Conference Marketing: Be Professional

Blogging and social media are such new areas that they are continually changing and growing. Conferences associated with such are also trying to find a comfort zone. And there are so many different types of people using social media: to market, to network, as an outlet, just for fun. The same goes for blogging. And that’s why it’s easy to discount the conferences associated with them, when so many people use the tools as a hobby rather than a profession.

But if you want to grow your business, your reputation, and your contacts, you must treat conferences seriously and act accordingly. That doesn’t mean you can’t go to social parties, relax, and have a good time. However, it does mean that you need to think about how your behavior and how it reflects on you.

For instance, if you have a few drinks and start getting a little crazy, will people remember you the next day as the one who embarrassed herself (or himself)? And how do you think that will affect your conversations for the rest of the conference? Will you have to be defensive the rest of the time, explaining yourself?

By being professional, you leave those troubles behind. Think about how you dress, speak and interact with people at your conference. At the recent conference I attended, there was no professional dress requirement. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear nice jeans or slacks, a clean, pressed shirt, and appropriate (yet comfortable) shoes.

Professionalism also includes being polite and respectful to your fellow attendees. Join a conversation and contribute instead of just dropping off cards and moving on. Especially in new media – whether you are trying to connect with users or you are the user trying to connect with companies – people want to be engaged. They want to know that you are interested in them, what they have to say, and what they have to offer.

Unfortunately, there has been some backlash against some of the BlogHer attendees due to crowded parties with grabs for swag bags and freebies. Because so many bloggers are hobbyists and see the conference as a fun getaway weekend, they don’t always think about the consequences of acting less than professional. Overall, the conference was a great learning experience, fun, and interesting. But most of the concentration has been on a few small examples of bad behavior. A little professionalism – especially if you want to make money from your hobby – can go a long way.

So regardless of your reason for attending a conference, think about the impression you make. Each interaction can be seen as a small snippet of the overall conference marketing for your company (or you).

image: sxc.hu