Networking is a vital skill for any SEO professional who wants to advance their career, learn new strategies, and find new opportunities. But how can you make the most of online events like webinars, where you can't meet people face-to-face? Here are some tips to help you effectively network at SEO webinars and build meaningful relationships with other SEOs.
The first step to successful networking is to choose webinars that are relevant to your interests, goals, and niche. You want to attend webinars that offer valuable insights, practical tips, and fresh perspectives on SEO topics that matter to you. This way, you can learn something new, improve your skills, and show your enthusiasm and expertise. You can also use tools like Google Alerts, Eventbrite, or Meetup to find webinars that match your criteria and preferences.
Simply walking in and out of a seminar won't help. Target the webinars that work for you. Research and vet them to confirm expertise around your specific SEO interests before registering. Have tips or thoughtful questions lined up to highlight your experience. Connect conversations to your freelancing credibly but avoid overt self-promotion. Afterward, recap discussions via email to (briefly) continue exchanging value, not aggressive sales messaging. This personalized outreach builds authentic peer relationships, nurturing fruitful connections around genuine shared interests over time. This breeds effective networking opportunities over time.
Effectively network at SEO webinars for career development by participating actively, connecting on social media, attending virtual networking sessions, reaching out on LinkedIn, seeking advice, contributing insights, following up post-webinar, joining SEO communities, offering help, and attending multiple webinars to expand your network.
Before you join a webinar, you should prepare a brief introduction of yourself and your SEO background. This is your pitch, and it should highlight your value proposition, your achievements, and your goals. You can use this pitch to introduce yourself to the speakers, the hosts, and other attendees, and to start a conversation. You should also prepare some questions that you can ask during or after the webinar. These questions should be relevant, specific, and insightful, and they should demonstrate your interest and curiosity. You can use these questions to engage with the content, the speakers, and other attendees, and to show your knowledge and skills.
Craft a compelling "elevator pitch" introducing your specific SEO background - highlight niche skills around technical audits, local optimization, etc. to establish credibility fast when conversing at events. Research speakers, session descriptions to prepare smart SEO questions demonstrating thoughtful expertise in their particular methods/tools. Asking engaging queries shows knowledge and sparks quality dialogue. When conversations open around your informed questions, mention recent client cases that concretely illustrate the concept without aggressive self-promotion. The goal is to learn as much as possible from speaker expertise while also selectively showcasing your specialized skills where highly relevant.
During the webinar, you should be active and visible. This means that you should participate in the chat, the polls, the Q&A, and any other interactive features that the webinar offers. You should also use your real name, your photo, and your social media or website links as your profile information. This way, you can create a positive impression, build rapport, and make yourself memorable. You should also use the chat to compliment the speakers, the hosts, and other attendees, to share your insights and opinions, and to ask for feedback and advice. You should also use the chat to exchange contact information with other attendees who share your interests or goals.
Display your real name, photo, and business links prominently on your webinar profile. Actively participate in polls, breakouts, and interactive features Explicitly compliment creative ideas other participants raise around implementation challenges. Swap contact info with attendees sharing common interests Participate as your authentic professional self. Follow up with new connections. Express gratitude for speakers’ insights Provide value through your visible expertise, compassion for peers, and win-win mindset.
After the webinar, you should follow up and stay in touch with the people you met. You should send them a thank you email, a LinkedIn request, or a tweet, and express your appreciation and gratitude. You should also mention something specific that you learned from them, or that you enjoyed about the webinar. You should also offer your help, your expertise, or your resources, and ask for their help, their expertise, or their resources. You should also suggest a way to keep the conversation going, such as a phone call, a video chat, or a coffee meeting. You should also follow up regularly, and share relevant updates, articles, or opportunities with them.
Nurture those connections from a webinar because it is your connections that help you gain gigs and exposure! Send new connections a warm follow up email or LinkedIn request after the event Mention something specific you learned from their expertise around a topic Offer helpful resources in return like your technical SEO auditing checklist or keyword grouping tool if relevant. Have coffee chats over Zoom if both parties are available! Follow up occasionally Share relevant job opportunities Provide sincere support around professional challenges raised initially without expecting anything immediate in return. Foster goodwill.
One of the benefits of networking at SEO webinars is that you can find mentors and guides who can help you grow your career. Mentors are experienced SEOs who can offer you advice, feedback, and support, and who can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of the SEO industry. Guides are SEOs who can teach you new skills, techniques, and tools, and who can help you improve your performance and results. You can seek mentorship and guidance from the speakers, the hosts, or other attendees who have the skills, the knowledge, or the experience that you want to learn from. You can ask them for tips, recommendations, or referrals, and you can offer your value, your gratitude, or your reciprocity.
?Finding virtual mentors through webinars is becoming a great source of hands-on guide nowadays! ? The best way to seek guidance would be by asking genuine questions, and sharing the pain points you are facing in the journey. Having patience, respect, and gratitude is a must here.
The ultimate goal of networking at SEO webinars is to build long-term relationships with other SEOs who can help you achieve your career goals, and who you can help achieve theirs. Long-term relationships are based on trust, respect, and mutual benefit, and they require consistent communication, collaboration, and support. You can build long-term relationships by staying in touch, by providing value, by asking for help, by giving feedback, by celebrating successes, and by overcoming challenges. You can also build long-term relationships by joining or creating online communities, groups, or masterminds, where you can share your ideas, your experiences, and your resources with other SEOs.
Networking in any industry is about building a trust relationship. That rarely happens straight away, so visibility, follow-up and nurture are crucial.