Conference testimonials
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You think you're on top of what’s happening in marketing? You think you know what's cooking in the digital marketing world? Then don't come to Fusion Marketing Experience. I go there to listen & learn from great people that are DOING it. I know a lot, but I keep learning at Fusion Marketing Experience, every time.
The Fusion Marketing Experience conference is what it says: a real experience with probably the strongest program of all marketing events in Belgium. I am a big fan and will be there again. Top speakers, top content, a special atmosphere and excellent networking, Fusion Marketing Experience has it all. After just two events, Fusion Marketing Experience became the place to be.
Marketing conferences are usually more of the same: the usual suspects as keynotes, the obligatory panel discussion and more of that. Fusion Marketing Experience was a relief: knowledgeable speakers with real content at an unusual location. And what attracted me most was the atmosphere, the feeling that participants were not present just for a chat and a drink, but actually wanted to use the insights into their daily business.
Fusion Marketing Experience is the only event in Belgium that really joins the channels together. A perfect fusion between top notch speakers, great networking opportunities and possibilities to share ideas with other peers in your industry or expertise. An event not to miss... I like! (or + or pin....).
The Fusion Marketing Experience events are a great opportunity to listen to and learn from subject-matter experts, no commercial pitches, only top speakers with top content. In a fast-changing business environment, my challenge is to keep learning and sharing with other peers in our industry …..that's exactly what the "Fusion Marketing Experience platform" helps me with.
When I saw Olivier Blanchard was giving a two-day workshop in Belgium in May 2012, I didn’t have to hesitate to enroll. As you can assume, I already knew Olivier. I have read his book Social Media ROI, and I found it to be one of the best Social Media books. When I noticed it was organized by J-P De Clerck, I knew the workshop would be good value since I already attended several seminars and events, organized by J-P and the Fusion Marketing Experience he launched. And I always came home with valuable insights and inspiration. Why Olivier? He is really focused on how to integrate social media into business. He starts from within the organization, not from the social media. It all comes down to grow your business. Don’t start building a social media program before you find an answer to “What will social media do for my company?”. As I’m working into B2B, understanding the business value of social media, the ROI is a real must. Once you’ve got that straight, once you have got your targets, you can share it within your company. Than the process starts of sharing, listening and educating. Olivier really helped me during the workshops how to sell the social media program to my management and how to start the process. I will never forget his story about the ‘culture of dudes’. If you look for inspiration on how to overcome objections, he is the man. During the 2 days many key topics on how to set up and execute a social media program were discussed. The organization of the workshop was - as usual - flawless. The location and the infrastructure were very good. I had a pleasant and inspiring two days.
Brian Solis: the Value of a Like
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In an interview with leading Belgian marketing magazine Pub Brian Solis was asked about the main difference between the ‘Like’ button on Facebook and other direct response triggers. The interview, done at the occasion of the Brian Solis Social Business Sessions on June 28th 2012, makes us reflect on the relevance of a Like for business.
Although it might seem a simple question for social media practitioners and others, it reminded me of studies I often see, calculating the value of a Facebook fan or even a “Like.”
Some businesses have tried to monetize fans and “likers” by isolating the relationship a company has with them from the relationship with ‘non-fans’, and comparing the (business) relationship with both. Although there are probably differences between fans and non-fans, such calculations make no sense.
There are many reasons why people become fans or “like” a brand: promotions, coupons and rebates (the main reason), an existing business relationship, peer pressure, doing someone a favor, an existing emotional bond, etc.
Olivier Blanchard
In fact, as Olivier Blanchard said at a recent Fusion Marketing Experience event, as long as there is no revenue, direct (sales, cost savings,…) or indirect (e.g. the impact on brand metrics), the value of a fan is negative. It costs money to maintain a Facebook presence and we often even spend money to acquire fans and ‘likes’.
However, as Brian Solis says in the interview, “Facebook’s Like button is often confused as an ‘Opt In’ by marketers.”
Brian Solis: “All too frequently people who have clicked the Like button are thought of as a captive community where customers have opted in to engagement. The difference between Like and other direct response triggers is that the Like is an act of fleeting value that must be earned over and over again.”
“Traditional response triggers are exchanges that are rooted in what I refer to as the A.R.T. of Engagement…Actions, Reactions, and Transactions,” Brian continues.
The difference between potential reach, engagement and value
There obviously is also a difference between liking a brand and actual engagement.
Brian Solis
Brian Solis: “Likes represent potential reach. But businesses cannot take or assume satisfaction in these numbers as they’re reflective of the people reached and not the people who could be reached”.
“Contests, campaigns, gimmicks, while effective in intermittent bursts, are not sustainable nor are they indicative of organic engagement. They generate numbers but not true engagement. Facebook represents a tremendous opportunity to design and steer customer experiences. Whether it’s for marketing, service, sales, co-creation or collaborative engagement, Facebook is a social hub where the various needs, expectations and roles of customers can be met by a fully engaged social business, not just a social brand or social marketing initiative”.
It should be noted that some studies show less than 1% of Facebook fans are actually ‘engaged’. Furthermore, engagement does not equal revenue either.
It’s all about the resulting (inter)actions, the “aftereffect”. That’s a long way from the act of liking or becoming a fan. Furthermore, without relevance and engagement there is no (trans)action, (inter)action or value.
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