On this week’s Dear Katie, I was asked a great question: I may be old school but all of our clients have come from in-person networking. What’s the point of investing in online marketing if what we’re doing works?
It’s not an either “in-person” or “digital marketing” world. You want to take what you’re doing offline and use your digital marketing to make your networking more effective.
Why pigeonhole yourself to just one thing?
Instead, use digital marketing to:
You can use your digital presence to connect with people who are going to be at or speaking at the events you attend. What I recommend you do is:
If you don’t know where to start connecting, LinkedIn is a good choice. LinkedIn has over 1 billion users in 200 countries. There’s a good chance that some, if not most, attendees will be on the platform.
Connecting also allows you to showcase the awesome content that you create, which reinforces your own skills.
Your content can do the selling for you even before the event.
I have a guide on what to do before, during and after your next event. Check it out here.
You can also maximize your in-person event with digital marketing by doing one simple thing: ask your followers who is going.
I’ve had multiple occurrences where someone interacted with my content (or booked a discovery call) and never transitioned into a client.
But once I met them in person, things changed.
Why?
My content built up trust before the meeting, and then getting to talk to the person face-to-face got them to sign on as a client.
Imagine this scenario:
You meet two accountants at an event. Both of them serve your niche, and they seem like they’re doing innovative things. You connect with both of them on LinkedIn.
Over the next six months, you notice that accountant A is posting a lot of helpful content and is clearly a leader in the field.
Accountant B? They just have a profile. No posts. No insights. Nothing.
When it’s time to hire an accountant, which one will you remember: A or B? Accountant A, of course.
They won your trust, and because they posted content regularly, they stayed at the top of mind.
Research shows that 82% of people are more likely to trust a company when senior executives are active on social media, so blending in-person and online marketing is essential for attracting clients.
Depending on what’s going on in your life, you may not have as much time to attend events. Last August, I had my second child, and I took a few months off from traveling to events.
Even though I was unable to travel, I still grew my business.
Why? I have digital marketing strategies in place that attract clients without me having to physically be anywhere.
Life is unpredictable.
You never know what’s around the corner, and there may be some periods when you simply cannot attend events or do in-person marketing effectively. Having a digital marketing system in place that can run without you is crucial.
Plus, you can only be in one place at a time, which limits your marketing (no matter how capable you are of attending in-person events).
It’s great to attract clients offline, but it is essential to have a digital strategy to enhance your offline efforts.
Not only will it help you close more clients, but it will also act as a safety net if you find yourself unable to attend events or want to scale beyond what your schedule allows.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
Start by getting curious and talking to your ideal clients. This helps you understand their needs and tailor your messaging accordingly.
You can start conversations with attendees on platforms like LinkedIn and share valuable content to build trust before meeting them in person.
Regularly posting helpful content keeps you top of mind for potential clients, making them more likely to remember and choose you over competitors.
Having a digital marketing strategy allows you to attract clients even when you’re unable to attend events, ensuring your pipeline remains full.
Engage actively on social media by sharing insights and helpful content, which builds trust and positions you as a leader in your field.
Combining both strategies maximizes your reach, enhances client trust, and provides a safety net for your marketing efforts when in-person opportunities are limited.