We have a great lineup this year for the ICBA 2020 Marketing track! Check out the speaker bios and session descriptions below. This page will be updated as additional speakers and session times are confirmed.

If you are open to having your websites and social media accounts reviewed live and/or used as examples during presentations, please email MarcyFarrey@ICBAinc.com. This is a great opportunity to get direct, personalized feedback from marketing experts, and it helps your fellow stores see they aren't alone--we can all learn from each other!

Email Marketing: Copy That Closes
Marie Hale, @revenue
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

We all know that content is king. The key words, the expertise, the story arch all have to shine. But the truth is, if the words that you assemble aren’t driving people to your website or store, then it’s simply more words in an oversaturated market.

Join Marie Hale, CEO of @revenue, for a powerful view into the human decision model, what drives people to act, and how you can create filters for content that moves people.

What you will learn:

• How to create emotional engagement
• The psychology of sales and decision making
• How to use content to responsibly drive conversions

About Marie

For more than 20 years, Marie has revolutionized small business marketing and sales through her consulting and training, speaking, and generally stirring things up! Working with customer service reps and executives alike, her firey brand of no-nonsense how-tos and ability to turn even the biggest introvert into a proud sales pro, Marie creates impact everywhere she goes. 

Marie was honored to accept the Midwest Women in Tech Leadership Award for Marketing and Media as well as the Expertise Award in Chicago Marketing Firm 2019.

The Optimized Bookstore Website: Content and Conversions on Campus (Special Two-Part Session!)
Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM

Competition is fierce. Driving traffic is hard work. And it’s wasted work if the site doesn’t turn those visitors into subscribers and customers.

We’re breaking down the main success factors in terms you haven’t heard before. After planning 1000+ websites over the last 18 years, Andy is going to show the process for creating content, improving rankings, and boosting sales online.

• Why most websites fail today, according to 12 years of research
• The quickest wins for ranking in search engines
• The one aspect of a call-to-action that makes the biggest difference
• Maximizing the percentage of visitors who sign up for specials

You’ll leave with new insights and new ideas for website improvements, some of which will cost little, if anything, to implement. And the changes you make to your content and website after this session may improve results for years to come.

This session includes live website reviews, during which Andy will give you direct, personalized feedback on your website. Email MarcyFarrey@ICBAinc.com to volunteer.

Note: Even if Andy has reviewed your site in the past, you can still volunteer to get fresh feedback--and to show him the improvements you've made since the last session. He'd love to hear about them! Plus, he will be covering more about SEO this time around and you may can go more in depth with him on that topic. 

About Andy

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person web design company in Chicago.

Over the past 18 years, Andy has given digital marketing advice to 1000+ businesses. He speaks at big marketing conferences, writes for big marketing blogs and he hosts a little marketing podcast, Content Matters.

He's written hundreds of articles on content marketing, search engine optimization, social media and Analytics.

• Top 10 Online Marketing Experts to Watch, Forbes
• Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur Magazine
• Top 10 Social Media Influencers to Watch, Social Media Explorer
• Top 50 Content Marketing Influencers to Follow, Outbrain

He is also the author of Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.

Speaker Reel | Twitter: @crestodina |  LinkedIn

Social Media Strategy: Eliminate Unsuccessful Random Acts of Marketing
Sue Koch, Social Media Success Catalyst
9:40 AM-10:20 AM

Even Fortune 500 companies admit to shooting from the hip when it comes to social media, but they’ll also admit, it would be more successful with a plan.

While it can be difficult for college store marketers and leaders to find the time and resources to focus on social media, the objective of this workshop is to simplify strategy development and provide something that can be reused and repurposed across campaigns, seasons, and events.

We’ll map out some exercises directly in the workshop so you can zone in on your target audiences, begin content brainstorming ideas, and gain an understanding of the best practices that will better reach your community.

This session offers tools and tips that will help you either launch a successful social media strategy or advance your existing strategy through current implementation analysis. You’ll leave this session with the clarity you need to avoid those dreaded Unsuccessful Random Acts of Social Media Marketing!

About Sue

After leaving her corporate SVP post in 2009 and growing her own consulting business using LinkedIn & Twitter, Sue Koch shifted her business model to become a social media success catalyst for others.

A sought-out leader in her industry, Ms. Koch has been hired to speak by Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture and Oracle.

Sue has a unique ability to make social media easy to understand & actionable for her audience. She guides companies of all sizes through the ever-changing complexities of social media marketing and aids them in developing the strategies they need to thrive in an intensely competitive business environment.

The Trust Economy: The Power of Real Customer Reviews
Brad Poole, Chief Revenue Officer, ResellerRatings
11:35 AM - 12:15 PM

In today's digital landscape, particularly in the collegiate retail channel, consumers have plenty of options on where to buy their gear for the next big game. On top of that, no two consumer journeys are exactly alike and can have hundreds of different touchpoints over several weeks. What’s clear is the shoppers are in control of their path to purchase, so leveraging customer reviews from their peers will be key to building trust and assist in guiding them to a sale.

The good news is each of you have happy customers, and there’s no better advocate! Customer Reviews are the new “Word of Mouth,” and giving them the tools to share their experiences with the world is exactly what we’ll cover today!

• We’ll walk through the complex Customer Journey
• Share the latest in the competitive Digital Ad Market
• How can you stand out in major search channels
• 3 Easy Steps to getting started with Customer Reviews

About Brad

Brad oversees the sales operations at ResellerRatings with a focus on helping retailers leverage customer feedback and reviews. With 15 years of industry experience, spanning digital marketing, payments and financial services, Bradley is also deeply involved with the marketing, product and client success teams that 3,888 retailers count on. Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, Bradley and his growing family were happy to open an office in his hometown. Bradley holds a Bachelors of Arts and Science in Business and Communications from Bowling Green State University.

Marketing Sessions Recap & Discussion
Led by Marcy Farrey, ICBA
1:30 PM - 2:10 PM

We'll use our last session together to recap what was covered and discuss topics to explore further in future ICBA programming. Bring your notes on anything you'd like to learn more about, and share any resources you use to stay on top of marketing trends.