How to Get the Most Out of Local Networking Events

You probably already know what kind of positive effect that networking can have on building your brand, your website traffic, and a creating loyal following that genuinely likes and trusts you. In the online world, whenever the word ‘networking’ is mentioned, sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn immediately come to mind. And for good reason: the online social networking scene is only getting bigger.

But there’s a more “classic” form of networking that, if combined with your existing online networking efforts might just have the potential to work even better. It’s face-to-face networking at local events. That’s right; with REAL people. When it comes to meeting someone in person and communicating in the physical realm, there isn’t much that can come close in terms of networking. Let’s face it, it’s much easier to trust a real person over someone hiding behind a computer screen, no matter how many photos and videos you’ve seen of them.

Pre-Event Actions

First and foremost, you need to find a local event that pertains to you. Many of the social networks you’re already using have built-in features for finding events (such as Facebook), but it may be worth your while to try some services dedicated to finding these events, such as:

• Eventbrite
• Meetup
• NetParty
• Twtvite
• When
• Yelp
• Eventful

Or simply do a Google search for ‘your industry + local events search’, but the above list should be more than enough to find an upcoming event near you.

From there, I highly recommend finding others who are going to be attending the events and start connecting with them on your other social media profiles right away. For example, say you see that Joe Smith is attending a local event in your area, one you ALSO plan on attending. You see he has his Facebook profile shown, so you go in and get in touch with him through Facebook. This way, when you get to the event, you already have some connections that you’ll immediately strengthen upon physical “meet up”.

At the Event…

Once your event comes up, make sure your name tag has your most prominent social networking screen names shown, that way people can connect the person with the alias easier. Also make sure you have a few mechanisms for collecting contact information, because you’ll undoubtedly be gathering a lot. I recommend having at least one electronic method, such as a nifty iPhone app and a physical business card holder to help you keep up with all the cards you’ll be collecting. It also doesn’t hurt to have a good old fashioned notepad and pen handy, just in case.

When you’re ready to begin networking, I recommend starting with those who you have already networked with online (see Pre-Event Actions) and then go from there. Make sure to be yourself, be friendly, have some fun! Don’t forget to represent yourself in a professional manner that will reflect positively upon your business. Your goal is to meet as many people as you can, and connect with them on a level that isn’t possible to do over the internet.

Here’s a quick tip: If your Facebook profile/website uses the strategy of giving away a freebie to generate email leads, be sure to include that on your business card somewhere! The back is a great place for this, as it doesn’t interfere with your contact details and is unobtrusive.

Your Follow Up: The Most Important Step

When the event is over, you’ll undoubtedly have seen/met quite a few people and have more business cards and contact details than you want to keep up with. From here you’ll begin following up with all the people you networked with in person. This is the most important step because all of the contacts you made have also met more people than they can keep up with on their own. How well you follow-up with them will determine if you get lost in the “sea of faces”, or if you stick out and become a memorable contact.

The first step you should take is to send them a friendly email reminding them that you just attended the event, and of course, remind them who you are. If they aren’t too busy, most-likely you’ll get a response fairly quickly.

Next, go to their social networking profiles to see which ones they are most active on and start connecting with them there. Don’t be annoying, but send them a friendly message every now and then until you get a response. Sometimes persistence pays off because the more times they see your name, the more likely they’ll be to respond.

Stay In Touch!

What usually happens is you get a handful of people who actually decide to contact you first or respond right away to your follow up, but not everyone will be this way. Your goal is to successfully follow-up with as many of your contacts as possible, and here’s the kicker: stay in touch. You have the advantage of having met these people in person, so that places a much heavier psychological “weight” in their minds. The people you network with at local events have the potential to not only be some of your most loyal followers, but might even become your biggest source of NEW followers… but only IF you keep in touch with them.

But don’t take my word for it! Go out for yourself, socialize and network with others in your local area to see just what kind of positive impact it has on your business… You won’t be sorry