Marketing Momentum: 7 Ways to Keep Your Fire Burning after Attending an Industry
Event
by Ilise Benun
When was the last time you attended an industry event
that got you really excited about your work? Do you remember that electric
feeling of flying out the door, ready to take over the world? Have you kept that feeling alive?
You may not think of your annual industry trade show as inspiration for the year ahead, but it can be. It's important to realize that
trade shows and industry events are when the magic
really happens, in part because you get to step away from your every-day
duties.
Think about it.
All year long, you work in your own little corner, whether independently or doing business development for your
employer. You may do some online networking, follow colleagues (and the competition) on Twitter, and "attend" a webinar on a topic
of interest—until an urgent client email arrives that demands your immediate
attention. But for the most part, you're still at your
desk, in relative isolation. And there is a limit to
what you can do by yourself.
That's why it's important to take advantage of real live events to get
together with colleagues and other people who are struggling with the same issues, looking for solutions to similar problems,
and working to achieve comparable goals. Brainstorming with them can be an exhilarating and inspiring experience,
especially when you are passionate about what you do.
Making the Most of Events
The obvious first step is to get out of your office
and attend an event.
The second and most important step is learning to
keep that post-event fire alive. That fire needs to
carry you through those times when you're at your desk working in relative
isolation or when you're putting your inspiration on the
back burner to deal with days (or weeks) of urgent emails.
That fire can also be a driving-force in expanding your business: The more momentum you have, the more effort you make; the more
effort you make, the more business you generate; the more business you generate, the
more you can enjoy doing what it is you're in business to do.
It only takes a little effort and know-how to keep
your embers burning. Here are seven ways to start:
- Narrow It down: You leave the
conference or seminar with a thousand fantastic ideas—some new tricks, some
reminders of old ones with a new twist. You're excited and ready to implement
them all. Then a few days pass,
the flood of email messages that arrived while you were
gone demands answers, and everything you learned seems a little
overwhelming—burdensome even. Your notes are buried beneath the piles and you can't remember what is in them. And, in the end, you do nothing
new.
Here's the fix: Don't expect to do
everything. Implement the top three most relevant and
most doable items. By just doing something, you will keep that momentum going strong.
- Stay Connected: Implement a system to keep connected with others so you can
build on the new connections you made and the old connections you rekindled.
For example, at
the '08 Creative Freelancers Conference, several groups
of attendees quickly formed groups (what they called)
"tribes" and spent most of the conference together, digesting event information over meals and drinks. One
group called themselves the Park
Grill Tribe (after the restaurant where they ate) and vowed to stay connected and keep the momentum of the conference going strong. They even posted a video
on YouTube.
- Follow Up: Remember all those people who said, "Let's stay
in touch," or to whom you said the same thing? Well,
have you been in touch with them? All of them? Or, are their business cards
sitting under a pile of pending work? Take some time and make sure to follow-up.
It will pay off.
- Do the Social Networking Thing: Add
the contacts you made to your social networking sites.
Expand your Biznik, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook networks with the people you met.
- Visualize: Keep your conference
badge or a picture that was taken at the conference as a
reminder of the inspiration and excitement you felt.
Make it the wallpaper on your monitor or on your cell
phone.
- Refresh Your Mind: Contribute to the blog from the conference (if there is one), sign up for email newsletters published by
the speakers and fellow attendees who interested you, or
order a book that was recommended. Keep learning,
contributing, and making room for new ideas.
- Do It Again: Attending an industry event can be like a
vacation: You can have a great time and return to your office renewed. And, you
can return and have your tan and memories, or in this case passion, fade too
soon. What you may need is another "vacation" to look
forward to.
What's coming up? Keep your pipeline
full of events that will inspire you. Soon the momentum from the next event will
build on the momentum from the last one and you won't miss a beat.
By following these tips, you can become a whirlwind
of inspiration and momentum. Here's to stepping into
your office each morning like you've just stepped out of an inspirational
conference!
|
|
