Episode 6: Preparing to Attend a Conference

DO NOT SHOW UP AS A HOT MESS!  Welcome to the beginning of conference season!  You may be attending a conference to learn something new, obtain professional credits, make connections, or just get out of the office.  Whatever the reason there are a bevy of opportunities waiting for you when you attend.  To make the most of your time at the conference, this week I have outlined my conference plan.  In March I will be attending Social Media Marketing World and I have been having a blast getting myself ready. I was honored when selected for the volunteer staff at Social Media Marketing World. It is the gold standard of social media conference and, from what I have seen, conferences in general.  The staff really has thought of every possible way to ensure a participants success at whatever level they are attending.  I have been encouraged to engage through multiple Facebook groups and an app.  I have connected with amazing individuals and...drum roll...I have already been asked to guest blog post which is a major goal of mine for the conference. Before I share my plan, keep in mind that this is extensive.  I dedicate time every single day to getting ready - connecting, reading, asking questions, answering questions and preparing my content.  Your plan and conference participation depend largely on what you want to get out of it but you do not need to do everything on my list (although I would definitely recommend you pay close attention when I talk about packing business cards - those are important). So, our three Big Topics today: Topic 1:  Before the Conference Topic 2:  During the Conference Topic 3:  After the Conference Topic 1:  Before the conference Set Goals - I first learned about setting goals for a conference in one of the Facebook Groups for SMMW.  I thought it sounded crazy at first, but it makes sense!  When you have a goal you can then focus your energy to ensure you use your time wisely. You might want to find staff or Connect with others for a whole bunch of reasons - clients, outsourcing… Get guest speaking gigs - SEO, visibility, know, like and trust Get clients Learn something Meet conference staff and find out how you can help out the organization. Now you have direction for your efforts! Spruce up your online presence.  Make sure to develop your Know, Like and Trust Factors When you want to connect with others they are going to check you out. LinkedIn - you want to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is filled out and well written. Twitter - fill out your bio and put in great pictures. Post content to LinkedIn and Twitter each day. Get your website in shape clearly explaining what you do. Put a few videos on Youtube explaining what you do. Commit to being authentic. You digital footprint should clearly articulate how you help solve problems. PreGame the Conference What’s the hashtag?  Every conference has a hashtag.  Social Media Marketing World is using #SMMW19 this year.  For most conferences, staff monitor the hashtag and will probably engage with your tweets.  In fact, find out who will be monitoring the hashtag during the conference and let them know you will be onsite to help out.  Get on the radar screen! Not sure what to do with the hashtag?  Look up the hashtag from last year's conference.  See which tweets had engagement and who sent them.  Start to develop a plan from these examples. Connect with speakers, conference staff and other attendees on LinkedIn and Twitter Look for opportunities to meet your target contacts. Ask them where they are going to be - networking tables? Schedule lunch. Is there a Facebook group?  This is one of the things that Social Media Marketing World does best.  There are multiple Facebook groups for attendees and volunteers.Contribute to each group by asking and answering questions.