The Most Powerful and Business Transforming Social Commerce Conference

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Ilona

We’ve assembled the finest minds in Social Media and eCommerce and put them at your disposal for an entire day.

Register for Lift Summit

Register now for the most powerful and business-transforming event yet to take place in social commerce history. The 2nd annual Lift Summit Conference is a “must attend” event for executives responsible for their company’s social media initiatives, those entrepreneurs preparing to launch social commerce, venture capitalists and investment bankers looking for opportunities in social media, and social site owners and community managers with a desire to make great connections and learn how to grow their business!

More than 200 social media minds from at least 100 different companies and organizations will gather in Atlanta on September 23rd to experience this intense one-day conference and walk away with tactical plans on how to make money using social media.

This All-Star Line Up of business owners, C-levels, social guru’s and Ivy League professors will show you how to monetize your social media efforts!

If you are looking for a seminar on Social  Media 101, this is not it! Likewise, if you are looking for sessions on how you should be participating online, you’ve got the wrong place. You can get that kind of information from other social media conferences.  We’re not bringing in the most successful people in the world of social media and commerce together just to let you know your business needs to be online.  We put together a faculty that will show you how to build your business and add revenue quickly!

And don’t make any plans for Thursday evening…

We will all be gathering in the conference hall for a special “Lift Summit” party, sponsored by iMeet. It will be a great night of fun, open-bar and the chance to connect with business partners and new clients.

You simply have to be at Lift summit. No matter the cost, no matter the timing, no matter the distance. It is your chance to network, learn from, and hang out with the most successful people in social media and B2B ecommerce. So get registered NOW!

What’s the investment?

Lift Summit is only $199 per person. This includes sessions, meals, beverages and networking. But this investment is simply insignificant, when you figure what you can earn with what you’ll learn at this event.

Register now because seating is limited for this event. You know there are going to be 200 people wanting to attend. And lots of folks have already registered. We’re limited to 200 attendees and cannot switch locations. So we are forced to accept registrations on a first come, first served basis. Once the seats are sold, no one else will be able to get a seat at  Lift Summit.

Register NOW and lock in your seat. And do whatever is necessary to ensure that you, and all of your key team members are there!

Reserve your spot today, before the event sells out!

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How to Convince Higher Powers That Social Media is NOT a Fad

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Michael

Most businesses are becoming involved with social media and social commerce. There are still plenty of companies who have stubborn executives unwilling to commit time, energy, and finances to learning how to grow their business online.  

1. Educate: Numbers Don’t Lie

Statistics hold the truth; here are some good ones to start you off:

Facebook added over 100 million users during a 9 month period.

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.

Forrester predicts B2B interactive marketing spending to reach $4.8 billion by 2014 – almost double that estimated for 2009 ($2.3 billion)

46% of B2B respondents said social media was perceived as irrelevant to their company, while only 12% of consumer-oriented marketers had the same problem.

2. There is nothing to fear….

Most people, who are anti-social media, feel this way because they are unsure or intimidated by this new wave business ideal.  If you can easily walk through the processes of social media (creating a Facebook account, showing the impact of comments made by consumers on sites like Amazon, explaining a Tweet ) with your boss, they will be less likely to criticize if they can see the monetary impact it has on business growth .

3. Networking

People connect more and share ideas better via Social Media, because of its ability to keep it friendly, increase brand reputation online, and it allows people from every facet of live to participate and enjoy.  Social Media allows people to network and connect so well that some people believe Facebook will prevent the need for high school reunions.

Make your boss’ jaw drop and make yourself look great in the process.   Social Media can seriously help grow your business online as well as help you handle complaints and fix other issues you may have never heard or seen. Don’t get left behind!

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Maximize Your Conference Time with Social Media

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Ilona

With Lift: the B2B Social Commerce Summit less than a month away, it’s time for a primer on how to maximize your experiences at conferences and trade shows—social media style.

Scope the agenda.

Don’t wait until the morning of the event to give the agenda a good look over. Whether it’s an industry trade show or an event like LiftSummit, perusing the list of speakers and workshops will give you the opportunity to perform pre-conference intelligence.

No, the idea is not to find out which speaker is famous for buying everyone drinks at the hotel bar. Instead, check out the profiles for sponsors, co-hosts, speakers, and facilitators to glean the kind of information that builds connections. A few minutes on LinkedIn, for example, might reveal that you attended the same business school as the keynote speaker or that you and a workshop facilitator are both connected to Bob the Blog Expert.

Be social.

It goes without saying that manners are a must when you’re congregating with peers. Smile when you say “hello,” don’t interrupt, and chew with your mouth closed. Also make sure newfound connections can contact you in the future by providing business cards that, in addition to standard phone and email info, also list your social media URLs.

Build post-conference connections.

After the conference, when you’ve recovered from jet lag and soaked your feet a bit, it’s time to connect with everyone you’ve met. File through the business cards you picked up and look up those new contacts on social media sites. If you think the relationship has potential, request connections on sites like LinkedIn. Twitter accounts and blogs are also places to start developing your professional network.

Don’t forget about the speakers, either. Did the keynote make your ears perk up? Check out their blog and bookmark it or sign up for its feed. It’s a simple act that will keep you updated on industry news as well as connected to industry thought leaders.

If you haven’t already registered, do so quickly because space is limited!  LiftSummit will teach you how to monetize your social media strategy. To learn more about the social media tools and analysts that will generate leads, engage online and build brand influencers, plan to connect with  LiftSummit co-host Social Strategy1 at the conference or through Twitter @Sstrategy1.

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Making Money with Social Media

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Michael

lift summit social commerceMost people will tell you, “Your business/ brand needs to be participating in social media.”  What they won’t tell you is how to correctly enter this space and how you can monetize your participation.

It’s not an easy leap into the world of social commerce but those who have made the jump and did it well are reaping the benefits.   Plan to meet some of them at Lift Summit this September.

The mission of this year’s social commerce conference is to teach attendees how to apply business ideals to social commerce so that they can monetize their engagement.  If you want Social Media 101, look elsewhere.  But, if you are already participating in social media and have a desire to learn new ways to monetize and grow business using these methods, then this conference is for you.

You won’t be disappointed!  We don’t want to baby you with beginner information on Twitter, or tell you how to start a Facebook account.  You already know that you need to engage with users online and are likely doing it, so we’re not going to tell you something you don’t already know.  What we are going to do is introduce you to the experts who have successfully grown by executing online strategies.  Want to learn best practices form experts who are using and how to correctly use these tools to grow and build your business online.

Only 33 Days remain to register, don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

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Translate Social Data into New Business

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Ilona

Linking the voice of the customer to business processes and results, and monetizing that voice for your business.

From files filled with folders to racks that runneth over with reports, your new social engagement program has produced the kind of information that’s right out of a marketer’s fantasy. But social media monitoring is just the first step in creating the successful voice of the customer (VOC) program that makes executives and investors happy. Customer experience expert Bruce Temkin notes that while large companies listen to the customer’s voice, few of them actually turn that data into the fuel that fosters sales or recommendations. Here’s your basic guide to transforming VOC into ROI:

  1. Know where you’re going – Online listening is worthless if your “plan” consists of consigning an intern to occasionally check your Facebook page. Craft a strategic social media plan that takes the same systematic approach you’d take with opening a new facility or launching a new product. Set objectives, so you can analyze the data and take action.  Lift Summit’s co-host Social Strategy1‘s primary offering  helps companies listen and make sense of the noise.
  2. Keep at it – Listening shouldn’t stop with the results of a single report. Create a culture that encourages constant online listening. For example, Temkin suggests that executives regularly listen—by reading blog comments, for example—to learn what customers are saying and how they’re saying it. Don’t stop with the upper-echelons either. Make sure the staff knows your brand message and can consistently convey it to social media users in a positive way.
  3. Integrate the message and your actions – Monitoring conversations and respond to leads. Soymilk company, 8th Continent monitored mentions of one of their competitors, Silk brand soy milk and offered trial coupons to users. 8th Continent experienced a 39% redemption rate, versus the 0.7 percent redemption of hard copy coupons, in addition to spikes in their fan base and a lot of sharing. 8th Continent’s approach is to watch the competitive landscape, offer coupons to those complaining about the competition. Folks redeem the coupons the same week!

Once you begin listening to what consumers are saying about your brand, products and competitors, you’ll have a better sense of which platforms to monitor for certain types of feedback. To get started, make sure you’re monitoring comments that your fans, followers or subscribers leave on your social profiles. This is the first step to mastering your listening skill.

Get the tools you need to turn your social media data into action. Register now for Lift Summit and take advantage of the early bird discount available through Monday 8/16.

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Google’s Move to Social Networking…

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Michael

With Facebook soaring, Twitter booming, and LinkedIn growing, Google is making moves to go Social.    After several recent acquisitions, this leads one to think they may be considering a strategic move to develop a combined social networking – search engine platform.

Why would the world’s biggest search engine and technology powerhouse want to do this?

It’s simple; people trust other people’s opinions and ideas.   Eighty-seven percent (87% Marketing Sphera) of online consumers trust a peer recommendation over a critics review.  When you get a conflicting review between an expert and a friend, who do you trust?  I know I’m more likely to go with my friend’s opinion, simply based on our common interests.  So, if I read a movie review and the “expert” gives it a thumbs down, that certainly won’t stop me from checking it out, if my friend finds it to be entertaining.

Back to Google, so another reason to go social is the Facebook story; people just love to connect and share.  With Facebook having over 500 million people connecting and sharing, it would be in Google’s best interest to associate the social community aspect to their search.  Consider also that Google is used for 65.4% of all online searches in the US – that’s a lot of consumers.

But, how are they going to monetize it?  Through dated ads?  Through social interaction?  Through Pay Per Friend (PPF)?  As consumers become more socially connected online and offline, and as technology advances into the web 4.0 arena, the opportunities to leverage interactions will expand the way we do business.

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Top 5 Reasons to Attend Lift Summit

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Jennifer

1. It’s One of a Kind!

  • Lift Summit is the B2B industry’s only conference focused on the growing convergence between social media marketing, measurement and ecommerce.

2. An Extraordinary Lineup of Social Newsmakers and Marketing Leaders

  • Meet the guy working with ESPN on the monitoring of consumer behavior for the World Cup, Eric Bradlow

3. Because Your Boss Thinks Social Media is a FAD.

  • Prepare to take away the latest statistics on B2B ecommerce and invaluable examples of how to make social media work in your business from bestselling author of Socialnomics, Erik Qualman.

4. Lift Summit is Focused on Teaching YOU How to GROW Your Online Business and LIFT Sales

  • You will benefit from real world examples from other organizations using social commerce strategies to LIFT sales.

5. It’s an Unbeatable Value

  • You’ll walk away more informed, with new connections and fresh ideas for only $199, which includes full all-day conference pass, presentations, networking and break-out sessions, summit bag, breakfast, lunch, and cocktail reception with open bar!
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We Heard You!

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Michael
With comments from last year’s post-event survey like, “Great job for 1st year conference. Hope there’s a year two,” and “Do it again next year,” Lift is back and even stronger for our 2nd annual social commerce conference. 

After carefully listening to all of your feedback from last year, Lift 2010 is designed to be the ultimate B2B crowd pleaser! 

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This now 1-day event will continue to provide, “a unique opportunity to network with leaders in B2B social media and ecommerce worlds,” with the return of the highest rated speakers, like Erik Qualman and Eric Bradlow, plus the most prominent experts in the B2B social commerce space.  Prepare to walk away with fresh ideas like how to help speed up your prospects buying cycle, quickly enhance online customer interaction, and implement simple strategies that will grow your business online. 

Doug Eisenburg, a 2009 attendee, said of the conference, “The Lift Social Commerce Summit is a wonderful opportunity to hear from and interact with some of the industry’s leading thinkers and shakers,” and this year’s impressive lineup will in no way disappoint.

Along with an absolutely inspiring lineup, 2010 will also incorporate more networking to ensure that every attendee has the potential to make valuable connections. Understanding that networking is a critical benefit of attending a conference, we have integrated more panel discussion and allotted more time for one-on-one interaction. We’ve put together an event this year that is in the best interest of each attendee.  With your attendance at Lift 2010, you will surely take away easy to implement tactics will drive sales lift.

There’s only 54 days left and limited space, so don’t miss this opportunity.

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Recent Additions to LIFT…

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Michael

Lift Summit 2010 is shaping up to be one of the top social media events of 2010. Most recently, we have obtained commitments from several great speakers and panelist to compliment Eric Bradlow, Erik Qualman, and others. Sam Decker CMO of Bazaarvoice, Donna Bedford Global SEO Lead of Lenovo, and Jeff Cohen of SocialMediaB2B.com have all confirmed their participation in this year’s event.

With the success of LIFT’s inaugural B2B social commerce forum in 2009, Lift 2010 is guaranteed to be an unbelievable event. This 2nd annual summit titled “Practical and Applicable Ways that Social Media and Social Commerce Drive Sales” will take place on Thursday, September 23, 2010 in the stylish new Loews Hotel Midtown Atlanta.

This all-inclusive 1-day conference is only $159.  That includes Full All-Day Conference Pass, Presentations, Networking and Break-Out Sessions, Summit Bag, Breakfast, Lunch, and Cocktail Reception with Open Bar!

Additional updates to the list of speakers and Summit topics will be announced via the Lift Summit Web site,www.LiftSummit.com, and social networking sites Twitter www.twitter.com/SStrategy1 andwww.twitter.com/WhartonInteract), LinkedIn and Facebook.

Summit attendance is capped at 300 to ensure that each attendee has the optimal experience. The “early bird” reduced rate which is currently offered will end on August 16th, after which the attendance price is $199. Attendees can register at www.liftsummit.com/register.htm.

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Explosive Trends in Social Shopping

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Mike

More and more products and services are being purchased on the web, with online retail spending nearing $34 billion for the first quarter 2010, according to comScore, up 10% versus a year ago. Simultaneously, people are becoming more social online by sharing opinions and ideas.  Social shopping brings these two elements together providing better information and adding more trust to the shopping realm. With Amazon’s recent $110 million acquisition of Woot, and the growth of Groupon and other sites, the social shopping trend is exploding. 

Who doesn’t want free advice about a product or service from multiple sources? Who doesn’t want a great deal?  Consumers certainly do.

Groupon has raised a whopping $172.8M in funding to date and is available in 140 cities world wide, and they are a great example of how social shopping has become more location driven, bringing discounts to users from small businesses located near a buyer’s home.  Small businesses don’t have the funds that larger businesses would have to advertise, so they have adapted to using services like Groupon to reach a larger more responsive audience. On a non-local basis, sites like Woot have created a large following and their success has attracted other market entrants.

We are excited to dedicate a good portion of our 2010 LIFT Summit event to “Social Shopping”. Expert, Jeff Cohen of SocialMediaB2B.com, will be sharing his insights on this topic as a moderator for our Social Shopping Panel.  This panel will feature Robert Ball of OfficeArrow and others who will discuss best practices and real world examples of successes and failures within the world of social shopping.

Along with Erik Qualman, Eric Bradlow, and other outstanding keynote speakers, our experts, will give you the roadmap for generating sales through social shopping.  So don’t miss out on a great opportunity to learn and sharpen your “SS” skills with industry leaders.  The best part of all is it’s a heck of a deal!

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