Recently, I was able to attend my first industry convention, the Marketing Technology Summit, hosted jointly by the Phoenix Chapter of the Business Marketers Association and the Arizona Technology Council. For a relative newcomer to the marketing world, this was a really exciting opportunity. I had been working on several projects and productions in preparation for this event in the weeks prior, and now I was able to see how it all came together.

Long story short, the event was a great experience. The speakers that Arizona Technology Council and the Business Marketing Association put together were fantastic. This may have been a fairly small convention, but the quality of knowledge that I got out of just a few hours of speakers was fitting for even the largest scale of events.

Now it may be an obvious thing to claim, but my largest takeaway from this event was just how far technology has come, and just how relevant it is in the marketing world.

Embracing my millennial demographic, I pride myself being fairly technologically adept and informed, but even I was hearing about new things. For example, QR codes are becoming more mainstream and chances are, you know what they do or have seen them around before.

But even trendier, is augmented reality, where live, real world images/video are enhanced, or supplemented with digital images or tools. Facial recognition on you camera screen for example, is a very basic example of this. Just how technology like this is working its way into established marketing practices is still being decided, but the act that it has potential to add value is undeniable.

Not all information has to be new in order to be informative. Another topic at the summit-marketing automation-offered a lot of good information on a subject I was already aware of. The concepts of marketing automation like CRMs and e-mail marketing aren’t exactly new, but hearing the top minds in the industry share their input, experience, and insight on the subject, Make you realize just how important a good CRM and marketing automation program can be.

So the next time you’re thinking about ways to innovate within your workplace, think about how technology can factor in. Whether it’s implementing new marketing automation and CRMs, or optimizing your existing online content for mobile devices, technology plays a huge role in your marketing plan.

What are some of the recent technological implementations made in your company?

In the world of social media, it seems that companies are increasingly interested in Tweeting, creating a Facebook fan page, launching a blog or starting a Linkedin group. It appears that everyone is concerned with being part of the social media movement. But, when it comes to social media, is an all-in approach really the best answer?

In my experience, biting off more than you can chew when it comes to anything, especially social media, can lead to poor performance, lack of engagement and abandoned efforts. In fact, statistics show that only 21 percent of Twitter users are active. To avoid this, I think it’s better to start small. Start with a couple social media sites and do those well before expanding your efforts.

It’s also important to have a well-thought-out plan for each social media network before starting. Within that plan, you need to evaluate your target audiences, designate specific employees to oversee social media efforts, determine the type of content you’ll post and decide how frequently you’ll update your sites. I think you’ll find that the chances of success are greater this way.

How have you started social media efforts? Do you think it’s better to dive into multiple sites or get a grasp on a couple before expanding?

When I wake up in the morning, I use my Blackberry to check my e-mail. It’s not until I get to work that I sign onto TweetDeck and see what’s being talked about on Facebook and Twitter. I want to know, what do you check first? E-mail, Facebook, Twitter? You’re probably thinking—does it really matter? I think it does.

I found some information from an ExactTarget study that examines which digital outlet people check first when they wake up in the morning. I think this information can benefit B2B marketers. Knowing where online consumers begin their daily online activities reveals a lot about their priorities. This information can also help B2B marketers effectively pinpoint where to deliver marketing messages. Some highlights of the study include:

• 58 percent of online consumers check e-mail first
• 11 percent of online consumers check Facebook or Twitter first

This tells me that when messages are being delivered in the morning, B2B marketers should focus on delivering those messages through e-mail, more so than Facebook and Twitter. But with the rise of social media, Facebook and Twitter have their places too so I think it’s important to keep them on the list.

What do you think? Do you think the ExactTarget study can benefit B2B marketers? Why or why not?

The market place is getting more competitive and if you are searching for something that can differentiate you from your competitors, creating a compelling video may be your answer. Video has a place in every marketing and communications plan from testimonials and product launches to educational summits and demonstrations. And the best news is that it is now more affordable than ever. With evolving technology and the recent shift in distribution, video can play a key role in reaching your target audience and can be easily adapted to all platforms.

The release of products like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the NewTek Tricaster allow video to be produced at a fraction of the price that it used to be. For example, the Tricaster provides you with the opportunity to go live with a web broadcast for your next customer experience or sales training event. Because the editing is done live you save the money and the time you would have otherwise spent in an edit bay. You still need to be prepared to do the work on the front end with preproduction, but by taking advantage of new technology in the marketplace you can now afford to deliver your message through video.

How have you used video in your B2B communications?