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Andy’s Answers: How SAP used social media to bring its conference to a bigger audience

2 min read

Media

As an early believer in the potential of social media for business-to-business brands, SAP is one of the most advanced companies in the space. With its amazing network of communities maturing, it is experimenting in other areas — like using social-media tools to reach bigger audiences with its events.

In his recent BlogWell presentation, SAP’s Brian Ellefritz dives into how the company trained a team of social-media “reporters” to cover its flagship sales event, SAPPHIRE NOW. In his talk, Ellefritz shares how the company used social media to build excitement before the event, as well as to offer live coverage during it.

His big ideas:

  • Assemble a great on-site team. When Ellefritz and his team were looking for on-site reporters, they focused on people who were already comfortable with social tools and had online followings.
  • Use simple permission forms. To get permission to publish all the live interviews and testimonials the reporters captured, they were given 3×5 cards that used simple (and legal-team-approved) language for interviewees to sign.
  • Have an answer for, “Where will this be published?” SAP created small cards with Web addresses reporters could hand out to attendees who wanted to follow-up and find the content online.

And if you love this presentation, be sure to check out our upcoming BlogWell in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 2.