Use Social Media to Jumpstart Networking at Legal Conferences
It's a given that legal conferences are ground zero for networking, but if you wait until you are on site to make connections, the jam-packed days may leave you scrambling to meet the right people.
To make the most of your conference dollars, we recommend maxing out the networking value of events with a simple action plan.
Leverage social media before, during, and after the event to Listen, Engage and Connect.
By taking a peek at social media before the event, you can suss out the influencers, determine the trending topics, and discover attendees with similar interests, all of which will provide ready conversation starters when you arrive at the event.
If done with a modicum of finese, your insightful comments on appropriate social channels can also shine some light on your own firm.
We've outlined some actions you can take before, during, and after an event to expand your reach and solidify relationships.
Ready to flex your networking finesse? You can start right now by interacting with legal event chatter. Check out our ready-made, live newsfeed at the end of this post.
Not going to an event, but want to be involved? That's even more reason to take advantage of social media. Many of the tips listed below can be done from the sofa in your family room.
Before ...
Start Early. By getting a head start before the event, you set the stage to make the most out of your time once you arrive. You can determine which industry influencers will be in attendance, find other attendees with similar interests, and assess from the online chatter the trending topics and views.
Hashtags. Hashtags cut through the clutter on social media allowing you to hone in on people and news about the event. For example, if you are attending NJAJ in Atlantic City, use the hashtag #BoardwalkSeminar to keep on track with news and conversations for the event.
Pro Tip: Hashtags are a staple on Twitter, but they're also useful on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Where do you find hashtags for other events? Start with the association's website or, if available, the specific event website (like this one for Mass Torts Made Perfect). You can also do your own research on social media by testing out likely hashtags to see if they pull up relevant conversations.
Once you've tracked down the correct hashtags, follow any relevant individuals or firms posting to the hashtag so you can continue to see their other non-tagged posts in your home Twitter feed.
Pro Tip: Twitter hashtag searches automatically show you the top results first. Click "Latest" to see the most recent posts in chronological order.
Keep on eye out for Twitter lists of speakers or delegate lists for the event. Here's an example of a list that we created last year for American Association for Justice that still provides value today: AAJ 2016 Speakers.
Following these lists will get you up to speed quickly. No list? Make one and share it publicly, a move that could put you on the path to being an influencer.
Listen: Monitor the event organizer, speakers, and exhibitors' social media channels to stay on top of the news and commentary for the event. This is a great way to figure out who the influencers are and find attorneys in your niche.
Some lawyers and law firms provide more than news on their feeds, they also offer opinions and commentary as well. These types of social media accounts are gems because the background information gives you insight you can use to reach across the digital divide and jumpstart conversations.
Pro Tip: Add the Twitter handle(s) for people or firms related to your tweet to ensure that they see your post. Twitter handles begin with the @ symbol and look like this: @TheNTLtop100
Get Social. Meeting face to face is a prime perk when you attend an event, but why wait until you get there before you connect? Use social media to make connections before you even walk through the doors.
Look online to see what topics are percolating to the top of the chatter. Scope out the keynote speakers and presenters. Then get the conversation rolling using social media:
- Engage and Connect. Once you are familiar with the online chatter, join in the conversation. Ask questions. Offer opinions. Not only will you become a familar face in the online crowd, it will be easier to strike up a conversation when you meet at the event.
- Offer Insider Tips. Have you been to the event before? Do you have tips that could help others? Post your insider info, using the correct hashtag so they make it to the right conversational feed. If you are familiar with the city where the event is being held, offer tips on what to see and do.
- Write a Post About Your Goals for the Event. Is there a topic you are laser focused on? Write a post highlighting conference presentations that you are looking forward to and why. Your post could attract like-minded attendees, creating a ready-made focus group ready to drill down into the topic when you arrive.
- Organize a Meet Up at the Event. If you've gotten traction online, consider organizing a time to meet at the conference. If you wait until you arrive to set a meeting, everyone's dance cards may already be booked.
During ...
Be a Publisher. Speakers and presenters make perfect content to share on social channels. Snap pictures of speakers or graphics they present and share the content on your social media feed. Or go live at the event with short videos.
Note: Some events have restrictions on live streaming during presentations, so be sure you understand the ground rules.
Pro Tip: At presentations, sit at the front of the room for the best photo ops. Because the best photos are the ones that get shared ... it's a great way to earn name recognition.
Continue posting and taking pictures throughout the day to capture the entire event.
Undoubtedly, others will be doing the same, so be sure to go online and save posts relevant to your interests. Share the best ones throughout the event, tagging people so your posts show up on their social media accounts.
By sharing great content, you could become that recognizable face in the social media crowd while building relationships with the people whose content you shared.
Pro Tip: Photos make a post stand out from the crowd, so be sure to add pictures and imagery whenever you can to your posts
If you are consistent, your social media posts and pictures will evolve into a curated history of the event and the people you connected with. Consider this your digital notebook that you can refer to long after the event is over.
Here are some possible publishing tactics:
- LiveTweet. This is when you post Tweets about a presentation on Twitter while the event is taking place. It takes some practice, but because few people are willing to create a Cliff's Notes of the presentation, it will put your posts and name front and center in the social media feed for the event. You can get even more mileage out of live tweeting by turning the tweets into a blog later on. (Hint: Tips, quotes and statistics from a presentation make great content.)
- Go Live. Use Facebook Live or an app like Twitter's Periscope to broadcast live from an event. It's not something everyone will do, which gives you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
- Share. When you find great content posted by another attendee, share it. Re-Tweeting and sharing other people's posts are digital compliments that help both of you. Just be sure to tag the original poster so they know.
Meet 'n' Greet. Have you collected some names from before the event or in the first few hours? Use social media to ogranize an impromptu meet 'n' greet at the event. If you did your pre-event legwork, you may already have a group primed to meet face-to-face to dissect a specific topic. Ping them for a meeting on site.
This Tweet by Mark Geragos at a recent National Trial Lawyers Summit provides a glimpse into his experience and opens up an opportunity for outsiders to connect with an influential player. Note the use of the event hashtag and the event Twitter handle @TheNTLtop100.
With My Scout @tenygeragos at #NTLSummit @TheNTLtop100 pic.twitter.com/leU26wU2Yx
— Mark Geragos (@markgeragos) February 8, 2016
After ...
Stay Connected. Thank yous and shoutouts help cement connections you made at the event. Consider sharing your top takeaways from the event, making sure you use the right hashtags so they don't slip by unnoticed.
Keep Publishing. Consider publishing a wrapup of your notes from the event. If you were focused on a specific area of litigation, a roundup on the topic reinforces your firm's authority on related cases.
This post by Fried, Gursten, Leizerman, PLLC, after an American Association for Justice seminar is a fantastic example of post-show social strategy.
Note that this tweet includes tags to the appropriate attorney accounts as well as the event account. The event hashtag has been applied AND the firm took the extra step to create a wrapup blog post of the event, which is linked in this tweet. Brilliant!
Great job by @TruckRoundtable's @SteveGursten & @RenaLeizerman at @JusticeDotOrg's #AAJinLA. https://t.co/nOkJoXJZyM pic.twitter.com/g9PiZn95od
— TruckRoundTable.com (@TruckRoundtable) August 3, 2016
Twitter for Industry Events
Several popular events are just around the corner so we've done a little of the legwork for you, starting with these targeted Twitter hashtag searches:
- American Association for Justice: #AAJAustin #AAJinLA
- Mass Torts Made Perfect: #MTMP #MTMP16 #MTMP17
- New Jersey Association for Justice: #BoardwalkSeminar #NJAJ
- National Trial Lawyers: #NTLSUMMIT2017 #NTLSummit
Einstein Law maintains a Twitter account dedicated to legal event news and commentary. See below for a live embedded version of this newsfeed to get up to speed.
How to Use the Twitter Feed
- See below for the live "Legal Event News" Twitter feed
- Scroll within the live Twitter feed to view more posts
- Interact with Twitter posts directly from this feed (Twitter account required to reply, share, and like posts. How to Set-Up a Twitter Account)
- Follow @LegalEventNews on Twitter to keep up with the feed from your smartphone, desktop, or tablet.
Einstein Law's Legal Event News Feed
Stay tuned to this feed before, during, and after your favorite legal events to track news and commentary. Just click and scroll within the feed to see more posts. Are we missing an event you feel should be covered? Send us a direct message on Twitter now!
If you are headed to Atlantic City for NJAJ you can find us at Booth 410. Stop by to find out what we've learned about shifting referral patterns and the role digital marketing plays in law firm revenue generation.
