Four Social Networking Tips for Virtual Conferences

Many of our students are taking advantage of free or greatly reduced rates to virtual conferences.  In another blog post (see link below) I covered the free events that were available over the Summer and the trend for free or reduced registration continues today.  I have attended several online conferences sponsored by industry since the Spring and I have some tips for our students so they can maximize their participation.

Many students don’t realize that conferences are not only knowledge opportunities but they are networking opportunities as well.  When I took students to in-person conferences I asked them to connect with three people that they might want to stay in touch with and bring back their business cards. Then I recommended that they follow up the connection with a LinkedIn request.

I like the image below which shows that we can still stay connected with social media.  The business card is now a LinkedIn connection or other social media connection. Meeting someone online takes the place of an in-person meeting.  As always, people are more likely to accept a connection request on social media if they have met the person previously, whether it be virtual or in person.

In fact, people in this age of isolation from the pandemic are seeking connections as much as, if not more, than before the crisis.  What I noticed is that the chat sections of conference presentations are full of people introducing themselves to each other with posts like, “Hi, I’m in Austin and here’s how we can connect on  LinkedIn.”  I also notice that professionals are more open to online connections because that is often the only option for them to connect.

Here are some tips for your students (and for yourselves) for attending a virtual conference and for using social media effectively to do so.

Image courtesy of Monitas.com

Have a plan

First and foremost, have a plan before attending online.  This is true for any conference.  Many students are unaware that the networking is just as important as the conference content. From a content point of view, identify those sessions that most align with your interests. I study customer data management and organizational culture so I am always looking for sessions on how to effectively build a digital marketing organization. Students might want to go in to paid search or paid social or be interested in the latest updates in data technology.  From a networking point of view, identify those in your targeted areas whom you would like to meet.

 Connect beforehand

Once I identify the people I want to listen to during the conference, I try to connect with them in LinkedIn before the conference.  Although we haven't met yet online, we do have a connection with the conference. I have a lot of contacts and I am usually a second degree away from most anyone in the digital marketing field.  If I am not, I send an InMail requesting a connection.  Some people choose not to connect, but many do.  It's a good way to build a network of like-minded people and to reach out to those in areas new to you. If you can't connect before the conference, don't worry.  There are still opportunities to connect using the nexus of the virtual conference. 

Connect during

During the conference is a good chance to connect with other professionals in your area of interest.  As I said, the chat will usually be full of people introducing themselves. Often, conferences will offer networking opportunities as well.  This is a good chance to connect with those who might help you with your career objectives or learn more about a particular topic. Twitter is a great way to connect during the conference also.  Most conferences will have an associated hashtag and you can see what people are posting and follow them or DM them to keep up the connection.

 Don’t stop connecting

The rule of three for communications says that people need to hear or learn things three times before they sink in and they can remember. So if you want someone to remember who you are, send them a note after the connection and thank them for connection with you.  Then, a few days or a week later, send them a link to some information that might be beneficial for them to remind them of who you are and  your mutual interests. 

 For maintaining contact, I recommend that students request an informational interview with connections in their area of interest.  This can be an in-person, socially distanced coffee meeting or a virtual call over Zoom, Hangouts or a similar platform.  I often take connection calls from people whom I meet on LinkedIn to establish a common ground.  We learn our areas of interest, share information and discover how we can help each other achieve our goals.

So there are three rules plus using rule of three to help you maximize your participation in virtual conferences. If you have a plan, connect as much as possible before the event, participate during the event and connect afterwards, you will develop a supportive network.  Even though things are virtual today, people are open to connecting online and helping others.  If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, we are in this together.  Social media connections during virtual conferences can help us stay connected and help each other achieve our goals.  I'm taking a group of students to the virtual Digital Analytics Association DAA One Conference next week so wish us luck!

Other posts from this blog that might be of interest:

Digital marketing conferences that were free this Summer.

Using LinkedIn Learning to Supplement Digital Marketing courses

Seven Free Digital Marketing Certifications

Please comment and let me know what else digital marketing academics think I should cover in this blog.