Why I Invest In Social Media Marketing World [LNIM132]

Someone asked me recently why I choose to invest in conferences like Social Media Marketing World each year. The actual cost is not small when you factor in airfare, hotel, and registration. But the real expense is the opportunity cost. Attending this conference meant falling behind on the podcast, taking days off my day job, and missing my daughter's soccer game.

So why bother? As it happens, I have five clear reasons for investing in conferences, and Social Media Marketing World sits at the top of my must-attend list.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Five specific reasons to invest in attending industry conferences
• How Dropbox can serve as a safety net for your content workflow
• Seven practical Dropbox tips for online business owners
• Why sustainable interest matters more than raw passion

Episode Summary

The Power of Passion with Purpose

There is a quote often attributed to John Wesley: “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” Whether he actually said it, the principle holds for marketing. When people sense genuine enthusiasm, they are drawn to your brand and your message. However, as Mark Schaefer argues in his book Known, passion must be overlaid with purpose and sustained over time. A sustainable interest with direction will take you further than fleeting passion without a plan.

How Dropbox Saved the Show

Dropbox proved its value when I accidentally left my laptop in Dallas during a trip to San Antonio. I was able to borrow a laptop, download my audio files from Dropbox, install the editing software I needed, and get the episode published on time. Here are the key tips for getting the most out of Dropbox:

• Start with a free 2GB account and earn extra space through referrals
• Deleted files are recoverable for 30 days
• Set up automatic mobile photo uploads for effortless backup
• Enable two-step verification for security
• Use Dropbox links to share large files instead of email attachments
• Use Selective Sync to manage storage on devices with limited space
• Take advantage of cross-platform app settings syncing

Five Reasons I Invest in Conferences

1. Reconnect with existing relationships. Conferences are often the only opportunity to see online friends and mastermind members face-to-face. For my Green Room Mastermind, this was our one chance each year to all be in the same room.
2. Meet new people. Previous conferences introduced me to Mark Schaefer, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Guy Kawasaki. Equally rewarding were conversations with newer marketers who sought me out with questions.
3. Collect actionable ideas. My rule is to identify at least one killer idea per day that I can actually implement when I return home. Write these down and act on them.
4. Contribute and give back. Speaking, moderating panels, and leading sessions open doors that attending alone does not. Contributing positions you as part of the solution.
5. Have fun. Social Media Marketing World was the best-run conference I had attended. The energy, the people, and the experiences made it genuinely enjoyable.

You do not need to start with a major destination conference. A local meetup or regional event in your niche can deliver the same core benefits of connection, ideas, and energy at a fraction of the cost.

Key Takeaways

• The opportunity cost of conferences is real, but the return on relationship-building and ideas can far outweigh it
• Set a concrete goal for every conference: at least one actionable idea per day
• Cloud storage tools like Dropbox provide a critical safety net for content creators
• Sustainable interest with purpose beats passion without direction
• Contributing at events, not just attending, multiplies the value of the investment

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this episode in March 2017. Social Media Marketing World held its final event in 2024. Social Media Examiner announced the end of the conference after more than a decade. The principles Mark outlines for evaluating conferences remain fully applicable to other industry events.

Dropbox has shifted from a pure file-syncing tool to a collaboration platform. Free tier limitations are more restrictive than in 2017, and competitors like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, and OneDrive have closed the gap. The core advice about cloud backup and two-factor authentication remains sound regardless of which service you choose.

Virtual conferences became mainstream during and after the pandemic. While online events offer convenience and lower cost, the in-person networking benefits Mark describes, chance encounters, face-to-face relationship building, and the energy of shared physical space, remain difficult to replicate virtually.

Resources Mentioned

• Known by Mark Schaefer
• Dropbox — cloud file syncing and storage
• Pat Flynn — Smart Passive Income
• Chris Ducker

Related Episodes

• LNIM132 Transcript — Dropbox Tips and Why Attend Conferences
• LNIM133 — What Is a Facebook Pixel
• LNIM131 — UTM Parameters in Google Analytics

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.