Conferences are a hot spot for identifying trends and sharing important industry ideas.
Another September, another year of HubSpot's INBOUND conference come and gone. The INBOUND conference is traditionally a star-studded spectacle celebrating the best and brightest in the field of marketing.
INBOUND 2019 was no exception.
Keynote speakers included Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, legendary journalist Katie Couric, and social-justice titan Bryan Stevenson. Marketing influencers and brand leaders held sessions dedicated to the top trends and strategies of the industry.
If you were not one of the 26,000 in attendance, here is a breakdown of three stand-out themes from this year's conference. We will look at the key takeaways for these themes and give you some highlights from the conference speakers
And if that wasn't enough to satiate the attendees, after-hours entertainment included Janelle Monae and Chelsea Handler.
3 most important takeaways from INBOUND 2019
1. Content: it builds brand credibility
Maybe more than any other topic, speakers at INBOUND wanted to talk about content. The four-day conference included more than 40 sessions centered around content, from "how to write newsletters" to "how to generate revenue with your content" to "using analytics to match people to your content."
I wish I could have attended each of these sessions, but alas, I left my time-turner at home. Of the sessions I did attend, the stand-out moment came from a breakout session led by SELF editor-in-chief (EIC) Carolyn Kylstra.
My final #INBOUND19 session was a knockout! On building your brand through content, EIC of Self @CarolynKylstra says:
1. Develop editorial standards, then stick to them across your content.2. Be relatable; people want to feel recognized.3. Quality content over quantity!
— Sam Bonanno (@bonanno_sam) September 6, 2019
When Kylstra came to SELF as the new editor-in-chief, the magazine was floundering. Under her leadership, numbers are up, their content is more respected than ever, and readership is through the roof.
How did she do it? By building brand credibility though content.
Her presentation detailed the nine-step process that pulled SELF out of the ashes. Those steps can be condensed into three core actions:
3 things to do to improve your content
Establish values and standards
What are the values and mission of your content team? Write them on the walls of your meeting rooms and hold everyone accountable to them. Strong content can stem only from a united team.
Quality over quantity
Your readers just want to feel recognized. Content should always sympathize with your audience, be carefully researched, and offer helpful, actionable takeaways. One quality article will take you further than five slap-dash articles ever could.
One voice many platforms
Whether you're writing a long-form research report or a 50-word social post, your customers want to hear a consistent voice. The packaging may be different across different platforms, but your content should consistently tell the same story.
Unsure of how your current content holds up? Check out this article on how to audit your existing digital marketing content.
2. Customer: The key to customer retention is radical empathy
Question — Why is the customer journey map such a powerful tool in the marketers tool belt?
Answer — It grants us insight into what our customers need and when they need it.
Having compassion and empathy for your customers and prospective customers was a common refrain at INBOUND this year. Breakout sessions on everything from "how to identify a market category for your business" to "technology and the future of meaningful human experiences" heralded the importance of understanding your customers' pain points and overall experience. Harvard Business Review even hosted a live podcast where it discussed listener questions about empathizing with your clients, coworkers, and company leadership.
Sitting in on the hit podcast Dear HBR live at #INBOUND19 pic.twitter.com/jgT0odbNHZ
— Sam Bonanno (@bonanno_sam) September 4, 2019
Gartner highlights the importance of understanding the whole customer experience with this analogy:
When we go to the doctor, they ask a few questions about our lifestyle, weigh us, take our blood pressure, and do some basic blood work.
Because our medical practitioners supplement these data points with a holistic view of their patient's journey and experiences, they can accurately judge our overall health and provide us with valuable recommendations for living healthier.
If doctors instead relied only on the data points they gather in an annual checkup, liposuction — not long-term life changes — would be the first intervention for anyone carrying a little extra weight. (Full report available to Gartner clients.)
At INBOUND, Kate O'Neill, author of the book "Tech Humanist," discussed empathizing with your customers in her breakout session, "Technology, your company, and the future of meaningful human experiences."
O'Neill believes that the key to success in business is to align what is good for your business with what is good for your customers.
"Meaningful human experience at scale" O'Neill explained, "is the center hub between business objectives, human outcomes, and technological capabilities."
So what does that look like in practice? How can your business build that center hub?
In both O'Neill's breakout session and many others, the answer came back to marketing automation.
2 ways marketing automation helps build customer-centric businesses
Personalization
Marketing automation improves personalization tactics that make customers feel thought of and seen.
Consistency
Marketing automation offers customers a smooth and consistent experience when interacting with your brand.
3. Culture: Company culture matters more than ever before
The third big theme to come out of this year's INBOUND conference was company culture.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian challenged business leaders and their employees to start changing the conversation around paid family leave in the United States.
"It's a farce for companies to think there's family life over here and work life over there." Ohanian said. "The culture of corporate values and paid family leave can start to change right now."
The following morning, world-renowned journalist Katie Couric took the main stage to reflect on the importance of diversity, speaking frankly about her experience as a woman in journalism.
To complete the triple threat, civil rights activist and lawyer Bryan Stevenson gave a moving speech on how equal justice creates a better world for everyone.
Standing up for what's right isn't always the easiest thing to do, but Bryan Stevenson is here to inspire us all with how he continues to always do the right thing as a leading civil rights lawyer. Don't miss his spotlight in 30 minutes! pic.twitter.com/fft7qxM2VI
— INBOUND Event (@INBOUND) September 6, 2019
"Proximity," explained Stevenson, "is our key to changing the world. What proximity means is to get close enough to people who are struggling and wrap our arms around them."
Totally overwhelmed by how to accommodate changing culture into your workplace? Check out Capterra's incredible talent management and HR blog for insights on everything from pay transparency to managerial training.
Did you attend the 2019 INBOUND conference? Let us know what you learned and what sessions influenced you the most.