I go to conferences and conventions on a semi-regular basis. Sometimes I am a speaker, sometimes an attendee. I make it a priority because it is a fantastic way to increase my networking circle while producing content and even improving my authority. Since attending events I have seen a definite upswing in my resulting profit margin and brand awareness.

Unfortunately, I am not really that good at real-life connections. I was always horrible with physical business cards, rarely remembering faces alongside the dozens of cards I was given. Once I finally began to get the hang of things, half the network I speak to has switched to purely digital connections while the other half have kept things traditional.

When I realized I was missing out on solid business opportunities, I began looking at ways to improve these connections. From there, I began to expand on that idea with my online contacts that I have made in other ways. [Read more…]