Last week, I had the opportunity to attend and speak on a panel at Exact Target’s annual Connections conference in Indianapolis. Going into three days hosted by a company traditionally seen as a leader in strictly the email space, I was honestly a bit hesitant to what I would learn from a social, mobile and broader digital lens. Connections 2011 blew me away.

The frame of “Connection” has been a hot topic here at Engauge as of late. We have reached a point where social is no longer a new silo tool, but rather a series of channels that can build relationships with consumers and every facet of a brand.

No longer can we as marketers piece together each aspect of a campaign to form a brand identity, we must first ask ourselves, “Are you creating a digital marketing strategy or a digital business strategy?”

We all know that in the digital world news, campaigns and actions travel fast. We must react on a moment’s notice to avoid being left behind, however, sparkly object syndrome is not a viable business plan your CEO is going to buy into.

In order to make social, email, and every other facet of digital marketing a success, we must first challenge ourselves to determine what we wish to accomplish. From there the channels and the tactics fall into place.

Best Buy’s CTO drove this idea home when he said, “if someone says a technology is going to die…get out your checkbook. Technology just evolves.” Taking a step back from the Facebooks, the Foursqaures and the Instagrams of the world is tough, but rewriting an individual plan for the next big thing, I can assure you is tougher.

Across each and every session, speakers had the commonality that connection is key. As we look to 2012, I know we will be looking towards connections: making a connection with consumers, with our brands and most of all through the channels and plans to get there.

Where are you looking to make connections in 2012? What are your keys to success to get there?