It’s conference season for many of us in Financial Services and whether you are headed to your state conference or a multinational conference, you can get more out of it with social media. Here are a few tips from Social Assurance:
No more Egg Profiles. It’s ok, we realize that many conference goers use Twitter only when they go to conferences. But it is a big help if you will share your real photo with us. It’s much easier to relate and communicate to a smiling face than an emotionless egg. Plus we can actually recognize you if you do.
Mobile App. For the upcoming Fiserv Forum, you can jump on the mobile app, connect with other attendees before the conference, and set your agenda. Keeping everything in one app is quite a bit easier than keeping track of multiple hand-outs and contact information throughout the conference. Spend your extra time networking and connecting personally to attendees.
Meet Ups. Looking for that person you met last year? Trying to make sure you are not the one at the lonely bar? Just drop a note on Twitter. If it is one of your first bank conferences, drop a note out to see where people are headed. Miss a session or two? Tweet to those who were there if you wanted to find contact info for the speaker or a couple nuggets of information from that session. You would be surprised how much more information you will pickup and retain with a few messages.
Need something? Try tweeting for that power cord you forgot or a spare razor, maybe not the spare razor, but you might be surprised.
The moment you realize you forgot your power cord for your laptop and you are at a conference ..oh oh…<Placing gun to head>
— William Goddard ???? (@W_Goddard) February 24, 2014
Check the Hashtag. Are you a twitter user? Many of us understand that your primary time for tweeting is when you’ve been to a conference, and many conferences and speakers will have a set hashtag. Using this hashtag allows your tweets to be found easily, giving your tweets purpose and the attention they deserve.
Learning about Hashtags? They have become a way of speaking for many Twitter users. For your next conference, just include the hashtag of the the conference.
Research your Vendors. Generally vendors utilize social media regularly. Find vendors of interest to you and your company and track their social media during the conference. You can find out where they will be, what they are doing and often find a little more information about their personality. By doing this in advance you can determine which vendors at your conference are most relevant and of most interest to you.
Following up with LinkedIn. After meeting with other attendees and vendors make a connection on LinkedIn. Connect on a professional level and stay updated on the newest activity in your field. It’s important to connect with other attendees as they can be valuable contacts in the future.
Take Pictures. We’re not just talking about your typical selfie. Not only should you document your time at the conference, but before and after shots can be useful as well. For instance: if you’re leaving a region with record snowfall and flying to a tropical locale, snap a few pictures of your trip. These pictures can give other social media users an opportunity to learn a little more about you. Let people know this conference means a lot to you. And if you’re really on top of it take a hyper-lapse.
Enjoy your time at conferences, it is such a great time to meet new people and engage. Drop us a tweet and we will see you at the next conference.
