Welcome to the final stage of better networking.

You’ve done your job of organizing the event and making sure it ran smoothly, so now it’s time to make sure you follow up and stay connected. In our previous posts we discussed ways for you to better network by 1) showing you 5 tips to use on the top 5 social media platforms before an event and 2) by showing you 5 tips to use on the top 5 social media platforms during the event. But now it’s time to show you our 5 tips to use on the top 5 social media platforms after an event. 

And do you remember what the top 5 social media platforms are? They’re Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Blogs! So think, how can you effectively leverage these 5 platforms after an event in a way that will help you stay connected and grow your network even after the event is over?

1) Facebook: 

FB is an easy way to grow your network and stay connected with all the wonderful faces you mingled with during the event.

1. Search for any attendees you met during the event and request them as a friend. This will keep you connected and it will keep them in your network for future reference.
2. Once they have accepted your friend request, send them a comment or a message. You can just send them a quick message letting them know that you enjoyed meeting them, or you can follow-up and ask them out for coffee if you are interested in sharing tips and ideas. 
3. Create an album and upload all of your event photos. This will give your Fb friends a chance to see your work and more importantly, it will direct event members to your page and ultimately grow your following. Because who doesn’t like to look at pictures?
   
4. The same can be said for videos. Upload all the videos you have taken during the event onto your FB page.
5. Make sure to tag anyone from the event onto your photos or videos. This will give other members a chance to find and connect with other event members.

2) Twitter:

In order to grow your network, make it easy for event members to find you via Twitter.

1. Search for the twitter handles of anyone you have met during the event, especially the sponsors, speakers, venues and hosts. This is an easy and great way to start building and growing relationships. 
2. Once you’ve followed them, send them a quick Tweet. Let them know you enjoyed their company and if you really bonded with them, ask them if they’d like to schedule a hangout, just to get reacquainted and discuss business.
3. Or a creative way to get reacquainted is by sending out a quick Vsnap. A Vsnap allows you to send out a quick video message which is more personal and can make you become more memorable.
4. Tweet about the event that has just wrapped up by using the event hashtag. This will make it easier for event members to find you and follow you. Which is great for better networking.
5. If you’d like you can include a photo within your tweet. You can do this by posting a Twitpic, an Instagram pic or a Path pic. All three of these allow you to showcase your event; Just make sure to use the event hashtag so that it is easy for members to find you and ultimately follow you.

3) LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is a great way to stay connected and suggest connections.

1. Just like with FB and Twitter, it’s important to search for event members on LinkedIn. It’s important because you want to have these new connections in your network just in case you need their advice or assistance on something further down the line.
2. Once you have connected, you can compose and send a message to them. Just like with Twitter and FB, it’s always a plus to follow up and say hi. This will make you more memorable and it can grow your network.
3. Create a group. Creating a group will allow you to invite all of the event members and promote discussion. Promoting discussion is always good because it allows you to see what you have in common with others, so that you can help one another out, if need be. It also allows you to find new connections to grow your network.
4. One thing to do is to suggest connections to one another. If you know someone who is looking for a specific talent then suggest someone else who could potentially help them out. They can then in turn, return the favor and suggest you to others who are looking for a great event organizer.
5. If you have received a multitude of business cards then use CardMunch. CardMunch makes it easier for you to find LinkedIn profiles by simply snapping a photo of the card.

4) Google+:

This is an easy way to share and build relationships.

1. On the Google+ event page, upload any photos you may have taken during the event. This will make it easier for you to share with all event members and easier for you to maintain and follow-up with the that network. 
2. The same goes for videos. Upload them on the Google+ event page so that all event members can see them. Once they see your videos or photos, they may possibly start following you which will then give you a chance to showcase who you are and what you do!
3. Find people from the event via Google+ or via the Google+ event page and add them to your circle of friends.
4. You can them get more personal and send them a message, just like with FB, Twitter and LinkedIn.
5. Another thing to do is to build a community. Building a community will help you stay connected with the right people, which you can then share more planned events with, start hangouts with, and share with.

5) Blogs:

A great way to increase traffic and boost credibility.

1. First things first, write a descriptive blog post. Let everyone know the outcome of your event and about all the wonderful things and people that were there.
2. If you want to increase your views, mention any specific people or names that you have gathered during the event. More than likely, they will read the post if they are mentioned in it. And who knows, they may then pass along your blog post to increase your views even more. The more views you have, the more comments you will get, and the more credibility you will receive.
3. Take all the photos that you have taken during the event and incorporate them in your post. It’s more than likely that your photos will draw in more viewers than if you were just to blog with strictly written content.
4. Take all the videos you have taken during the event and do the same. This way if someone missed the event you organized, they can still see the wonderful job you have done.
5. And finally, make sure to share the link to your blog on all of your other social media platforms. This will help you gain more traffic, views, and shares. 

It would be time wasted if you chose to stay active on social media only during the event, because staying active on social media after the event is what is going to help you stay connected and grow your network. Which is crucial if you want to grow a following and build stronger relationships. The more you choose to present yourself well online, the more you will be able to build a good reputation for yourself offline. So don’t forget to follow-up and share with your new connections.

So that’s the final piece to better networking. Hows that for you? Did it provide with enough information to assist you in your next event? Let us know and leave your comments below. Or if you want to learn more tips and resources on how to better network make sure to signup for the upcoming Networking 2.0 Book and subscribe to this blog.

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