One of the best things about social media is that you can keep in touch with people after you meet them at a networking event.
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In the not so long ago days, once you attended a networking event, you took the business cards you collected, put them in a rolodex or some kind of binder, and probably didn’t keep the names and faces together.
Those days are long gone.
However, what I have found is that it takes discipline to take advantage of social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, after a face to face networking event.
For example, I still have a little pile of business cards near my computer from folks I met about 3 weeks ago at a MeetUp for people involved in social media marketing for business.
Have I reached out to them via social media? I have to admit that I haven’t done that. Shame on me!
It’s not too late to send them a request to connect on LinkedIn, follow them on Twitter and/or like their company’s Facebook page. I have made a commitment to myself to do that within the next 48 hours.
However, I highly recommend that you don’t wait 3 weeks like I did. Instead, reach out to them within 24 hours of the event. And here’s why:
- You are more likely to remember the gist of your conversation at the event. Then it is easier to reference what you talked about when you send them an invite to connect on LinkedIn.
- You will make a positive impression on them by reaching out so quickly. People like to be remembered and acknowledged.
- You will feel that your presence at the event was a good investment of your time and energy. Even a free event still takes time away from other things you could have been doing.
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So, to practice what I am preaching, tonight I have already extended LinkedIn invites to over a half dozen people I met a few hours ago at the Denver LinkedIn Rockstar Networking event hosted by Mike O’Neil and Lori Ruff of Integrated Alliances.
Plus I communicated via LinkedIn with folks I saw and with whom I am already connected on LinkedIn.
Find out more about Integrated Alliances at http://www.integratedalliances.com/ They provide corporate LinkedIn training.
How to do you like to follow up with folks you meet at a networking activity?
Do you use LinkedIn, being it is the most professional of all the social media websites? Do you start following them on Twitter as a way to keep learning from them? Do you like their company’s Facebook page?
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Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers’ Social Media Tutor, helps people relatively new to social media to become more effective and comfortable in their use of this medium. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com
I’ve been actively networking since 2009, and over the years I’ve learned a few lessons. You see, I also have a stack of business cards that I collected along the way. They have, in turn, collected a lot of dust.
My rule now is to never collect more than 3 cards at each event I attend. When I collect the card, I write on the back of it — right there, on the spot — so that I remember where I was when I met the person, and what we talked about. (This, in fact, is what I did when I met you!)
Having only 3 cards from each event makes it much easier to “extend the conversations” within 24 hours. Besides connecting on social sites, though, I also add the new contacts to lists that I use for continual engagement. These are lists I use to review their Twitter timelines, read and comment on their blogs and Facebook pages, etc.
It still takes time and discipline, but by cutting down on the quantity of business cards I collect, I increase the quality of my connections.