Hundreds of digital marketing experts descended on the Gannett & USA Today headquarters in McLean, Va. last week to connect and share best practices in cutting-edge digital marketing strategies.

The conference was Digital Summit DC (formerly “Digital East”). The following are some fascinating statistics presented by one of the Digital Summit sponsors, and are provided here as data points that we as digital marketers can use to educate our bosses, clients, and prospects.

Every fall, public relations practitioners from in and around Washington, DC come together to honor the region’s stars and their most creative, effective communications campaigns.

What awards like these demonstrate is that small firms like ours can apply smart strategies, hard work and high levels of creativity to move the needle on behalf of our clients, even if the work itself is as offbeat as “blueberry communications.”

A year ago, if someone had told me where I would be professionally today, I would have rolled my eyes in disbelief. This September marks the end of my first year at DCC, and I can’t believe all of the learning and growth opportunities I’ve received. 

Working at a small firm has given me a great career start in the communications industry. I’ve had the benefit of maintaining daily contact with every team member (including our CEO Dale) and each of our clients.

Here are three takeaways from my first year at DCC.

Every year marketers bring new trends to the forefront, and the marketing industry is taken by the latest and greatest buzzwords. The public relations industry is not immune, and every year we find ourselves needing to learn new techniques, distribution channels and platforms before our clients ask us about them.

Effective marketing materials delicately balance efficiency and art. The goal is to convey your brand messages accurately and succinctly, while also being unique, memorable, and emotionally compelling. If this sounds difficult, it becomes even more so when you consider that organizations often need high-quality work done under extremely tight turnaround times. Thus, the key to producing marketing materials in a fast, cost-effective manner that does not sacrifice quality is to treat it as a long-term project, with milestones and metrics along the way.

Gaining media traction is one of the most challenging aspects of public relations, and arguably, one of the most important. Media coverage is usually a “must get” in any successful PR campaign but earning good coverage requires strategy and persistence.

Marsha Smith, former Associate Executive Director for the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, joined DCC in April of 2014.

It might surprise you, but it was never my goal to start my own business. I always viewed myself as more of a good soldier in great organizations. But when the opportunity to strike out on my own presented itself, I grabbed it, and I haven’t looked back.  

Ethan Fried, a Penn State graduate, worked with DCC from February to August of 2014 before pursuing his PhD in Political Science at Temple University this fall.