By far the best way to make connections with other marketers is face to face and this is usually done at a live event. While we can build relationships online nothing beats shaking someone’s hand and introducing yourself face to face, this is a connection that is impossible to make online. By attending live events I have managed to form solid relationships with some top marketers that has enabled me to transform my business.

There are events happening almost on a daily basis and it shouldn’t be hard to find one near you. However, there are some basic rules you should follow when attending a live event to make sure you gain the most from it.

1. Work Out What You Want to Get From The Event.
It’s very important you work out what you want to get from any event you attend, this will determine the type of event you should go to. Do you want to learn? Do you want to network? Do you want to gain more JV partners? Do you want to connect with potential clients or gain new customers?

2. Connect, Connect, Connect.
Make sure you connect with as many people as possible, shake hands, introduce yourself and start talking. If I could offer one big tip here it is that most of the action happens in the bar each evening, don’t spend it in your room when you could be spending it making those all important connections.

3. Don’t be Pushy.
If you have a pending launch the worst thing you can do is talk about it and bring it up at every opportunity as you will come across as desperate. My advice is to leave the ‘will you promote my product’ talk at home and just concentrate on building relationships, then when you get home you can always contact anyone you’ve formed a relationship with and start from there.

4. Learn as Much as Possible About The People You Want to Connect With.
If you want to get someones attention and you know they are going to be at an event learn something about them before you leave and take some notes with you. Also, if you see a marketer at an event and you don’t know much about them but want to have a chat jump on your phone and spend 5 minutes doing some research, believe me if you mention one of their products you will have their attention. Take this introduction for example. “Hi John, I’m xxxx, I must say your product Simple Traffic Solutions is fantastic, it taught me a lot of traffic tactics I didn’t know, I especially loved the module about gaining JV partners, it helped a lot” Now how could I not be impressed by that introduction?

5. Don’t be The Event Jerk.
There’s one at every event. They hassle you, stalk you to try to catch you on your own, drink too much and act like a fool, talk about nothing but themselves and are generally just annoying. If you’ve never seen the event jerk perhaps it’s you. Don’t be the event jerk.

6. It’s Not About You.
So you made a million off your last launch, you came first in that big JV competition, or you just had Facebook buy your latest app for 17 billion. Who cares? It’s not about you, it’s about what you can do for others, if you want to build those all important connections and form long term business relationships leave the ego at the airport and concentrate on what you can do to help others. If you get this right you will go home with a ton of connections from potential business partners, clients, etc.

7. Not Everyone is a Good Fit For Your Business.
You can’t do business with everyone in the room so concentrate on the people who will give you the time you give them. Don’t force yourself on people as it will usually push them away. Understand that not everyone will want to connect with you and don’t worry if someone gives you the brush off, it happens.

8. Humor is The Ultimate Connector.
This usually happens at the bar and it usually happens in the early hours, some of the best friendships and long term business partnerships have been formed while ‘having a laugh’. If you can have a laugh with someone and forget the marketing talk you will form a far better connection.

9. Events Are About Mutual Benefits.
If you ‘get this’ you will go far, remember that the connections you form are the building blocks to a successful business, but also remember that other marketers are also building their businesses too. If someone reaches out to you listen to what they want from you and what you can do for them because if you don’t you may find no one wants to know you when you get home.

10. After The Event Keep it Going.
Once you get home make sure you follow up with any connections you have made as now is the time to build on the foundations you have built. You should also begin to implement the strategies you have learned (you will learn lots) and to above all make sure that the event was something that can help you take your business forward.

 The Ultimate Event!

If you’ve never been to an event yet I am delighted to announce that ‘ll be attending the Marketing Summit UK event this weekend.

If you are attending and want to hook up please let me know by leaving a comment below and whatever you do make sure attending events becomes part of your business routine.

1. Begin with Great Content

Like any other content, YouTube videos must be engaging and compelling enough to prompt discussions and social sharing. Great content brings users to your channel and videos. Content that is refreshing, funny, thought provoking, entertaining, useful and even bizzare can cause a viral effect and bring about a marked increase in website awareness and product sales.

2. Make Your Video Findable

Your videos should be findable both within and outside of YouTube. Since Google owns YouTube, videos often appear on the first page of search engines. This is a proven method to out rank your competitors. make sure your keyword is in your title and your description as keyword rich as possible.

3.Brand Your YouTube Channel

Turn your channel into a destination of choice. By creating a custom background with colors to match your branding and creating a playlist of your most popular videos, you will appear more professional.

4.Engage your Viewers and Commentors

Don’t simply post and forget about your video. Make a commitment to reply to viewers who leave comments and further pique their interest by stimulating discussion about the topic. Simply interacting with viewers in this manner encourages them to click on your link and lead to an increase in sales.

5. Plan Ahead

Know what your marketing goals are and gently lead your viewers to see the benefits of your product or services. Be ready to answer any questions and be helpful in your comments.

6. Analyse the Data

How many likes did your video garner? What about Thumbs up or thumbs down. You can gauge what is popular and trending by looking at these data. Again, initiate discussion and make improvements to future videos you upload.

7. Cross Promote on Facebook and Twitter

Post and tweet about your video on Facebook and twitter. This would encourage even more interaction among these incredibly popular social spaces.

Being a savvy YouTube Marketer has big benefits for your online business. If you are new to video marketing or just want to know how to maximise your efforts in YouTube Marketing, these TUBE TUTORIALS are the perfect resource!

This is a guest post written by Carolyn Soh, if you would like to be considered for a guest post please contact me.