Words. Words inspire. Words are strong. They elicit visuals of the emotions and feelings they represent.

​Do you know yourself and can you articulate all that you stand for simply using words? 

Try this exercise and write down what you know, can do, like, dislike, admire and what truly makes your heart soar. You just might learn something about your life. Enjoy!

1) What I Know 🧠
companies, strategies, business models, customers, positioning, competition, business value, customer value, leadership, markets, tactics, history, marketing, global business, people, how to win

2) What I Can Do 🧰
analyze, think, excite, persuade, inspire, question, dream, innovate, lead, fight, win, write, speak, see what others don't see, explain, discover, connect, incite, convince, communicate, evangelize

3) What I Like 👍🏻
excellence, winning, challenges, competition, achievement, success for customers, success for my company, success for my colleagues, success for me, money, hard work, clarity of purpose, united teams, passion, taking on giants, honesty, working a crowd, following through, dazzling customers and prospects, surprising via insights and ideas, exceeding goals, inspiring colleagues and customers

4) What I Dislike​ 👎🏻
pettiness, office politics, boxes/constraints, laziness, complacency, settling for mediocrity, bullies, cowardice, shallowness disguised as sophistication, lack of belief, whining, BS, lying, bragging, coasting, scapegoating, big talk/little action, indifference disguised as cool

5) What I Admire 😍
fearlessness, excellence, winning, stating goals, big dreams, high achievement, high performance, rugged individualism, innovation, new models, outward focus, inner understanding, passionate commitment, tireless dedication, self-made success, humor, courage, loyalty, selflessness, bravery, dignity, honor, decency

6) What Makes My Heart ❤️ Soar 
innovation, challenges, success, breakthroughs, winning, competition, excellence, teamwork, passion, genius, selflessness, initiative, courage, compassion, honor and dignity, sacrifice, love, humor, loyalty, honesty, decency, self-reliance, relentlessness, brilliance

Are you looking for ways to connect with customers in the absence of live events?

In the midst of this global pandemic, companies who rely heavily on face-to-face to drive new business must rethink all tactics and methodologies. When you can’t get together in a professional environment, how can businesses build credibility, establish new relationships, and sell? Your goals remain solid and focused, but how you get there requires an expanded roadmap.

I went on a safe, socially distant Field Trip and have five tips for you! 

Check out this video to discover five ways to make connections with some creativity and flair to bring your business success.

​When you innovate, adapt, and overcome the obstacles placed in your way, you'll not only survive but thrive in what's become our new normal.

Personal story…I love to workout.

But I didn't just wake up one day with that love for hitting the gym. At first, it was something I avoided, it took effort and it was often uncomfortable. But once I integrated my love of music and dance with healthy cardio, it got a bit easier.

I am approaching this time of uncertainty and change with the same mindset. Taking things one (dance) step at a time. Figuring it out and seeing what feels right, what works and what doesn't. 

How can we as marketers and business owners take that same approach - one step at a time - during this global pandemic?

One STEP At A Time…

Support (help don’t sell). With so much uncertainty, now is not a time to hard sell. What if you were more mindful of what you communicate? It’s a good time to share how you can help others and help communities.

Transparency. We’ve learned brands that show their human side are the ones consumers gravitate toward. Thoughtfulness is even more important today. Be real, show empathy and share what you’re doing to help others get through this. 

Evolve. Change is scary and many businesses have been forced to think and do things differently. Evolution helps us survive and change is what causes us to thrive. How can your business find ways to keep up and innovate? 

Promote. Now is not the time to stop marketing (read piece by Mark Ritson in Marketing Week). You want to review your message and what you broadcast, but there is a need to stay in front of your current and prospective customers. 

Our mission at Social Media Examiner is to serve marketers and help you navigate the ever-changing terrain.

With that in mind, here are some resources, special offers, and even some news to boost your mood while we all get through this (alone) together: 
​

• Marketing In Times Of Uncertainty: Tips From Top Marketing Pros
• Is Your Business Being Disrupted? (with Marcus Sheridan)
• Marketing conferences/courses (both virtual and future live events)
• TechSmith - free and expanded service offerings  
• Freshbooks - COVID-19 Resources for Freelancers & SMBs
• Some Good News with John Krasinski
• One World Together At Home

It’s my job to help guide businesses and brands to event success. Yet in these extraordinary times, you may not be in a planning cycle for live events.

Beyond events, there are other ways to find prospects and get front and center with marketers in search of solutions.

Let's connect! I'd love to discuss tips and strategies to help you digitally develop new business that fills your pipeline.

Reach out via email [email protected] or find me on the socials @EmilyQuestions

Are you looking to activate and crush your goals at your next event?

Companies frequently fail because they haven’t put together the plan to accomplish basic objectives, things like how to:

✅  Capture quality leads

✅  Engage with prospective customers IRL

✅  Give, and get, feedback from current customers

​✅  Increase brand awareness

✅  Launch a new product

I went on a Field Trip and have three tips for you to put into action! 

Check out my video to discover three solid ways to improve the success of your next trade show or conference sponsorship.

​Questions? Want more tips? Contact Emily Crume [email protected] @EmilyQuestions

Last February, the team at Social Media Examiner was busy gearing up on-site in San Diego for our 8th annual conference, Social Media Marketing World.

The energy and fever pitch surrounding the event was very high - especially on the socials as evidenced by highly engaged hashtag traffic on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more!

You may not be aware, but our internal teams work and plan all year long to successfully host thousands of marketers for two and a half days of networking, discovery, learning and fun! Our goal is always to have attendees come away with a feeling that this was "the best conference, ever!" Little did we know that it also became "the last conference, ever!"

And my Sponsor sales team, in particular, is constantly on the lookout for the tools, solutions, and services that will enhance the practice of the marketers we reach and teach. We gather these companies into our Networking Plaza experience to demo and engage with their next best customer.
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Now that the conference is over and the month of March seems a lifetime (or a pandemic) away, we've curated a list of the top stats from the event.

It's a bit of a strange time to be in service of in-person conferences and events as so many have had to quickly pivot to online, postpone or cancel altogether. And as one friend said, it feels like we attended the last large marketing conference!

Fear not - events are still happening, online and virtually. Check out my list of upcoming events to see which ones have shifted or moved out until later in the year.

​I'm a glass-half-full kind of a gal, so I'm confident we will overcome the current challenges we face. I also know it's in our nature and we'll find ways to gather together for community, education and inspiration once again. And when that happens, please look for me and make sure to say "Hello!"