Just 2 years ago at blog conferences, you would hand out your blogger cards and stay in touch with people you met using email.
Not any more.
Networking* at blog conferences in 2015 means 1 thing: Instagram.
(* and by ‘networking’, I don’t mean pushing your blog on everyone you meet. I mean starting conversations and using social media to carry them on long after the conference has finished.)
Get more followers
So by, “get more followers”, I really mean, “make more friends”. But friends who will share your stuff, comment on your posts, and understand all your blogging problems and dilemmas.
Photography is the key to finding these new friends amongst the 100s of strangers who are striding confidently through the conference looking like they have all the friends they need, more followers than they know what to do with, and are on their way to drink champagne with the keynote speaker. Here’s the secret – it’s all for show, and every single blogger in that room would be delighted to meet another person just like them to chat to.
First contact
Here’s how to meet your first new blogger friend.
1. Find out the conference (or session) hashtag.
2. Using your phone, take one of the following 4 photographs, depending on your personality:
A: a selfie with the person sitting next to you
B: a shot of the speaker (make it a flattering one)
C: a beautiful vignette of a quiet corner of the venue
D: your lunch/coffee/cake/wine
3. Post your photo on Instagram along with the conference (or session) hashtag, and the following comment (don’t have Instagram? Learn how to sign up for an Instagram account here):
A: introduce your new selfie friend using their Instagram @name
B: quote something inspirational the speaker has said in their session, and include their @name
C/D: say something about how great the conference is, how fabulous the venue/food, and which session you’re going to next
4. Now for the social part. Keep checking back to your Instagram, and do the following:
– If someone Likes your photo, follow them. Go to their feed, and see if they are at the conference. Like some of their photos, and leave a comment.
– If someone comments on your photo, reply to their comment with their @name so they get a notification that you are having a conversation. Follow them, go to their feed, and Like and comment on their photos.
– Search for the conference or session hashtag, and start Liking, commenting and following. Don’t like selfies? Then ignore the selfie photos. Love someone who drinks merlot at 4pm? You may have found your new best friend. You’ll soon find someone posting the same kind of stuff as you, who wants to chat. Some people will ignore you, but most will reciprocate. Keep the conversation going with those people.
3 things you must do
1. Make sure you have a link to your blog in your Instagram profile. You are not going to be telling people what your blog is the first time you meet, but you want to make it easy for them to find it.
2. Have the same @name everywhere. This is a controversial one, but having made the switch I can tell you you will definitely get more followers everywhere if your @name is the same everywhere.
I used to be @LovingOur Pics on Twitter and @EmmaDaviesPhoto on Instagram. Following advice from @Flowerona and others, I made the switch DURING last year’s Blogtacular conference. Not the best timing, but it had to be done. I’m now @EmmaDaviesPhoto everywhere – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Ello, Steller, Google+ and Snapchat.
3. Stay in touch. After the conference, make a point of keeping the conversation going with people you met (even if you never actually met in person).
Stay in touch! I'll be at Blogtacular again this year, say hi if you're there.
In the meantime, if you'd like a whole year's worth of free photography lessons, sign up here. I send out a new lesson every Thursday by email. And we have a private Facebook group for chat and networking.
No spam, just a photography lesson every Thursday.