Traditional conference experience design, live or virtual, does not foster efficient learning in my opinion, especially with “networking” often the main draw with live conferences. The way speakers are selected by “popularity” and knowledge is presented with “40-minute slots” on random (but interesting) topics is part of the problem.
Perhaps more concerning for us all is the fact that there’s a content marketing crisis, on top of the pandemic. To make a long story short, we simply have too many content marketers lacking the software know-how to streamline the workflow and achieve performance goals. Budgets are tight and time is short, so exploring software innovations is low on the totem pole. Sadly antiquated techniques are still the mainstream, hindering growth and advancement.
That’s where CMC 2021 comes in, with a plan to change all that and bring sunshine and fresh air to content marketers so they can learn and grow strategically.
We’ll cover the same six fundamental content marketing pillars we’ve been hosting for seven years, including content planning, creation, optimization, distribution, performance, and tools required for success. And we’ll do it all virtually. We’ll connect through our CMC 365 portal that we launched last spring for 15,000 attendees, making CMC the largest gathering of content marketers on the planet. Pretty cool, and inspiring.
And we learned from our 15,000 attendees that “efficient learning” and “certification badges” are the two essential elements demanded from the investment of time, and money. Efficient learning removes the repetition, duplication, and time-waste common with traditional conferences structure. Certification programs help attendees test retention, build confidence, guide decisions, secure budget, and advance careers.
So here’s how we’ll be turning things around and developing a new experience for CMC 2021:
EFFICIENT LEARNING. We’ll replace the traditional “40-minute session” with new tactical JAM presentations that must be Jazzy, Altruistic, and Masterful. Each JAM will vary and length depending on the complexity, always showcasing a specific tactic, technique, workflow, and/or process the speaker has mastered. JAMs must also save you time or money on the quest to deliver content marketing performance goals. For example, a 12-minute JAM on “How Quora Helps Pinpoint Killer Topics Your Customers Care About” gives you a solid idea of what you’re getting. This is an upgrade from traditional titles like “How I Find Great Topics for Content Marketing,” which leaves you blind going into the presentation. Visit JAM Speaker Application for more details.
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. All attendees will have instant access to our signature Content Strategy Certification Masterclass offering 30+ hours of recordings and dozens of sample plans, templates, guides, books, workbooks, and more. It features structured learning on-demand, covering the six pillars with deep-dive learning and rigorous tests in each pillar required to earn the final content strategy certification badge. Breaking the content up into the six pillars is the key to facilitate learning at any pace, with rewards along the way.
CONTECH GALLERY. To help content marketers dial into the latest software required for success, we’ve curated the best Content Marketing Technology tools on the planet, now featured in our ConTech Gallery. Even better, we’ve inviting any and all of these hand-picked award-winners to showcase how their products make our life smarter, better, faster, and wiser with two-minute demo videos we’ll be featuring in CMC 365 in April.
Hopefully, this helps you understand where we’re going, and why you should join us in advancing the content marketing revolution.