Five Things to Do at a Social Networking Meetup
Meetups are the online manifestation of our social networking efforts. With Twitter and Upcoming.org and Facebook and all the other social networks, putting together a bunch of like-minded people is relatively simple. You find a venue that doesn’t mind a bunch of nerds, preferably with a place you can be loud (because social media types are often the loudest bunch in there, unless there’s a bachelorette party), and hopefully some delightful libations to ease social interaction. But what do you DO there, once you’ve walked in and identified that you’re in the right place. Here’s a recipe:
Say Hi to Your Known Friends
Often times, someone at the meetup is known to you. Make sure you say hi to them earlier in the night than later. I’m working on this one, because sometimes, what happens is that I’ll be somewhere with friends, and never get over to see them because time gets eaten up so fast. I’m going to make a point of saying hi to my longer-known friends first at meetups, so that they feel acknowledged.
Find the New People
Look for folks who might be new to your local scene, or that you haven’t met before, and introduce yourself. My favorite opening line is to ask them what they normally do when they’re not hanging out with a bunch of Twitter geeks. If that doesn’t work, I like to ask people about their passions.
Don’t Crowd Surf Too Much
There’s a tendency that’s easy to follow to just flit between crowds. It’s not a wedding. You don’t have to hit every table. If you find something interesting, don’t be afraid to dive deep into the conversation for a bit. Get into some deeper waters with people, because otherwise, time will wash over you like a wave and you’ll be out without much to show for it.
If You Need to Do Business
Try to think of these meetups as a first date. Don’t put your tongue down our throats. In other words, if you’re there fishing for new business, play it cool, and be part of the gang. Talk about what’s relative, and don’t swerve things instantly into your line of business and how you can help (sell) us. However, it’s okay to say that you’re hoping to build business relationships or the like. Just make that for a follow-up conversation.
Talk About Something New
Whenever possible, come with some really neat new idea to throw into the mix. Think of it as mental show and tell. Or hell, do real world show and tell if you’ve got a nifty new something to show people. But consider bringing something new to the meetup. It will enrich everything. (Don’t force it into the conversation, but have something new in mind.)
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What do YOU do at meetups to make them better, more interesting, a reflection of the value of real space versus online social networking? Tell us about your favorite meetups, or things that you’ve seen happen that you liked.
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Comments
One of the keys to a successful meetup is follow-up.
Reconnecting after the meetup, especially with people you’re meeting for the first time, generates that next level of intimacy required to grow a new relationship, even if you’re not sure where it’s headed quite yet.
Create a hook. As you’re interviewing (yes, that’s what you’re doing) the new contact, come up with a mutually beneficial reason to reconnect and presumptuously assume they want to do the same.
The more action involved the better. Ask them what other networks they participate in and tell them to expect your invitation to connect there. In the sales game we call this multi-level relationship building. The more points of contact you have, the more likely you BOTH are to benefit from the relationship going forward.
And the DO what you SAY you’re going to do, and do it quickly. It’s your first chance to demonstrate the way you do business and it will result in people taking you seriously.
I know I frequently come off as a mercenary when I talk about these things, but those who know me personally know I don’t always have my hand out, I just know how good contacts used to slip through my fingers when I was less experienced, and have come up with strategies to make that less likely.
Remember, these things are a two way street, and the other person probably stands to benefit from a relationship with you too.
I could use some work on these. I tend to puddle jump no matter where I am. The one about saying hi to your friends first is a great one too. Great list Chris.
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment about not being afraid to “dig deep” into one or two conversations, rather than float around the whole group all night long. I much prefer this method, and actually, it’s often far easier to do without feeling awkward.
I make sure not to talk to people who have the same job I do. All too often, I see CEO’s only talking with other CEO’s, PR Directors with other PR Directors, etc. and not talking outside their immediate circle. It may mean getting out of your comfort zone, but there’s real value in the highest person on the totem pole talking to the proverbial lowest.
Great post.
I hope to see you put these into action at our next North Shore Geek Meetup in march.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8254935722
If you’re new and/or quiet, my advice is: jump in! Don’t sit on the end. Sit in the middle, next to someone who seems interesting. No one is having a private conversation at a social media meetup (or at least, they shouldn’t be!). If no one introduces themselves to you, introduce yourself to them. When I organize events, I try to actively engage new people, but it works a lot smoother if everyone advocates for themselves.
It’s social media. We’re social people. Remember that.
[…] media, social networking, tips | Chris Brogan, of ChrisBrogan.com, brings us a list of Five Things to Do at a Social Network Meetup. The tips include both things to do and a couple of advice tips on how to do […]
Great tips Chris.
Another tip - come prepared to talk about what you do. Not to earn a living, but what you do with social media. Being prepared to talk about this is a great way to get invovled.
Great list, great advice. As well as bringing something new, how about bringing *someone* new. Last year, while in the US and visiting New York for a few days, I invited a till then virtual friend from New Jersey to accompany us to a Web 2.0 meetup. She has since been back and she thanked us the other day for introducing her to to the group/event. That was nice.
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[…] - Five Things to Do at a Social Networking Meetup By CoryAdd commentsSocial Networking News Five Things to Do at a Social Networking MeetupMeetups are the online manifestation of our social networking efforts. With Twitter and Upcoming.org […]
Hey Chris,
I’ll just add that starting today you can also pull up your LinkedIn contacts on your LinkedIn Mobile app (iPhone too) that we launched today :) Search or Invite folks you meet at the event who you’d like to stay in touch with.
Disclosure for the readers: I’m the Community Evangelist at LinkedIn and can’t stop talking about our iPhone app that I’ve been testing out recently :)
Check out an iPhone demo that some of engineers give, here | http://tinyurl.com/26ehs4
[…] Social Media discussion happenings And of course the hot topic on twitter these last few days is PodCamp Toronto! http://podcamptoronto.pbwiki.com/Schedule Chris Brogan original founder of PodCamp and currently in TO for the event blogged 5 things to do at a Social Networking Meetup that will be useful for anyone attending the event. http://chrisbrogan.com/five-things-to-do-at-a-social-networking-meetup/ […]
Did you write this post for Michael? Kinda seems oddly familiar to the first time we met you at the Podcast Expo a few years back!
I recently attended two Jeff Pulver Social Media Breakfasts in Philly and DC. Very interesting.
When you arrive Jeff gives everyone piles of sticky notes and tells you to go around and “real time social tag” people that you meet.
It was a great tool in opening up conversation and breaking down the formality of the breakfast.
Joel Mark Witt