM
Banana break. Lots of selfies. Selfies of selfies. It’s selfieception out there.

10:19 AM
Are you ready to think fast? Greg Gifford is PUMPED UP. He’s got 104 comedy references in his slide (circa 1985, thank you very much) and zero bullet points, because everyone knows “bullets kill kittens.” Greg gives us actionable tips on local SEO. Any business that has a brick-and-mortar store NEEDS to be doing local SEO. Google knows searchers are looking for something local – that’s why you can type in Pizza Delivery and it’ll give you the nearest Papa John’s – but Google is constantly changing the rules and you’ve got to keep up. Make sure you have your city and state in your alt text and your NAP on every page (as in name, address, phone number – not a siesta). Embedded maps are great, but make sure they come from Google My Business, not Google Maps. Mentions of your NAP, otherwise known as citations, on other cites can get you over the hump onto that first page of SERPs or even into the 3-pack, and don’t discount links from the crappy sites. And for goodness’ sake, watch Young Frankenstein!

10:46 AM
David Christopher thinks she’s the smartest person ever and we just might have to agree: Ruth Burr Reedy is up next to talk building brands through SEO. There’s more to SEO than meets the eye, and there’s more to Google searches than one-word queries. No one searches “dishwasher.” To build a brand through SEO, you have to understand the customer journey – the buying cycle – and know where people are online. SEO can and needs to be getting involved in UX: site speed and crawlability are huge. Change your attribution models. Ruth likes position-based, but just know where the value of your clicks really lies. SEO is saying to people, “I have what you need; you can trust me.” Think about the reason BEHIND the keyword and find the solution to THAT problem. Boom. Thanks, Ruth.

11:11 AM
Make a wish. Was that wish for a delicious lunch? Well you’re in luck. Big Truck Tacos is setting up. Smells good in here.

11:13 AM
Shawn Cohen’s up! “If Serena Williams – okay 30 of her – were turning your wheels 100 times a second, that’s what the Mustang GT is.” But you can’t just sell it in one color. Competitor analysis is KEY in digital marketing. But you’ve got to use the data in the right way. Shawn likes to let the content writers write content. But if you can show them the results that are winning right now, the data can help them do their job so much better. “Don’t waste time and beat the hell out of the competition.” That’s some good life advice right there.

11:40 AM
Indian Head Films is grabbing video footage as they cover the event. Confluence committee chair Kyle Elrod gives us the lowdown on why this conference is its own brand of weird, useful, and significant.

11:47 AM
LUNCH. Big Truck Tacos. Queso. Enough said.

1:19 PM
#SEEOKC. Get your message on those airport boards!

1:22 PM
What do chickens have to do with Google Analytics? Brian Allen is here to tell us. The guy keeps spreadsheets tracking which of his hens lay eggs and when – he’s not messing around, okay? He shows us how to build a UTM tool. Super practical stuff we’re talking about here. And he leaves us with this gem: “Chickens are kind of like your wife. The happier they are, the more eggs they lay.” Alrighty then.

1:52 PM
Dan Lovejoy’s here to spread the love (and joy) of user experience. He reminds us that “You. Are not. The user. The highest paid person in the room is certainly not the user (claps all around). We have to understand people who can’t pay their bills. We have to understand people who can’t read or don’t speak English. We have to understand people who put testicles on their trucks and their toddlers on leashes.” The key to empathy is a) not being a psychopath, and b) doing your research. You’ve got to do that guerilla research, which does NOT mean focus groups (the F word of marketing). Mock it up. Test it with five people – no more; after five you start seeing diminishing returns. Make it simple. If you don’t do research, it’s not user experience, it’s just a gut feeling. Lightning round/bonus question: What is Chandler Bing’s job?

2:27 PM
Went and checked out the green room. Full of celebs and smart people.

2:30 PM
Backstage before the next session Dan Holmes descends on David Christopher and Eric Enge for an interview broadcast on Periscope. “How many people are watching this?” About 27 tuned in to hear David be silly with Eric, mostly.

2:35 PM
Is this information useful? You bet it is, no matter where you are in your marketing journey.

2:32 PM
It’s gettin’ hot in hurr. No really, one of the AC units went out. Right after the OG&E guy’s speech. Coincidence, or no? No worries, Air Comfort Solutions is ON it. Repairman to the rescue!

2:38 PM
Eric Enge’s here to talk about effective content. What percentage of users are really happy with your site? If 60% of users are happy with your site but 70% are happy with your competitor’s, who do you think ranks higher? You’ve got to think about task completion. What is the user’s real task? If your page is selling perennials, don’t you think you ought to at least mention annuals too? Get some eye-tracking software or mouse-tracking software or better yet: actual video footage of people using your site. Remember: you are not the user. Also remember: Bing is not Google’s only competitor. Where do people go when they don’t immediately get the results they want? They ask their friends on Facebook or search Amazon for products. Those are Google’s competitors too.

3:05 PM
Why should we do audience personas? Tell us, Everett Sizemore! Where’s the ROI? We’ve been in business 30 years, we know everything there is to know about our audience! Believe us: you don’t. What type of content does your customer need at each stage of their buying cycle? Who influences them? Can your audience sniff out non-expert-written content? Personas can help you find expert authors for content and customers you didn’t even know you had. But be careful. There’s a balance between totally data-driven persona research and total intuition.

3:39 PM
Glen Dimaandal has 8 ways to get your content noticed, aside from SEO. This guy flew all the way from the Philippines. The Philippines! 24 hours to OKC. What a trooper. He says relationships give your content the most mileage. If you’re a marketer and you’re not into building relationships, you’re probably in the wrong business. Comment strategically. Be a helpful citizen of the online word. Invest in Rich Pins. Cite your expert sources. It’s not just about the legal elements. It’s about extending support. Isn’t that what marketers are called to do?

4:03 PM
David’s back and in case you forgot, he’s British. “It’ll be like the 1700s- I’ll chase you around with my red coat on.” Wait, what? Has it gotten weird yet???

4:08 PM
Break time. Interviews happening. Cinnamon rolls being eaten. Sugar being consumed. Hands being shaken. Connections being made.

4:21 PM
Dana DiTomaso, our token Canadian, is in the house! Droppin’ some wisdom. What makes you unique? That’s brand strategy. Your brand is your promise. It’s how you handle yourself. It’s the excuses you do and don’t make. “It’s out of my control” – well, humans like consistency, so what are you going to do about that? If you don’t know what your brand is, how can you identify your company culture? Imagine your company as a person – but you also have to imagine every flaw that comes with that person. Keep your brand briefs brief. You want it digestible – not something that turns into a dusty PDF. By the way, Dana made a great point about turning your PDFs into living documents or microsites. PDFs are crap on mobile! Marketing to teens and millenials via TV ads? You’re doing it wrong. Don’t waste time with clients and team members who don’t match your brand strategy – that’s marketing debt and ain’t nobody got time for that. It doesn’t make good business sense either. Ask a lot of questions about goals and make sure they’re going to be a good relationship for you, because we all know the best marketing happens with good relationships. If you’re getting a lot of leads who aren’t asking the right questions, it’s time for YOU to re-examine your own marketing tactics. Good creative doesn’t get results without execution. Solid knowledge from Dana.

5:06 PM
The speakers head to dinner before we reconvene at Fassler Hall for some beer and brats. Doesn’t get much better than that combo.

5:43 PM
The speakers and their guests are at dinner at Packard’s and a lively discussion breaks out involving Ian Lurie, Brian Allen, Glen Dimaandal, and others about the use of technology and the impact on families and children. Very smart people at these tables and they also scarfed down some great food.

7:22 PM
Folks are filing in to Fassler Hall for the After Hours Party. There’s David Christopher slowly transforming into a wild and crazy British bloke as he has a lively discussion with Everett Sizemore and others from the conference. Conference chair Kyle Elrod mixes with BigWing staffers as well as dozens of conference attendees. Plaza District director Cayla Lewis makes an appearance, she’s always willing to talk about her district and art.

Reports are that the beer was great and the Brian and Patrick from Indian Head gave a huge thumbs up to the bratwursts. Fun and cheer is had until almost 10:30 before the crowd thins out and everyone goes home to recharge for Day 2!

Day Two, Friday September 11, 2015

9:06 AM
The #SEEOKC contest winners are announced – something about illuminati and tennis ball whackers. Will they choose gift cards, or the golden selfie stick? Decisions, decisions.

9:28 AM
Keynote Mike King says we’re not maximizing, people. This is not about learning how to code. This is about knowing the limitations, and also the possibilities, that you have as a marketer. Contrary to popular belief, marketing is not just liquor and guessing. (Wait, are you sure?) Stay curious about technology. Stay up on coding trends. Learn from what the market is doing. Push your tools to the limits. Stay curious about your data. Don’t just rely on your technical people to know the technical stuff – get a working knowledge of the basics. If you’re not doing things that work, you’re just doing really expensive arts and crafts.

9:59 AM
Can we take a quick count of how many times #ConfluenceCon speakers have said the words “Don’t tweet this, but…” I’m gonna say at least five, but don’t tweet that… #ConfluenceSecrets

10:04 AM
Donut break. Overhearing things like “I’m just in donut heaven.” I spy Oreo, Reeses, blueberry, and caramel drizzle decadence. It’s all too much. They’re so good it Hurts.

10:31 AM
Newsflash: it’s not 2007 anymore. Get your social media up to speed – Casey Cornett implores you. We can sit here and be sad that Facebook is essentially pay-to-play now, or we can get over it and explore our other options.
P.S. #QRcodes4evR.
P.P.S. JK

10:55 AM
David bumps into Dan Holmes and assures Dan that he will mention the Conference mobile app on stage: “You have stock in Topi, don’t you?”

11:09 AM
Possibly regretting that Reeses donut. Possibly.

11:12 AM
The social media panel is getting good and saucy. WTF is the difference between content and social!? (Ian Lurie is in the house)

11:24 AM
Biggie was wrong. It’s not Mo Money, Mo Problems; it’s Mo Devices, Mo Problems. Wise words from Purna Virji, who just might be the nicest person we’ve ever met. The money lies in audience segmentation and using UET to your advantage. You have to talk to them in the way they want to be spoken to. Woo the window shoppers. Attract the abandoners. Then get granular: re-engage the engaged visitor.

12:00 PM
What lunch break is complete without a battle of the pizzerias? We invited Revolve and Joey’s Pizzeria to bring us their best…and oh my, our tummies are satisfied. (Polling on the conference app shows that Joey’s won about 70% of the vote)

12:47 PM
Knee deep in relationship building. Also may have snuck across the street for a Roxy’s ice cream cone. Calories don’t count at Confluence, right?

1:20 PM
Back to business. David Christopher highlights our rocking sponsors, let’s us in on the secret that he’s 90% accent and 10% personality, and gives a stern wag of the finger to everyone destroying the wifi with their hotspots. What would we do without our residential Brit to keep us laughing?

1:21 PM
Bill Martin – astrophysicist say what?! The average IQ in the room just skyrocketed (no pun intended). In the words of Dan Holmes, “Bill Martin knows more about paid search than I know about everything combined.” Tell us all your secrets Bill, we beg you. Also, @TwitterlessBill became a thing. Maybe we should let Bill know he’s Twitter famous? Ehh.

2:00 PM
Giovanni Gallucci (aka Topo Chico), single handedly managed to make everyone in the room reevaluate their brand messaging and social media, while also became brand enthusiasts for Topo Chico water. Now that’s what we call talent. Remember, folks, consistency is more important than frequency.

2:35 PM
Jones PR saves roads and bridges. We like them.

2:56 PM
How do you raise the enthusiasm level of a large room? Get Danica Jones on stage to rock the conversation about reputation marketing. You are what you share. Your brand is everything you put out there. Oh, and don’t just brand your name, brand your customer experience. We could listen to these golden nuggets of wisdom all day er’ day.

3:15 PM
With a speech titled “The Rise & Relevance of Internet TV”, we had high expectations of Patrick Allmond. And he is AWESOME. Build trust with your customers and do it with video. Make a customer feel like they know you before they ever meet you or set foot in your store. What about your customer support? Do you have a name attached to the service? Connect your customers with a name and they will love you.

3:16 PM
Rachel Mann, the little pixie who shepherded the speakers for ConCon 2015, makes her 119th trip across the catwalk from the Green Room to the back of the theatre. She never once spilled her coffee.

3:19 PM
While walking through the lobby we see the operations team restocking snacks and topping off the ice bucket for the 312th time. This conference couldn’t have happened without you! Thanks April, Gina, Stephen, Rebecca, and all of the team.

3:30 PM
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, pie slices are being set up all over the lobby. Coconut cream, apple, and drunken turtle pies…oh my. The Pie Junkie knows how to make a conference goer feel the love.

3:46 PM
We’re putting pie at the back of our minds and focusing on Steve Mann. Right off the bat he hits the nail on the head talking about the difference between marketing to the rational side of consumers vs. marketing to the behavior governed subconsciously. We are designed to be happy, we’re hard wired for it. Deep stuff, we like it. How can a guy who has six kids find enough time to be so brilliant?

4:02 PM
Mad dash for pies. The words “sugar coma” are being overheard often. No shame, Confluencers, no shame.

4:30 PM
Scott Klososky is closing out #ConfluenceCon in the best way possible. Consider this: there will be a day when the age of the internet will be compared to the dark ages. We live in a time where technology is connecting things that have never been connected before. Technology has changed how we learn, where we get information, and our relationships. If we could summarize this talk on Humalogy (the blending of humans and technology), it would simply be to say: we need to read Scott’s book.

4:42 PM
Klososky halts mid-speech to pose for Confluence official photographer Audrey Dodgen, doing her usual great work from offstage. No one can be sure what sort of face Audrey made, but it was probably “sheepish.”

5:00 PM
Wow. Is it really over? Can we go back and listen to everything again? Can we take more selfies? Did someone just say drinks in the lobby?!?

5:47 PM
Two drinks in, the lobby is hopping. No one wants to leave. With an iPhone full of new LinkedIn connections and Twitter followers, a notebook filled with tips, insight, and advice to take back to the office, and frame-selfies with all of our new friends… it’s time to say “see you next year!” to Confluence. And oh man, we can’t wait.

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Kaitlyn Bullard and Mandy Jackson both contributed to this conference diary.

 

About Kaitlyn Bullard