event
Ragan Social Media
27 Mar 2024
Speakers:
Mark Fordyce
Regional Sales Director
Venue: Walt Disney World's Swan & Dolphin Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Three days to help you…
- Transcend the ordinary • Transform social media results • Test new platforms • Captivate audiences • Create viral content • Cultivate community • Boost reach, results and ROI
Is social media flatlining? Is X (formerly Twitter) dead? What about the metaverse? Is Threads overhyped? Either way, there’s no doubt that social media is on pace for its most transformative — even tumultuous — year since Facebook and then-Twitter launched over 15 years go.
The good news: You can convert the chaos of continued economic pressures (inflation and recessionary fears), changing follower behaviors (TikTokification) and seismic shifts in strategy (Meta) or management (X) into opportunities if you know what’s coming.
Consider Ragen Social Media Conference your social media sherpa. It’s the guide you need to stay on the right track in 2024. The trends, tactics and new strategies we unpack together will help you adapt in a multichannel environment — and adjust to any coming obstacles and surprises.
What You Will Learn
- The continued rise of meme marketing and re-emergence of immersive worlds
- How Stories and AR/VR tools are evolving — and how to stay ahead of the curve
- Social listening and measurement strategies to gain (and understand) followers
- How to reimagine and optimize your e-commerce and social selling programs
- Working with nano and micro influencers to launch winning brand collabs
- How short-form video, live video and TikTok are transforming YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook/Instagram and X (Twitter)
- The best channels to attract and retain talent in the ????hot-yet-cooling labor market
And, so much more…
Agenda
Attend three days of information-packed sessions and inspirational keynotes on the magical grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Day 1
- Certificate Course: Advanced Writing for Marketers (08.00AM - 12.00PM)
This writing course will address the ongoing challenges you face as a communicator by equipping you with advanced techniques, storytelling skills, and what you need to know to leverage AI. You'll gain the ability to craft impactful, persuasive content that resonates with audiences and helps you achieve your communication goals.
*Separate registration required.
- AI-Powered Storytelling: Humanize Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI (12:30PM - 1:45PM)
In an era where personalizing content at scale is imperative for connecting with diverse audiences across platforms, mastering AI-powered storytelling is a game-changer. Join Carlos Gil, author of "The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI," in this interactive workshop. Discover the latest AI tools and techniques to elevate your writing and visual content for any platform, audience or social channel.
- Social Media Splashdown: Riding the TikTok Short-Form Video Wave (2.00PM - 3.15PM)
With 90% of marketers maintaining or growing their short-form video investment in 2023, the ripple effect has social platforms scramble to replicate TikTok’s micro-video magic. This workshop shows you how to do the same — while also bringing a spark of light to your brand videos so they appeal to the TikTok generation.
- Find Your North Star: SEO Ranking Strategies for the New SEO Ecosystem (3.30PM - 4.45PM)
You can’t afford to leave SEO to others — it impacts everything from email marketing to press releases and even social videos. During this deep-dive SEO workshop, you’ll learn the strategic and creative factors you need to become a full-stack digital marketer and level up your content plan.
General Sessions / Social Media Track
Day 2
- Breakfast Session/Registration (08.00AM - 8:45AM)
- Welcome and Opening Remarks (8:45AM - 8:50AM)
Change has been a constant for social media professionals. In this trendspotting session, we examine the biggest industry shifts and their impacts on the work we do — and spot a few to watch. We’ll unpack what’s on the horizon for influencer marketing, how we are staying current with generative AI, new social platforms, the pivot back to video, and more.
- Digital Doppelgängers: How to Supercharge Your Social Media Content with the Magic of AI (8:50AM - 9:30AM)
KEYNOTE
The pressure is always on to create fresh, relevant and engaging content. Imagine drafting a short prompt, and in an instant, ChatGPT provides you with tweet ideas, Instagram captions and Facebook post drafts. Need a thoughtful response to a comment thread or DM? Google Bard's got you covered! Yet while the allure is undeniable, many AI-driven posts are generic and missing that human touch. Enter your Digital Doppelgänger — your AI-enhanced creative sidekick. It knows your brand voice, understands your audience and helps you craft resonating messages.
- DE&I on Social Media: Inclusion in the Age of Authenticity (9:40aM - 10:25AM)
PANEL
We live in a small world, and a diverse one, too. In this panel discussion, we’ll dive into the next stage of DE&I across social media with a focus on accessibility practices, what it means to engage with Pride in 2024, and how to marry purpose with action when messaging marginalized communities.
- Strategies for Visual Storytelling (10:35AM - 10:55AM)
- Humour Break (10:55AM - 11:15AM)
- Choosing and Using Platforms in a Shifting Socialverse (11:15AM - 11:40AM)
Change is afoot with shifting priorities and new social platforms, from transitions at existing fixtures such as Twitter/X, Instagram and TikTok to new and emerging options such as Threads, Spill and Mastodon. How should social teams decide where to invest their time when users are dispersed across so many platforms?
- The Rise and Future of Short-Form Vertical Video (10:50AM - 12:35AM)
INTERACTIVE
Social video is one of the most powerful means of connecting with audiences today, generating up to 1200% more shares than text and image content combined. In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to get past the barriers of limited resources and legal concerns to feel comfortable using this daunting medium and wield the power of vertical video.
- Networking Lunch (12:35PM - 1:35PM)
- Creating Showstopping Social Media Content for Less Glamorous Brands (1:35PM - 2:20PM)
PANEL
Many nonprofits, healthcare organizations, educational institutions and B2B companies face a similar challenge: It can be hard to translate their work and services to exciting, entertaining and engaging social media content.
- Community Building: Fostering Brand Loyalty Online (2:30PM - 2:50PM)
- Letting Your Brand Voice Sing: How the TSA’s Social Accounts Soar Through Humor and Relatability (3:10PM - 3:35PM)
CASE STUDY
Social and comms pros often find their voice silenced by red tape and bureaucracy. In this case study, the mastermind behind Transportation Security Administration (TSA)'s often-viral Instagram account with over one million followers shares metrics and insights on engaging audiences in a regulated space.
- Going the Distance: How Solo Social Media Pros Become the Heroes of Their Organizations (3:45PM - 4:10PM)
Many organizations don’t have the luxury of supporting an entire team dedicated to social media, leaving the Herculean effort of managing multiple platforms to a single individual. Learn how two social media leads took drastically different approaches to become content creators and champions of their brand.
- Fireside Chat (4:20PM - 4:45PM)
KEYNOTE
- Key Takeaways from the Day (4:45PM - 4:55PM)
- Networking Reception (5:00PM - 6:30PM)
Day 3
- Breakfast Session/Registration (08.00AM - 8:45AM)
- Welcome Back and Morning Trivia (8:55AM - 9:05AM)
- TBA (9:05AM - 9:35AM)
KEYNOTE
- Don’t Be Cringe: Taking Risks on Social Media and Speaking Gen Z’s Language (9:45AM - 10:10AM)
CASE STUDY
Gen Z, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is a demographic that has redefined the digital landscape and challenged social teams and brands to adapt. In this session, we will explore the latest trends, tools, and strategies you need to effectively engage and connect with Gen Z audiences.
- Creating Accessible Social Media Campaigns (10:20AM - 10:30AM)
- Humour Break (10:30AM - 10:50AM)
- To the Future and Beyond: AI-Powered Tools and Tech for Social Pros (10:50AM - 11:35AM)
PANEL
Harnessing the right AI tools can propel your social media strategy light-years ahead. Join us for an illuminating session dedicated to the latest AI-powered tools and technologies designed to elevate your social media strategies.
- Finding Friends: How to Achieve Results from Creator and Influencer Collaborations (11:45AM - 12:10PM)
The creator and influencer space has matured, and with it the strategies needed to create successful content that yields results in collaboration with these talented individuals. In this session, a creator/social media pair who has navigated the dynamics of influencer/relationships will examine how these partnerships have evolved, what creators want and how to best work with them to connect with their communities.
- Closing Ceremonies/Baker’s Dozen Takeaways (12:15PM - 12:30PM)
Marketing & PR Track
Day 2
- A New World of Community Engagement: How Generative AI and Web3 Are Powering an Immersive Future (09.40AM - 10:25AM)
PANEL
As immersive games and experiences such as Roblox and Fortnite continue to attract participants seeking community and social interactions, the virtual realm is an exciting new frontier for audience engagement—especially when coupled with AI and its impact on storytelling. In this session, discover how generative AI, machine learning and other emerging technologies are transforming the way we connect, create and collaborate, and learn how marketers and communicators can step into these exciting new worlds to meet consumers.
- Influencer Marketing 2.0: Strategies for Authentic Partnerships (10:35AM - 10:55AM)
- Humour Break (10:55AM - 11:15AM)
- Manage Up with Metrics: Tools to Showcase PR and Marketing ROI to Leadership (11:15AM - 11:40PM)
Marketing and comms pros are constantly pressured to prove they’re moving the needle—especially during election years and times of economic uncertainty. This session will explore how both functions can proactively implement a data-driven measurement program that showcases to execs the symbiotic relationship between PR’s reputation management capabilities, social media’s top-of-funnel prowess and marketing’s bottom-line impact.
- Once Upon a Brand: Mastering the Art of Brand Storytelling—and Storyselling (11:50AM - 12:35PM)
INTERACTIVE
Storytelling has become a buzzword in the PR and marcom sector, but that doesn’t mean it’s well understood or implemented. In this session, our experts will show you how to turn your brand stories into storyselling, money-making content for any medium by crafting narratives that compel and covert.
- Guardians of the Brand: Handling Hot Topics in a Heated Election Year (1:35PM - 2:20PM)
PANEL
The brand landscape experienced a seismic shift in the wake of the last presidential election. As we gear up for the heated 2024 races, this panel will provide communicators with a roadmap to successfully navigate the looming minefield of partisanship and politics-centric controversy that awaits.
- Content Calendar Mastery: Planning for Consistency (2:30PM - 2:50PM)
- Humour Break (2:50PM - 3:10PM)
- Building a Brand Newsroom: A Marketer’s Guide (3:10PM - 3:35PM)
The ability to create and distribute compelling content in real-time is paramount for any successful marketing and public relations strategy. In this session, you’ll learn about how to establish a brand newsroom – your dynamic, dedicated hub where in-house journalists collaborate to craft captivating narratives.
- Audience-Informed Content Creation: Using ???? Neuromarketing to Scale Up Your Social Operation (3:45PM - 4:10PM)
Good news: You can finally move your social media strategy from reactive to proactive by applying some neuromarketing principles to a profound-yet-practical process that enables you to create the content your audience craves—and delivers it where and when they need it the most. Join to see how Clemson has recently ranked in the top 15 universities nationally for social media engagement by embracing a framework you can use to quickly plan, produce and post content that hits your audience hot buttons.
Day 3
- Podcasters Sound Off: Strategies to Produce and Promote a Winning Show (9.45AM - 10:10AM)
Today’s podcast industry market is worth $24 billion—and still growing—but it’s not enough anymore to just plan and produce a branded podcast in this lucrative yet crowded space. This panel explores how to integrate your marketing and even social media content teams to help craft compelling audio content on the regular—then promote the heck out of it and earn coverage.
- User-Generated Content: Harnessing the Power of Your Community (10:20AM - 10:30AM)
- Humour Break (10:30AM - 10:50AM)
- When You Wish Upon a Tweet: Conquering Social Media Crises and Digital Dilemmas (10:50AM - 11:35AM)
PANEL
No time is more critical for PR and marcomm teams to collaborate and protect brand reputation than when a crisis strikes. This panel unearths examples of bad news breaking or escalating on social media—and excavates their lessons to help your teams navigate, manage and even quell controversial content, misinformation or public backlash in real time when every second counts.
- Thought Leadership on LinkedIn and Beyond: A Magical Play for your Employer Brand (11:45AM - 12:10PM)
Thought leadership does it all. It generates leads, builds reputation, provides content for social media, newsletters and intranets, attracts new employees and can even drive media coverage for your execs or subject matter experts. Few content plays touch every aspect of today’s marcom org chart with as much return. Join us to learn how to execute amazing thought leadership campaigns that strike a chord instead of striking out.