Should You Attend Networking Events and Conferences to Prospect?
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If you live in a decent size city there typically isn’t a shortage of networking events to attend throughout the year.
There has been a lot of conversation recently around local events and whether or not they are worth attending on a regular basis.
In this episode we're going to break down our thoughts on local events and whether or not you should make them a priority as an agency to attend.
When it comes to prospecting, face-to-face interaction can be a powerful thing.
Most agencies work long distances apart from their clients, so it can be a refreshing change to work with a local company.
If you don’t choose suitable events though it can be wasted time and money that could have been spent more productively.
Choosing the Right Events
The most important part of deciding whether or not you should be attending events depends on the events themselves.
Marketing focused events can be a great opportunity to meet either in-house marketers for local companies looking for help. There could also be local businesses that don’t have an in-house team but are looking for tips and help.
Check and see if your city has a local HUG group.
These are HubSpot sponsored groups and a great way to meet the other agencies as well as local businesses already using HubSpot in your area.
If there isn’t a local HUG group, consider reaching out to HubSpot about leading a HUG in your area.
Hosting an Event
Most agency’s look for events to attend, but have you considered starting one? A while ago, we interviewed Larry Levenson from Sensible Marketing, who started a local event in Phoenix.
Larry was looking for new ways to promote himself as a thought leader in his area and capture some local businesses.
He decided to create the event Inbound PHX as a way to provide resources to local companies looking for help.
Through the event, Larry has landed some of his largest clients and he explains how during the interview.
Creating an event obviously takes more work than attending an event, but it certainly stands you apart from the competition.
Side Benefits of Event Networking
If your agency is in a niche space and local companies are different from your target market, it is still worth attending local events.
There are plenty of unforeseen benefits of meeting other local people in the space.
You could run into a future hire that fits your agency's needs. You could build relationships with other local agencies and help pass work to one another. There are many scenarios that could benefit you by getting plugged into the local marketing community.
If you happen to have any other insights or know of worthwhile events to attend, feel free to share them below.
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