Please note: This presentation will take place at 10:45-11:45 a.m., followed by an interactive panel.

Today, a tweet or YouTube video can quickly create viral gold or the next brand boycott, and yesterday’s way of creating, sharing and measuring branded campaigns and messages will no longer cut it. Tina McCorkindale, president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, and Marcia DiStaso, chair and associate professor at the University of Florida, will share new research about how social media is affecting PR efforts and the industry’s future. They will discuss takeaways for better audience behaviors as well as how social media is situated in organizations and the digital landscape to help you carve out success and create your future career path.

You’ll learn:

• The career path of a social media manager
• How to effectively structure social media departments (including budgets, reporting lines, performance evaluations)
• How to better understand behavior and influence on social media—and the most important business metrics to advance your efforts
• Ways that social media is making PR efforts trickier—especially crisis communications and reputation management—along with ways to stay ahead of the curve
• Research insights and actionable tips to add social media skills to your PR toolbelt

(Served onsite)

Discuss what you’ve learned along with your other insights, challenges and triumphs on social media and beyond with other attendees, speakers and sponsors. Our dine-around dinners are an “on your own” opportunity to have face-to-face networking time in intimate groups each led by a conference speaker. Spots fill up quickly!

Microsoft has undergone a rapid culture change in recent years, becoming a people-centered organization with a mindset on growth and connection. To enact this transformation, Microsoft’s leaders turned to social media to share their vision for the future as well as take the pulse of employees and elicit feedback. Whether preparing for an organizational change or seeking to increase employee engagement, you can harness lessons learned to cultivate a thriving company culture and connected employees. In this bonus session, Kasia Krzoska, senior product manager at Microsoft, will showcase the company’s strategy and toolkit that bridged the distance between leadership and their modern, global workforce, as well as address issues and take important steps towards reaching their company goals.

You’ll learn:

• Ways to assess your organization’s culture to embrace what’s working—and confront what’s not
• Digital tools and processes that can help your leaders better engage with employees
• How to encourage your employees to share their feedback and new ideas
• How social media strategies can increase transparency and help your workforce become actively involved in your mission

Unforeseen crises including the new coronavirus outbreak can quickly send you and your organization scrambling to address concerns and ensure both employees and external audiences have up-to-date information that increases trust. That becomes increasingly harder to accomplish as social media platforms speed up the news cycle and can quickly spread misinformation and fake news, further adding to sensationalized reporting along with viral images and videos. Join Rebeca Mueller, vice president of digital strategy for Porter Novelli, and Caitlin Angeloff, social strategy director for Providence St. Joseph Health, in a fireside discussion led by Mark Ragan, owner of Ragan Communications, as they discuss how to prepare and protect yourself in the social media age.

You’ll learn:

• Ways to prepare for crises ahead of time and help deploy key members of your organization to support your efforts
• How to effectively get information in front of your audience, dispelling myths and misinformation
• Steps for using social media effectively within your crisis response (along with pitfalls to avoid)
• Best practices for futureproofing your organization’s brand image

Social media best practices and platform algorithms are constantly changing, but the foundation of your digital presence and core of your social media campaigns should be rooted in a strategy that helps you achieve your organization’s goals and boost the bottom line. Kevin Saghy, senior director of social media at The Ohio State University, will share how he and his team have implemented a new strategy that has them on a “worst to first” trajectory on social media—and how you can directly tie your online efforts to the goals that can drive your organization forward.

You’ll learn:

• Tips for auditing where your organization’s online efforts are within your industry and peer set
• Ways to get leadership buy-in to establish a strategy that can help you move forward
• How you can affect change at a high level and get colleagues involved in your campaigns
• Secrets for establishing a strategy that ties to the bottom line and aligns with your brand voice—while also attracting attention and interaction

In the blink of an eye, an online firestorm could threaten your organization’s social media presence and brand reputation, especially as social media is speeding up the 24-7 news cycle and viral trends can often contain misinformation. Florida International University’s Aileen Izquierdo, interim chair, instructor and global strategic communications graduate director, and Heather Radi-Bermudez, instructor, will share a few case studies and best practices for meeting growing social media crises with your reputation intact.

You’ll learn:

• How to mobilize in a quickly moving digital landscape
• Ways you can respond to and correct misinformation
• Best practices to tamping down viral videos, outrage and more
• Tips for getting ahead of the narrative online and beyond

Though most of today’s communicators and executives recognize that diversity and inclusion play an increasingly important role in their organizations, we’re still struggling to integrate lasting change in authentic and meaningful ways. In this fireside discussion between Tanya Gibson, vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and human resources for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, you’ll glean insights and ask questions about how you can help drive meaningful change in making your workplace and communications more equitable, welcoming and aligned with your organization’s values.

You’ll learn: 

• The challenges in communicating D&I initiatives both internally and externally—and how you can overcome them
• Why and how diversity and inclusion functions can be aligned across your organization and its business goals
• Ways to embed purpose-driven campaigns within your strategies and business functions
• How communicators can help HR colleagues, executives and more understand and reach D&I benchmarks

You can probably relate to wishing for a bigger budget while stretching your internal and external storytelling muscles to create content that resonates. The great news is that you can create killer videos that capture and keep viewers’ attention, no matter how many resources you have or how much money you can spend. Ben Searcy, head of marketing for North America at Shootsta, will show you practical tips for shooting video with your smartphone and resources you already have at your disposal, along with ways you can be a scrappy storyteller and successful content creator to engage employees and more.

You’ll learn:

• How to create videos on a small or non-existent budget
• Ways to identify and showcase stories within your organization
• Tips for content that bridges the gap between internal and external communications goals
• How to shoot video for multiple content pieces
• Secrets for creating videos that are too good to scroll past

Enjoy refreshments, visit with our influencers and sponsors, and brainstorm social media inspiration with your peers.

From its cast members to its content partners, Disney Parks isn’t short on stories to share with its interested and engaged community. Yet, there are many more personalized and compelling tales to tell across channels and in a multitude of formats that meet audiences where they are—including new and rising digital trends such as podcasts, long-form videos, mobile-first strategies and audio content.

Join Thomas Smith, editorial content director for Disney Parks and the founder of the Disney Parks Blog, and Mark Ragan, owner of Ragan Communications, in this fireside chat that will give you a backstage pass to what it’s like covering original stories in new ways, Smith will shed light on the future of content and social media engagement—with a sprinkle of magic along the way.

Please note: You will receive this video following the conference.

With more than 660 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network. Communicators can harness the power of the thriving social platform to build their organization’s social media presence and establish their brands as powerful thought leaders. Go beyond signing in and creating your company name: Steve Kearns, social media lead at LinkedIn, will share lessons learned from the platform’s own brand journey and show you how to build your organization’s brand on LinkedIn for social media success.

You’ll learn:

• Resources, tools and features you can use to increase engagement
• Ways to highlight your branded story to make it more human and personable
• How your personal, employee and executive brands can tie in and positively affect your organization’s brand
• Tips for creating compelling content—including video and livestreams—no matter if you’re B2B or B2C

Please note: You will receive this video following the conference.

The speedy nature of social media and how information is spread can be both a blessing to PR pros looking for buzz and a curse to those aiming to get ahead of the narrative—especially if it contains misinformation or negativity you haven’t yet addressed. Kim Markus, consumer marketing and public relations manager at ScottsMiracle-Gro, will share how social media can fuel its own stories and quickly carry wrong information if you’re not being proactive about customer care and crisis response—along with ways you can build your credibility and reputation ahead of time.

You’ll learn:

• How to quickly correct misinformation online, whether through journalists or customers
• Ways to be swift and transparent in your responses
• How to use social media to build brand affinity and bulk up your reputation for times of crises
• How to bypass a negative news cycle by being proactive with social media outreach

Please note: You will receive this Q&A following the conference.

Though most of today’s communicators and executives recognize that diversity and inclusion play an increasingly important role in their organizations, we’re still struggling to integrate lasting change in authentic and meaningful ways. In this Q&A with Tai Wingfield, senior vice president in the employee engagement and change management specialty at Weber Shandwick, and Jacer Collins, senior human resources manager at PepsiCo, you’ll glean insights from Weber Shandwick’s chief diversity officer report and learn ways to drive meaningful change in making your workplace and communications more equitable, welcoming and aligned with your organization’s values.

You’ll learn: 

• The challenges in communicating D&I initiatives both internally and externally—and how you can overcome them
• Why and how diversity and inclusion functions can be aligned across your organization and its business goals
• Ways to embed purpose-driven campaigns within your strategies and business functions
• How communicators can help executives better understand and reach D&I benchmarks

Please note: You will receive this Q&A following the conference.

Many social media posts and campaigns carry messages aimed at making communities—and the world at large—a better place, regardless of whether they’re pushing a nonprofit agenda, a public service announcement or a corporate social responsibility initiative. However, just like digital content about products and services, successful messages have to target your audience and compel it to engage and act. In this Q&A with Rory Gory, digital marketing manager at The Trevor Project, and Emily Kostic, director of PR, social media and brand for Ad Council, you'll learn about current advocacy efforts and how to use social media to engage audiences with important initiatives—along with ways to get involved in online conversations with sincere and meaningful strategies.

You’ll learn:

• Ways to create online communities and foster engagement for difficult topics including teen and LGBTQ youth suicide prevention
• Tips for advocacy initiatives and campaigns that are authentic, reputation-enhancing and people-driven
• How to approach sensitive or controversial topics online—along with considerations for when/if you should get involved in the conversation
• Ways to create empowering content and messaging that inspires, motivates and fosters inclusivity

Please note: You will receive this video following the conference.

As storytelling on social media continues to grow, an increasing number of consumers are engaging more and more with organizations through their social media profiles. However, whether they’re just learning about the brand or gaining the brand affinity necessary to becoming a passionate ambassador, social media influencers can stand as trusted guides and tastemakers for consumers seeking validation and additional information.

Tulani Elisa, vice president of social media for Fox Entertainment, will discuss the range of social media influencers—from micro- to macrocontent creators and personalities—along with how you can best work with them to create content that supports your organization’s initiatives in authentic ways that still align with your brand voice.

Please note: You will receive this video following the conference.

In the fast-paced world of social media marketing, it’s easy to focus on making the next paid social campaign even bigger—especially because they generally yield the largest returns. However, today’s digitally savvy consumers increasingly turn to organizations’ social media presences for information and support, meaning the considerable resources allocated to paid social media content and efforts must be combined with organic content to best reach and delight your audience. When’s the last time you looked at your social media accounts’ overall health to make sure you’re hitting the right marks? Don’t just roll the dice. Showcasing the Dell social media team’s custom index for measuring the organization’s more than 300 branded social media accounts across platforms, Thom Lytle, senior director of social business at Dell, will show you how to shine a spotlight on your organization’s organic social media performance and pave a pathway to excellence.

You’ll learn:

• Why your organic social media presence is just as important as your paid campaigns—and probably even more so
• Tips for creating your own custom index to measure the success of your social media efforts across platforms
• Crucial analytics for proper evaluation and reporting
• How to use data (and a few Excel tricks) to improve the digital customer experience

Please note: You will receive this Q&A following the conference.

Most PR, marketing and social media pros have worked with influencers to power their campaigns and reach new audiences. Though many organizations are including influencer relations as a focus—and backing that focus with a bigger budget—questions remain. How can you best partner with these influential content creators in ways that benefit both sides? The secrets lie in understanding and tapping into influencers’ passions and communities. In this Q&A with Heather Anne Naples, writer and contributor for “The Today Show,” and Kristi Corley, editor-in-chief at the Orlando Mom Collective, you’ll glean insights behind what makes their content sing—along with how to effectively work with content creators.

You’ll learn:

• What influencers look for when working with organizations and how you can determine a fit
• Ideas and insights from compelling blog and social media posts that drive consumers to click
• Ways to spark creativity and deliver value to online communities
• Blogging and influencer campaign pitfalls to avoid

Unforeseen crises including the new coronavirus outbreak can quickly send you and your organization scrambling to address concerns and ensure both employees and external audiences have up-to-date information that increases trust. That becomes increasingly harder to accomplish as social media platforms speed up the news cycle and can quickly spread misinformation and fake news, further adding to sensationalized reporting along with viral images and videos. Join Rebeca Mueller, vice president of digital strategy for Porter Novelli, and Caitlin Angeloff, social strategy director for Providence St. Joseph Health, in a fireside discussion led by Mark Ragan, owner of Ragan Communications, as they discuss how to prepare and protect yourself in the social media age.

You’ll learn:

• Ways to prepare for crises ahead of time and help deploy key members of your organization to support your efforts
• How to effectively get information in front of your audience, dispelling myths and misinformation
• Steps for using social media effectively within your crisis response (along with pitfalls to avoid)
• Best practices for futureproofing your organization’s brand image

Most PR, marketing and social media pros have worked with influencers to power their campaigns and reach new audiences. Though many organizations are including influencer relations as a focus—and backing that focus with a bigger budget—questions remain. How can you best partner with these influential content creators in ways that benefit both sides? The secrets lie in understanding and tapping into influencers’ passions and communities. In this interactive fireside with Rachelle Lucas, blogger and owner of “The Travel Bite,” you’ll glean insights behind what makes her content sing—along with how to effectively work with content creators.

You’ll learn:

• What influencers look for when working with organizations and how you can determine a fit
• Ideas and insights from compelling blog and social media posts that drive consumers to click
• Ways to spark creativity and deliver value to online communities
• Blogging and influencer campaign pitfalls to avoid

As more and more communicators scramble to provide proof that their efforts are working, how can you—and should you—attribute value to the work you’re doing in social? John Young, social business advisor for Southwest Airlines, will give you a glimpse of how a large brand looks at ROI in social media through strategic metrics and help youto show value within various aspects of social media. Put together smarter ways of measuring success that can help you tell a story, evaluate your successes and stay on track (or adjust if you’re falling short).

You’ll learn:

• How to use your metrics to show the value of social media
• What benchmarks to use in evaluating the competition
• Ways to drive toward measurable goals that impact the business
• New metrics that can play a role in justifying social media’s work
• How to improve your sentiment reporting with a more robust sentiment philosophy and metrics

From its cast members to its content partners, Disney Parks isn’t short on stories to share with its interested and engaged community. Yet, there are many more personalized and compelling tales to tell across channels and in a multitude of formats that meet audiences where they are—including new and rising digital trends such as podcasts, long-form videos, mobile-first strategies and audio content.

Join Thomas Smith, editorial content director for Disney Parks and the founder of the Disney Parks Blog, and Mark Ragan, owner of Ragan Communications, in this fireside chat that will give you a backstage pass to what it’s like covering original stories in new ways, Smith will shed light on the future of content and social media engagement—with a sprinkle of magic along the way.

You might be surprised to learn that “America’s Finest News Source” has been around for more than three decades. The Onion’s longevity and success is due to the digital media company’s ability to innovate with content and experiment in times of growing uncertainty within the crowded digital media landscape. Touting more than 7 million monthly unique website visitors, 6.5 million Facebook fans and 11 million Twitter followers, the original satirical news source is thriving more than ever. Ryan Shattuck, senior social and digital media manager for The Onion and ClickHole, will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what brings the publication’s iconic voice and content to life, helping it stand out and spread across social media.

You’ll learn:

• Ways to respect your audience through the type of content you share
• How to ensure quality and brand voice standards—even for irreverent social media initiatives
• Why humor wins across social media
• Takeaways for adapting to an “always on” audience

Don’t let what you’ve learned sit by the wayside. In this event overview, Kirsten Hamstra, director of worldwide social media for Lenovo, and David Johnston, social media manager for TSA, will share highlights from your tweets, Snapchat Stories and other created content—and help remind you of the biggest lessons learned to carry with you for the week ahead.