Combine FOMO with nostalgia and what do you get? Regrets!
I mean, damn, it’s been more than two weeks since INBOUND and I’m just now realizing how many insanely useful sessions I missed.
Do you feel the same?
Wish you’d had a clone or two you could send to sponge-soak up all the juicy inbound skills?
Well, aren’t you glad I put this handy, highly scientific list together of the INBOUND19 breakouts that had the longest lines?
I scoured the post-event agenda for every session that
- got an “Encore”, or
- got one of the large “AB” breakout rooms, indicating that two rooms were combined.
⬆️ Yes, that’s what the long lines of people looked like that tried to attend these talks 😉
There’s a reason beyond FOMO, though. If you’re in B2B or inbound marketing this list of sold-out talks is fantastic inspiration.
Need a content strategy for 2020? Done!
These sessions represent everything content and inbound marketers crave and can’t get enough of. And at 50 entries and counting, you have enough to fill your content calendar for the entire year.
Not only that, but the list contains a ton of swipeworthy headlines you can dress up your own content with.
Btw. if you’d like to thank me, ditch the flowers and link to this post instead. After all, this is nothing but an elaborate scheme to get my blog’s domain authority up (a hearty hug to Nadya Khoya for that genius tip).
Just kidding! Only trying to be helpful, here. (Phew, great save, huh?).
Ok, drumroll, here are the 50+ breakout sessions that scored the highest attendance at INBOUND19, arbitrarily grouped according to my own lopsided logic. I’ll post the remainder of the sessions next week.
Sessions with titles you just couldn’t say no to
These sessions had titles so irresistible, you just couldn’t say no to them.
Many using tried & true templates like “How to…” or lists.
One that stood out to me was Marcus Sheridan’s “Magical Content: 7 Secrets to Content That Generates The Greatest Results, ROI, & Lasting Impact”.
It combines a List + Magic + 3 Promises. That’s a title formula you should swipe right now.
On the other end of the spectrum we’ve got the shortest INBOUND19 session title: “Create Ads that Sell” by Daniel Harmon. Who wouldn’t want Ads that sell? Sometimes all you need is a strong promise.
Here are all the sessions I thought had really strong titles:
| Title | Speaker | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Magical Content: 7 Secrets to Content That Generates The Greatest Results, ROI, & Lasting Impact | Marcus Sheridan | Get the deck |
| Growth by Content: How to drive massive organic traffic without a big budget | Nadya Khoja | No deck available 🙁 |
| How to write newsletters people actually want to read | Margo Aaron | No deck available 🙁 |
| How to build brand credibility: Using content to establish authority | Carolyn Kylstra | No deck available 🙁 |
| How to Spark Innovation in a Big Organization (and How Most Companies Stamp It Out) | Scott Kirsner | Get the deck |
| Do this, not that! 20 Best Practices for Email Marketing Campaigns That Drive Customer Engagement | Jay Schwedelson | No deck available 🙁 |
| 6 Amazing Conversational Marketing & Sales Strategies That Drive Revenue | Remington Begg | Get the deck |
| 14 Personalized Sales & Marketing Video Tips & Tricks That Drive Relationships, Results, & Revenue | George B Thomas | Get the deck |
| 3 Growth Marketing Principles for Creating Your Unicorn | Larry Kim | Get the deck |
| 5 Customer Marketing Strategies That are Guaranteed to Grow Your Business | Tara Robertson | No deck available 🙁 |
| 10 Ways to Network, Increase Sales Conversations, and Generate 80% more Leads Using LinkedIn | Marcus Murphy | Get the deck |
| Create Ads that Sell | Daniel Harmon | No deck available 🙁 |
Attack of the Hubspot Nerds
INBOUND wouldn’t be INBOUND without a focus on Hubspot. It’s no surprise these hard-hitting, in-depth sessions did well.
The “nerd” label comes with a good deal of affection 💕. If you’re a Hubspot customer, these sessions are golden.
HubSpot Analytics Mastery: Turn Data Into Actionable Insights In 15 Minutes or Less
3 Simple Steps to a Killer HubSpot Implementation
21 Automated Workflows to Keep Your CRM Squeaky Clean
Reporting in HubSpot. Force, Friction, and the Flywheel
A Marketer's Guide to Sales Hub: How to Empower Your Sales Team to Support Your Marketing Campaigns
Inside the Ads Machine: Advanced Techniques Used by HubSpot’s Paid Marketing Team
Content That Rivaled Content Marketing World
I’m always bummed out when INBOUND and Content Marketing World happen in the same week.
Luckily, INBOUND had an outstanding line-up on content marketing talks.
Here are the absolute audience favorites:
Don't Just Create Content, Create Experiences!
Beyond the Editorial Calendar: New Rules of Content Strategy
Getting the Green Light: How to Build Content People Say YES To
Using Analytics to Better Match People and Their Interests to Your Content
The Future of Branded Content Is Podcasting
10 Things I've Learned from Putting on 500+ Webinars
How to Generate Revenue with Content Marketing
Spinning The Flywheel
The Flywheel was a hot topic at INBOUND, as was to be expected after last year’s keynotes.
Sessions on creating better customer experiences; aligning marketing, sales, & care; and selling to the modern buyer all pulled big crowds.
Brand Story + Customer Journey = Your Marketing Power Equation
Conversation is Key! Secrets to Building a Delightful Customer Experience
How to Eliminate Friction and Build a Modern Customer Experience
Buyers Buy Outcomes: Why Your Sales Messaging & Process Attract Undesired, Price-Obsessed Customers
The Modern Seller: Winning in the New Sales Economy
The Customer Revolution—What Empowered Customers Want, How to Build Your Flywheel Around Them, and Why They Are the New Secret to Growth
Down the Funnel: How to Achieve Perfect Sales & Marketing Alignment
Mindfulness
I feel there’s a strong current of unease among (not only) marketers today.
Trust is eroding from the constant attacks on supposedly “fake news”, the looming impact on AI (think deep fake), and the misuse of personal data.
At the same time, we see a growing skepticism of hustle culture with marketers like Ann Handley (ASAP = as slow as possible), Carlos Hidalgo (The Un-American Dream), and David Meerman Scott (in his upcoming book Fanocracy and in-person at INBOUND) urging us to slow down and connect human-to-human.
I was happy to see sessions on this cluster of topics get high attention at INBOUND:
Creating True Connections in a World of Distraction and Disengagement
Building Mindful Client Relations
Ethics in the Age of Information and AI
Getting Social
Social was, unsurprisingly, also a big hit at INBOUND.
LinkedIn was covered from both a paid and an organic perspective and video featured heavily as the one tactic to stand out on the various platforms.
Advanced LinkedIn Ads for the B2B Marketer
How to Become a Thought Leader on LinkedIn
Unlocking the Mysteries of Instagram: The Fastest Growing Platform on Social Media
How to craft a winning social video strategy
YouTube Video Marketing: Content Strategy for Discovery and Conversion
Social Media Marketing in 2019: What's Changed, and Why Your 2016 Playbook Is Broken
Growth Hacking Your Way To Fame & Riches
The highly tactical advice on how to grow their audience, traffic, & conversions was another fan favorite.
How to Grow (Your Organic Traffic) Better
Build Your Audience With Bite-Sized Storytelling
5 Decision Science Secrets That Make It Easy to Get the Online Behavior You Want
What's In a CTA? Tips, Tricks, & Statistics
CRO For High-Converting Landing Pages
You’ve Got Email: How to Scale Your Personalized Email Campaigns
Can You Succeed in SEO with Your B2B Company? What Will It Take?
Hug Your You
One topic that’s popular with everyone: personal development.
Talks covering everything from finding your purpose to leadership skills attracted large audiences.
Courageous Conversations: Giving Feedback Without Fear
Idea Meritocracy: Your Secret Weapon to Making Better Decisions, Faster
Empathy @ Work: The Essential Soft Skill for Effective Leaders and Teams
How to Find and Stand Out as Your Most Authentic Self
Crafting Your Why: A Facilitated Session on Finding Your Why
All Sizzle … No Fizzle … Designing and Delivering Presentations That Stand Out
The Hands-On CMO: How to Build and Lead Marketing When You’re Also in the Trenches
Negotiating Your Value
What were your INBOUND19 highlights?
Did you attend any of the sessions listed above? How did you like them?
Or was your INBOUND highlight a talk that was maybe a bit more off the beaten path?
Share where you learned the most in the comments below!
