• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Social Media Examiner

Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle

  • 🔥 Free Newsletter
  • ⭐ FREE Web3 Course
  • 🗓️ Our Events
    • Social Media Marketing World (Mar 13-15)
    • Other Industry Events
  • 💡 Society
  • ⚙️ Tools
  • 🎙️ Podcasts
    • Social Media Marketing Podcast
    • Social Media Marketing Talk Show
    • Web3 Business Podcast
    • Our YouTube Channel
  • 🎯 Partner With Us
    • Podcast Sponsorship
    • Email Sponsorship
      • Email Newsletter
      • Dedicated Email Blast
    • Event Sponsorship
      • Social Media Marketing World
    • Tools Sponsorship
  • 👋 About Us
    • Our Story
    • Articles
      • Web3
      • Instagram Marketing
      • Facebook Marketing
      • YouTube Marketing
      • LinkedIn Marketing
      • TikTok Marketing
      • Expert Interviews
  • Search
  • Social Media Marketing World10th annual. Biggest industry event. Get the recordings!IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING

    10 LinkedIn Tips for Connecting With People at Live Events

    by Viveka von Rosen / August 18, 2016

    social media how toDo you want to strengthen the connections you make at conferences?

    Have you considered using LinkedIn to develop relationships during events?

    As a business-centric social network, LinkedIn is valuable for connecting with peers, colleagues, and prospects before, during, and after conferences.

    In this article, you'll discover 10 tips for using LinkedIn to connect with people at conferences and events.

    use linkedin to connect with people at live events
    Discover 10 LinkedIn tips for connecting with people at live events and conferences.

    Performing Pre-conference Prep

    Before you attend a conference, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and you have all of your LinkedIn groundwork in place.

    1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile

    To put your best foot forward, update the following details on LinkedIn:

    Give your profile a once-over before you begin your conference engagement. You want your profile to be up to date, since it's likely to be viewed by a lot of people. Look through all of the sections, but pay close attention to where you work, projects you've done, and awards you've received.

    Make sure your profile picture is recognizable, so people will know who you are when they meet you. When people recognize you, it instills a sense of trust, and people do business with those they know, like, and trust.

    Update your background image to reflect your current projects, your industry, or the focus of the conference.

    linkedin profile background image
    Customize your LinkedIn background image prior to the event.

    For example, if you have a book or product that's related to the topic of the conference, put that in your background. For an accounting conference, put a spreadsheet in your background pic. If you've been to the conference before, you could use an image from last year's event.

    2. Research People Connected to the Event

    Look up the venue, organizers, sponsors, and speakers in preparation for the event. Also, join any relevant LinkedIn groups associated with the conference.

    3 Days of World-Class Training—Zero Travel!

    Social Media Marketing World

    Travel to Social Media Marketing World off the table? Get all of the great content at a fraction of the price with an On-Demand ticket.

    That’s full access to recordings of every keynote, workshop, and session—the ones people travel thousands of miles to see. Don't wait. Get your On-Demand ticket and enjoy actionable content that you can watch anytime, anywhere.

    GET YOUR ON-DEMAND TICKET NOW

    Relationship development starts now. You want to connect and engage with the conference organizers and any prospects ahead of time. When you send connection requests, customize your invitations to mention the conference. Also let people know you look forward to meeting them at the event.

    3. Tag Your Connections

    As you connect with people, add a tag with the name of the conference. Note that you can only do this on desktop.

    To tag someone, choose Connections from the My Network tab and hover over the person's name. Then click Tag and select your conference tag from the drop-down list or click Add New Tags to create one.

    linkedin tag connections
    Tag connections on the My Network tab.

    You can also tag new connections from the Relationship tab of their profile.

    linkedin tag connections from profile
    You can also tag contacts via their profile.

    After you add tags, you can easily search your network for people related to the conference.

    To start to build top-of-mind awareness with the organizers and fellow attendees, comment on and share their posts. Remember to @mention them, too.

    linkedin engage with connections
    In your updates, tag people you will see at an upcoming conference to generate excitement.

    Also, reach out to schedule time to meet with important new connections, as well as people you already know whom you want to meet at the conference. As your relationships develop, add notes to their LinkedIn profiles. Put in dates and descriptions of conversations and action items, so nothing falls through the cracks.

    Note: If you know you'll have extra time, search your connections by the conference location (for example, San Diego) to see if there are other people you should meet with while you're in town.

    4. Create Messaging Templates

    Sometimes reaching out to people for the first time can be intimidating. To make communication easier and less stressful during the conference, have some messaging templates ready to go.

    Write and save your templates on your phone's notepad app, so they're easily accessible. Then all you have to do is copy, paste, and customize.

    Tools Resource Guide

    Looking for something to make your life easier?

    Discover the tools we recommend to drive engagement, save you time, and boost sales across your entire marketing funnel or business.

    Whether you need help planning content, organizing social posts, or developing your strategy, you’ll find something for every situation.

    FIND YOUR NEXT FAVORITE TOOL

    Start by creating a standard invitation to connect, which can be up to 300 characters.

    linkedin connection invitation template
    Create messaging templates to make it easy to connect with people on the go.

    Also write a template you can use to ask a mutual friend for an introduction. If you know your mutual friend will also be at the conference, suggest meeting in real life. For instance, “Hey COMMON PERSON, I noticed you know THIS PERSON. All three of us are at/will be at conference X. Would love to all meet up. Is there a good time?” This is one you can send before or during the conference.

    Other messaging templates can include a note to someone you don't know well but want to get to know better, a “great to meet you” note, and a message with a favorite resource you like to send people after you meet.

    5. Download the LinkedIn Mobile App

    If you haven't already done so, make sure you have the LinkedIn mobile app on your phone to make connecting and messaging easier at the conference.

    Engaging During the Event

    Remain active on LinkedIn during the conference to reach out to and engage with your new connections.

    6. Connect With Attendees

    People will be more likely to accept your connection invitations if you're standing right in front of them. So if you can, connect with people in person at the conference, using the LinkedIn mobile app. When you get to your computer later, be sure to add the conference tag. This is also a good time to write any notes about your conversation.

    linkedin connection request
    The best time to send a connection request is when you're with that person.

    The other option is to gather business cards and follow up with people later. Make a note on the card with some details so they're sure to remember you.

    Use two different invitation templates: one for people you connect with immediately and another for business card follow-up connections.

    Tip: Set alerts so you don't miss your must-see sessions and are on time for all meetings.

    7. Take Pictures With Attendees and Speakers

    During the conference, have your picture taken with speakers, influencers, and other new connections. Share these images as updates.

    pictures with conference attendees
    Take pictures with other attendees during the conference so you can post them.

    Gather quotes from attendees and speakers. Also, make notes during the sessions. You can use these for updates, as well as in a compilation LinkedIn Publisher post.

    Following Up Post-conference

    After the conference, turn your notes into content and follow up with your connections.

    8. Send Invitations to Connect

    If you haven't already done so, make sure you send invitations to anyone whose business card you gathered at the conference. If you don't have their cards, look them up on LinkedIn.

    For any good prospects, book a call or meeting online to continue the conversation.

    9. Write a LinkedIn Publisher Post About the Event

    Create a conference-specific LinkedIn Publisher post, using the information you gathered. Choose the best influencer quotes, images, and tips for this recap.

    linkedin publisher conference recap
    Create a LinkedIn Publisher post with a recap of the conference.

    Tag, @mention, and notify anyone mentioned in the post, especially influencers. That way they can easily find and share your content too.

    10. Stay Top of Mind With New Connections

    For the next few weeks, share your conference-related updates and messages to stay top of mind with attendees. Also send the Publisher post to your tagged group of new connections.

    In the months following the conference, periodically send brief private messages to your new connections. Ask questions like: Have you implemented any of the strategies you learned and what were the results? What was your favorite part of the conference and how has it helped your business? Who was your favorite speaker at the conference and what did you learn?

    Keeping in touch is especially important for those who would be good prospective clients and partners.

    As the next conference approaches, send a personalized message to your conference connections asking who will be attending.

    Final Thoughts

    When you attend a conference, you have a target-rich environment for relationship development. Use LinkedIn to connect, follow up, and develop relationships with the people you meet.

    What do you think? Do you use LinkedIn to connect with people during conferences? What other ways do you use it during events? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

    Tips on 10 ways to use LinkedIn to connect with people at conferences and events.
    Tips on 10 ways to use LinkedIn to connect with people at conferences and events.

    Get Your FREE Course: Web3 for Beginners

    Web 3 for Beginners

    Curious about Web3, but don't know where to start or who to trust?

    Introducing Web3 for Beginners, a course taught by Michael Stelzner, the founder of Social Media Examiner.

    Learn the basics of Web3 and apply it to your business with this FREE comprehensive course.


    CLICK HERE TO GET FREE ACCESS

    Tags: Event Marketing, LinkedIn

    About the authorViveka von Rosen

    Viveka von Rosen is Cofounder of Vengreso, the world’s largest full-spectrum socialselling provider. Known as the @LinkedInExpert, she’s author of the best-selling LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day & LinkedIn: 101 Ways to Rock.
    Other posts by Viveka von Rosen Âť

    Get Social Media Examiner’s Future Articles in Your Inbox!

    Get our latest articles delivered to your email inbox and get the FREE Social Media Marketing Industry Report (39 pages, 50+ charts)!

    Industry Report Cover

    Worth Exploring:

    Facebook

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Instagram

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    YouTube

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Linkedin

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Web3

    Marketing Help Explore More →

    Social Media Marketing Industry Report

    Get Free Report →

    Social Marketing Trends

    The data you've been missing!

    Need a new plan? Discover how marketers plan to change their social activities in the 14th annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report. It reveals what marketers have planned for their social activities, content marketing, and more! Get this free report now and never miss another great article from us. Join more than 400,000 marketers!

    Enter your email to get
    our free report:


    Footer

    Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
    Copyright © 2023 Social Media ExaminerÂŽ
    All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy.

    Helpful Links

    • About us
    • Our content via email
    • Our podcasts
    • Our YouTube channel
    • Our live show
    • Our industry report
    • Sponsorship opportunities
    • RSS
    • Accessibility