American Marketing Association Influencer Marketing Luncheon Speaking Event
I had the honor of speaking on a panel at the Influencer Marketing Luncheon by the American Marketing Association’s Las Vegas chapter. And it was an incredible experience. Being in a room with so many heavy hitters and industry veterans validated the work I’ve put into this agency and into my career.
The luncheon took place at Lawry’s in Las Vegas, just off the Strip. We had a panel of two influencers (myself included representing micro-influencers) and two agency owners (myself and Dawn Farahi, the owner of One Seven Agency), one viral influencer (Jessica Woo, Bento Mom), and one casino marketing director. Lots of different perspectives for the room to learn from and lots of questions. We probably could’ve gone till happy hour.
I’ve done speaking events in the past, but this one in particular got me a bit nervous. I haven’t spoken in front of a crowd and been this public in almost two years.
I made a vow to myself to protect my energy and be very mindful of the places and situations I put myself in so that I can focus on building my business and personal growth without having so many outside influences.
I’m very protective over my energy and my peace because if it doesn’t make me money or doesn’t make me feel good, then I’m not spending time on it.
I had enough things to keep me busy that day, but this was one event I didn’t want to miss. It was an opportunity to remind people of the stellar work we’ve been doing. Who am I to pass up on that?
I shared my experiences dealing with influencer marketing as an agency owner, as a micro-influencer, and as a former casino marketing director. It was truly a captivating conversation and I was surprised that so many people were interested in my perspective.
I realize now that I do have quite a unique point of view when it comes to influencer marketing. As an agency owner and micro-influencer, I believe that they are a valuable asset and should be a pillar in every digital strategy.
As a former corporate marketing director, it’s hard to measure specific KPIs in an influencer campaign and tell executives and C-suites, “Hey, here’s the ROI from that campaign.” It’s hardly trackable. Influencer campaigns are meant for brand awareness and it’s hard for people who are not chronically online to understand that. It’s also extremely hard to justify those metrics to finance and be responsible for that campaign when you ask for budget for something that you can’t guarantee returns on.
So, I get it.
We had so many different kinds of people in the room, in all different industries, who were genuinely interested in finding the right formula.
I wanted people to see my perspective and know that I’m passionate in helping local businesses win, big and small, even if I’m speaking on an educational event for free. It was a valuable networking event, and my efforts were reciprocated in the way people interacted with me and even followed up.
It felt so good for people to know that I’m back. I’m truly back in the game.
This next chapter of Golden Hour Co. Digital Agency is personal. And I can’t wait for you all to be on this journey with us.
You probably clicked on this because you wanted to know more about what I talked about during the Influencer Marketing luncheon. I’ll do a blog on the basics of Influencer Marketing soon, I promise you.
Till then, stay golden.
