7 Must-See Sessions at Content Marketing World 2017

Content Marketing World 2017 is fast approaching. If you don’t yet have a plan for how you’ll navigate the lengthy list of presentations and breakout sessions, we’re here to help.

Perhaps the largest congregation of content marketing leaders anywhere in the world, CMW is rich with opportunities to collect new ideas to elevate your company’s content marketing strategy. Whether you’re already pushing the boundaries of innovation or just want to conquer the all-too-common demands of your role, Content Marketing World 2017 is the perfect place to renew your marketing spirit.

While the four-day conference is jam-packed with interesting sessions, here are seven you can’t afford to miss.
Imagination at Work: Lessons in Storytelling from GE

Sept. 6, 8:20-8:50 AM

Today’s content marketing practitioners face a greater call to incorporate empathetic storytelling into the creation process. Consumers are attracted to content that connects with them emotionally and teaches them something new.

In this session, GE CMO Linda Boff will discuss GE’s concerted effort to incorporate storytelling into the company’s content strategy. She’ll also share the lessons she’s learned in the process. Attendees will come away with insights to guide their own storytelling strategy.
Creating An Influencer Marketing Strategy: A to Z

Sept. 5, 1:00-4:00 PM

How do you know which influencers are most valuable to your brand, and how do you incorporate these influencers into your existing content marketing strategy? In this interactive session, Lee Odden will introduce attendees to strategies that nurture relationships and inspire collaboration with influencers.

Marketers can lean on Lee’s influencer marketing strategies to better leverage internal and external relationships while creating new opportunities for reusing and repurposing content. Lee’s influencer strategy tips are useful for B2B and B2C marketers alike.
SEO and Content Marketing: An Advanced Look at Measurement

Sept. 6, 10:15-11:00 AM

If your analytics is set up to measure the performance of your larger digital strategy, your company has accomplished a crucial first step. But you also need an analytics approach that provides revealing insights for individual campaigns and pieces of content. These granular insights are what marketers use to outperform the competition.

In this session, Orbit Media Studios co-founder Andy Crestodina will educate attendees on how to leverage data to better understand audience segments. You’ll also discover Andy’s tricks for boosting content quality and ROI as he walks you through his process for using your analytics to build a template for search-optimized content.
Keynote: Inside the Art of Storytelling

Sept. 7, 8:55 AM-9:30 AM

Many content marketers are striving to introduce more storytelling elements into their work, and who better to learn from than a master like Colson Whitehead, who won a Pulitizer Prize for The Underground Railroad. Among his other works by this National Book Award winner are John Henry Days and The Noble Hustle.

Whitehead will be interviewed by Clare McDermott, chief editor of Content Marketing Institute's Chief Content Officer magazine.
The Future of B2B Marketing: Why to Think Like Disney and 6 Other Trends

Sept. 7, 11:05-11:50 AM

What trends are setting the course for the future of B2B marketing? In this session, which is part of the CMW Agency Track that LinkedIn is sponsoring, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions’ Mike Weir will provide a forward-leaning look at the challenges B2B marketers are up against in the years ahead.

From understanding how audiences respond to conventional marketing to rethinking your approach to brand building, this session will use examples from Disney and other brands to create a marketing strategy that stands the test of tomorrow.
The Future of Content Marketing isn’t Content Marketing: An Approach for Agencies and Enterprises

Sept. 7, 4:15-5:00 PM

Creation and measurement are cornerstones of today’s content marketing programs, but the future will require a much broader approach to content as a business initiative. In this session, Contently’s Director of Content Strategy Joe Lazauskas will advocate for an era of “content operations” that connects content performance and strategy to clear business objectives.

Attendees will learn about the role technology plays in shaping this transformation, and how content performance can be integrated into the executive decision-making process. This session is part of the Agency Track sponsored by LinkedIn.
Writing Secrets from Productive and Prolific Writers (The Jerks!): How to Create Better Content When No One Has Enough Time

Sept. 8, 9:00-9:45 AM

Marketers are constantly under pressure to create more content, even when their bandwidth and resources remain the same. In this session, MarketingProfs CCO Ann Handley will provide a blueprint for better productivity, even within your current constraints.

Attendees will gain insight into how some creators produce so much more without sacrificing quality, as well as actionable lessons marketers can use to speed up their own creative process – all while managing those existing workflows that aren’t going anywhere.