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Spring 2017


MARKETING CASE STUDY


Ever have the crazy idea of hosting your own conference for your business, industry, or online community? Maybe it’s not so crazy . . .


THE SOUTHERN C SUMMIT: I


by Emily Hines From an Online Blogging Community


to a Sold-Out Summit


n just six whirlwind years, Georgia-based entrepreneurs Cheri Leavy and Whitney Long transformed their Southern lifestyle


blog, The Southern C, into an online resource for the entrepreneurial South. Their annual Southern C Summit is the high point of their efforts, drawing 300 impassioned individuals from businesses of all types and selling out in just a few weeks.


THE BEGINNING Cheri and Whitney initially created The Southern Coterie blog as a way to share their love for the South in the digital sphere. Realizing the reality of “blogger burnout,” the duo searched for guest contributors and grew their content. Writers from all over the country joined in to share their love of the South with recipes, travel stories, memories, and cultural nostalgia. As the site matured, social media practices, marketing, and influential business leaders found their way into the mix, along with small-business owners and entrepreneurs. The blog quickly evolved into a membership- based model, similar to Facebook and free for people to join. With members openly sharing content on the platform, people immediately connected with other like-minded individuals, and a true community was born. By 2012, the network had expanded and the team fielded numerous requests to host a gathering where members could meet and engage in person. The Southern C Summit was born!


Kelly Boyd Photography


THE POWER BEHIND THE EVENT Recognizing the need for an organized digital and social media strategy, Cheri and Whitney enlisted Digital Media Director Dominique Paye to help power up the process. Together, they put their economic smarts to work. “We knew we had to deliver major value to our followers to justify the cost of the ticket and the time spent away from their businesses,” says Paye. “Three key elements create a successful summit: host city and venue, presenters, and networking opportunities. We had to deliver on all three and communicate that value to our followers.”


The leaders monitored and joined in on


conversations, questions, and information shared on the blog forum. The art of “social listening” became the key to understanding members’ struggles, concerns, and successes. As a result, the Southern C team was able to glean a list of potential presenters and topics from the conversations, and one by one, they secured national speakers in creative industries, including magazine editors, content creators, and social media experts. Now in its fourth year, in February, the Summit


hosted speakers at The Cloister hotel in Sea Island, Georgia, with media and marketing experts from


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