When you attend a business event, you have to keep up with what’s happening, hold your ground on the social media madness, and still be present enough to have real life conversations with people around you. It sounds a lot like what I’d imagine parenting to be.
You don’t want to neglect social networks, so you’re frantically managing your Twitter feed. But staying on your phone all the time will make you unapproachable and you’ll miss out on making potentially invaluable connections.
So how can you find that sweet spot and feel like you totally got this?
Take quick snaps with your smartphone, but make it fashion
I asked my marketing friends what’s the biggest challenge they deal with when tweeting from events.
The number one response is always the same – pictures! Trying to take quality pictures with a simple phone camera, editing pictures on the go, rubbish lighting making it impossible to take good pictures.
We know you’ll be taking quick snaps with your smartphone and posting them on the go. Chances are the place is badly lit, you’ll struggle with finding a satisfactory angle… Looks like you’ll have to work with what you’ve got.
Nobody brings a Canon EOS M100 and a light reflector to a networking event. So how can you give your pictures that ‘oomph’ factor?
This is where a handy little photo editing app comes to the rescue. You need to enhance the picture on the go? Sure thing. You only have few seconds to make it pop? No problem.
Our Communications Manager Marisa rounded up a selection of tools to help you win in digital. These include email, project and team management apps, but right now we’re interested specifically in photo editing tools.
I share a favourite with Marisa – Snapseed ticks all the boxes for me. It’s free, easy to use, and has a hefty selection of tools that do the job of making your photo look good.
Bonus points if you download it few days before the event and play with different effects and intensities to choose your go-to combination.
#HashtagEverything
I’m guessing you want to be part of the conversation and get your tweets noticed. Whether it’s an optometry expo, an e-learning conference or a networking evening, it’s safe to assume that a hashtag will be in place at most of these events.
Doing a quick check before the event will save you time later when you’re ready to send that tweet. If it’s not a straightforward one, it’s worth taking a note of it on your phone. Plus, you can quickly copy and paste it.
It will also give you an idea of what to expect before the event, see what others are talking about, and maybe even inspire your posts. We have lots of tips on this in our Digital Marketing for Events course.
Prep some tweets
“On my way to the #XYZconference – looking forward to hearing @ABC’s thoughts on social influencers“
You won’t know exactly what the day brings but let’s be honest, there’s a common denominator between all these events. You can identify topics you want to comment on, such as the venue, the turnout, speakers, or even the food available.
Copying and pasting a chunk of text, even a bite size one, will save you time later. It will also mean that your tweets are less likely to suffer from spelling mistakes, rushed thoughts, or lack of relevant mentions and hashtags. And it might give you an idea for pictures you can take.
Read more on the Sookio blog.