20 Content Marketing Experts to Meet at Social Media Marketing World

If you’re caught up on your content marketing education, then you already know that 67% of B2B content marketers believe event marketing is the most effective strategy. Events are an excellent way to connect with other professionals in your industry, gain new insights on your topic and discover actionable takeaways for your own marketing strategy; however, with marketers’ limited time and budget, it’s of the utmost importance to be selective in your analysis of which are the best marketing-focused events to attend, as wells as to optimize the time that you spend at your selected events.  

An effective technique that we employed to optimize our time at the 2013 Content Marketing World was to identify ahead of the time who the best people would be to meet (check out 17 People You Should Meet at Content Marketing World). With Social Media Marketing World right around the corner, we assembled below the 20 content marketing experts you should meet if you are attending the event. Not planning to be there in person?. . . then at least follow these folks through social media channels to stay connected with the latest and greatest strategies and tactics in content marketing.

Jay Baer President of Convince & Convert & Author of Youtility

Jay’s Convince & Convert blog was named the #1 content marketing blog by Content Marketing Institute. As a top social media marketing consultant, he helps businesses revamp their marketing strategies and has worked with over 700 companies.

What to talk to Jay about: Jay is all about hype-free content that aims to help readers, so if you’re unsure about how to create valuable content – he’s your guy. If you listen to his weekly podcast, Social Pros, that could also be an excellent place to start. New to content marketing? His ability to break down big ideas into more digestible pieces will have you thinking “we can do this.” Without a doubt you’ll be impressed with his innovative ideas. (@jaybaer)

Brian Clark Founder of Copyblogger.com and CEO of Copyblogger Media

Brian has started eight successful companies and has become an expert in online marketing techniques since quitting his job at a law firm in 1998. His blog, Copyblogger, teaches marketers how to drive engagement through thought leadership and with attention commanding content.

What to talk to Brian about: Starting a new business? Brain’s entrepreneurial expertise can point your content marketing in the right direction. Bring some of your content ideas to the table and get some advice on how to shape them into an influential strategy. He’ll inspire you to harness the power of the online media revolution. (@brianclark)

Lee Odden CEO of TopRank Online Marketing

Lee’s expertise covers marketing, PR, digital strategy, search, content and social; making his book, Optimize: How to Attract and Engage More Customers by Integrating SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing, a go-to information source for online marketers. His marketing and PR agency, TopRank Online Marketing, provides services to Fortune 1000 companies and his writing has resonated with reputable publications such as Forbes and The New York Times.

What to talk to Lee about: Lee is an excellent source of information on any of your content marketing questions. Struggling to create enough content to keep your readers satisfied or having a hard time discovering relevant topics? His advice on overcoming these content challenges helped to inspire our content expert video series. (@leeodden)

Jason Miller Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn

Jason’s experience as the Senior Manager of Social Media Strategy at Marketo, and his ten years launching marketing campaigns at Sony, make him an expert on how businesses can increase engagement for their brand and drive leads. Jason’s thought leadership is authored on the likes of Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner and MarketingProfs.

What to talk to Jason about: Jason is your go-to resource on online marketing campaigns. His eBook, The Social Media Tactical Plan has received over 156,000 views and his session at this year’s SMMW, 7 Tactics for Integrating LinkedIn into Your Marketing Strategy, is a must for marketers looking to extend the reach of their content campaigns. (@JasonMillerCA)

Michael Stelzner Founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner

As the leader of one the the world’s largest social business blogs, and the host of the Social Media Marketing podcast, Michael knows the world of social media and content inside and out. As if you weren’t convinced of Michael’s business savvy thought leadership, over 230,000 marketers subscribe to the daily content that is published on Social Media Examiner.

What to talk to Michael about: Michael can tell you how to use social media to ramp up any and all of your online marketing efforts. In particular, if you’re looking to increase customer engagement and create meaningful connections with your audience, check out his podcast, Relationship Marketing: How to Build Meaningful Connections that Lead to Business. (@Mike_Stelzner)

Todd Wheatland VP of Marketing and Thought Leadership at Kelly Services

Todd is a frequent speaker at marketing events and has written several books on marketing and recruiting including The Marketer’s Guide to SlideShare, and The New Rules of Recruiting. He has 15 years of experience in HR and consulting.

What to talk to Todd about: Todd is an expert in social marketing and knows all about how to get the most out of SlideShare. Whether you’re already using the presentation channel, or it’s brand new to your business, you should check out his session at SMMW this year, How to Use SlideShare for Business: The Success Formula. (@ToddWheatland)

Joe Pulizzi Founder at Content Marketing Institute & Author of Epic Content Marketing

Joe is a content marketing evangelist with Content Marketing Institute boasting one of the top content events, Content Marketing World, as well as publishing the leading magazine in the content marketing space, Chief Content Officer.

What to talk to Joe about: Joe has great advice on how to give readers a unique perspective. In today’s online publishing industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for content writers to break through the noise in order to reach their audience. You’ll be impressed with his innovative advice and new ideas on how to reshape your content strategy. (@JoePulizzi)

Jeff Rohrs Leader of the Marketing Insights Team at ExactTarget (a Salesforce.com company)

Jeff oversees content marketing, social media and overall thought leadership at ExactTarget, a leading digital marketing software company. He’s an expert on understanding how consumers interact with brands through digital marketing and is the author of Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers. Jeff also co-hosts the Social Pros podcast with Jay Baer.

What to talk to Jeff about: Having a hard time reaching the right audience or gaining a following? See what Jeff has to say about revamping your strategy and publishing more thought leadership pieces that will resonate with your target audience’s goals and interests. (@jkrohrs)

Andy Crestodina Co-founder of Orbit Media

Andy’s 13 years of experience providing online marketing advice to over 1000 businesses make him an all-encompassing source of knowledge for content marketers. His award-winning web design company, Orbit Media, is home to the Orbiter, a blog focused on providing only the most valuable information to digital marketers.

What to talk to Andy about: Being an online brand can be difficult because it requires you to also be an online publisher if you have any hopes of keeping up with the competition. Dip into Andy’s pool of blogging knowledge during his session, Advanced Blogging: Analytics, Optimization and Outreach, and come to him with any questions on how to get your blog to be more like the Orbiter. (@crestodina)

Jessica Gioglio PR & Social Media Manager at Dunkin’ Donuts

Jessica is a leader in engaging content. She started Dunkin’s first company blog and works with a cross-functional team to engage customers through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube and Vine. She understands that making her brand relatable to customers and letting them in on what’s happening at Dunkin is one of the best ways to gain a following.

What to talk to Jessica about: Jessica is an expert in perhaps the most important aspect of content marketing – celebrating her customers. Having trouble connecting with yours? See what Jessica has to say about it. (@savvybostonian)

Gini Dietrich CEO of Arment Dietrich & Founder of Spin Sucks

Gini leads Arment Dietrich, a leading integrated marketing communications firm. She also founded Spin Sucks Pro, a professional development site for PR and marketing pros, as well as Spin Sucks, a reputable marketing blog. Talk about an online marketing powerhouse.

What to talk to Gini about: Undoubtedly, Gini is your go-to on how to build an online following. If you’re producing good content, but still can’t build an online community, talk to Gini and make sure you attend her session with Marcus Sheridan, Building an Online Community: A Hard Look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. (@ginidietrich)

Michael Gerard CMO of Curata

Before leading the marketing team at Curata, Michael co-founded IDC’s CMO and Sales Advisory Practices to build brand awareness, increase productivity and drive leads for many of the world’s best-in-class technology sales and marketing teams. Michael’s expertise in content marketing, his 25 years of marketing and sales experience, and his recent marketing research with startup to large companies make him your go-to marketing process and technology expert.

What to talk to Michael about: Michael can tell you everything you need to know about building thought leadership and driving leads with content marketing. Need advice on how to ramp up your content strategy? Chat with Michael about the latest content technologies and best practices. (@MichaelGerard)

Marcus Sheridan Founder of The Sales Lion

Marcus grew his pool company, River Pools and Spas, to the most popular of its kind due to a well-respected blog and strategic inbound marketing. This background led to the development of The Sales Lion. The Sales Lion is a brand and blog that helps build brands and boost content marketing strategies within organizations.

What to talk to Marcus about: Marcus knows all about online branding. If you’re struggling to make your content stand out, ask Marcus for pointers. He’s presenting alongside Gini Dietrich on building online communities, as well as giving the closing keynote at SMMW on qualities of excellent content and social media marketing. (@TheSalesLion)

Susan Beebe Manager of Social Media & Online Communities at Tyson Foods

Susan leads content strategy, community development and community engagement at Tyson and previously served as Dell’s first “chief listener” while developing Dell’s famous Social Media Listening Command Center – making her a leader in the world of social content. She’s an engineer and holds a UCLA law grad, bringing technical savvy and curiosity to the world of social media.

What to talk to Susan about: If your content isn’t addressing your audience’s wants and needs, it won’t spur any engagement. You need to listen to what your customers are saying and imbue that into your content strategy. Aren’t sure where to start? Ask Susan. (@susanbeebe)

Joel Comm Author of Twitter Power 2.0: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time

Joel knows how to stay on top of the marketing movement. With this aptitude for spotting up-and-coming trends, Joel has become a leader in social, online video, podcasting, content creation, Internet marketing and more. He’s such a popular presenter because he’s not only a great speaker, but always aims to entertain.

What to talk to Joel about: Are you looking to become an expert in your field? Joel’s session is titled From Blogger to Published Author: How to Become a Recognized Expert in your Field, will help you gain a better understanding of how to command more respect from your audience, as well as your peers. Talk to Joel for advice on thought leadership. (@joelcomm)

Michael Hyatt Former Chairman & CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers

Michael has 30 years of experience in the publishing industry. His book is titled Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. His blog has over 300,000 monthly visitors and he’s spoken on over 100 television shows, many on ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN. He now spends his time writing, consulting and speaking. You better believe he’s an expert on how to gain recognition from content marketing.

What to talk to Michael about: Now more than ever, it’s increasingly important for marketers to start acting like publishers. With all the content that is written online today, it can be difficult to break through the barriers standing between you and your audience. Michael is your guy for advice on how to write popular content and reach readers. (@MichaelHyatt)

Gideon Shalwick Author of Millionaire Drop-Out Secrets & Truckloads of Leads and Roadmap to Become a Blogger

Gideon’s specialty is online video marketing. He helps businesses utilize video for content marketing, and enables content creators to produce more compelling video for their marketing strategies. His latest book, Rapid Video Blogging, has become the new standard for marketers seeking to improve their content efforts with video blogging.

What to talk to Gideon about: Gideon is your resident video expert at SMMW. Video is one of content marketing’s newest mediums. If you’re thinking about embedding video in your content strategy, ask Gideon about best practices to make sure this tactic is successful. (@GideonShalwick)

Joel Price Senior Manager of Digital Content for the San Diego Chargers

Joel heads strategy, innovation and execution of content initiatives that support the Chargers’ brand. Joel is so good at what he does because he’s able to balance his passion between marketing and being a fan. This has helped grow the team’s social presence to a community of millions. Joel’s ten years of experience in online marketing make him a seasoned social content veteran.

What you should talk to Joel about: If you’re a large organization looking to shape up your social strategy or you want to engage with your online community in a more creative way, ask for his advice. (@joelprice)

Charlie Kautz Content Development and Management at TaylorMade-adidas Golf

Charlie’s last seven years with TaylorMade have made him proficient in content marketing for a large brand. He heads content for emerging and social media, and in a pilot role as “PGA Tour Correspondent,” he spent over a year developing and publishing content from professional golf tours and championships. The handle @CharlieTour documented his experience on the road to make the campaign more engaging for readers.

What to talk to Charlie about: Charlie can tell you all about what it takes to create engaging content for a large audience. Need to get better at taking advantage of instant opportunities to keep up with a fast-paced industry? Take a page out of Charlie’s book. (@CharlieKautz)

Jon Wuebben CEO of Content Launch

As the leader of a content marketing agency that developments and maps out strategies for hundreds of customers, Jon knows it what it takes to build brand awareness and drive qualified leads. He wrote Content is Currency: Developing Powerful Content for Web & Mobile which has become an important tactical guide for many readers.

What to talk to Jon about: Although many marketers understand the importance of content marketing and are increasing their content budget, most of them are diving in without a well-thought out workflow. If you’re one of these marketers, ask Jon about how to map out your strategy. (@jonwuebben)

These are only just a handful of the social media and content experts that will be attending Social Media Marketing World this year. Check out the full list of speakers at this year’s event here.

Hope this has been helpful to those of you attending SMMW! If you can’t be there, be sure to check in on Twitter by following @smexaminer, as well as the hashtag #SMMW14.

Want to learn more about the content marketing movement?. . What it is?. . How you can develop and optimize your own content marketing initiatives? Check out our Content Marketing Tactics Planner or request a free demo of Curata’s content marketing solution.