Headed over to the airport and then down to sunny Florida for this year’s Mashable Connect conference.
Mashable Connect 2011 is an intimate conference experience that will bring together leaders from the digital world for three days away to share and connect offline in a unique setting. Mashable will be bringing social and content from the online to the offline.
Looking very much forward to learning how some of the best minds in the online world are not just connecting communities, but mobilizing supporters en masse to address the issues that matter most.
The “which issues?” question is a key one for me. How close is our finger to the pulse of our communities’ interest when it comes to WHY they are taking action on certain issues. If we are persuading, are we doing it in a way that gets real results, or are we taking “old” media and just forcing it into a digital engagement strategy? Is there a better fit, for our organizations and our communities, when it comes to HOW we talk about these issues?
Also very interested to hear my fellow speakers’ opinions on how close we are to knowing actual successes (and failures). What metrics should we be looking at today, and what will we be looking at tomorrow to measure our own success? Are the metrics getting smarter as the technology moves at light-speed, or are we still just summing up open rates, likes and clicks?
My comments will focus on how the foundation and non-profit world needs to be pushed farther on digital tactics that speak to audiences in a smarter way. Any of my smart colleagues, friends, and readers out there have a suggestion or two?
I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to learning from Bravo, Thrillist, Gowalla and Meetup, and the other fabulous speakers this weekend. If you’re interested in following the speakers, check out my Twitter list for their handles.
More to come as the ideas and excitement build!