6 things I learned at Social Media Camp

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m a bit of a social media geek. May 21st – 23rd, I attended Victoria’s 6th annual Social Media Camp. What is this, you may ask? It’s a Victoria-based conference covering everything social media related from Twitter to podcasts and engaging with people “offline” (aka: in person).

After 3 days of sessions, round tables, lectures and one-on-one chats with amazing people, these are the top 6 pieces of social media know-how I am most excited to share:

1. Twitter is a listening tool: A live tweet lasts 12 minutes. The consensus at Social Media Camp was that tweeting itself is great, but not enough for companies and organizations. Twitter is an excellent way to see what customers are saying, or not saying about your product or service. For individuals, Twitter is a great way to listen to organizations to learn more or join them as an employee.

2. The digital user has an attention span of 3-5 seconds: Whether you are writing a blog, making a video or creating an email newsletter, keep it short.

3. Use LinkedIn Publisher to write blog posts: As a new blogger, I’m excited about the prospect of uploading posts to LinkedIn. For more info on LinkedIn (and why you should have it!), see Lindsay’s fabulous post: LinkedIn: A MUST.

4. Create Facebook lists to share different kinds of content: Do you like to share on Facebook? This might be a great tool for you. In Facebook, you can create lists specifically for sharing.

5. Keep track of current trends with Feedly: I am VERY excited about this tool. Essentially, Feedly is a way to see what is cool, hip and trending. It’s great for anyone who wants a quick search to see current trends, including bloggers like me!

6. Google Plus is important for your web presence: Yes that’s right. If you use Google services, you have a Google Plus account. When people use Google to find an individual or a company, their Google Plus profile will come up in the search. Tip: take 10 minutes to fill out at least the basic information you would want people to know about you or your organization.

Interested in attending next year? The dates for the 7th Social Media Camp are May 5th to 7th, 2015. For any students, there are opportunities to volunteer and attend for free! Stay in touch with Social Media Camp though Facebook and Twitter.