Have a Better Conference Experience Marketing Your Books By Using Networking Apps

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

I so enjoyed a first-time event this spring, and part of the reason came from the great conference event app. Another conference used an app but less effectively and still it added much more organization and marketing ability. Then I attended a few conferences with no apps and realized they fell short of my expectations because each one seemed less organized, and so much harder to connect and meet up with people I wanted to see. Check out conference apps and how to get the most from them.

What are conference apps?

A mobile event or conference app is a mobile application to share information and help everyone connect. This is more important the larger the event, especially if it’s over 100 attendees, and is more than one-day or has multiple, simultaneous workshops. There are both free and paid versions that the event planner can choose. Whova and GroupMe are two free ones that work well.

Using the App

1. Once you join the app the event uses, check out the options provided. The front page of the app, called home, shows the options such as meetups, floor map, exhibitors, speakers, and more. There’s also a menu at the bottom where you can click to on attendees, agenda (or schedule), mail, and more. 

Scheduling and reminders are easy with an event app. You can pull up the schedule and even get descriptions of workshops, and click to add it to your private schedule. It will automatically send a reminder and you can pull up your schedule to see what’s next that you plan to attend. The mail in the bottom menu, is for notes sent to you or sending notes to others.

2. Networking is easy as you can pull up the speakers and attendees, look at photos (if they entered one), and see a little about who they are. You can even search for someone or search by their company or other description (such as author). Go through the list before the conference to discover who will be attending and learn a little about the people. Message anyone you really want to meet.

3. The agenda is by the day, so for a 3-day conference you can bring up whatever day you want to check. Events for the entire group will be on the agenda and you choose to add others from choices. Having it all in one place makes it easier to get to the right places at the right times. 

4. Community boards and Meet ups are places to share information or ask questions and find matches, like asking who writes fiction or poetry. Once magazine editor’s conference scheduled a meet up for all freelance authors and we had a blast getting to know one another. It was a great help for me as a first-timer at the conference. Because it was set up before the event started, we had the opportunity to connect, sometimes reconnect to friends, and ask questions about the conference from those who attended in the past.

Marketing and Networking Opportunities with the APP

Being able to connect ahead of time and schedule meetings makes networking a breeze. Apps provide the opportunity to ask to meet and share why you want to meet. The person could agree or graciously decline (some only attend one day or have a full agenda). Some people are busy and don’t get on the app to reply, but even those had seen my messages without replying, greeted me when we sat near one another or met.

As usual, don’t be pushy, but ask if they are willing to meet. At some conferences, appointments with editors and agents are handled by the director and those are ones with whom you do not ask to meet or have them save a place at a table. Follow the conference rules on such activities.

It can be great to plan a meal with authors in the same genre or from the same city. It’s also a way to get to know more about someone, such as asking someone what their company does and how they help authors or the focus of their ministry.

I wanted to match up with editors who wanted authors to write for their needs. This allowed me to do that and even get some writing assignments, as well as start connecting the editors to authors in my group with writers who could fill their needs. 

Everything does not happen at once, but provides a method to start new relationships and build on established ones. I set up meetings with editors I knew from the past who had changed positions or magazines. I started new relationships and followed up to build on the connections.

Follow Up Made Easier

As the app is usually continued after the event, it’s a great way to follow up to schedule zoom calls, get email addresses, and continue conversations. If you forgot the name of someone, it’s easier to find them by searching the company name, position, or other attribute in the short bio.

The apps will often have an end date, so be sure to get any information before it ends, especially ones not gathered from exchanging business cards, such as sharing your email or phone and asking the best way to connect with someone.

TWEETABLE

Have a Better Conference Experience Marketing Your Books By Using Networking Apps from @KarenHWhiting on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Karen Whiting (WWW.KARENWHITING.COM) is an international speaker, former television host of Puppets on Parade, certified writing and marketing coach, and award-winning author of twenty-seven books for women, children, and families. Her newest book, The Gift of Bread: Recipes for the Heart and the Table reflects her passion for bread and growing up helping at her grandparent’s restaurant. Check out her newest book Growing a Mother’s Heart: Devotions of Faith, Hope, and Love from Mothers Past, Present, and Future. It's full of heartwarming and teary-eyed stories of moms.

Karen has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than eight hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Crosswalk. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting.