Wow, what can I say? I made it to NYC for the SMX Social Media Conference. It was certainly what I hoped for. I don’t even want to blog about it? Why? Because, I don’t want the event to get crowded like Search Engine Strategies or even Webmaster World (which is next month in Vegas BABY!).
Look, SMX Social was a great show. Danny Sullivan was great! The new staff was great! The panelists were great! the topics were great! The attendees were great! The food was even palatable. The hard chairs on day one sucked. But they got swapped for better chairs the second day, as if by a miracle.
The presentations were very helpful. And since Matt Cutts wasn’t in da house, the presenters were very relaxed and candid and forthright and even revealing. A couple of the “presenters” could use an ego check for sure. But all in all and root in all, I was very pleased with the panel selections, which were well suited to the subject of social media; too many names to list for now. Of course a few stand out in my memory. Among the presenters, the “I am certainly proud of myself” award went to Diggster specialist and SMO, Neil Patel.
Mr. Rand Fishkin, kudos my man. If I did not work for Mr. Web Guru, I would be happy to work for you. At SMX Advanced in Seattle you impressed me, but in New York you really shined. Rand is my new Search Marketing hero. He is probably wondering then, why I am not paying for a subscription to his members site? Well, truth is that I’m a one-man show with a couple of very talented designers and programmers in the fold but not in the employee status. Lucky me. Therefore, I just don’t have much time for newsletter. I am actually forcing “read time” into my weekly schedule to get involved in the social media phenomenon, but I have a workload to fulfill that keeps me real busy. I make time for essential and crucial reading, usually data laden white papers and occasional, select blog posts and a book or two a year to home study related web niches I want to become proficient at. I do prefer my annual events though, like SMX, PubCon and Search Engine Workshops, where I can really put aside what I already know [works] and focus on learning and discovery of emerging strategies and tactics (often I will find the best gems off the clock like at lunch or at an after party off site). What I do daily, since 1997, has always genuinely helped my clients to succeed and grow wealthy online. For the most part, forums (I don’t like forums, as I was mob raped at one of the first ones I visited years ago the “ihelpyou” forum) and newsletters and blogs, take time away from my clients (and more importantly my family) and MUCH of the information easily accessible online is debatable, and even easily refutable. When I get time to read a subscription again, yours Rand, will be the first I’d pay for, at least today. Keep up the excellence and professionalism you exude. Rand is the founder of the SEOMOZ blog.
Mr. Danny Sullivan, thank you for another excellent SMX event. Some day, if I come to enough SMX’s, you won’t have to squint and look at my ID tag to get my name when I say hi to you. It is Robert Wright (a good ‘ol English name, from: Shipwright), my ancestors likely built the ships that brought your ancestors to New York. But now you’ve come to New York to ship me home with some great and timely information. My hat is tipped to you also.
And Lui, I was also impressed with you. Christine is real lucky to have you on board!
I may have been a good panelist for this event. I have dabbled in Social Networking sites and taught my clients to get involved in them (the newer Web 2.0esque versions, not just groups and forums) since 2004.
All of the presentations at this SMX event were very good. I would attend it again.
Robert