Beyond Business Cards: Leveraging Social Media for Networking Before and After Events 🌐💻📱
If you’ve been to networking events, there’s a good chance you’ve been on the receiving end of the classic exchange of business cards. And while this is a tried and true tradition, there are newer, more efficient ways to network using social media. In this blog post, we’ll highlight some of the most effective ways to leverage social media to connect with fellow professionals before and after an event.
Before the Event: 🕑📆💡
Before you even set foot in a networking event, there are a variety of ways to start engaging with others. Here are a few of the most popular methods.
Research Attendees and Speakers 🧐🔎🕵️♂️
Make a list of attendees and speakers and do a quick search to see if they have public LinkedIn or Twitter profiles. This can give you a better idea of who will be there, what topics will be covered, and allow you to come up with some conversation starters.
Create Pre-Event Content 🎥✍️🖋️
Create content that’s relevant to the event or your industry and share it on social media. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, or photos. By sharing your expertise ahead of time, you’re creating a platform for starting conversations around your content.
Join LinkedIn and Facebook Groups 💬👥📑
Join LinkedIn groups related to the event’s topic or your industry. Make sure to participate in the group discussions, introduce yourself, and contribute insights to the topics being discussed. Do the same for Facebook groups.
During the Event: 🤝🎙️📷
Now that you’re at the event, it’s time to put your pre-event preparation to use and start connecting with people in real life.
Use Event Hashtags 📢📣🔍
Find the official event hashtag and use it in your social media posts. This will increase your visibility and make it easier for other attendees to find and connect with you.
Share Live Updates 🎉📝📱
Share live updates from the event on social media. This can include photos, quotes from speakers, or interesting insights. By doing this, you’re providing value to your followers who weren’t able to attend the event.
Take Photos with Speakers and Attendees 📸😁👍
Take photos with speakers and other attendees and share them on social media. This can help you build relationships and give you some great content to share on your social media accounts.
After the Event: 📩🙌🎉
After the event is over, it’s important to keep up the momentum and continue to build relationships with the people you met.
Connect on LinkedIn and Twitter 🤝📩👋
Send connection requests on LinkedIn and follow people on Twitter who you met at the event. Make sure to personalize your message and include a reminder of where you met.
Share Your Takeaways 🎤📢🗨️
Share your takeaways and insights from the event on social media. This will show your followers that you’re engaged in your industry and provide value to them.
Follow Up with New Connections 📩🙋♀️🙋♂️
Follow up with the new connections you made at the event. Send them a personalized message and try to set up a coffee meeting or a phone call to continue building your relationship.
By leveraging social media before, during, and after a networking event, you can elevate your networking game and make meaningful connections with other professionals. So next time you attend an event, consider using some of these social media strategies to expand your network and build relationships that will last long after the event is over.
