Attending networking events is a great way to meet new people and expand your professional network. However, simply exchanging business cards isn’t enough – you need to follow up and connect with the people you meet in order to build meaningful relationships. LinkedIn is the perfect platform for connecting with new contacts after an event. Here are some tips on how to best leverage LinkedIn following a networking event:
Connect With Your New Contacts
The first step is to send connection requests to all the new people you exchanged cards with at the event. It’s best to do this within 24 hours while the meeting is still fresh in people’s minds. When sending the request, customize the message to reference where you met, any topics you discussed, or specifics about the person. This helps jog their memory and makes accepting the request much more likely.
Send A Follow-Up Message
After connecting, follow up with a message to cement the new relationship. Thank them for meeting and bring up any points of common interest you discussed. Share an article or other content that’s relevant to their work. Ask to set up a coffee meeting or phone call to continue the dialogue. Maintaining communication is key to building a lasting connection.
Engage With Their Content
Take some time to look over their LinkedIn profile and any content they’ve shared. Like and comment on their articles to show you’re paying attention. Ask thoughtful questions to keep the conversation going. This type of genuine engagement makes you stand out from the random connection requests they get.
Share Your Own Updates
Post updates about your projects, accomplishments, and events you’re attending. This gives new connections a window into your expertise and work. It also gives them opportunities to engage with your content and furthers the relationship.
Best Practices for Follow-Up
Following up promptly and appropriately is key to converting event contacts into meaningful relationships. Here are some best practices:
Customize Your Approach
Don’t use a templated message for every follow up. Personalize each one with details specific to the person and your conversation. This requires more effort but yields better results.
Remind Them Who You Are
Unless you made an incredibly strong impression, remind them how you met and what you discussed. Jog their memory about your conversation to add context.
Keep It Concise
Long notes feel onerous. Keep follow-ups brief and focused on continuing the dialogue. A few sentences is all you need to make an impact.
Highlight Common Ground
Emphasize shared interests, experiences, goals, or contacts. This draws an affinity between you and motivates further engagement.
Suggest Next Steps
Give them an easy next action, like setting up a meeting or introducing you to someone. This propels the budding relationship forward.
Maximizing Your LinkedIn Presence
To get the most out of LinkedIn, optimize your personal presence and activity. This attracts new connections organically and gives you credibility.
Complete Your Profile
A barebones profile misses opportunities to interest potential contacts. Flesh out all sections, including summary, experience, education, skills, and accomplishments.
Add Media
Display your personality by adding photos, presentations, videos and other rich media. This makes your profile stand out and more engaging.
Showcase Recommendations
Testimonials from past colleagues and managers carry weight. Proactively request recommendations to endorse your skills and values.
Demonstrate Thought Leadership
Posting regular content such as articles, whitepapers, and slideshares highlights your industry insight. This builds your reputation as an expert.
Join Relevant Groups
Choose and actively participate in groups related to your field and interests. This expands your reach and connectivity.
Additional Tips for Conference Follow Up
Conferences offer a concentrated opportunity to build your network. But follow up requires extra thought and precision.
Connect During the Conference
Don’t wait until after the event. Try to send connection requests right after meeting if you can step away. This makes you top of mind.
Reference Conference Highlights
Mention a session you both attended or insight you gleaned. Quoting the speaker gives you a shared moment to bond over.
Note Complementary Offerings
If their company offers a service or product that complements yours, note the potential to collaborate. Opportunities often arise from conferences.
Coordinate Post-Conference
Suggest meeting up after the event if you’re both local. If not, set up a call to continue an engaging discussion. Momentum can easily stall without post-conference coordination.
Review Presentation Material
Downloading slide presentations is easy conference takeaway. Review them closely and highlight parts relevant to your contact when following up. This shows you paid close attention.
Tools and Tactics for Streamlining Follow Up
Following up with each new contact takes time. Streamline the process with these tools and tactics:
Collect Contact Info Visually
Use your phone to snap a picture of each person’s business card or take written notes. You’ll retain the information better visually than cramming cards in your wallet.
Categorize New Contacts
Designate follow-up priority levels, such as A, B and C. This helps focus your outreach on the most promising contacts first.
Enter Info in CRM
A customer relationship management (CRM) system like Salesforce organizes all your event contacts automatically. This enables efficient and trackable follow-up at scale.
Create Contact Profiles
Jot down a few personal details about each person soon after meeting them, while your memory is fresh. This allows for personalized follow up that shows you care.
Specify Next Actions
Note any concrete next steps discussed, like a meeting topic or introduction to make. Having an action plan tailored to each contact facilitates moving relationships forward.
Set Calendar Reminders
Schedule reminders on your calendar to follow up at different intervals, such as right after the event, two weeks later, and one month later. This prevents contacts from slipping through the cracks over time.
Craft Templates
Draft template texts for common follow-up scenarios to save time writing each one from scratch. Tweak the template for personalization before sending.
Tools for LinkedIn Management
Tools like Dux-Soup and Buzzstream make it easy to identify relevant connections on LinkedIn and engage them at scale while still personalizing messages.
Following Up With Contacts Who Don’t Respond
Don’t get discouraged if some new contacts don’t respond to your follow-up messages. Many factors get in the way. Apply these practices for non-responsive contacts:
Connect First on LinkedIn
Even if they don’t respond, sending a LinkedIn connection request establishes awareness. You can always try again later.
Nurture Passively
Like and comment on their updates, retweet their posts, etc. This keeps you on their radar until they’re ready to engage.
Re-Contact After Time Passes
Follow up again after a few weeks or months have gone by. Life events change availability and you want to stay top of mind.
Offer Value
Send them an interesting article, introduction to an expert, or other value that doesn’t require a response. People remember those who add value.
Move on
At a certain point, re-allocate your limited follow-up time to more responsive contacts. But first complete the steps above.
How to Organize LinkedIn Contacts
Growing your LinkedIn network also means organizing all those new contacts for easy access later. Here are smart ways to organize your LinkedIn connections:
Leverage LinkedIn Groups
Place connections in relevant LinkedIn groups you belong to based on industry, interest area, employer, etc. You can easily filter contacts by group.
Tag Contacts
Use tags to categorize connections, like “met at Conference X” or “potential client.” Tags enable contacting just one group.
Develop Contact Lists
Build lists of connections segmented by common criteria, such as location or strategic value. Lists make outreach more targeted.
Use Your CRM
Plug connections into your CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc) for centralized, searchable organization and tagging.
Create Spreadsheets
Track contacts in a spreadsheet using columns for name, contact info, company, common interests, and other categories. Easy to filter and sort.
Rank Connections
Designate tiers to prioritize your network, such as Tier 1 for VIP contacts, Tier 2 for frequent contacts, and Tier 3 for peripheral contacts.
Organize by Industry/Field
Group connections by their industry or functional field, so similar contacts are together. Makes professional gossip and industry news easier to distribute.
Alphabetize Your Network
Simply re-ordering your LinkedIn connections alphabetically by last name allows you to easily browse and locate contacts.
Update and Prune
Review your lists, groups, and organization over time. Remove outdated contacts, change tiers as appropriate, and add new information. An organized network requires ongoing curation.
Getting the Most From Your LinkedIn Network
The right habits make your carefully built LinkedIn network more productive and usable over time. Implement these tips:
Communicate Regularly
Consistent interaction via likes, comments, and sharing keeps you top of mind with connections. This strengthens bonds and trust.
Provide Value
Share interesting articles, opportunity recommendations, and introductions without expecting anything in return. You’ll earn goodwill and reciprocity.
Request Introductions
Warm introductions from a shared connection enable outreach to someone you lack access to. This expands your network.
Join Group Discussions
Engage actively in LinkedIn Groups you’re part of. This raises your profile as an expert and facilitates networking.
Make New Connections
Proactively network within your current groups and contacts. Growing your community establishes you as an influencer.
Collaborate and Cross-Promote
Work together on projects and content marketing. Then share each other’s content with your distinct networks. This is a win-win.
Target Influencers
Connect with recognized thought leaders and references experts. Having influential connections lends you credibility by association.
Export Contact Data
Download your LinkedIn contacts to Excel/CRM periodically. This provides a snapshot to supplement your organic CRM management.
Segment Appropriately
Separate true professional colleagues from casual acquaintances, networking contacts, or social friends. Prioritize communication accordingly.
Conclusion
Attending events is just the starting point for networking results. You must actively develop those new connections through conscientious LinkedIn outreach and relationship management. Follow up fast with value-driven engagement. Curate and organize contacts for the long term. The effort leads to an expanding professional community that fuels referrals, opportunities, and elevated reputation.
With disciplined follow-through, a single event can catalyze the growth of your LinkedIn network for years to come. Each subsequent event compounds the effect, making your network a source of immense professional value if properly leveraged. So convert those business cards and handshakes into robust LinkedIn relationships that propel your career trajectory ever upwards.