Over 170 senior social media leaders gathered at Chicago’s Navy Pier for our SocialMedia.org Fall Board Meeting, where they participated in honest, behind-the-scenes chats about running social media at the world’s largest brands.  

The two-day event included small-group discussions, case studies, and four rounds of unconferences — where members chose the most pressing topics and challenges they’re facing in real time and benchmarked with their social media peers.

The only thing missing from the Board Meeting was vendors, consultants, or agencies influencing the conversations. 

Alexa Tavares, Social Media Specialist at Toll Brothers, said on LinkedIn that she was able to network with industry leaders and learn more about trending topics in social media, including AI, thought leadership, influencer marketing, and customer care.  

Here’s a look at what we covered:

Social Media Strategy Case Studies:

• Solving for the ROI of paid social media — led by Hannah Swords at Cisco
• Livestreaming for BtoB brands: Engage your audience, humanize your brand — led by John Rocker at Dynatrace
• Influencer programs’ evolution: The constant demand for more — led by Amy Ortega at University of Phoenix
• Social care 2.0: Up-leveling care teams with a personalized approach — led by Mike Disser and Ashton Rosati at Nissan
• Social media’s impact: Measuring your brand’s cultural relevance — led by Megan Stinn at The J.M. Smucker Company

Member-Led Small-Group Discussions: 

• Agency relationships: When to stop, start, or continue support? — led by Nicole Emerick at Allstate
• Improving brand reputation through strategic community engagement — led by Victoria Wilson at AMD
• Overcoming leadership objections to social media’s value proposition — led by Amanda Jaeger at Walmart
• Amplifying event sponsorships with a social-first engagement strategy — led by Jennifer Schneider and Cam Robbins at Zurich North America
• Global social media: Getting your house in order with strong governance — led by Brandon Chan and Kirsten Salmanowicz at 3M

Unconferences to Explore Top Social Media Challenges:

On day two, SocialMedia.org members set the meeting’s agenda themselves through our Unconferences, fast-paced, peer-to-peer discussions where members suggest discussion topics, vote for their favorites, and join the conversations that interest them most.

It means members are spending the entire time talking about the topics that are most important to them.

Here’s a look at some of the most pressing challenges social media leaders are facing:

• LinkedIn page sprawl
• Election preparation
• What does a best-in-class social care experience look like?
• Navigating copyright infringement on social media
• YouTube strategy
• Content creation and strategy: Too many cooks in the kitchen
• Influencers – vetting, KPIs, and ROI
• The connection between executive social and employee advocacy
• Participating in trends and popular platforms in a regulated industry
• Re-structuring your social team
• Social care ROI
• Global governance
• AI as a social media tool
• Social listening: Tools, strategies, and getting buy-in
• And more!

The best on-site discussions will grow as full community conversations in the coming weeks and months as we dig deeper together.