Conferences are a nice change in environment compared to a typical day at the office. However, with work still going on, tons of speakers and new people swarming around, it’s easy for a PR pro to get overwhelmed.
With Social Media Marketing World beginning today, check out how you can get the most out of it, without breaking a sweat. (Note: These are best practices work for other conferences, too!)
Want to see why this year’s #SMMW15 will be even better than last year’s? Check out our blog post!
Get in the #SMMW15 Community
Many conferences like Social Media Marketing World have ways for attendees to network and have conference fun before the big event even begins. Once you’ve registered, check out all the opportunities to interact with fellow attendees. Most conferences send updates via email, social and their website.
Before arriving at your destination, be sure to join the exclusive, attendees only social groups. #SMMW15 has a LinkedIn group and a Facebook group. Also don’t be afraid to let the Twitterverse know you’re attending by using the hashtag #SMMW15. By simply tweeting a blog post about the conference, I was immediately added to several conference related Twitter lists, so it works!
Embrace Hashtags and Those Who Use Them
Soaking up knowledge and making new friends is one of the top reasons people go to conferences. Conferences aren’t the time to be passive. Don’t hold back during sessions, live tweet the #SMMW15 sessions and tag the speaker if you have enough characters. If you see other live tweets, don’t be afraid to retweet or add your two cents. That’s a recipe for a Twitter friendship can bud into a conference buddy in the short-term, and a great resource in the future.
Also live tweeting is a great way to take notes, so you can remember everything you’ve learned when you’re back in the office. I typically rely on my tweets if I’m writing a conference recap blog post or want to report my takeaways to my colleagues.
Want to stay up to date on #SMMW15 happenings? Follow us @Cision!
Conference Mobile Apps Are Your Friend
Big conferences have a ton of content. Great sessions overlap leaving PR and social pros feeling like a kid in a candy store, not knowing where to start first. Before the conference, use the mobile app to select your schedule so you have a plan of action when the day starts. You of course can deviate from your plan later, but having that framework allows you more time to enjoy the conference.
What are your best conference survival tips?
