Stalking 101 at Networking Events

How would you like to grow your Social Network and your Social Media Network in one seamless process? We all love leaving the office and going out to networking events, especially ones with food and beverage. Are you maximizing your meetings to help grow and brand you and your business? I have found three ways that can help businesses leverage their networking to their fullest potential. DISCLAIMER: Yes, it is a little like stalking!

• Business Cards – Every business owner, sales person, etc… has one, but are you using it for more than just a phone number or email? After each networking event, I either go back to my office or use my smart phone to connect directly with them on LinkedIN or Facebook. This allows me to connect directly with them while they still remember me. The following day I send them an invite for our business page on Facebook, LinkedIN, etc… This helps us grow our network online and our brand.

• Facebook Events – Many networking events utilize the Facebook event feature. This allows anyone attending the event to easily INVITE others that would be interested in it. Remember to only invite those individuals that the event could directly benefit (Quality vs Quantity). There will be people attending the event that might not be a direct connection to you. You can friend them from the event page and later you can copy and past their name in LinkedIN to connect with them on there as well.

• Email/Sign In Sheets – A majority of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, etc…) have an import feature that will allow you to connect directly with your online email account (Gmail, Yahoo, Constant Contact, Mail Chimp) and send invites directly from your email list. They also allow you to import spreadsheets if you keep your contacts that way. This can be done on a monthly or quarterly schedule. *BONUS TIP* Many people are unaware that LinkedIN allows you to export your connections. Remember that not everyone fills out all the information (email, phone number, etc…) but a majority do. You can easily export that list and import it into your social media networks.

Remember to work SMART not HARD! Capitalize on each networking event to its fullest potential. If you commit to these steps you can increase your presence online, stay connected with your network, create leads, and brand yourself and business. If you want to know more, contact us at info@harnessteched.com to see how we can #TurnTheLightBulbOn for you.

Tom Harness | @iTomHarness