5 Tips To Brand and Market Yourself at a Conference

Photo Credit: J Fortune

5 Tips To Brand and Market Yourself at a Conference

The Harness Digital Marketing team is attending the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC) this week in St. Louis. Some businesses look at a conference as a way to get away from the office, but there is much more to them than just attending. At the MDMC, there will be speakers from Facebook, Microsoft, Forrester, Instagram, Go Daddy, Pinterest, and the list goes on. Make the most of these events and learn to BRAND like a Pro.

    1. Before the event connect with all the presenters and speakers – Most conferences will give a list of the speakers and their social media contacts. This is an open invitation to follow them on their social media platforms and engage with them. One of the best things to know about before you go to a conference is WHO you want to connect with. If you are an introvert, this also is a good way to help alleviate any anxiety you may have before attending.
    2. Go old school and pass out your business cards – As much as I am in love with all the digital networking, nothing beats the good ol’ business card. Make sure and make real connections and pass them out to people you want to connect with. When I get back from a conference, I go through my cards, connect with them on social media, and do a quick follow up to let them know that if Harness Digital Marketing could be a resource for them to please let me know.
    3. Find out what the conference hashtag is and use it when posting across social media platforms – I am a hashtag junky, and I love using strategic hashtags to meet new people at conferences or connecting with existing ones. These hashtags allow you to follow up after the conference is over and make connections with people that you might have missed. It’s also good to see if your fellow team members or employees were actually at the event.
    4. Schedule content to go out during the sessions and let people know you are there – It is next to impossible at some conferences to have all your content going out and networking in person. Schedule posts that let people know that you are there and if they want to know more about your business to come introduce yourself. Another great use of social media at a conference is creating Snapchat geofilters.
    5. BE MEMORABLE – Make an impression. This could be anything from your personality, your business card, or in the case of my good friend, Kevin and I, our clothes. When you REALLY put yourself out there, you have no choice but to meet people and connect. Kevin and I will be sporting our Star Wars suits, a PacMan suit, and a Flamingo suit. So if you are at the conference, be on the lookout for us.

Tom Harness | Twitter: @iTomHarness | Snapchat: @tharness | LinkedIN: Tom Harness | www.harnessdigitalmarketing.com

 

About Tom Harness

Tom Harness is the owner of Harness Digital Marketing, a digital marketing firm that works with businesses and organizations on Social Media, SEO, and Email Marketing. He is an entrepreneur and business owner with 20 years of combined experience in Education, IT, and Business. Tom is a U.S. Army Veteran and a Southern Illinois University alum. He also enjoys craft beers, his beloved Chicago Cubs, and his family.

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