MeerkatThe live video app was the talk of the town. Almost every session mentioned it and a lot of the big media brands offered up POVs on what the next step would be for the network. Since SXSW ended, Twitter announced it’s own live-stream competitor, Periscope. Let the battle begin.ExpansionBigger than ever, SXSW added a few days at the beginning of the conference to focus on food and education. They also dedicated more time and space to gaming and social goodness.New MediaBuzzfeed, Mashable, VOX Networks, etc. - the new media brands really held court this SX. Their message focused on how big the media playing field is, how crucial content / storytelling and their diversified revenue strategies.

StorytellingThe content story was all about the storytellers. SXSW featured forty-five panels on the subject from content creation workshops, UX training to case studies on content strategies.Women in TechAnother big topic was diversity in the boardroom and the tech world. Lots of passionate stories about the importance of bringing in new voices and the success a lot of brands have had when the focused on diversity.Redefining “Millenial”Quite a few panels talked about the idea that Millennials weren’t a group based on age, but a group based on behavior. They want the new thing, they want to give feedback, they want to move fast, they see curation and creation as the same thing. Micro-broadcasters and creative thinkers.

Global ContentAnother interesting idea in the content conversation was about brands focusing on developing native content for networks. Creating content that is meant to only live on Twitter, Facebook and others, not just posting links to drive away from that network.Influencer FormulaThe right message from the right people was a big topic at SX. Several brands looked to influential people as the solution. They gave pointers on picking the right influencers, managing them and what a successful campaign should look like.Diversified RevenueSeveral publishing brands talked about diversifying their revenue sources by owning more the “stack.” That meant in some cases, developing content strategy for advertisers, producing content, using data to plan and execute campaigns and a several other methods outside of simply displaying ad units.The DAS TeamA popular offering for agencies and brands was a content creating team built to develop special projects. The team is lean, composed of 3 people: a designer, an analyst and strategist. This DAS team is meant to go from concept to completion quickly and without requiring additional resources.Want more tips and tricks for how to dominate social this year with Data, Creative and Amplification? Download our 2016 Social Media Survival Guide.