Photo: CMWorld 2021
It’s amazing to think that 2022 marks the 12 year anniversary of Content Marketing World. This year also represents the 12th time I’ve presented at CMWorld with the first presentation in 2011: A Content Marketer’s Guide to Social Media and Search Strategy. That first amazing event had about 50 speakers and around 600 attendees.
Conference Comic CMWorld 2011
Fast forward to today and this year’s Content Marketing World has nearly 200 speakers providing workshops, keynotes, and breakout sessions with anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 attendees. I am just as excited to present this year as my first with a session on The Secrets of Creating Inspired B2B Content Experiences Wednesday September 14th at 1pm in Grand Ballroom B.
So what’s else is on the menu for B2B marketers at CMWorld in 2022? Here are some of the sessions we’re looking forward to and why. BTW, picking just 12 sessions was INCREDIBLY difficult – this is truly an impressive agenda. Well done Stephanie Stahl and CMI team!
For early rising runners, Wednesday and Thursday is an opportunity to start the day with the #CMWorld Running Club at 6am. This is a short run starting at the Lakeside Entrance of the Convention Center led by Joe Kalinowski and it’s not only a way to get your blood pumping and heart rate up first thing in the morning, but also a great way to connect with other marketers that love to run. Slow, fast or somewhere in between, all are welcome!
Wednesday, September 14
Keynote: This Is Content
Robert Rose @Robert_Rose
Chief Strategy Advisor, Content Marketing Institute
Location: CMWorld Keynote Stage
Time: 8:30 am – 9:00 am
Why: Robert’s speaking our language at TopRank Marketing, it’s time to “elevate” the B2B industry’s content marketing efforts!
Keynote: Voice is the New Logo
Ann Handley @MarketingProfs
Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs
Location: CMWorld Keynote Stage
Time: 9:30 am – 10:00 am
Why: Because Ann Handley.
“Fail Fast:” Using experimentation to drive better content experiences, faster
Shafqat Islam @shafqatislam
General Manager, Marketing Orchestration, Optimizely
Location: Room 26
Time: 12:20 pm – 12:50 pm
Track : Keynote – Big Ideas
Why: B2B marketing needs to optimize experiences and do it fast. Learn how with Shafqat.
Beyond SEO: How Website Optimization Can Double Your Traffic, Conversions, and Sales
Laurel Miltner @laurelmackenzie
Director of Digital Marketing, NAVEX
Location: Room 1
Time: 2:20 pm – 2:50 pm
Track : Search Engine Optimization
Why: Double traffic, conversions and sales by being the best answer for your customers at the very moment of need? Sign me up!
Most Thought Leadership Content Isn’t Thoughtful or Leading: We Need to Fix That!
Lisa Gately @LisaGately
Principal Analyst, Forrester
Location: Room 6
Time: 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Track : Executive
Why: Thought Leadership can be incredibly effective for B2B brands but most of it sucks (my word). I agree Lisa, let’s fix it.
Keynote: Teaming, Scheming, Streaming: Inside our Game Plan to Salesforce+
Jessica Bergmann @jbergmann
VP, Content Strategy & Customer Marketing, Salesforce
Time: 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
Why: How can you create a TV network for your B2B brand? Here you go.
Thursday, September 15
Keynote: Top-Down Creation: How clever content creators leverage tiny audiences to deliver outsized results
Andrew Davis @DrewDavisHere
Keynote Speaker &, Author
Time: 9:45 am – 10:15 am
Why: Because Andrew Davis keynotes are high energy and even more thought provoking and actionable.
Behavioral Analytics: Stop guessing. Get clarity
Ravi Theja Yada @ravitheja22
Principal Program Manager, Microsoft
Location: Room 5
Time: 11:40 am – 12:10 pm
Track : Analytics & Data
Why: To optimize the user experience on your B2B industry website you have to understand behaviors. There’s analytics for that.
Your words, not mine: how (and why) to spice up your content with expert interviews
Sarah Goff-Dupont @sarahgoffdupont
Principal Writer, Atlassian
Location: Room 6
Time: 12:20 pm – 12:50 pm
Track : Writing/Content Development
Why: This is an essential part of most B2B influencer collaborations without calling it that – interview credible experts and see the magic happen.
Content Attribution: The Missing Piece For Content Marketing Excellence
Christopher Penn @cspenn
Chief Data Scientist, Trust Insights
Location: Room 5
Time: 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Track : Analytics & Data
Why: You might know which channels are working but which content is performing? Chris knows.
Friday, September 16
Content for Generation Z
Lenox Powell @LenoxPowell
Content Director , Semrush
Location: Room 3
Time: 8:40 am – 9:10 am
Track : Purposeful Marketing
Why: B2B marketers better be ready to create the content their future customers are using today.
How LinkedIn Marketing Solutions is Using the Blog to Power Its Growth Engine
Tequia Burt @TequiaBurt in/tequiaburt
Editor in Chief, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog, LinkedIn
Steve Kearns @stevektweets in/stevekearns3
Senior Content Marketer, Linkedin
Location: Room 6
Time: 9:20 am – 9:50 am
Track : Content Planning/Operations
Why: This is a chance to learn how the ultimate B2B brand is driving results in a market where growth is tougher than ever.
I’d like to repeat how difficult it was to pick just 12 and yes, the number 12 represents the 12th anniversary of Content Marketing World. You can see the full agenda for the conference here, including workshops which I did not include in this list.
If you do miss a session you really want to check it out, I will be liveblogging a few of these presentations so be sure to follow @toprank and @leeodden for information about when those posts publish.
At 1:00 pm Wednesday September 14, there are 13 sessions happening at the SAME TIME so if you’re interested, be sure to visit me in Ballroom B for my presentation, The Secrets of Creating Inspired B2B Content Experiences.
Here’s more info: B2B marketers are creating more digital content than ever with expectations of performance in the spotlight of every executive pulling the trigger on tentative marketing budgets. However, it’s no longer enough for B2B brands to inform audiences with the same “boring to boring” content. Modern B2B customers want to be informed but also inspired, to feel something. But what’s the secret to creating inspired content experiences?
In this presentation you’ll learn these secrets:
– The Facts Tell, Stories Sell Approach to Content
– How to Use OPC to Inspire Your ICP
– Top Tactics B2B Leaders Use to Elevate B2B Content
If you’re looking for a even more smart content marketers to learn from, be sure to check out Lane’s list of Top 25 B2B Content Marketing Influencers and Experts To Follow.
