I attended LATISM15 (Latinos in Tech & Social Media) Conference in Washington D.C. in October. For the third consecutive year I was invited to the Top Influencers Retreat with some of my favorite Latina influencers that I am fortunate to call friends and peers.
The entire conference was focused on advocacy, education and business.
So many things were happening at once that it was impossible to be at each and every event.Instead of trying to recap the entire conference, I will focus on 3 takeaways.
1.- Reconnecting with peers and exchanging valuable information.- When you bunk with three other people in a hotel room, the best conversations can actually be pillow-talk! As my roommates and I caught up on digital work in bed, we exchanged tips on how to maximize our social media reach. Although I love our online relationship, there is nothing quite like being together in real life to make the most of it. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out I am not the only woman who talks to herself while working!
Doing things together, from touring D.C. to having dinner, and of course taking group selfies and scopes, is always a great way to catch up. For those of us who work from home, conferences like LATISM bring us together and remind us that we are not in a vacuum. Our individual websites and purposes are synergistic.
Also read: The current state of the social Latino
2.- Connecting and reconnecting with brands and publications.- I have worked with some of the brands that support and sponsor LATISM every year, such as Toyota and AARP en español.
I was also very happy to connect with Consumer Report, who had around twenty people at LATISM15, from the CEO to the social media strategist, Aliah Davis. The best thing about chatting with all of them in person is always the human connection. We don´t do business with brands, we do business with people. And if you realize you like someone in person, you are way more likely to work with them again (or for the first time) in the future. When connecting with brands at social media conferences, realize that some relationships can take some time to develop.It may not be during the first, second or even third time of interacting that you have an opportunity to work with them. Don´t rush it, but do follow up when someone tells you to reach out and connect via e-mail once the conference mayhem is over. Speaking of which, I need to do just that!
3.- Speaking on a panel with professionals I respect.- I spoke at the panel Brands + Influencers: Marketing Done Right alongside Carmen Sepúlveda, of D´Exposito Partners, Javier Moreno of Toyota and Ana Flores of Latina Bloggers Connect. Natascha Otero of Nos Communications did a superb job of moderating. It was very interesting to hear all panelists sharing our side of the story about brand and influencer relationships. I believe in putting one´s storytelling hat on when working with brands for sponsored posts, and in being a spokesperson for causes and brands that you believe in. Ana Flores spoke of how she started Latina Bloggers Connect when there was no other Hispanic influencer network. Javier Moreno explained how he fell into working for Toyota ten years ago and how they are revisiting their influencer strategy. Carmen Sepúlveda described how influencers help carry her clients´ message when they are a good match.
I also learned more about being an entrepreneur — the parts that a creative like me doesn´t want to really deal with but that are still necessary in order to make the most of your venture. So stay tuned for what I´m going to do with that information. Because no matter how much you learn at a conference, the magic doesn´t start until you put those ideas into action.