• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Watermarke Digital

Watermarke Digital

  • Home
  • About
  • Industries
  • Services
  • Insights
  • Contact

Leverage the Power of Networking Events

Watermarke / Digital Marketing / Leverage the Power of Networking Events

Your ability to network your business or even your individual skills as a professional may be the single most important factor in determining whether you ultimately succeed or fail in your career endeavors. The very nature of successful networking creates a positive feedback loop that can drive long-term success for years after the initial inroads are made. And with countless platforms now available for professional and social networking, simply deciding where to focus your efforts can be a bit overwhelming. But rest assured, some of the best marketing ROI available is in attending and becoming an active participant in networking events.

Basic Preparation

When planning to attend a networking event, especially the first few, it is critical that you put in the effort to be adequately prepared. Taking the time to get your mind and ideas together will help you to stay focused while you are at the event. Simply doing your research and writing down your goals will give you direction and confidence.

Prior to attending the event, arm yourself with as much information as possible. Locate and study the roster of speakers, companies, relevant break-out sessions, and notable individuals who will also be in attendance. Doing some upfront homework on various speakers and their specific topics will create opportunities for you to take part in the discussion and ask insightful questions. If you have the opportunity to introduce yourself to the speaker, commonalities are always good ice-breakers. By engaging as an active participant in the event, you are establishing to other attendees that you are interested in making connections and you are acknowledging the presenters and the speakers for the work they put in preparing for their roles at the event. These small bits of personal effort are often rewarded several times over with genuinely appreciative new contacts and immediate personal connections that can lead to big professional opportunities.

Establish a Networking Game Plan

Jotting down your event goals is also key when preparing for a networking event. Clear personal objectives will help you optimize your time and hopefully get the most out of the event. Ask yourself what you would like to achieve by the end of the event, including what types of connections you want to make. Examples of these connections include media contacts, potential clients, and others who may be in the same general field. There are often opportunities to work jointly with a company or individuals who specialize in services complementary to your own. Reviewing how your actual time spent aligned with your game plan will help to hone your strategy for future events.

Personality and First Impressions

When planning to attend a networking event, the way that you are initially perceived can have a huge impact on how successful your event can be. Be sure to dress appropriately to capture the right tone for your business and for the contacts you would most like to attract. The possibility of being included on a social media post is high, so make sure your look is appropriate for people both inside and outside your immediate industry and normal social spheres.

Depending on your business, your professional experience, and your personal preference, you may have some misgivings about attending and actively participating in networking events. Some of them can seem pretty contrived and geared toward funneling all of the attendees into a fairly narrow channel where only select companies and individuals can recruit. And these would certainly be events to avoid. But many are completely legitimate operations that offer real value and real opportunities for attendees, speakers, and presenters. Get in the game, hone your networking skills, and good things are going to happen.

Category iconDigital Marketing,  People Tag iconavoid negative networking,  engage speakers and presenters,  ignore negative networking stereotypes,  prepare for networking events,  write down networking agendas

Further Insights

person using phone to take photo of food
How Do You Know if Influencer Marketing is Right for Your Startup?
July 12, 2019
millennials working on a computer at outside cafe
5 Tips for Marketing to Millennials and Gen Z
July 10, 2019
office worker smiling with open laptop
Get Inspired by These Successful Small Business Marketing Campaigns
July 5, 2019

Are You Ready for Sustainable Growth?

Reach out to us to talk about next steps, or to learn what we can do for you.

Get in Touch →

Footer

Get In Touch

We are an organic-first, analytics-obsessed, tech-savvy digital marketing firm. We work closely with our clients as consultants to solve business problems and seize opportunities.

1-888-475-4085

info@watermarkedigital.com

Industries

  • Hotels
  • Ecommerce
  • Healthcare
  • Startups

Insights

  • Digital Marketing
  • Organic SEO
  • Content Marketing
  • Analytics
  • Martech

Watermarke Digital

Get access to our regular insights, delivered right to your inbox.

Email Subscribe

Copyright © Watermarke Digital. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Trademarks | Copyright | Disclaimer
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT