Conversational Media Marketing

If you've yet to read Joe Pulizzi's you should because it contains some eye-opening predictions from leading marketing professionals.

While, as you might expect, there is a wide range and divergence of opinion, some themes emerge.

1. Advertising will gradually be replaced by information.
2. Content and conversational marketing strategies will converge.
3. Social media marketing will continue to gain acceptance

Let's take these one at a time.

During BlogWorld and New Media Expo I was fortunate to be included in an interviewee for the Solutions Stars Video Conference, sponsored by Network Solutions. I was excited to be invited for one very specific reason, the video conference is designed to benefit small business looking for marketing intelligence, especially online marketing and social media. (You can see a sneak peak here.)

Due to the demands of their jobs and tightening of the purse strings, particularly now that the economy has gotten tough, it’s not easy for a small business owner to attend a conference in person. Network Solutions innovative idea was to bring the conference to the business owner instead via the use of video. Best of all, no registration is required! Just show up on Oct. 29th!

Here's the official blurb...

On October, 29, 2008 from 1 p.m. until approximately 3:30 p.m. EST. , Network Solutions will present a series of videos and live discussions featuring 32 of the world's leading business and marketing experts. The live video conference will coach small business owners and entrepreneurs on how the Internet can benefit their business. Nine content areas featuring vignettes of the Solutions Stars will run during the conference:

• Building Web Presence
• The Social Opportunity
• Start with Listening
• Strategy Drives Outreach
• You Need Social Networks
• To Blog or Not to Blog
• Visibility Through Search
• Rising Above the Noise
• Time Demands

Video participants include:

• Tim Ferriss, Best Selling Author of Four Hour Work Week
• Guy Kawasaki, Co-Founder, All-Top
• Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
• Darren Rowse, Author, ProBlogger
• Chris Brogan, Vice President of Strategy, CrossTech Media
• Rohit Bhargava, Author of Personality Not Included
• Wendy Piersall, CEO of Sparkplugging.com
• Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger, Dell
• Brian Solis, Author of PR 2.0, CEO of FutureWorks (FutureWorks)
• Steve Hall, Publisher and Editor of Ad Rants
• Scott Monty, Global Digital and Multimedia Communications Manager, Ford Motor Company
• Liz Strauss, Social Web Strategist, Successful Blog
• Toby Bloomberg, CEO, Bloomberg Marketing
• Lee Odden, CEO of TopRankMarketing.com
• Jason Billingsly, Co-Founder ElasticPath
• Robyn Tippins, Community Manager, Yahoo! Developer Network
• Brett Tabke, CEO of WebMaster World
• David Alston, Vice President of Marketing, Radian6
• Jason Falls, Blogger, Social Media Explorer
• Mari Smith, Relationship Marketing Specialist
• Jennifer Openshaw, president of WeSeed.com
• Matt Dickman, Vice President, Digital Marketing, Fleishman-Hillard
• Ryan Anderson, Community Relations, Overlay.TV
• Becky McCray, Author, SmallBizSurvival.com
• Warren Whitlock, Book Marketing Strategist, BestSellerAuthors.com
• Chris Baggott, CEO of Compendium Blogware
• Lorelle VanFossen, Author, Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won't Tell You About Blogging
• Dave Taylor, Head Strategic Marketing Director, Intuitive Systems
• Paul Chaney, President of International Blogging and New Media Association
• Linda Bustos, Blogger, ElasticPath
• Jay Berkowitz, Author , Podcaster, and Keynote Speaker, Ten Golden Rules

Attendees will be able to watch individual videos based on their content area preference or view the conference in its entirety. While the videos are streaming, viewers will be able to chat online with the Network Solutions team (Social Media Swami Shashi Bellamkonda and Now Is Gone Author Geoff Livingston), or participate in a live public chat. Select video participants will also be in the chat.

Teaming with ooVoo, a popular online video chat and conference network, Network Solutions will run the "Solutions Stars Video Conference" on October 29.

Please visit the "Solutions Stars Video Conference" event pages on Facebook and Upcoming:

• upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1200021

Use this hashtag (What's a hashtag?) in Twitter to follow the Solutions Stars Video Conference discussion: #solutionsstars