Soffront Offers a One-Stop Customer Service Shop

Soffront Offers a One-Stop Customer Service Shop - CRM Buyer

A company's customer service system should be constructed around the customer's needs and preferences, not the company's, said author and keynote speaker Micah Solomon. "Success in customer service starts with quantified empathy. With learning what your customers want."

With helpdesk, knowledge management, customer portal, email auto response, project management, and mobile access capabilities, Soffront prides itself on being a one-stop shop for customer service solutions.

"The customer service solution we offer is pretty comprehensive," Manu Das, CEO of Soffront, told CRM Buyer. "That's what our system does best."

Soffront Customer Service Portal

(click image to enlarge)

Soffront's Customer Helpdesk and Customer Portal creates a ticket when a call or email is received, a process expedited by Soffront Email Response. The customer can then close the ticket based on the response.

Soffront Analytics for Support uses key performance indicators to help businesses analyze their support process, and Soffront Mobile CRM provides mobile access to support teams.

Customers can also use Soffront Knowledge Management for Customer Self Service, a knowledge base that allows customers to help solve their own support issues.

"We do all of those," said Das. "We provide a knowledge base for self service."

Good Service Requires Custom Fitting

Customers can review the knowledge base and decide whether to submit a ticket. They can also discuss issues in a forum with other users and provide assistance to each other.

Soffront tracks any assets associated with customers, including software, gadgets, servers, devices, computers, documents or blueprints -- anything that would be necessary for customer maintenance and care.

Soffront also manages returned merchandise for the customer, such as defective products. Most customer service vendors do not provide this type of tracking, Das pointed out.

When customers return products for replacement or repair, the new or repaired product needs to be returned to the customer. Soffront saves the history of this entire multichannel process.

"How do you keep track? You're managing something for the customer," Das said. "It makes you completely organized."

An approach such as this, which revolves around the customer, provides good results, Micah Solomon, customer service keynote speaker and author, told CRM Buyer.

Customer service software can help companies provide individualized service by capturing each customer's preferences and by tracking all the interaction history with a customer.

"Good service requires custom fitting to each customer," Solomon advised.

Easy and Affordable

The price of a customer service system could depend on the size of the company, said Jeff Furst, founder, president and CEO of Furst Person. Small to medium businesses usually pay a monthly fee per user while larger companies might receive a discount, Furst told CRM Buyer.

Soffront offers both on-premise and hosted options that are very affordably priced, Das stated. The system costs US$80 per user per month. The price includes most modules except the offline and PDA client. The customer portal is unlimited for $200 a month. The knowledge base is $100 a month. Soffront charges 15 percent for ongoing support.

The dashboards can be easily configured by employees who are not tech-savvy, Das noted. Additional IT people do not have to be hired, which helps to keep costs down.

"We provide a suite that is really configurable by a business person," he said.

Hosted Solutions Remove Barriers but Have Limits

Some companies may encounter limitations with the on-premise version, Das acknowledged -- for instance, a small company with a few hundred people that's on a growth trajectory.

The hosted version eliminates any issues with scalability, Das said, noting that scalability is becoming less of a problem with cloud computing and SAAS.

"Hosted solutions are potentially a huge positive," Solomon concurred. "However, the hazards are trying to fit your customer to the limitations of the cloud-based system, rather than the other way around."

Concern with data security could also be an issue with a hosted solution. Government regulations sometimes require that no data be stored outside of a company network, Das said.

Focused and Integrated

Soffront serves all industries, which gives it a very diverse customer base that includes financial, retail, software and manufacturing companies ranging from mid-sized to divisions of Fortune 500 companies.

However, the system works best for groups of 500 to 600 users, and Soffront prefers companies or divisions that size, Das noted.

"That's our root," he said.

A niche customer service solution could be a good choice for a company of that size. Although small to mid-size businesses have the same service issues as larger companies, their configuration requirements might be different, Furst observed.

"Large companies need a very robust system," he said. However, this is not as much a concern for smaller companies.

Quantified Empathy

Soffront provides a dedicated implementation staff for each of its clients, including a project manager, customer service representative, and account manager.

The system improves productivity by capturing all information pertaining to calls, eliminating steps, and speeding up the process, Das explained. Soffront's dedicated service allows its clients to provide personalized service to their own customers.

Providing dedicated and personalized customer service is the key. The system should be constructed around the customer's needs and preferences, not the other way around, Solomon emphasized.

"Success in customer service starts with quantified empathy," he said. "With learning what your customers want."

Paciolan Signs Ticket Deal With The Smith Center

Paciolan Signs Ticket Deal With The Smith Center

Paciolan, a leading provider of ticketing, marketing, and fundraising solutions, announced today that The Smith Center for the Performing Arts (The Smith Center) will partner with the company to open its new $470 million arts center. As an important component of the Las Vegas artistic and cultural community, The Smith Center will leverage the Paciolan system to sell tickets to its events.

"We're excited to work with Paciolan for our ticketing solution," said Myron G. Martin, president and chief executive officer, The Smith Center. "Paciolan provides us the tools, resources and services to offer our patrons an exemplary entertainment experience."

The Smith Center is the first new performing arts center to join the Paciolan community since their sale to Comcast-Spectacor, just nine months after regaining their independence.

"Paciolan offers us a uniform standard of excellence with a perfect blend of solutions that emphasize both earned and unearnedincome opportunities," said Paul Beard, vice president and chief operating officer, The Smith Center. "They provide us a powerful distribution platform to sell high volumes of tickets as well as a potent, integrated fundraising system."

The Smith Center plans to utilize Paciolan's CRM technology to deliver outstanding services at every point of contact with their patrons. By leveraging an integrated CRM system, The Smith Center will gain a holistic view of their patrons' interactions and preferences to deliver a personalized entertainment experience.

"Paciolan is the right choice for The Smith Center as they provide us the most financially advantageous model as well as a powerful foundation to grow our business in the unique Las Vegas market," said Richard Johnson, vice president and chief financial officer, The Smith Center.

The Las Vegas market features a network on local organizations that leverage the Paciolan system. This network allows the Smith Center to work with other organizations, including UNLVtickets, to create greater cross-selling and marketing opportunities for both organizations.

An important factor in The Smith Center's decision was Paciolan's turnkey solution that enables The Smith Center to provide patrons one-stop shopping for their ticketing and donor needs. This proven technology allows The Smith Center to quickly ramp up their operations without requiring a newly designed, customized system. To complement the turnkey solution, The Smith Center has hired Mike Ruppert, an arts veteran with over 20 years of unmatched Paciolan experience, to manage their ticketing operations.

"It is truly an exciting moment for Paciolan to partner with a new, world-class organization such as The Smith Center to help them manage their beautiful new facilities," said Dave Butler, chief executive officer of Paciolan. "This partnership is the first new performing arts center to join the growing Paciolan community since our independence, just nine months ago, which demonstrates the power of our robust ticketing, fundraising and marketing solutions to the vibrant performing arts genre."

About The Smith Center The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public/private partnership that will become the centerpiece of cultural life in Las Vegas offering a blend of performances by resident companies as well as first-run touring attractions. The 5-acre cultural campus will feature three performance spaces including the 2,050- seat Reynolds Hall with refined acoustics and the Boman Pavilion housing a cabaret jazz space and a studio theater, all complemented by the DISCOVERY Children's Museum. The Smith Center will be a living room for Las Vegas; a place that will educate, entertain and excite the citizens of our great community. Located in downtown's 61-acre urban development, Symphony Park, The Smith Center broke ground in May of 2009 with a ceremonial carillon bell casting and ringing. In February 2010, it celebrated its "Topping Out" with the raising of 50 tons of steel and is projected to open in March 2012.

For more information about The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.thesmithcenter.com.

About Paciolan Founded in 1980, Paciolan is the leader in venue enablement, powering ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions for leading organizations across North America. Collectively, Paciolan powers over 500 live entertainment organizations that sell over 100 million tickets annually. Primary markets include college athletics, professional sports, performing arts, arenas and museums. Paciolan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor.

Visit www.paciolan.com for additional company information.

Five Predictions for the Job Market in 2011

Five Predictions for the Job Market in 2011 - Vault

As far as job creation goes, there's little doubt that 2010 has been something of a disappointment. While we saw a couple of glimmers of light, it says a lot that the only thing that moved the headline number downward was temporary Census hiring. As we head into 2011 with an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, and some 15 million people out of work, it's more apparent than ever that we're not going to see any kind of rapid improvement in hiring. But that doesn't mean that things aren't going to get better—it's just going to take some time. And there will, of course, be opportunities for those who know where to look for them.

Without further ado, here are five predictions for the job market next year:

Unemployment: Here to Stay

This time last year, we predicted that getting unemployment below 9 percent would represent a "serious achievement." Unfortunately, that still stands for 2011. With the economy only just creating enough jobs to keep up with population growth—and government job-creation measures seemingly off the table—a rate of 8-point-anything is increasingly looking like nirvana.

More Professionals Head East

More American students looking to go into finance will be studying the Chinese language, because that's where the majority of financial services-related opportunities will be.

The trend will extend beyond banking to the accounting and consulting industries as well.PricewaterhouseCoopers intends to double its headcount in China over the next five years, meaning it will hire 10,000 new employees by 2015. And thousands of Deloitte's planned 50,000 new hires in 2011 will join the firm in the Far East.

Vocational Occupations Become More Popular

Skilled occupations that pay well yet don't require a higher-level education will become more desirable. That means more plumbers, more CPAs, more medical technicians. As enrollment and tuition rise at traditional four-year colleges, more people will look for lower-cost alternatives—say, community and for-profit colleges—that will allow them to gain vocational certification or training for those jobs without taking out crippling student loans.

Companies Keep Taking the Profits

If it ain't broke, don’t fix it. Many companies posted record profits on the back of cost savings this year, and are likely to continue that behavior into 2011. Having gotten used to doing more—and making bigger profits—with less in the way of manpower, if companies do decide to shovel any of their cash back into the economy next year, it's more likely to be for mergers and acquisitions than large-scale hiring programs.

So who's hiring?

Despite the doom, there are still some growing career fields. Healthcare is an obvious (and longstanding) one, but as the various provisions of Obamacare start taking effect—or being starved for funding—there are serious opportunities for consultants and policy experts as well.

Tech is another field that is likely to continue growing—with a particular emphasis on cyber security, thanks to government spending aimed at curbing the threat of cyber-terrorism and hacking.

Finally, 2011 may well be the year that "green jobs" switches from buzzword to reality—with the majority of new positions in green manufacturing and technology.

How Important Will Corporate Social Responsibility Become?

CSR 2010: Corporate Social Responsibility Shifts From the Cubicle to the Boardroom - Vault

With Corporate social media policies that enable corporates to let their employees write about their work within their corporations, corporate social responsibility will become a major issue on CEO level, I think!

Alice Kerngold seems to confirm this paradigm shift in her newest blog at Vault:

The benefits of corporate social responsibility for companies have been discussed for years. So when CSR advocates were challenged in 2010, they were bored, weary, and frustrated: "Come on, how long do we have to explain this to you?"

While the challenge might have sounded repetitive, there was a new shift in the CSR discussion. Because the conversation moved from the cubicle to the board room.

Until recently, the discussion about CSR was siloed within mid-level offices for human resources, philanthropy, and public relations; the company resources involved were minimal.

Today, it's the company CEOs who are interested in CSR; they're considering the potential benefits of CSR to advance the corporate mission and strategy and showcase the brand. Consequently, CSR is eliciting significant corporate resources with a worthy impact on shareholder value.

A Historical Perspective: CSR is Siloed

In the 1980's and early 1990's, CSR was merely a term that some companies used for their newly integrated volunteerism and philanthropy programs. Support staff or middle management might note just a couple of the benefits – like "teamwork"—to appeal to their bosses for a modicum of support.

A more comprehensive list:

• a) Human Resources: Personal and professional development, recruitment and retention, fostering engagement among people from diverse backgrounds, pride in company, and teamwork
  b) Marketing: Appeal to customers, company reputation, media promotion, and cause-related marketing
  c) Public Relations: Relationships with businesses, community, and government, and company reputation
  d) Philanthropy/Foundation: Employee pride, improve the community where employees live and work, company reputation, align with causes that are relevant and meaningful to employees and also the company's purpose/product

In this earlier iteration, these company "CSR" programs:

• • Were not integrated across human resources, marketing, public and governmental relations, philanthropy, and so on
• • Had no overall strategy with involvement from senior executives
• • Had no particular connection with the company's mission or brand
• • Had no senior executive driving the programs to maximize their value in terms of public, community, and governmental relations; media; and human resources
• • Were not assessed with serious evaluations and analysis of the benefits to the company, and the company's social impact
• • Had no meaningful leadership from the CEO, much less the board of directors
• • Were not considered with regard to shareholder value

Additionally, companies were missing out on–and continue to–a tremendous leadershipdevelopment opportunity.

Engaging Executives in CSR

For two decades, a core component of my approach to CSR has included training and placing executives on nonprofit boards through a purposeful and very high quality matching process. Through board service, companies benefit by providing unique, fulfilling, experiential leadership development opportunities for their executives and professionals, while also helping to build more effective boards of nonprofits that will advance the nation's and the world's NGO/nonprofit sector.

Twenty Years Later: CSR as a Corporate Strategy

Today, for a select group of visionary and opportunistic business leaders, CSR is becoming more fully integrated into the company's core strategy. In such cases, CSR is aligned with the corporate mission and showcases the company's brand, while also providing the above-mentioned human resources and public and community relations benefits – but on steroids.

Today, the CEO is engaging her senior leadership team and her board around CSR, and the CEO and the board are articulating how their company's approach to CSR can indeed increase shareholder value in the long term.

Today, a company commitment to CSR involves auditing and, if necessary, refreshing the company's approaches to corporate ethics, board governance, leadership development, environmental conservation, community engagement and NGO/nonprofit partnerships, supply chain management, and human rights, among others. Two obvious examples include PepsiCo–"Performance with Purpose"–and Walmart.

I contend that CSR is becoming such a force, that soon, if a company does notinvest in CSR, that company's board and shareholders will ask how and why the CEO and his team made such a strategic decision.

That failing to have or integrate CSR into a corporate strategy will no longer happen by default – that one way or the other, CSR will be on the board's agenda.

--By Alice Korngold

Alice Korngold consults to global corporations on CSR, trains and places corporate executives on NGO/nonprofit boards, and consults to NGO/nonprofit boards. She is the author of "Leveraging Good Will: Strengthening Nonprofits by Engaging Businesses," (Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, 2005) and blogs for Fast Company.

More corporate social responsibility in a totally connected world will also enable us to enable corporate multicultural responsibility, that should become more than sending some of your overseas executives on cultural competency training!

Zuckerberg visits China - Facebook meets Baidu

Zuckerberg visits China - Facebook meets Baidu

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, met with Baidu's CEO Robin Li during a visit to China on Monday. Baidu is China's largest search engine. Baidu confirmed the Zuckerberg visit and talks with Li and senior staff, but did not disclose the nature of the discussions.

Facebook is currently blocked in China, one of the world's largest online markets with some 440 million users online. The Chinese government routinely monitors and blocks internet sites with politically sensitive content in what is termed the "Great Firewall of China". Baidu is the country's largest search engine with a 73 percent market share, well ahead Google which commands just 21 percent.

It is understood that Zuckerberg holds a strong personal interest in China, and has been taking daily Chinese language lessons. His girlfriend is Chinese and has family in the country. The Facebook founder had confirmed in an interview with Time magazine that he would be visiting China over the holidays.

20 Ways To Cut The Cost Of Your CRM Project

20 Ways To Cut The Cost Of Your CRM Project

Richard Boardman listed some great ways to cut the costs of implementing a CRM system, we liked to share with you:

1. Do you really need new CRM software? – sometimes organisations already have CRM software, but it just isn’t working well for them. The temptation is often to replace it with something new. However, the fault may not be with the software itself, but in the way it’s been implemented or used. Re-implementing what you already have is likely to be significantly cheaper than buying a new system.
2. Pick your shots – as I mentioned in my post on how to phase CRM projects, it’s generally best not to try and do too much in one go. If you can focus on the areas where you can achieve the greatest impact, you can lower costs, and increase the return on investment from the project.
3. Create a detailed requirements specification – this will allow you to solicit firm bids from prospective vendors in a competitive environment which will allow you to buy more cost effectively.
4. Don’t get locked in – one very expensive mistake a lot of organisations make is to commit to a vendor before the final costs for a project are known. This removes the incentive for a vendor to offer competitive pricing, and it’s is a lousy position to try and negotiate from.
5. Do you quality for a discount? – companies like Microsoft and Salesforce.com offer highly discounted software to certain sectors such as charities and educational establishments. If you think you may qualify, then it’s worth asking the question.
6. Haggle – most CRM software and service pricing is negotiable, so don’t be afraid to haggle. If there’s a large number of service days involved it may be worth getting an independent CRM consultant involved to verify that the quoted amounts are appropriate for the work involved. Quarter and year ends are time when vendors are most motivated to cut deals, and you will tend to negotiate much more successfully the less optimistic the prospective vendor is about their likelihood of winning your business.
7. Trade – there are a couple of dimensions to this, but you may be able to offer the products or services that your company provide in full or partial payment. You may also be able to trade in other ways, particularly in terms of you ability to act as a reference site. Vendors are always anxious to secure new references particularly if they have a new product or are entering a new market. Your willingness to act as one could secure a substantial discount.
8. Terms matter – it’s not just what you pay for software and services that’s important, check the small print as well. There can be a range of hidden terms and costs that can become very expensive over the life of the system. Be aware of these and address them in your negotiations.
9. Don’t over-customise – the more customisation you do, the greater the implementation costs. While you should always tailor the system to meet your unique needs, organisations can be prone to adding unnecessary ‘frills’ to the system, or capabilities that later prove to be expensive white elephants. Keeping as close as possible to the out of the box capabilities and ruthlessly cutting out any development requirements that don’t add significant value can be a very effective way to cut costs.
10. Don’t get hooked up on labels – it’s often tempting to go for the known names in the industry, but you may be able to purchase much more cost effectively by looking to newer, less established vendors, where you aren’t paying a premium for the brand.
11. Buy to fit your functional needs – your detailed requirements specification should tell you the functionality you do (and don’t) need from your CRM software. Understanding your needs and matching them to the most appropriate product can save you lavishing money on a suite of capabilities you don’t require.
12. Make use of open source and low cost offerings – there are a raft of free to low cost CRM offerings available on the market. These may not be as sophisticated as some of bigger ticket options, but if your needs are pretty straightforward they may well do the job.
13. Be clear on your objectives – there are two approaches to CRM which are discussed in more detail in this post. You can use it in an ad hoc way or a process driven way. The ad hoc way is cheaper and the returns lower. The process driven way requires a lot more resource, but will produce much higher returns. It pays to understand which approach you are aiming for. The thing you want to avoid is going for process driven approach without the necessary resources, because you will end up spending a lot, to achieve very little.
14. Buy licences when you need them – as I mentioned in my ‘How long does a CRM project really take’ post, CRM implementations can take a lot longer than people expect. Buying licences during the implementation phase, when no one is able to use them, needlessly ties up capital. Since most CRM software companies do not penalise you for adding users incrementally, it’s often better to buy as you need them as this avoids you buying for users who don’t end up using them. This can save you a fortune in expensive ‘shelfware’.
15. Don’t let it go wrong – it’s a lot cheaper to implement a project right first time than to try and turn it around later. It’s easy to underestimate what’s involved in a successful CRM project and it’s easy to come unstuck, so it’s a cost effective strategy to plan it and mange it carefully.
16. DIY – there’s a lot on a CRM project that you may be able to do a lot more cost effectively than the vendor. With many systems it’s relatively easy to set up the basics such as adding fields and pick-lists, so a good way to reduce costs can be to use the vendor for the more complex tasks and use internal resources to carry out the more straightforward work.
17. Have developers working on-site – in my experience developers tend to be much more productive when they are working outside of their own offices. This is perhaps less of a problem if they are working to a fixed price contract, but if it’s time and materials, then I’ve found that you get a lot more for your money if you have them working in your own site rather their own.
18. Look for experience – a capable, experienced, developer will generally be many times more productive than an inexperienced one, but the day rate you pay is often the same. It therefore pays to be very selective about the team members you have working on your project.
19. Consider freelancers – vender implementation staff can be an expensive resource. Freelance staff can be considerably cheaper. If you can find experienced staff with the required skill-sets, then this can significantly cut project costs.
20. Get independent advice – there are a number of independent CRM consultants out there, and they are well positioned to advise on the negotiation of pricing and term, as well guide your around some of the potentially costly implementation pitfalls.

Of course, cost is only one dimension of a CRM project, and we shouldn’t forget the value generated by the system is critical. However if you keep costs under control, then the overall return on your investment becomes potentially significantly higher.

9 Tips to Managing a Growing, Successful Facebook Fan Page

9 Tips to Managing a Growing, Successful Facebook Community

A blog article written by Debba Haupert, founder of Girlfriendology.com, a community of women based on inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friendship. She speaks on friendship and social media and has worked with ConAgra, Healthy Choice, Frito-Lay, Kroger, Biz detergent, Crystal Light, caught my attention as all Facebook fan page administrators, but also Facebook fans, can learn a lot from her insights! It consists a short personal experience of the Facebook effect that may well transform the Matthew effect.

A year or two ago (decades in social media years), I was all about ‘the Twitter.’ (Betty White reference) I concentrated my social media efforts and time on growing my Twitter followers to be a large community of women. My blog, Girlfriendology.com is about female friendship, hence the gender focus. Hours of following, unfollowing, tweeting, RT-ing, #FF-ing led to a decent Twitter following - around 20,000+ and primarily women. Just what I was hoping for.

Personally, I enjoy Twitter, I love my Twitter friends and would rather get my news from strangers on Twitter than spend an hour watching the news. But, I had to ask: was our Girlfriendology community on Twitter?

Mashable reported that as many as one-third of women 25-34 check Facebook first thing in the morning (many before even getting out of bed) – it’s that important/interesting to them. Forbes said: “Facebook, the largest social networking tool in the world, is dominated by women,” with 57% of members female and women being more active (aka: social) on Facebook.

IRL, my BFF’s are on Facebook – a lot! Many will never attempt to tweet or be interested in Twitter. Their friends are on Facebook, so they are too. For example: in my friend Colleen’s office of all women, every day they grab their lunches and eat at their desks – while they’re surfing Facebook!

So to Facebook I went, to grow my community for my blog, and I have, putting in a lot of time and learning a lot of lessons along the way. Here’s a few of the tips I’ve learned in growing my community -currently 12,000+ females and growing - on Facebook:

1. Survey your Community – How well do you know your community/readers? I ran an online survey to research my readers, find out insights into the community and source content ideas/material, etc. I asked my community what social media sites they use. Over 90% of the survey respondents indicated they were either ‘addicted to,’ or on Facebook several times a day. Over 90%! I also asked them where they interact with Girlfriendology most often – on our blog, our Facebook page, Twitter, our online community, etc. Again, the top answer was on Facebook. The survey findings confirmed – I need to put time and energy into my Facebook marketing and community building. TIP: Ask your community about their social media preferences and then go where they are!

2. Plan your Updates to fit their Schedule and ‘Likes’ – Based on research (online information and observed among friends), I know that women check in on Facebook before and after work, as well as during lunch time. Women also visit Facebook frequently on weekends – you can tell by when comments are made, or from your insights (stats on Facebook pages) on how many impressions are generated at different times. Taking a hint from my friend Colleen and her office-mates, I post a daily ‘girlfriend video lunch break’ with a female-friendly funny or inspiring YouTube video every day. Women like inspiring quotes, so I also post one or two daily. I take note of what they ‘like’ and comment on, and respond with more of the same based on their engagement. TIP: Know your audience, their schedules and be consistent with your Facebook updates.

3. Schedule Your Updates – I know exactly what you’re thinking: I don’t have that much time, right? I agree, it can be overwhelming but it’s worth putting some effort into your community on Facebook. To be honest, I can’t imagine any audience who isn’t on Facebook. Use tools like Tweetdeck and Hootsuite to pre-schedule your updates. Set-up your Facebook updates to then tweet them. I put in a couple hours over the weekend to load my Facebook updates for the coming week. I created a simple grid of the daily updates (and days of the week) I want to pre-schedule - inspirational quotes, the lunchtime video, a ‘Girlfriendology Classic’ (a link to an ‘old blog post’ that is evergreen and that I want to generate new traffic for) and, especially at the holidays, a ‘girlfriend gift recommendation’ which incorporates an affiliate link. This way, during the week I only have to add occasional updates and links to new blog posts, etc. TIP: Plan ahead, create a schedule then pre-load your Facebook updates.

4. Use Facebook to Grow your Mailing List – As I mentioned, a lot of my Facebook traffic never makes it to my website. I also know that they people come and go on Facebook. My goal is to engage them in my community so they do visit the blog, comment on it, visit the Facebook page and through the experience feel part of Girlfriendology. To stay in touch with my followers, I encourage them to sign up for the weekly newsletter – it’s easily accessible on my Facebook page. (Check out this blog post on growing your newsletter list.) I have posted my ‘Sign Up’ form on Facebook (on a tab) and remind them to do this every Wednesday (see below). TIP: Make it easy for your friends and fans to join your mailing list.

5. Create a Promotional Calendar – We all have lots of social media communities and promotional opportunities. So I created a promotional schedule for my social media communities that’s not overly promotional. On Mondays, I post a ‘FRIENDly’ reminder to share Facebook.com/Girlfriendology with their girlfriends – it goes onto my Facebook page and Twitter updates (as do all of these). On Tuesdays, I ask women to follow us on Twitter.com/Girlfriendology. Wednesdays are my ‘sign up for our newsletter!’ day. Thursdays, I promote our girlfriend gifts/products and Fridays are a great day to remind them of our upcoming Girlfriend cruise. I make it a short and hopefully ‘sweet’ reminder of how they can engage in the community. TIP: Create a Promotional Calendar with your different social media sites and opportunities for monetization (like affiliate links or products that you sell).

6. Ask them to ‘Suggest to Friends’ – The first ‘obvious’ first step isn’t always obvious! Start with your own friends. Build your online Facebook community by suggesting your site to your current connections. Ask them to share your page with their friends. Make it obvious that you want/encourage/LOVE referrals to your Facebook page. Tweet about your page and link to it. In my page description (on the left column, under the logo on my Facebook fan page), I start the copy with “Suggest to Friends” (right under the ‘Suggest to Friends’ link Facebook provides) to make sure they don’t miss that request. Recently I added the ‘Suggest This’ free Facebook app to my Facebook page. It creates an additional tab at the top that says ‘Suggest This’ to make it easy for your fans to share your site with their friends. (Just search for ‘Suggest This’ in your Facebook apps.) I believe in having several reminders and ways to grow your Facebook community. TIP: Ask your community to share your Facebook site with their friends, then make it easy to ‘suggest your site.’

7. Every Blog Post, Interview, Guest Blogs, etc. … SHARE! – Don’t be shy, you have good things to share on your blog and in your community, right? Your Facebook community ‘liked’ your page and expects to know what is going on with your blog. Every time I post a new blog post, it automatically becomes a Facebook update (and Twitter tweet) with a link to the blog. (This is set up in my FeedBlitz settings so I never have to worry about it. It also updates my LinkedIn page.) Any other newsworthy updates – like you’ve guest blogger on a site, interviewed someone on your BlogTalkRadio show or posted a new YouTube video, update your Facebook page and remember to include any links back to your site. TIP: Share your updates and links.

8. Add the Facebook LIKE button on your Blog – Does your blog also promote your Facebook community? We’re all competing with social media, other blogs/web sites and every other online distraction. So, our goal should be to engage our community and connect with them in various ways. I highly recommend adding the Facebook ‘LIKE’ button on your blog posts – both at the top and bottom of the posts. As readers click it, it puts an update on their Facebook page/friend stream with a link to your site – spreading the word on your blog to your fans’ friends. TIP: Use Facebook to build your blog community, and your blog community to build your Facebook ‘friends.’ Make it easy for them to help promote your community!

9. Create a Conversation – That’s what social media is about, right? Use your Facebook updates to get your friends’ input, ask their opinion, look at things a different way. I try to add questions sometimes that are ‘female friendly’ (topics women love to discuss). For example, I posted the question: “What’s your favorite ‘chick flick?’” once on Facebook/Girlfriendology. That question generated over a hundred responses and a blog post that now gets a lot of traffic – just by asking a fun question to discuss. Keep in mind - every update should not be just about you/your blog. Promote other blogs or sites your readers would benefit from, acknowledge members of the community who participate and add to the conversation, and add content/updates that make your readers’ lives better – they’ll love you for it. TIP: Ask questions, listen to their response and don’t hog the conversation!

That’s a lot to do! But as you grow your friends/fans/followers you’ll find ways to manage your Facebook contacts and updates, as well as the techniques that work for you in engaging and growing your community. Go for it! If your readers/fans are there, you should be too!

100+ Upcoming Social Media and Tech Events

100+ Upcoming Social Media and Tech Events - Mashable

Here are some tips on how to network, share your information and/or promote your event(s) using social media:

• The Future of Event Planning and Social Media
• HOW TO: Plan and Promote Events with Social Media
• 35+ Ways to Find and Plan Events Online
• 8 Ways to Create Paperless Business Cards
• 5 Useful iPhone Apps for Business Networking

Mashable’s Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace.

---

Upcoming Mashable Events:

The Mashable Awards, January 6, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, as well as special guest presenters and appearances.

---

December 6-9, 2010, Las Vegas, NV. Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s 22nd Updated Forum onSocial Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans, and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice from: Department of State; City of Las Vegas; Army Public Affairs; Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; Deloitte and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200!

---

December 6-9, 2010, San Francisco, CA: Join us at Dreamforce 2010, the cloud computing event of the year. This December, more than 20,000 fans will gather in San Francisco for our 8th annual user and developer conference. In four action-packed days, we’ll give you all the education, inspiration and innovation you need to succeed. There’s no better way to get up to speed on the latest advances in Salesforce apps, the Force.com platform and cloud computing. And this year we’ll connect you with your peers and heroes in ways you’ve never thought possible. It’s time to dream again.

---

December 6-8, 2010, New York, NY. Attend the Advanced Learning Institute’s 2nd Updated Forum on Social Media for Pharma: How To Develop, Execute, And Evaluate Web 2.0 Strategies To Engage Your Audiences And Drive Business Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans, and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: Novo Nordisk; FDA; Johnson & Johnson; Kaiser Permanente; Astellas Pharma; UCB; Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals; Sanofi-Aventis; Millennium Pharmaceuticals; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200!

---

December 6, 2010, San Francisco, CA: The SF MusicTech Summit brings together 700+ visionaries in the music and technology space, along with the brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, musicians, service providers, and journalists who work with them at the convergence of culture and commerce. We meet to discuss the evolving music/business/technology ecosystem in a proactive environment. Register and use the promo code Mashable to receive a 10% discount off the ticket price. For more information, please visitwww.sfmusictech.com.

---

December 6, 2010, Los Angeles, CA: The Mobile Excellence Awards offers invaluable exposure, PR, branding and networking with the who’s who in mobile entertainment, media, & technology. The event has become one of the most influential and prestigious in the industry, honoring the best in mobile entertainment, technology, marketing & media. Attendees represent the entire mobile ecosystem, including execs from all major studios, entertainment companies, brands, content providers, industry influencers & press. Deadline for submissions is September 20th!

---

December 7-9, 2010, Santa Clara, CA: Taking place in the heart of Silicon Valley, BIA/Kelsey’s Interactive Local Media 2010 (ILM:10) is a unique, three-day mega-conference featuring the true innovators of local media, local directories, local search, local mobile, local social and local direct marketing. One highlight is a special Mobile Local SuperForum offering the deepest and most strategic dive ever presented in the mobile local space. Head’s up: Local is hot, and this year’s conference should be BIA/Kelsey’s largest ever. Register with promo code ILMMASH and save $200!

---

December 7-8, 2010, Universal City, CA: The LA Mobile Entertainment Summit is brought to you by the producers of the widely acclaimed 3D Entertainment Summit, this high level strategy and networking event will explore all facets of the mobile entertainment industry. This event will be presented in association with Variety and in partnership with the Mobile Excellence Awards, the industry’s most prestigious awards program for the mobile industry. Located in the heart of the entertainment industry, the summit will attract the brightest minds in the mobile ecosystem. Delivering two days of packed in-depth discussions, the summit will deliver strategies to capitalize on this rapidly changing landscape, attracting senior level decision makers, leading press and market analysts.

---

December 7-8, 2010, New York, NY: In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” we are excited to announceTEDxTribecaWomen: a live webcast and series of events built around the TEDWomen conference in DC. Our event is one of over 70 local, self-organized events that will take place across the globe to spark discussion and connection in a small group around TedWomen. We’ll be streaming all 5 sessions of the conference – 25+ live speakers, performers, tech demos and more, over the span of 2 days.

---

December 7, 2010, New York, NY: The New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute, in partnership with AIDS.gov, is hosting a free, one-day forum on the use of social media for HIV and STI prevention and care at New York University’s Kimmel Center. Social Media: Going Viral Against HIV and STIs is principally targeting the executive leadership, administrators and communications specialists in community-based organizations, health care facilities and public health organizations in New York State. Only registrants may attend the forum. For more information, please click here.

---

December 8-10, Reno, NV: Join professionals from marketing, tourism, gaming, service industries and nonprofits in Reno-Tahoe’s amazing ski country for Social Media at Reno Tahoe (SM@RT), one of the best values of any similar national conference in 2010. Speakers, along with specialized breakout session presenters, include top authors, practitioners and strategist from media giant, Gannett, winter travel destinations, Vail Resorts, and many other experts in building business for professional service firms. Anchored by the University of Nevada, and its business and journalism schools, attendees get specialized instruction to return home with ways to immediately improve their social media marketing. Register now and save and an additional $100 online for the main conference with the discount code MASH.

---

December 9-10, 2010, Sydney, Australia: Crime and Legal Issues in Social Media II will advise and assist professionals on the utilisation of social networking without fear of the risks. Some organisations are still hesitant to maximise their use of online networking. Risks such as breach of privacy, fear of legal action, developing a negative reputation and lack of control have given way to avoidance of this important medium. The event will explore the legal implications of using social media and the policies that manage the risks. Registerand use the promo code CrimeSocialMash to save 15%!

---

December 9-10, 2010, Chicago, IL: Rocked the Recession: Startup the Nation is coming to Chicago to bring together entrepreneurs, professionals, and organizations that are not only thriving; they’re Rocking! Join us in a two-day conference with some of Chicago’s best entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Panels and workshops include: Fighting Recession with Social Media, Video & Your Business: Going Viral, Always Be Social, etc. We have planned two days of discussions to explore innovative companies that balk at the idea of bailouts. We are ready to Rock 2011! Register with the promo code MASHABLE for a $10 discount off your ticket price.

---

December 9, 2010, Springfield MO: Social Marketing Boot Camp with Sarah Evans: Limited tickets will be available for this unique boot camp style event with nationally renowned expert Sarah Evans. You’ll spend a full six hours of session time with Sarah, taking an in-depth look at the role of social media in marketing your business or organization. You wont just learn effective social media marketing techniques, but will look at how social media works in conjunction with traditional marketing and public relations and why that’s important, practical ways of engaging customers and prospects, case studies, help with creating a social media based marketing plan, hints and tips, ways to make your brand stand out online, effective engagement, latest trends, tools and resources, and plenty of opportunities for discussion and Q & A. This will be a very hands-on event designed to give you lots of practical experience and learning, and for you to leave with new ideas and tools you can implement in a very real way. Register and use the discount code MASHABLE to save $25 on each standard registration.

---

December 10-12, 2010, Cambridge, MA: Startup Weekend Cambridge is the place to come for anyone with a new idea that they want to see brought to life. Over the weekend, teams will work together to take the ideas and create new ventures. Register and use the promo code Mashable to save 15%.

---

December 11, 2010, Amman, Jordan: For the past few years, the field of social media has evolved to become one of the most exciting areas of technology and business marketing. How is it different for MENA? The first Arab Social Media Forum will be the first event in the region to discuss exclusively social media topics customized to MENA. ASMF2010 will bring both clients and agencies together to share their experience in dealing with social media platforms, different social engagement approaches and case studies. Register with the promo code ASMF10MASH and save 20%.

---

December 13, 2010, Portland, OR: Portland State University’s Digital Marketing Conference 2010 showcases success stories in digital marketing, addressing the needs of individuals and companies as they use new technologies to engage their audiences, clients, and customers. With three tracks, a digital marketing bootcamp, speakers addressing hyperlocal to international business, two keynotes, Ignite DMC, and a post conference wrap event, attendees receive high-quality, hands on, and interactive experiences to enhance their digital marketing knowledge. Please click here to both learn more and register today using code DMCMASH10to get the early bird price (ends November 7).

---

December 15-16, 2010, Austin, TX: Are you a CEO, Owner, or Marketing Executive wondering how you should be using social media to promote your business? Come to our Free 90-minute Social Media Boot Camp for CEOs where you will learn proven techniques and valuable tips to drive customers to your website and generate new leads. Our expert speaker, Paul Slack, will offer abundant detailed strategies you can immediately put into action. We are in a different city each week, so please check our listings to see when we will be in your area!

---

December 16-18, 2010, Santiago, Chile: Conecta 2010 is a technology fair featuring over 40 leading brands from technology and communications sector and a series of top-notch conferences on issues such as social networks, entrepreneurship & innovation, sustainability, new media and education. Featured guests and speakers include Peter Molyneux, Guy Kawasaki, Arianna Huffington, and Sir Ken Robinson. All proceeds will be used to to buy carbon bonds to ensure that the event has zero emissions. Visit conecta2010.cl for more information.

Conecta 2010
www.conecta2010.cl

---

December 17, 2010, New Delhi, India: The India Social Summit 2010 aims to bring together names in consumer and b2b marketing, social networking, and mobile on a vibrant platform for a day of insights and stimulating discussions. The conference features 5 Keynote addresses, and panel discussions featuring industry leaders. Delegates, consisting senior industry professionals, includes CXOs, media owners, media buyers, marketers, HR and communication professionals and social media practitioners. If you would like to register for the event, please click here.

---

December 15, 2010, New York, NY: Vator is bringing its popular Splash event to New York City. The Splash event, hosted by Vator, is a celebration of entrepreneurship. The evening gathering brings together high-profile, successful tech entrepreneurs sharing their lessons and advice alongside promising startups showcasing their innovative ideas. Register and use the promo code Mashable for a 20% discount off both ticket and table packages.

---

January 6-9, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: Join us at the 2011 International CES, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with the priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable readers.

---

January 6-9, 2011, Lake Tahoe, NV: The worlds of digital storytelling, snowsports and technology will converge on Heavenly Mountain Resort January 6 – 9, 2011 for the Tahoe Snowcial, a winter festival celebrating the global community of enthusiasts who live their passion in the snow and tell their stories online. Snowcial ties these worlds together in a participative, collaborative intermingling of industry leaders that sparks new ideas for the future, linking networks, passions and turns. Speakers include CEOs of Gowalla, Path and Vail Resorts with performances by OK Go and MC Hammer. Register with the promo code founderfriend and get 10% off!

---

January 12-14, 2011, Washington, DC: Social Media Legal Risk & Strategy – Social media has proven to be a critical medium for companies who are looking to have their services and brands penetrate the public sphere. The use of social media, however, has not come with an absence of legal risk. Join 16 lead counsels from Coca-Cola North America, IBM Corporation, Wal-Mart, Chevron, T-Mobile, Capital One, Dell, Aon Corporation, CSC, Nationwide and other fortune 500 companies as they discuss strategies to address and overcome the legal risks posed by engaging in social media. Mashable subscribers will enjoy a 10% discount when they mention MASHABLE in their follow-up email to ddrey@marcusevansch.com.

---

January 12, 2011, Las Vegas, NV: Influence People is hosting a one-day social media marketing conferencein Las Vegas and it will bring together leading brands and marketing experts to explore the viral power of social networks. During this one-day event, a team of renowned marketing experts will provide guidance on how to effectively engage with customers via social media, give tips on how to maximize the impact of your campaigns and offer insights into new services to try and trends to watch out for. This is the ultimate event for anyone involved in social media or digital marketing. Register with the promo code mashable and receive a 10% discount.

---

January 12, 2011, Stanford, CA: The NextGen Conference brings together young, aspiring entrepreneurs and young, rock star entrepreneurs with more experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Join us for a full day at Stanford University and learn from the very best! Speakers include: Peter Thiel (Founder of PayPal, Clarium Capital, and the Founders Fund), Keith Rabois (COO of Square), Mark Suster (2x entrepreneur turned VC), Travis Kalanick (serial entrepreneur and angel investor), and more! Register and use the promo codeNGCMASH!

---

January 13-14, 2011, Washington, DC: marcus evans invites you to attend the Social Media for Pharma Conference. Hear from your peers firsthand on how the new FDA guidance will mandate your social media strategies. By attending this conference you will learn how to boost product exposure, generate market research, build relationships and increase sales and overall business in the long term. For an exclusive discount as a Mashable member, please mention “Mashable” to Michele Westergaard at michelew@marcusevansch.com.

---

January 17-18 and 20-21, 2011, Singapore & Hong Kong: Join us at this interactive conference on Social Media Marketing to acquire effective techniques for boosting your brand performance and ROI. Find out how Intel, Nokia, Watsons, McDonald’s, Volkswagen, HP, Canon, Johnson & Johnson, Wall Street Journal, SMRT and more incorporated social media activities to get ahead of conversations. Through in-depth case studies and workable solutions, learn how to develop coherent platform integration strategies, handle a social media backlash and identify KPIs for the effectiveness of social media campaigns. Register today and save 10% when you enter Mashable under Additional Info.

---

January 19, 2011, New York, NY: Mobile Healthcare Communications: Case Studies and Roundtables – Representatives from GlaxoSmithKline, Within3, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Roche Diabetes Care, and others will demonstrate the best case studies of how major healthcare brands are connecting with consumers and professionals through mobile communications. Register

---

and use the promo code MASH for a discounted rate of $155.

---

January 20-22, 2011, Mumbai, India: Click Asia Summit 2011 is designed to be Asia’s largest digital & mobile marketing conference and expo where industry thought leaders congregate to discuss online marketing, challenges faced by agencies, and the changing face of social media. Click Asia Summit 2011 is going to change the way you look at Digital and Mobile marketing. Please register by clicking here.

---

January 20-21, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The First Annual Gamification Summit brings together top thought leaders in game mechanics and engagement science for the first time. Hear what works and what doesn’t in this dynamic and fast-moving field through case studies, workshops, keynotes and panels delivered by experts such as Gabe Zichermann (author, Game-Based Marketing), Amy Jo Kim (gamification guru) and Jane McGonigal (TED fellow, debuting her new book) and network with other leaders in the space. Attend the Gamification Summit 2011 and learn how game mechanics and the new science of engagement are rewriting the rules of brand marketing, product design and customer acquisition. Know the score: Register now with the Mashable promo code GSMASH11 and save 10%.

---

January 20, 2011, Washington, DC: L2 is a think tank for digital innovation. L2 will host the Social Graph Clinic, an all-day intensive clinic addressing the opportunities, challenges, and underpinnings of social media. Held at the George Washington School of Business, the event will feature speakers from academia, public sector, and private industry to lead discussions on social media strategies, rules of engagement, and metrics for marketing and digital professionals. Register here for the Social Graph Clinic. The first 10 Mashable readers to register will receive a 25% discount on tickets (Please use the following discount code when registering: “MASHABLE“)

---

January 24-27, 2011, San Francisco, CA: The Emerging Media Conference is one of the largest and unique of its kind, welcoming the New Year with an opportunity to view and experience the latest in technology advances and upcoming product roll outs. For three full days there will be demonstrations, presentations, and discussions led by some of the most connected and recognized experts in the industry including Keynote Jesse Schell from Carnegie Mellon University. Whether you are immersed in the world of emerging media or just have a casual interest, this conference allows you to preview the future of the tech world like a seasoned insider. Register and use the promo code EmMeConMash to save 10%.

---

January 24-26, 2011, London, UK: The Digital Content Monetisation (DCM) Europe 2011 is a forum for media and entertainment specialists to find out how to deliver sustainable strategies to monetise their digital content. You will meet over 200 of your peers across TV, Film, gaming, music, publishing and sports. Mashable readers receive a 10% discount when they register and use the promo code MASH.

---

January 25, 2011, London, UK: If you don’t have a plan to offer your mobile services, you could be left behind as consumers increasingly consume entertainment, social media, games and gambling via mobile access devices.
Mobile Gaming will present a detailed and exciting roadmap for how gaming companies can take advantage of this new channel that has finally ‘come of age’ and multiply their revenues in the near future. Register and use the promo code MASHMOBILE.

---

January 26, 2011, London, UK: Monetising Social Games will show you how to integrate the phenomenal success of monetised social games into your product mix so you can catch the next wave of explosive customer acquisition and revenue growth via a channel that is legal in the USA, China and other markets inaccessible to traditional online gambling companies. Register and use the promo code MASHMSG.

---

February 1-3, 2011, San Diego, CA: The Green Data Center Conference will analyze new technology that will not only benefit our environment, but also save organizations money and increase efficiency. Industry experts and executives will gather to discuss the growing importance of green technology and the associated benefits. Corporate case studies will be presented to demonstrate how existing data centers have been retrofitted and new facilities built from the ground up. This conference will share valuable information that can be taken back and used immediately to gain measurable ROI. Register and use the promo code GDCSD10 to save 10%!

---

February 1-3, 2011, Santa Clara, CA: O’Reilly Strata Conference: Making Data Work – Turn data into decisions at Strata, the new conference from O’Reilly Media, focusing on the business and practice of data.Unprecedented computing power and connectivity are bringing new layers of experience to our lives in how we manage and present data sets of all sizes. Throughout three days of training, breakout sessions, and plenary discussions, O’Reilly Strata connects the decision-makers, practitioners, and leading vendors from enterprise and the web who are at the leading edge of this space. Topics include data science, acquisition, organization, machine learning, visualization, and more. Mashable readers can save 15% on registration with the promo code str11msh.

---

February 7-10, 2011, Orlando, FL: ARC’s 2011 World Industry Forum: Driving Innovation, Sustainability and Performance will take place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld! This forum will focus on challenges that will help you develop winning strategies. It provides an ideal environment for industry executives to collaborate, share ideas, and find new ways to attack their most pressing problems. The event includes sessions on the major issues facing our industry, with multiple tracks that enable executives to explore these topics from different perspectives. Owner/operators, solution providers, & technical experts will all benefit while contributing to the community’s body of knowledge.

---

February 7-9, 2011, New York, NY: Now in its 10th year, the ePharma Summit is going to be bigger than ever. We are looking ahead to new trends and opportunities in digital marketing with unparalleled insight from leading industry innovators. Join us for more novel mobile strategies, more regulatory insights, more customer perspectives, and more examples of what is really working now from the organizations you admire most. Join us February 7-9 in New York City at the most respected digital marketing event for the life sciences industry as we explore innovative e-strategies and proven techniques to drive business. Register with promo codeXP1606MASH and save 10%.

---

February 8-10, 2011, San Francisco, CA: Social Media Strategies Summit – We have researched the social media buzz to develop and present to you a top of the line marketing conference that you can’t afford to miss. With in-depth case studies from the nuts and bolts to micro-blogging and sustaining online communities, you leave with a refreshed vision to take your marketing plan to the next level for 2010 and beyond. Register and use the promo code MASH to receive a discount.

---

February 14, 2011, Barcelona, Spain: The Mobile Premier Awards are among the most influential events in the mobile industry and the point of reference in early-stage innovation during the Mobile World Congress. An international jury of the most recognized mobile industry experts will select the 20 finalists from all the local AppCircuses held during 2010 to showcase their app in a 3-minute pitch at the event in Barcelona in front of investors, operators, media companies, peer entrepreneurs, and press and influential bloggers. Register and use the promo code #BCNMASHABLE to receive a 10% discount.

---

February 23, 2011, Portland, OR: Join hundreds of your online marketing peers for the Fifth AnnualSearchFest Internet Marketing Conference in Portland on February 23, 2011. Thought leaders and industry experts from around the country–including major brands like Intel, REI, and the New York Times–will deliver in-depth presentations on topics including Advanced Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search, Analytics, Paid Search Marketing and many more. Register with the promo codeMASHABLEPDX to save 10% on your General Admission ticket!

---

February 25-27, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: The 9th Annual Southern California Linux Expo, the premier community run Linux / Open Source conference, will feature tutorial sessions designed to show users of all skill levels what Open Source can do and how to do it. Whatever your interest is in Open Source, SCALE 9X will have something for you. Register and use the discount code MASH9 for 35% off.

---

February 28-March 1, 2011, Sydney, Australia: Social media marketing has rapidly evolved to the extent that it is no longer enough to just get on board the “social media marketing train.” Marketers are bombarded with tools and technologies without a real understanding of integrating social media effectively. Social Media Marketing – The Way Forward enables marketers develop and manage a sound strategy for your ongoing and future social media marketing projects, with practical and valuable insights shared by some of the most successful brands and campaign creators in both B2C & B2B social media marketing. Register with the promo code MPMASH and save 10%!

---

March 1-5, 2011, Hannover, Germany: CeBIT is the world’s largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. The key target groups are users from industry, the wholesale/retail sector, skilled trades, banks, the services sector, government agencies, science and all users passionate about technology. CeBIT offers an international platform for comparing notes on current industry trends, networking, and product presentations. For more information, please visit: http://www.cebit.de and to receive your complimentary visitor registration to this elite event, please email lguiang@hfusa.com.

---

March 1-2, 2011, London, UK: TFM&A is the UK’s largest and longest running multi-channel marketing, media and advertising event. TFM&A will be delivering the latest industry insights, trends and developments as well as leading suppliers of digital, direct, data and CRM solutions. With free seminars and keynotes from big names like Microsoft Advertising and Experian, over 200 exciting exhibitors, a dedicated networking bar and cafe and many more show features, take advantage of your FREE entry to create a campaign that becomes a classic. Register at t-f-m.co.uk/mashable.

---

March 2-3, 2010, San Francisco, CA: EyeforTravel’s Social Media Strategies for Travel Conference is North America’s number one social media event for travel professionals. Now in its fourth successful year, the event brings together top travel brands to share key insights on how to maximize the impact of your social media initiatives. The two days are packed with case studies, presentations and networking opportunities. Please use the promo code MASHABLE for a $100 discount on the admission price.

---

March 2, 2011, Berlin, Germany: FEI is Europe’s first and only event to solve your industry challenge in real-time. Explore best in class presentations by top multi-nationals, collaborate with world renowned experts, Listen to real-world visionaries choreographing “next” best practices, and participate in a real-time case study where you will tackle industry challenges and work to propel the industry forward. FEI is no ordinary conference — this is truly a catalyst for change. Register and use the promo code FEI2011MASH to save 20% off the standard rate.

---

March 4-5, 2011, Louisville, KY: Code PaLOUsa is a two-day, eight-track software development conference in Louisville, KY that’s designed to cover all aspects of software development regardless of technology stack. We will have sessions revolving around Microsoft, Java, Ruby, PHP, and Clojure; along with sessions on higher, platform-agnostic levels. There will be 60 technical presentations and panel discussions from well-known professionals in the software development community and a keynote talk from Douglas Crockford of Yahoo! and JavaScript/JSON fame. For more information and to register, please visit codepalousa.com.

---

March 8-9, 2011, Brussels, Belgium: Are you looking to unleash the power of social media for CRM? As new channels and strategies emerge it is increasingly important to meet face-to-face to share knowledge, challenges and experiences. Enterprise Social 2.0: CRM will bring social media marketers and CRM experts together to share knowledge through real-world case studies, best practices, lessons learned and offering networking opportunities with some of the biggest brands and businesses today. Past speakers include:Google, Kodak, L’Oreal, Philips, Nokia, Lego, Siemens, Vodafone, SWIFT, SAP, Roger Smith Hotel, Dominos Pizza, Airbus and more. To receive a special discount, register now!

---

March 9, 2011, Dubai, India: The Cloud Computing World Forum Middle East and Africa will feature all of the key players within the Cloud Computing and SaaS market providing an introduction, discussion and look into the future for the ICT industry. Register today and get inspiration on how to address your latest issues with advice from real-life end-user case studies and practical examples. Register with the promo code MEAmash20and save 20%!

---

March 15, 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Want to know successful stories on how big brands build their brand and reputation online? Everyone can go online, but can you STAY online? Our conference, Digitalize Your Marketing Strategy, is going to be most anticipated event of the year! WE are bringing you the Malaysian’s most valuable brands, review their successful stories and provide you hands on tips to manage your online marketing strategy. Our privileged speakers from Digi, Dell, Unilever, Intel and Microsoft will share case studies using social media, digital and search engine. Register with the promo code DYMSMASH and save 20%!

---

March 23-24, 2010, Las Vegas, NV: Hear groundbreaking social media ROI case studies at Social Pulse 2011: The Corporate Social Media Marketing Event! This conference provides corporate marketing leaders from across industries the newest insights and case studies on how to drive measurable results and marketing ROI through smart social media strategy. Moving beyond theory and assumptions, it is the only conference that focuses on social media initiatives that have generated measurable results for America’s leading corporations.Register online or call 1-800-647-7600, and use the promo code MJK233 to save $200!

---

March 28-29, 2011, Paris, France: The Marketing 2.0 Conference features leading social media experts who will discuss and learn about the social media initiatives from brands, advertisers, researchers and analysts. Hear from leading people in social media about their strategies, revenue models and how they are approaching upcoming trends in the field. The event will also examine the current market conditions, future forecasts and predictions from leading researchers. Use the promo code mash2011 to receive a discount off the registration price.

---

April 6-8, 2011, Los Angeles, CA: Hispanicize 2011, the 2nd Annual Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference, is the first and largest conference devoted to Latino social media, bloggers and public relations professionals. The three-day conference will feature top industry keynote speakers and more than 24 professional development sessions. It’s also the first event to gather all the Latino and multicultural bloggers together for first time. For more information, please click here.

---

April 13-15, 2011, Singapore: The Internet Show Asia 2011 is a series of seminars and a large end-to-end showcase of the latest internet technologies and solutions. More than 10,000 attendees will be at the exhibition and conference to find new ways of doing internet business and enhancing product offerings through the internet – through case study presentations and speaking directly with solution partners. The show will aim to increase your ROI, it’s all about business, not a technology show. For more details and registrations, please visit www.theinternetshows.com/2010/Singapore.

---

April 18-20, 2011, Dubai, UAE: Planet of the Apps Arabia 2011 is a three day conference dedicated to the opportunities and challenges of mobile applications in the Arab world. The event is for app developers, content providers, device manufacturers, network operators and brands to meet and discuss the current challenges and opportunities presented in this growing market. Key issues addressed will include; the sustainability of the current business models, consumer engagement, developer recruitment, app discoverability, platform choice and the importance of social media networks. Register with promo code Mashable and save 20%!

---

April 18-19, 2011, London, UK: The Mobile Research Conference is the must-attend annual event for brands, agencies and academics interested in engaging consumers and capturing real-time feedback through mobile phones. Mobile, along with social media and online networks, represents the latest frontier for market research. Attend MRC 2011 and discover how to engage respondents, extract insights for product innovation and optimize marketing activities. This 2-day event is designed for consumer insights professionals; corporate, agency and academic survey researchers; mobile operators and tech companies. Register and use the promo code FF-MASHABLE to receive 20% off the main registration price!

---

April 28, 2011, London, UK: The Augmented Reality Summit is designed to explore this new dynamic reality and provide delegates with the perfect opportunity to uncover Augmented Reality in full and explore the opportunity’s AR brings any brand or company. The AR Summit is positioned at the forefront of this exciting continually developing new industry. Whether you are a Brand, Advertiser or Agency, Technology provider or Developer looking to meet key industry figures, keep up with the latest developments, technology’s & tools or simply to network with other from the world of AR – Register and use the promo code ARMASH to save 25%!

---

May 4-8, 2011, London, UK: Digital Shoreditch is the voice of everything happening in Shoreditch. The festival explores and celebrates digital technologies; unites the digital community; and provides a platform for sharing knowledge. The activity culminates in a series of exhibitions, parties, presentations, open studios and games.

---

May 17-19, 2011, London, UK: The World E-Reading Congress brings together digital and print publishers with e-reading platforms and device manufacturers to discuss the business models and opportunities provided by the growth of the e-reading industry. Publishers must be prepared for this dramatic industry upheaval. They must learn how to embrace this disruptive technology and the World E-Reading Congress will enable them to discover how they can profit from the E-Reading revolution. Visit our website for more information and registerbefore January to save 10%!

---

September 26-29, 2011, Kaua’i, HI: The Search and Social Woot! is an elite conference unlike any other that will provide you with the strategies and complete know how to thrive in this ever changing environment. Each day begins with morning sessions around the hottest topics. With Keynote Bruce Clay of Bruce Clay, Inc. and speakers from corporations such as Real Networks, Network Solutions, AT&T, Microsoft Bing and Logitech. Afternoons are spent in a relaxed environment including planned activities in which individual attendees can get to know speakers and each other on a more personal level continuing the discussion and building long lasting relationships. Register and use the promo code SSWootMash to save 10%.

---

The Mashable Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Web’s Event Marketplace.

Eventbrite is an online events marketplace where tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes manage, promote and sell tickets to their events. Make your event a success on Eventbrite.