In today’s marketplace, getting noticed online has become at least as important as grabbing attention offline at boat shows, in print advertisements, through billboards, and the like. If your dealership isn’t taking search engine optimization (SEO) seriously, chances are you’re missing out on opportunities to get in front of potential new customers each and every day.
At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., Dominion Marine Media’s social media marketing and brand management expert Lauren de Vlaming will help attendees realize the power of social media outlets and harness it to help bolster their online presence through increased SEO.
In her first-ever MDCE session, “Increase Your SEO Through Social,” de Vlaming will demonstrate how dealerships can use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube to attract more consumer attention online, ultimately boosting internet visibility and selling more boats. Attendees will walk away from her session with a handy checklist to ensure they’re taking advantage of key opportunities to increase SEO through social media. The session takes place Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Marketing Track.
“The power of social media cannot be overstated; it’s a wide-reaching, inexpensive and effective way for dealers to connect with current and potential customers,” explains Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “But you have to know how to put it to work for your business. Lauren’s session will give dealers a window into exactly what they should be doing with social media to generate more search results online.”
Each of the 2014 MDCE educational tracks — Sales, Marketing, Leadership and Service Plus — features five sessions. In addition to de Vlaming’s advice on SEO, the Marketing Track includes insight into developing an unbeatable marketing plan, filling your online marketing holes, rethinking your target customer, and exploring the next wave of digital marketing tools and trends.
“Being successful online requires understanding how to adapt your strategies to changes in online tools and behaviors,” says Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces MDCE in partnership with Boating Industry magazine. “Lauren not only understands what these often complex developments mean for marine dealers, but she also has a knack for sharing that information in a way that’s easy to grasp. We are truly fortunate to have her on the speaker roster at this year’s MDCE.”
The 2014 MDCE will offer 30 educational sessions in all, the most the event has ever offered, including seven Pre-Conference Workshops. The conference has traditionally included three educational tracks, but in 2014, it has expanded to four tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus. A Closing Keynote address also has been added this year.
The MDCE is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. MRAA’s goal is to grow the event to more than 1,000 dealer attendees. To learn more, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.
About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. The MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features Pre-Conference Workshops, Opening and Closing keynote presentations, four tracks of educational content and 30 sessions in all. It will be held Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.
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