Welcome to The Social Shakedown with Denise. This week, I’m going to be talking all things social from Driving Sales Executive Summit!

DSES took place at the beautiful Bellagio in Las Vegas from 10/23-10/25, and it was jam-packed with great speakers, keynotes, breakout sessions, and of course, Vegas flair. I had a great time while I was there. Not only was I able to learn, but also had the opportunity to educate attendees in a breakout session with Glenn Pasch.

But I’m not here to talk about the social that came into play with our presentation. I’m here to talk about all the other social media I encountered while there!

Live Tweeting

I love live tweeting. Whether it’s an event I’m at, or a show that’s premiering, I love to follow the hashtag being used and get involved in the conversation taking place, which is why I was super stoked to see a live Twitter feed on a jumbo screen in the main ballroom at DSES.

During keynote speakers and panels, people were very actively tweeting and following along on the screen. It made it fun, interactive, and encouraged people to keep up with the conversation. It also got their hashtag #DSES staying relevant on the platform, so much so that even a week later, people are still tweeting with the hashtag to share photos and blog posts.

Brand Awareness

My second big social takeaway was the winner of the best idea contest. Brad Paschal from Street Auto Group was this year’s winner with his Community Impact Calendar.

The main goal was to concentrate more on charity efforts for their dealership. Through strategic planning complete with financial, internal awareness initiatives, and social media, Brad and his team were able to get more involved in charities they love. Their efforts also created awareness for their dealership and enabled them to become full-on community leaders.

Through YouTube, they have created a beautiful branding video about their efforts, complete with interviews from the charities they are working with. Social media has not only helped them become more recognized, but it has also brought attention to needs right in their backyard of Amarillo, Texas. You can read more about their efforts here.

Even though DSES wasn’t strictly about social media, you could really tell that social was a highlight of the conference, complete with a keynote presentation from social media scientist, Dan Zarrella.

And that’s your Social Shakedown—remember to tune in every Friday for the latest in social media marketing!

About the Author

Denise Casagrande, Vice President of Marketing at PCG, is passionate about humanizing brands across social channels. She feels the connection businesses can make with their clients can be ever-lasting based off of the messages they're displaying through content. Creator of the Automotive Social Media Sales Funnel.