What do you do if you want to network with professionals in influencer marketing at conferences and events?

Don't attend any event without prior participation. Research well about the speakers in advance and be clear about the people you want to network with. It will ensure you focus your time and energy in the right places to make the most out of it.

- Before attending a conference or event, research the speakers, sponsors, and attendees who are involved in influencer marketing. Familiarize yourself with their backgrounds, expertise, and any recent projects they've been involved in. - Set Clear Goals. - Smile, maintain open body language, and be willing to initiate conversations with other attendees. - Exchange business cards or connect with professionals on LinkedIn to stay in touch after the event. - After the conference or event, follow up with the professionals you connected with to nurture your relationships. Send personalized follow-up emails or messages to express your interest.

As someone who has attended hundreds of events, I use this strategy: I imagine I'm the host of this event. How would I approach people? I wouldn't be shy, but welcoming and assertive to make sure everyone is having a great time. However, I don't engage to just find out what everyone does and how can they help me. In my early days as a Hollywood assistant at the largest talent agency, I would sometimes find myself at parties that had people that really didn't want to meet you unless you could help them. When they found out where I worked, they would pester me. A few times, I told them I was the janitor to watch how quickly they become uninterested.

If you ever want to accomplish anything, just go to the room where there are people who have already done it. When you get the chance to participate in an event, actively connect with people there. You will learn more about yourself and about how others are doing business that is actually proven to have worked before. The results that you want the most could be a simple conversation away so engage sincerely as much as you can.

Social media is possibly the biggest tool for connecting and getting to know where people are going and which are the best events to attend. Joining Facebook groups and following the influencers inside your niche will help you connect with even more people inside the circles which will propel you to golden nuggets of wisdom that, when applied, will become invaluable to your business.

A tip I like to use when I am at a conference or event where I want to expand my network is conversation threads. When talking with anyone I give details about what I am talking about that can easily become the next topic of the conversation. For example: I can talk about my traveler's blog giving the details on social media tactics, the places I have travelled to and what kind of equipment I use; This will leave "threads" that people can attach to and talk about more in-depth depending on their interests: different cultures, tech or social media. This will offer value to the conversation and you'll get some value back from them.