What better way to ring in the holiday weekend than with an insightful look into the world of social media. Last Friday, June 30, myself and one of our accounts interns headed down to Detroit to learn what’s new and exciting in social media at The Atheneum Hotel.

The event, hosted by the Social Media Association of Michigan, featured six speakers, with topics ranging from storytelling on social media all the way to integrative marketing tactics. Check out our favorite takeaways from the event, here:

Elise: It’s hard for me to pick just one favorite moment from #SMDayDetroit. There were so many small tidbits of information that were so helpful to what I do each day. During each speaker’s session, I kept thinking wow, I could use that for a client!

If I had to pick one piece of information that I found the most helpful, it would probably be from Michelle Gilbert, the VP Public Relations and Social Media for the Heartland Region at Comcast. Gilbert was asked how she manages social media for her region while working with such a large, national brand. Her response: Geo-targeted Social Posts! That way, location specific content only shows up to users in the area where they’re relevant.

Drew: What I found most interesting was the topic of data collecting. Jason Falls, founder of Conservation Research Institute, is using programs to search for hot-button words in online conversations. This allows companies to “hack into” these conversations and find groups of people interested in their products.

Social Media Day Detroit reminded me that the world of digital marketing is always changing and staying on top of that change is the goal.

Overall, I’d say Social Media Day Detroit was a great success. I look forward to seeing what other exciting events the Social Media Association of Michigan will put on in the future.