Top Social Media Takeaways from #SMDayPGH

On Monday, The Motherhood attended Pittsburgh Social Media Day, or #SMDayPGH, to join the nationwide discussion about social media and what’s trending right here in the ‘Burgh! Smith Brothers Agency, the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation and the Pittsburgh Chapter of PRSA organized an amazing night filled with insightful conversation, networking and delicious food!

The event’s keynote speaker, Constantine James of Twitter Los Angeles, kicked off the night with an intriguing presentation on how Twitter is revolutionizing the way stories are told and digested. James focused on the live, public and conversational nature of Twitter as the key factors that put the social network at the forefront of individual and brand storytelling. James used the 2014 FIFA World Cup as an example of how quickly information is shared: The millions of people following the World Cup on Twitter can see all the game highlights and updates, as well as share their own content in real time, without having to turn on the TV.

James also highlighted the increasing benefits of Twitter as a utility. Today, brands are using Twitter as a tool to help make consumers’ lives easier while making their products and content more accessible. For example, when Amazon came to Twitter to develop the #AmazonCart campaign, the results were mind-blowing. The outcome was a hashtag that allows purchasers to add any item with an Amazon product link to their virtual cart when they reply with #AmazonCart – all without ever leaving their Twitter feed!

In addition to the keynote, 11 of Steel City’s top social media players shared their own stories and experiences with social media in quick, five-minute presentations.

The theme for Pittsburgh’s social media mavens is to hone in on how social media can help build their brands. Jill Steiner of Wigle Whiskey, Pittsburgh’s only craft whiskey distillery, shared how the brand is using social media as the primary form of contact with their audience. Every month, Wigle Whiskey asks for 30 volunteers to help label their product bottles via Twitter, and within minutes they have enough volunteers to participate!

Sarah Sudar of the successful food blog eatPGH talked about the blog’s journey––transitioning from a strictly online media site to a fully developed business. She and her three friends identified a need and created the blog during an influx of interest around the Pittsburgh dining scene, and were able to grow a loyal following among 20-year-olds looking to experience the booming Pittsburgh restaurant scene.

Other notable speakers included: Rachel Carlson of @YelpPittsburgh; Christopher Whitlatch of the Pittsburgh Foundation Day of Giving (@PittsburghFdn); Laura Forester of @primantibros; and WPXI’s Scott Harbaugh (@WPXIScott).

3 Top Tips For Social Media Success from #SMDayPGH