CMWorld: What You Need To See That Will Make You A Better Content Marketer

CMWorld is finally here!

Waiting for this must-see content marketing event is like waiting for Santa Claus.

The difference:
You get 200+ people strutting their orange instead of one lone man wearing red.

And yes:
I am proud to be one of them! (Hat tip: Stephanie Stahl, Cathy Mc Philips and Andrea Larick!)

Whether you’re an experienced Content Marketing World alum or a first time newbie, we’ve got you covered with this must-read guide.

Why?
Because attending CMWorld can make you a better content marketer!

How?
By showcasing the top content marketing thought leaders, providing the latest content marketing knowledge, and offering access to cutting-edge sponsors.

To improve your long-term career, you get the opportunity to connect and develop relationships with marketers from different backgrounds, locations and experiences face-to-face. (#Inclusive)

And nothing beats a handshake and a smile to change the world one person at a time.

So don’t spend your time deciding who to meet and which sessions to attend.

Because you don’t want to go home disappointed. 

And I know only too well how FOMO  can eat away at your positive memories. 

Don’t worry you can still buy a ticket for CMWorld (Use the code Cohen19.)

(And, if time or money don’t permit, read my guide to attending a conference without being there!)

 

Before Attending CMWorld: Understand The Current Marketing Landscape

Before you plan your CMW strategy:
Understand the seismic content marketing shift that has occurred this year.

Don’t waste time wondering why you missed it.

Why?
Due to Ray Kurtzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns, a lot of this massive change took place inside computers and the cloud (Thanks, AWS.) The change occurred at an exponential rate. This means each change will yield significantly more benefit—more than Moore’s Law.

In the process, machines get smarter with help from humans.

Result:
Early adopters gain a significant advantage before companies can see the impact.

Further, in the early phases, this massive change requires a combination of skills that many marketers and colleagues lack.

• Technology combined with a willingness to test new opportunities.
• Data science to understand how it’s structured across your business and to clean and work with it.
• Finance and math to prove business success to make the case to leadership.

Before you beat yourself up for missing the breadcrumbs, you’ve got lots of company.

This combination of skills is rare among marketers. Chris Penn and Jim Sterne stand out as enlightened leaders and teachers in this nascent field.

Others like me have experienced lucky career accidents. Although initially uncomfortable with technology and data science (like many women), I persisted until I understood enough to incorporate them into my marketing.

And the good news is:
You can too!

How?
Give yourself permission to feel uncomfortable not understanding. Then study and learn by asking questions.

Even better, CMW has attracted marketers who can teach you the basics.

 

What Is Seismic Content Marketing Shift?

Seismic content marketing shift consists of 3 technology-driven factors that breaking through at the same time. As a result, together, they create a massive marketing disruption. This marks the dawn of the next era of marketing.

• Voice First
• Marketing AI
• Content Saturation

Why have most marketers missed it?
Because even those people involved in a specific area of this seismic shift have only seen their small section of the whole.

Meanwhile, due to the Law Of Accelerating Returns, the other concurrent changes remained invisible to them.

But the good news is:
#CMWorld has your back with sessions that will at least give you the foundation to reassess your content marketing strategy and plans for 2020 and beyond.

Bottom line:
Not only has this seismic shift changed the marketing field, but also it requires that you change how you structure and present your content.

Going forward, your content marketing must encompass all of your business’s content, information and data. This applies to both internal and external sources regardless of who owns them and/or who controls them!

Further, your content, information and data must be associated regardless of where it resides within your:

• Organization, 
• Marketing or other types of agencies, 
• Suppliers,
• Distributors and/or 
• Other third parties.

Further,  your competitive set includes any business or organization that provides content and/or information to answer these questions:

• Information I want or need. Beyond content and information, includes finance and health data and related implications for product use.
• Where can I go, do or buy BLANK. Includes “Near Me” requests. They account for a large portion of voice requests regardless of device used.
• Entertain me. Includes movies, television, music, gaming and more. Further, you now compete with content distributors who have expanded into content creation.This includes Netflix, Amazon, Google and other established content titans like Disney.

To gain visibility, findability and/or discoverability in a post-seismic shift world, your answers must be device, format and context agnostic.  –Heidi CohenClick To Tweet

 

 

 

The Must-See #CMWorld Sessions

Heidi Cohen – Continuous Content Distribution Playbook
Wed. 9/5 at 10:15am in the Hilton’s Hope Ballroom E

Don’t let the title fool you! This session lays out the Seismic Content Marketing Shift and its 3-prong challenge.

But, more importantly for you, Cohen provides a roadmap to help marketers effectively compete in this post-disruption ecosystem with sustainable content.

When created and renovated to remain evergreen, sustainable content supports continuous content distribution!

BTW–Attendees will get access to Cohen’s slides and related worksheets so you can become a content marketing smartie!

 

Voice-First Marketing

Mitch Joel – The Future Of Content Marketing Is Voice And Smart Audio
Wed, 9/4 at 3:05pm in Grand Ballroom B

Mitch speaks about managing your voice brand in a world shifting to voice, smart audio and smart speakers. Even better, Mitch shows you how to measure your voice marketing success.

 

Jay Baer – Mouth Moves: How To Conquer The New Frontier Of Voice Content, Alexa, And Smart Speakers
Thurs, 9/5 at 1:45pm in Room 26

According to Jay:
“Now is the time to start creating voice-activated content.”

For those of you paying attention, the subtext of Jay’s message is:
Reassess the role of podcasting in your content marketing mix.

Why should you consider podcasting and audio?

• Reach audio-only audiences during drive time and other screen-free moments.
• Support sustainable content by transforming content into audio formats.
• Expand distribution through your email, blog, and other podcast options like Apple’s iTunes.

BTW—You know Jay is in learning mode because he’s not wearing a plaid suit.

 

Tom Webster – Inside a 20-Year Content Marketing Program
Thurs, 9/5 at 2:50pm in Grand Ballroom B

Tom (yes, he’s Mr. Tamsen,) a long-time proponent of audio will tell you “what it takes to sustain a successful, multi-year content marketing program.”

 

Marketing AI

While the Marketing AI whisperer, Paul Roetzer, and his MAICON team went all in at Inbound, don’t worry, CMWorld covers Content Marketing AI with these must-see sessions:

Chris Penn – 5 Practical Applications of AI For Content Marketing
Thurs, 9/5 at 11:20am on the CMWorld Main Stage

Chris will teach you 5 practical ways to apply AI to your content marketing. After this session you will be able to apply them to get measurable results.

 

George Stenitzer – How to Use AI to Unlock Secrets Inside Questions
Thurs, 9/5 at 1:45pm in Room 5

Don’t let the title fool you!

George explains how to use AI to create the one piece of sustainable content to help enable you to remain competitive in today’s post-Seismic Marketing Shift World.

 

Jeff Coyle – How AI Automates Time-Consuming Research for Your Content Strategy
Thurs, 9/5 at 2:50pm in Room 5

Since Jeff knows that every unit of content that you create has the potential to be successful if it’s created to be sustainable and evergreen, he’ll show you how to scale your content marketing efficiently. (And yes– It involves Marketing AI!)

BTW—Visit Jeff and his MarketingMuse team in the Exhibit Hall.

 

Content Saturation

Ann Handley – What Do We Want? CONTENT, When Do We Want It? ASAP!
Wed, 9/4 at 3:05pm in Room 26

Ann continues to push us to be better marketers and better writers.

While I don’t know Ann’s 2019 pivot—she described it to me as “Storytime with Ann Handley.”

As the #1 Ann Handley fangirl, I’m not surprised. She talked about Charlotte’s Web at another Content Marketing World.

What I can promise you:
Ann’s talk will improve both your writing and thinking.

 

Must-See CMWorld Keynotes

While sleep is key to getting the most from these sessions, don’t underestimate the value of the keynotes.

Since he no longer commands the helm of CMI, Joe Pulizzi’s opener, MKTG 2030, will provide “7 Points of Content Marketing Wisdom.” I rate Joe’s presentations as MUST-SEE events even if I have to lose sleep.

Like me, Pulizzi appreciates the need for sustainable content.

BTW–We also share having worked for different media entities. This experience continues to influence and guide our content marketing approach.

 

Tamsen Webster keynote, Getting the Green Light: How to Build Content People Say Yes To is also a MUST-SEE presentation. Tamsen is breaking the Content Marketing World glass ceiling by being the first woman to keynote.

If you haven’t heard Tamsen, buckle your seat belts because, as the former director of TEDx Cambridge, she will teach you how to use live content marketing. In my book, she’s the consummate pro at work. (Sorry, Andrew Davis.) BTW—On a personal note, I hope CMW 20 gets more #inclusive.

 

What You Need To See At CMWorld Conclusion

Regardless of the sessions you choose to attend, you will gain a ton of knowledge and actionable tactics and tips.

But to ensure that you can put them into action:

• Take notes during the sessions. (Personally, I recommend using pen and paper to help you remember better!)
• Make a list of those recommendations that you can use immediately.
• Create a summary of your CMWorld learnings to share with your colleagues. Again this helps you to cement the knowledge before you get pulled into your next fire drill!

Also, push yourself to meet new people even if you’re shy. Once you introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you at a keynote or session, you won’t be a stranger!

If that doesn’t convince you, people with more connections have more successful careers!

Caveat:
Follow up with everyone you meet as soon as you can! 

If you use social media, make sure that you reference a conversation or detail about their talk to jog their memory.

Further, if you see an influencer or a social media connection in the flesh, go up to them and introduce yourself.

Remember — I look forward to meeting you!

More importantly, I want to take a photo with you!
#IWantAPhotoWithHeidi

Happy Marketing,
Heidi Cohen

 

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Photo Credit: Unless otherwise noted, all photos are ©2018-2018 Heidi Cohen. Permission to use is granted providing attribution is given along with a link to this article.