Planning to Attend a Social Media Conference, It's Time you Prepare your Checklist

A social marketing conference is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and marketing experts to build fruitful relationships with stalwarts in the digital marketing industry both on and offline, people who might have significant impact on your professional or personal success. To make sure that you make the most in terms of return on your investment of time and money to attend, you need to plan well ahead to make a long lasting impression at these conferences.

Here is a checklist for you when attending a social or search engine marketing conference:

Be focused

It is imperative for you to do proper planning before attending a social media seminar. Do proper research about the past events and have a clear idea about why you
 are attending. What do you want to
 achieve? Who do you want to meet?
 The more clearly you find answers to these questions in your mind, the
 more likely you can plan and execute
 your mission.

Identify your targets & gather intelligence

Prior to reaching the event venue, get hold of the list of conference attendees. Go through the 
list and pinpoint on the attendees you want to meet, add them on all your social media accounts and research about them.

Create an Impression

Develop a mindset for relationship building. Be generous, candid and accountable when you meet someone. These are crucial for making a long-lasting impression about you and your brand. Make sure that when you’re interacting one-to-one online with people that you’re being authentic.

Start Networking Before the Event Commences

Don’t wait for the conference to start your networking. A week or two beforehand, start connecting with at least the top three people you have identified for networking during the event. Leverage social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn to create personal relationships with them. Look for other opportunities to build your brand. Be active during Q&As and get the audience attention just by asking a thoughtful question.

Make Sure you Follow-up Contacts

Make sure to stay in touch with your contacts each night of the conference or following a speaker’s presentation. This helps marketers both personally and professionally. Connections made at social media marketing conference can last a lifetime.