SMX Milan 2013 Full Conference Agenda
Day 1: November 7, 2013

Conference welcome & keynote

The Evolution of Communication
 (#smx #1KEY)

Social Media Marketing

Supercharging Reach & Engagement On Facebook & Twitter  (#smx #11A)
With over a billion users, Facebook is the biggest social network out there. Tapping into it the right way can generate plenty of attention and traffic. Twitter is also a proven source of traffic, but you need to do more than just push out a quick 140-character tweet to gain traction and engagement with your followers. Attend this session for the tactics you need to drive more traffic – and gain potential customers or favorably influence existing ones – via these thriving social media channels – and understand what the shift to mobile devices means.

Search Engine Optimization

Don’t Panic! A Hitchhiker’s Guide To Surviving SEO Changes  (#smx #11B)
The SEO’s life isn’t easy. In addition to major updates like Panda, Google says it’s now making as many as 500 changes to its algorithms each year. Apart from algorithmic changes, personalization means different results for everyone, sometimes in non-subtle ways. Voice driven queries, quick answers and local discovery are changing the way we view search on mobile devices. Attend this session and you’ll learn to adapt and thrive in the constantly changing search engine optimization (SEO) universe.

Search Engine Advertising

Amazing Paid Search Tactics & Tools  (#smx #11C)
What’s hot and happening with paid search? What’s not? Speakers in this session have had their fingers on the pulse of search advertising over the past year, and are prepared to discuss their insights into supercharging campaigns that the engines aren’t talking about. This session will wow you with some new ideas for your SEA campaigns!

Social Media Marketing

Solution Spotlight by Tecla (11:45-11:50)
Solution Spotlights are brief introductions to relevant products and services offered by SMX exhibitors and sponsors

Customer Acquisition Through Social Media & Social Data (#smx #12A)

In addition to communicating with your customers and building community, social media can be a powerful tool for generating leads and driving sales both online e-commerce and offline. Our panel of experts will share case studies and actionable tactics from real-world campaigns that delivered new customers to physical locations, increased inbound calls, grew leads/email lists and more

Search Engine Optimization

How To Build Links & Win Authority Through Public Relations  (#smx #12B)

Most search marketers recognize that there is a relationship between SEO and public relations, but few really understand how to capture the elusive synergy that makes both shine. Beyond optimizing press releases, how do you effectively reach key influencers (journalists, tweeters, celebrities) to ask for links? And how do you go about building up your own authority in ways that will build status (and traffic) to your own sites? This session explores the “softer side” of SEO that seeks to influence people rather than search engine algorithms.

Search Engine Advertising

Fast And Easy SEA Analytics  (#smx #12C)

Paid search campaign optimization is vital, but pulling the data to make decisions needn’t be difficult. There are about a dozen shortcut reports that offer invaluable information for advertisers, and our panelists will show you not only how to access them but how to avoid “analysis paralysis” and enhance the performance of your paid search campaigns.

Plus Session

What’s this?

Google vs Facebook: Get the best from Search and Social Media to develop your E-Business  (#smx #T1A)

Social Media Marketing

Going Viral On YouTube  (#smx #13A)

Going viral on YouTube can generate thousands of views. But that doesn’t mean you should promote your business via a cute kitty video or as a conversation with your 12 year-old CEO. So what’s the best approach to leveraging the huge potential of YouTube? Panelists in this session share best practices for socially promoting your videos while assuring you also maintain the integrity of your brand.

Search Engine Optimization

What SEO Performance Metrics Are Truly Important?
 (#smx #13B)

Your boss or client may think top rankings are gold, but most knowledgeable SEOs will tell you those stats are so 20th-century that they’re virtually irrelevant. So how do you measure – and more importantly, prove – the value of your SEO activities, especially in the age of personalized, unique search results for everyone? Speakers in this session have promised to “open up their kimonos” and reveal the really useful, measurable techniques they use to demonstrate the value of their work.

Search Engine Advertising

Forget What You Know About SEA – Best Practices Debate (#smx #13C)

Think you know paid search? Does quality score really matter? Does targeting really get better with Google’s new ‘Enhanced’ Campaigns? Is account history sacrosanct? Is it really better to send people to product specific landing pages than a brand’s homepage? In this session, our panelists challenge commonly accepted best practices and provide evidence that what you “know” about paid search can actually work against you.

Social Media Marketing

Some Assembly Required: Adding Social Media to the Marketing & Communications Mix  (#smx #14A)

Undoubtedly social media provides communicators with many benefits. Companies which have not yet initiated a formal social media program find devoted customers are already promoting the company through fan communities, a form of priceless earned media. Additional advantages accrue to those who integrate social media into their communications strategies. Communities become a type of informal focus group, providing ideas for new offerings and enhancements to existing products and services. Paid media investments get an additional push. Yet at a minimum an organization needs to revise processes across multiple departments and should insure social media policies are in place. In this session, our speakers will discuss the organization changes required to successfully embrace social media.

Search Engine Marketing

Understanding Searcher Behavior  (#smx #14B)

All this talk about making use of searcher behavior — but how do searchers actually interact with search engines? Glad you asked! This session looks at the latest research and studies, including mobile insights, to offer techniques and tips for search marketers to consider.

Search Engine Advertising

Running International Paid Search Campaigns  (#smx #14C)

Think globally but act locally. Organizations selling internationally need to take into account local differences in each market, from search engine selection to ad messaging and user behavior. Users may turn to Yandex, Baidu or Naver in addition to the better known Google or Bing. Our panel will share their tips and tools used for implementing and optimizing international SEA campaigns.

Plus Session

What’s this?

Driving effective performance measurement in the Social Era  (#smx #T1B)

Social Media Marketing

Decoding Facebook Ads: Strategies & Tactics For The New Ad Environment  (#smx #15A)

With the ever-changing Facebook ads environment staying afloat is tougher than ever. From traditional ads, to the organification of sponsored stories to promoted post, opportunities are aplenty for the modern day Facebook advertiser. Mobile-only targeting allows advertisers to take advantage of behavior differences between mobile and desktop devices. This session will cover everything you need to know about Facebook Ads, changes and optimization tactics to ensure you are getting the most out of your Facebook spend.

Search Engine Optimization

Taming International Search Engine Optimization  (#smx #15B)

Do you – or can you – sell worldwide? If so, what are the key issues you should be considering in a multi-lingual, multi-market world? What search engines really count internationally? This session considers the major things you need to know for international organic search success, from keyword selection to domain and mobile usage.

Search Engine Advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing

In-House, Outsource or Both?  (#smx #15C)

Successful digital marketing in an ever evolving online environment isn’t so easy. Some organizations choose to execute search and social media strategies in-house while others choose external expertise to accomplish their digital marketing and communication. Yet others opt for a hybrid approach. In this session panelists will share their experiences in managing the challenges faced in each scenario from recruitment, ongoing training to vendor management.