Ready to skill up this year by attending a great conference for marketers like you?

Why are conferences for marketers important? They’re a tool for growth in your marketing career! First, you are learning new skills. Next, you’re exposed to best practices from peers and mentors. Then, you’re growing your network for future collaborations and opportunities. And most importantly, any work experiences outside of the office give you a fresh perspective and renewed enthusiasm for your job. It’s a win-win-win-win.

Attend one of these conferences for marketers this year:

Adweek: Outlook: You can join AdWeek for a value-heavy program to talk about the benefits of monetization strategies. Explore new tools disrupting the industry. Speakers in attendance include top names in media, marketing, and tech. This program aims to figure out how to use these innovations to supercharge growth and revenue. Over three days, you’ll learn how to connect with customers. Plus, you’ll tackle talent and transformation topics.

Content World Marketing: Content Marketing World stands out among brand marketing conferences. First, it provides a space for you to improve your content creation skills. Second, it helps you connect with other creators. At this conference, you will meet important professionals in the industry, meet potential hires, and gain knowledge to improve your marketing systems.

INBOUND: INBOUND’s key goal is to connect professionals in the marketing industry. Every year, this marketing conference is one of the biggest marketing events. In fact, it attracts thousands of world-class professionals. At INBOUND, you will meet some of the best and brightest minds in sales and revenue operations. You also get to network with leaders in marketing and customer success.

SXSW: Advertising & Brand Experience: SXSW is not your typical marketing conference. But their Advertising and Brand Experience track is a great way to expand your mind and your perspective. This SXSW track is designed for agencies and organizations. Find forward-thinking strategies to connect with communities.

SEO

MOZCON: MozCon is like a summer camp for marketers. This conference brings together digital marketers from all over the world for three days. During the program, marketers learn to overcome all the common and specific obstacles in the current marketing world. The speakers range from leaders in performance marketing, SEO, conversion optimization, local search, digital marketing strategy and conversion optimization.

Social Media

Social Media Marketing World: Social marketing is changing more and more each day. If this industry has taught us anything, it’s that you’ve got to embrace change to get ahead. Join thousands of the world’s smartest marketers and influencers — brought to you by Social Media Examiner. Walk away with real business-building ideas. And then put them to work for your business or clients right away.

Regional Traveling Conference for Marketers

Digital Summit Series: Digital Summit Series happens across the United States in more than 15 cities, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The summit includes sessions covering digital marketing best tactics and practices, SEO, content, social media, analytics and strategy. Plus, you can choose either a virtual event or attend in person.

Virtual Conference

AMA Conferences: As the global leader in marketing knowledge, the AMA provides a broad range of opportunities to collaborate, network, learn, and grow professionally. Here you’ll virtually learn from industry and academic leaders, speakers, and training instructors that you will encounter in the AMA community.

The benefits you’ll receive from a conference pay off all year long.

By attending a conference for marketers this year, you’ll be able to see the results in your work. Start applying what you learned to your everyday tasks. Then, begin a new project that will take your marketing department to the next level. You might meet your future boss. Overall, you’ll be inspired to try new innovations. And finally, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment for having invested in yourself and your future career.

Attend marketing conferences to learn, grow and connect with other leaders.

Attending a branding or marketing conference can not only expand your knowledge, it can expand your network. It can also broaden your opportunities and your outlook! To begin with, when you go to a conference, you’re hanging out with people who do a job like yours. These are people who face the same leadership challenges that you do. You have similar interests, as far as work goes, so you can all learn from each other. At a marketing conference, you can share experiences and gain best practice knowledge from others who do your job.

Improving your knowledge is another reason to attend branding and marketing conferences. For instance, you might learn new cutting edge information about your profession. Or you can learn how to enhance the work you are already doing. The impact on your upskilled performance is worth the price of admission.

Gain valuable insight into your industry, profession, or specific job.

First of all, attending conferences gives you the opportunity to meet people who do what you do now. And secondly, you’ll get a chance to network with people who do what you’ll do next. Meeting people you admire in person gives you the chance to ask questions, have a chat with them, and get to know them and how they think. The best leaders surround themselves with other experts.

Marketing conferences to attend as a senior professional:

Senior Leadership

CES: CES is the most influential tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators.

This is where the world’s biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage.

World Business Forum: Organized and curated by WOBI each year in cities across the Americas, Europe and Asia, World Business Forum is a two-day event that brings together thousands of restless minds united by their passion for business.

• Learn from and be inspired by some of the world’s most renowned figures from business and beyond. It’s a blend of content comprised of CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators, thinkers, artists and sportspeople.
• The conference focuses on the issues most relevant to today’s businesspeople, stimulating new thinking and inspiring action.

It provides a unique networking environment to connect with like-minded professionals.

CMO/Senior Level

B2B Forum by MarketingProfs: The B2B Forum is a great space for B2B executives to meet and share advice on the best digital marketing tactics and technology.

While at the conference, you will get the chance to network. And you can connect with other driven marketing and business professionals. The sessions cover authenticity, logic, empathy, and building trust with your potential and existing clients. Overall, the program gives insights into your marketing style and what could be missing.

B2B Marketing Exchange: This is a core event for B2B marketing, covering the current issues in B2B, including Demand Generation, Messaging Frameworks, AI and Audience Centricity. Is there yoga in the morning? You bet.

Meet amazing B2B marketers and stay in touch with everything B2B.

BrandSmart: BrandSmart 2023 will be structured as 10+ TED Talk-style presentations. They’ll feature leaders from all over the world. They will be talking about the cornerstones of brand resilience. They’ll discuss the most recent trends and innovations, and give out the BrandSmart Awards. This conference lets professionals network in a uniquely styled format. Featured speakers include executives from Edelman, American Dental Association and SiriusXM & Pandora.

Strategic Marketing 2023: A Reuters Event, Strategic Marketing 2023 brings together leaders from the world’s most recognizable brands to define the future of marketing. This is the global platform to inspire and empower marketing leaders. Map the digital DNA of your consumer, foster brand loyalty and community, and unlock innovation.

Hyper-digitalization is driving an overload of online content. So marketers must stay ahead of industry trends and champion creativity as we look towards 2023. 

Join CMOs, trailblazers and experts at SM23 for the most crucial learning and networking opportunity of the year.

Take a step toward growth and learning this year at a marketing conference.

Make a commitment in 2023 to grow as a senior professional by attending one of these valuable conferences. Start finding your peer group. Then learn best practices. Maybe discover a new vendor. There are many benefits to including attending a senior level conference in your growth plan this year.

The definition of remote work (also known as work from home or telecommuting) is a type of flexible working arrangement that allows an employee to work from a remote location outside of a company office.

If you’re a Gen Xer like me, working remotely wasn’t in the realm of possibilities when you entered the workforce. You commuted Monday through Friday to your office. If you were lucky, you might have had a laptop and the ability to work from home one day a week. Video conferencing? What’s that? You sat in a conference room face to face with your colleagues. Jeans at work? Only on Fridays.

The Workforce Has Changed Tremendously

Fast forward to 2022, and the pandemic made many companies realize that employees don’t need to be located in the same building to be productive. And, because of this, more and more remote jobs are emerging worldwide every day. Here at Front Porch Marketing, we’ve always been remote, and it rocks!

For many people, gone are the days of worrying if you are going to be late to a meeting because you were stuck in traffic. Business casual and casual Fridays are a thing of the past. It’s business on the top, sweatpants on the bottom. Want to work in a different location? Just change your virtual background on Zoom. Work lakeside. Work from the beach. The options are endless.

Overcoming the Pitfalls of Remote Work

Working remotely definitely has benefits that can range from eliminating a long commute to more control over your work hours to spending more time with family. On the other hand, it can also have drawbacks. Whether you’re a long-time pro of telecommuting, or new to the game, let’s talk through three of the pitfalls people make working from home and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Not having a dedicated workspace.

While not everyone has an extra room in their home for a dedicated home office, it’s important to find a space that is free of distractions. Setting up camp from your couch or bed is ok from time to time, but is not advisable for the long term because it lessens your productivity and blurs the lines between work and home.

Think of your work space as your home cubicle. Maybe it means rearranging your bedroom to make room for a desk and chair. Or, do you have a breakfast nook or dining room that no one uses? If so, make it your own with a fun lamp and a picture or two, but most importantly, keep it simple and organized and solely focused on work. This home office environment allows you to set firm boundaries between work and home.

2. Household distractions.

Having the ability to do a load of laundry, being home for a repairman, or putting dinner in the crockpot are all benefits of working from home. But, if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself wasting a good chunk of your day working on household responsibilities instead of your work task at hand.

Utilize your work calendar by scheduling breaks and a dedicated lunch hour. Use short breaks time to take out the trash, fold a load of laundry or prep kids’ lunches for the next day. Your lunch hour is also a great time to run a quick errand, or get your blood flowing and go for a walk around the neighborhood. If you plan out your time, you’ll find at the end of the work day you have accomplished your work responsibilities and freed up some time in the evening by checking off a few nightly chores from your to-do list too.

3. Work-life balance.

If you are accustomed to being in an office, you more than likely are used to a set start and end time. Sometimes you might go in early or stay late, but typically when you leave the parking garage your work day is over. This isn’t the case when you work remotely.

While flexible hours are a benefit of working from home, it’s important to set boundaries. For some that might mean a set start and end time. Log in at 8. Log out at 5. For others, it might mean working chunks of hours to accommodate kids’ schedules. Whatever your work hours are, when you aren’t working log off your computer and turn off email notifications on your phone. Let your colleagues know this time is dedicated for family or personal time. When you have a balance, and time to disconnect, you will find you are happier and more productive while you’re working.

Remote Work is Here to Stay

It may take time to get used to a remote work environment, and find the schedule and tools and resources you need to be successful. Just know that more than likely you are not alone. Reach out to your colleagues and friends and family. They might have some tips and tricks to help too!

I get asked what it’s like to work with my mom, the boss of Front Porch Marketing, Chief Rocker Julie Porter. Well, let me tell you. It’s a lot harder than you would expect. Why? Because she expects so much more out of me and she knows that I’m capable of doing almost anything and everything.

Is work easier when your mom is the boss?

A lot of people usually say “oh she definitely lets you slack off” or “oh I bet it’s so easy”, but they couldn’t be more wrong. It adds a lot of pressure on me when I do work for my mom’s company, because I want to do my absolute best in order to impress my mom. I want to live up to her expectations of me. But, it is also very comforting to know that my mom is the boss and CEO. 

The boss always has your back

While she is always challenging and expecting the most out of me I know that she will always have my back and be the most understanding when it comes to work. No matter what, there will always be someone in my corner. She also tends to have a great support system.

She surrounds herself with the very best team members which makes my situation a lot more comforting. Seeing her support all of her employees, and create a successful remote working environment makes it a lot easier and more fun for me to do work for her, and the other Front Porch Marketing team members. I don’t say it a lot but when it comes to working with and for her sometimes, I can be a little excited. While she has taught me a lot about marketing, she’s also taught me about running a business. Because she is good at this.

Takeaways from a summer internship with a parent

All in all, this summer has been great so far and it has been a pleasure to heighten my business relationship with my mother. I’ve learned so much from my mom the boss, that I can apply to college and my future job endeavors. I owe it all to her and I love her so much. Thanks mom!

This week, we’re welcoming Andrew Porter, our newest intern rocker, to the team!

1. What makes you want to have a career in marketing, Andrew Porter?

I’ve grown up watching my mom create this awesome company from the ground up and achieve so much in little time. It really motivates me to be successful seeing her achieve her dream and work so hard to obtain it. I want to be able to do what I want in the future as well and achieve my dream. Marketing has a special place in my heart and really does interest me in my future career endeavors.

2. What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far in your life?

There are many obstacles in life, but you end up gaining more from these obstacles than you have lost, if you choose to conquer the obstacles.

3. If you could describe Andrew Porter in three words, what would they be?

The three words I’d use to describe myself would be hardworking, funny, and committed.

4. What are your goals for your time at Front Porch Marketing?

I really want to get my foot in the door with this marketing internship, and get some real life business experience for the future. I have 5 specific goals that I’d like to conquer while at Front Porch:

1) I will be able to professional handle myself according to the certain business or personal situation that is present. And learn from those that have more experience than I do.

2) I will be able to communicate with clients and strangers effectively for the benefit of me and others.

3) I will be able to effectively navigate the internet accordingly while also being proficient in Microsoft 365.

4) I will be able to successfully balance the many activities that go on in my everyday life with my multiple jobs, hanging with friends, and sleeping.

5) I will be able to build a basic understanding of marketing principles to assist clients in attaining their long-time goals.

5. If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?

One person I’d definitely want to go to dinner with would be Chris Farley. He is my favorite comedian and is literally so funny. I’d love to see him in person do his Matt Foley: Van Down by the River skit from SNL.

6. What is a fun fact about you?

I am currently the Vice President of Recruitment of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) at Rollins College and the Brotherhood Chair of SAE.

The 2020’s Have Been Tough

The beginning of this decade has been a tough one. No one expected a pandemic in the 21st century. At least not one that would impact the way we live, learn, and conduct business. Covid-19 has forced humanity to adapt to the era of online learning, and remote work. Now that we have all had a taste for what its like to work at home I don’t think we’re going back to the office anytime soon. Or at least not back to full time positions in an office. In 2021 America experienced a momentous event: everyone started to quit their jobs. Journalists have called this “The Great Resignation”.

Following this, major companies in marketing and other knowledge industries like HubSpot, Twitter, Airbnb, and Microsoft announced that they’re switching to going fully remote or remote/hybrid. Due to this transition, more companies have started to look towards future advances in a new era of work. What comes next? The Metaverse.

What is the Metaverse?

So what is the Metaverse? The Metaverse is a virtual 3D world that can be accessed by using either a VR headset or through a computer. Its goal is to create a world that is more layered and connected than the internet. It will allow users to create their own avatars and converse with one another, making remote projects significantly more efficient.

What Might Business in the Metaverse Look Like?

So how does this effect businesses like marketing? Well, to start off, one of the many challenges in working from home is communication. It takes a very well structured team with consistent communication and clear goals to make remote work flow efficiently. The Metaverse would only help this work style. It would allow for more open communication and allow people to separate their home life from their work life.

Often times people blend their work life with their home life when they work remotely, and this would solve this problem. You would simply say good bye to your coworkers once work is done in this virtual world, and log off. You would no longer have this distance problem. And be able to have more effective collaboration while you’re there. Just imagine everyone having a shared virtual space where you can freely move around. It could be the future of remote brainstorming sessions.

A Cheaper Alternative

Business might want to shift towards implementing the Metaverse, because in the end it’s going to save them money. There would be no need to pay office rent anymore. No need to fly employees out to meet clients in other countries and rent them hotels. This gives smaller businesses a chance to do business with clients overseas. In a way, it could even the playing field to meet in a virtual world.

Having a Metaverse office might also allow companies to save time on trainings. With this new technology managers will be able to train new employees at a much faster rate. Instead of just sending them a standard pdf of the tasks they need to complete, they could jump into a virtual simulation that has been specifically designed and tested to maximize their efficiency. The possibilities are endless.

Is the Metaverse a Necessary Change?

It may seem like a sudden and drastic change, but that’s what life has been like these last two years. And as humans, we continue to adapt to all of these sudden changes. I think the way we look at work — at least in the corporate setting —has forever changed since 2020. “The Great Resignation” is proof of it. It may take awhile for companies to change, but I believe there is no going back to fully in-person at the office in the future. I think you could compare this time period to a time in history when we stop using horses and started driving cars. It was a sudden drastic change that the world was not expecting, but over time it just became the new normal. You can either adapt and stay up with the times and join your colleagues in the Metaverse, or stay behind. There’s no moving backward now.

Marketing leaders, what are you doing to nurture relationships with your customers?

Consistency and connection nurture relationships. Sure, loyalty and points programs are tactics that bring brands and customers closer together.

But genuine allegiance is an outcome.

A recent conversation with a marketing leader provided inspiration. This marketing leader has had some challenges. But realized the value of marketing.

The company had cut the marketing budget. All the momentum that person built was put to a halt. And then the company brought in a consultant. First, he asked her what was happening on the marketing front. To which she replied, “Nothing.’ And, obviously he was shocked.

How to foster genuine relationships.

Business leaders do these four things:

1. Conviction – Know the brand. Marketing leaders walk the talk. And they demonstrate it every touchpoint. Then, clients and their customers can see it and feel it.
2. Consistency – Do you have a message map for your client? Share the value proposition of the brands you work on, on every platform, consistently.
3. Communication – Know your audience. Then recognize: how do they want to communicate? It isn’t about you. It is about what works for them. Marketing leaders will recognize this and pivot messaging to solve clients’ problems in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the client.
4. Connection – If there is consistency communicating the message, then the connection will happen. But as a marketing leader, how do you deepen the ties with your client and their customers?
   • Weekly meetings with clients
   • Weekly catch-up calls on both status of projects, and how pain points with consumers are being addressed
   • Notes on special days to recognize achievements
   • Boundaries set on both sides, so that both marketing and client are set up to succeed

Marketing leadership: Take inspiration. Deepen connections. Accelerate growth.

We love to partner with smart leaders who value marketing. And, if we can help, let’s talk about mutual partnership to grow top line sales.

AHA Moments are happening again!

AHAs and WHOAs. When the way the world of work is done shifts, like it did Q1 of 2022, you can expect a little bit of both. Our annual team kick off meeting this year was an AHA for us! Unfortunately, not everyone could make it. But it was the first time for us to meet two team members in person. They had joined us in 2021, but we had not all met in person yet. Such a great AHA moment!

We were also so excited to be onsite with our client last week. Their manufacturing facility inspires. Yes, we creative individuals love being in this environment because we can have lots of AHA moments together. Then, some of us go into a cave for a few hours after to recharge, taking all that inspiration with us to create. That meeting was the first time we met our client of several months in person vs via a screen. We hugged, natch.

WHOA, I’m not sure I’m ready for this.

In a catch-up lunch, Friday, a longtime advocate of ours was very anxious. And he admitted, he’s a bit angry. He starts international business travel again full throttle this week. He liked his pandemic routine. WHOA. We all kind of got used that didn’t we?

Another client of ours brought us on board recently. Their team is overstretched all the way around. Trade shows and conference are back now in person, and that adds a lot of extra marketing work to their plate. What’s extra hard for them right now is the fact that some of their clients are demanding online events as well. So, WHOA, they are now doing double the work.

We’ve been virtually ready for this for years.

Between all the client AHAs and WHOAs, it’s easy for us to just keep rollin’. Eleven years ago this month, we were founded on a virtual model. So, not much changed for us workstyle wise over the past two years. The rest of the world finally realized what a great model remote work is, and caught up to us!

Now the “Hybrid” work is emerging. Hybrid offices practice some time in the office and some time remote. According to U.S. News & World Report, the younger generations love the hybrid idea. But, they also love the connection of the face-to-face model. The older generation, who were the yuppies of the ‘80s, working 70 hours a week, now prefer not to be in the office all the time. And everyone seems to still be moving forward, getting things done. So remote and hybrid models are making more sense to a lot of workers.

Different work styles can work together.

Whatever style you or your team members or clients chose, be kind and carry on. You CAN work together! Remember professionals of all industries and levels are going through AHAs and WHOAs of their own as 2022 progresses. It may take some people time to settle in to their optimum work style, and make it work for their family, their team, and their company.

How to make working together easier.

When you’re working together, the key to a successful partner relationship between an agency and an in-house marketing client is articulating goals on both sides. What does the in-house marketing director want out of the partnership? What role(s) will the agency fill? And for those on the agency side: what is the expertise that you are offering and how will it fit into the work and process of the in-house marketing department. Ultimately, what common goal is everyone working toward?

3 traits of a successful in-house marketing director (when working with an agency):

1. Treat the agency like a partner. Be available. Share the wins and the losses. Exchange information and best practices. Work united toward a common goal.
2. Let people do their job. It has been said many times – surround yourself with smart people and let them do their jobs. This is very true when working with an agency. You, as the in-house marketing director, know your brand better than anyone. But the agency will have deep knowledge in how to market your brand to the right people, at the right time, and in the right place. Take advantage of this expertise.
3. Be clear, concise and direct. Communication is key to a great in-house/agency working relationship. Having clear goals and being able give good feedback will make the process of creating great work run smoother.

3 traits of a successful agency (when working with an in-house client):

1. Be transparent. Give real world examples with data and KPI results to show that you know how to do this work successfully. Show and tell your successes that relate to your new client’s business to increase their confidence in your expertise.
2. Flatten your organization when it comes to direct contact. Allow clients to be able to communicate directly with different members of your team if they need an opinion on a specific matter. Shielding most of your agency from the client and running everything through gate-keeping account service people prevents deeper brand knowledge and deeper connections.
3. Prepare to collaborate. Including your client in the creative process will not only make the working relationship work better, the client will have the opportunity to “own” the idea with you. Then, you’ll have no better champion for your idea than your client as it moves up the C-Suite approval chain.

Growing your partnership and working together – in-house and agency – requires determination. First, be determined to recognize the value of the people that you are working with. And then, be steadfast in your determination to succeed together.

What have I learned from my classes at school?

As my academic journey nears an end, I am reflecting on key learning from classes. I’ve gained valuable lessons that I’m taking with me. The most precious thing I’ve learned from this path is realizing my strengths. My strengths are communication, technology, research, accuracy, and consistency. And I will strive to apply these strengths in my future work life.

Being part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program

I am in my final semesters with good academic standing in school. Thus I was given the opportunity to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program. The GS10K Small Business is a prestigious program which partners small business owners with students. It’s a win/win for both the student and business owners.

To start, this partnership gives some students their first job experience. Next, it gives small business owners the opportunity to give back to their community – as a mentor, colleague, client or partner. First, the staff of Front Porch Marketing have become my mentors. So they continue to guide and challenge me. Next, they are helping me realize my strengths. And finally, I get to use the tools I am learning in school on the job to become successful beyond my educational journey.

Biggest key learning from classes: communication

Front Porch Marketing is a digital marketing firm that operates 100% virtually. Communication is key to the success of our company. Formally addressing people in email and text messages is an important business process. Prompt and clear responses keep projects moving and clients happy.

Beyond communication, I am learning time management, organization, accuracy and consistency. Often, organization and time management are crucial to success in a virtual environment. First, as a full-time student and part-time intern, I have to organize my files and time efficiently. Then I am able to meet my deadlines. I use these skills daily at Front Porch.

Finally, we also alternate writing on the FPM website blog. So this is my first blog post written for Front Porch Marketing!

What have I learned?

Technology is leading future work. For marketing, you need a desktop, cell phone, internet, and online meeting forums like Zoom and Microsoft Collaborate. And I use various software for this job including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. In addition, Mailchimp, Pipedrive, Word Press and Adobe Illustrator have become part of my weekly duties.

• I researched YouTube to learn how to implement and launch Pipedrive CRM. Pipedrive is a customer relationship management tool. It is a cloud-based software program designed to manage and track sales prospects, progress, and win/loss revenue. 
• I used Microsoft Excel to transfer data from Pipedrive into a report for updating clients contact information. I also retrieve other client information such as email addresses and physical locations from the Excel spreadsheets I build.
• At Front Porch Marketing, I keep Mailchimp updated for clients, monitoring and updating contact lists. Mailchimp is an email marketing software program.
• I use Microsoft Word to create and duplicate client files, letters, and reports. Here real world work reinforces key learning from classes almost every day.
• I can connect with others on Zoom and Microsoft Collaborate, which are virtual meeting platforms. We share information in real time for better communication.

Nearing the end of my classes: the final dance

After suffering through all the reading writing and arithmetic, this semester’s courses seem hand-picked. Lessons learned apply to the marketing field, and to today’s trends and current events. I am currently studying cyber security and the importance of securing devices. I am also taking PC Help Desk Support classes. Listening and writing skills are required. First, we learn to develop problem-solving techniques. Then, we relay what we learned to a customer or co-workers.

And most relevant of all, I am in the middle of Introduction to Digital Media. Many fields including marketing, movies, newsletters, and web design include digital media. We have completed projects that involved setting up and learning Word Press, creating our own website and adding a weekly blog.

As my journey continues, I have been blessed to have the best people at Front Porch Marketing to guide me to the finish line. Therefore I want to thank you all – you rock!