Engagement in Vegas: #KBIS2015

Engagement in Vegas: #KBIS2015

by Lori @TranslationLady

The week started off with coffee and a short flight to Vegas for Armen Alajian, of ARTO Brick. A convergence of designers, manufacturers, architects, bloggers and Do-It-Yourselfers (DIYs) bombarded the desert city with energy and passion for their work.

Manning social back at headquarters in Southern California, I could feel the energy across states. It was electrifying and exciting to hear and see what trends and topics were being discussed in the world of design and interior design. Tweets were being fired off full of flashy images of the next best thing in the design community and industry experts sharing who they met IRL (In Real Life).

As a Talent Culture brand ambassador who delves into everything social about the work of work, I noticed broadcasting craziness as I tried to engage with those attending the massive event. Working behind the scenes to establish meet-ups with my boss and people in his industry, I noticed very few people were checking notifications or they just weren’t paying attention. In their madness to record and deliver content, many brands neglected to converse with their audience. Maybe they were just too busy talking with show participants; but, they missed opportunities to connect, truly connect with people. Social is about engagement and engagement means listening and replying to your customers, clients and future collaborators.

Since my favorite part of social is connecting and collaborating, I want to share some valuable take-aways:

Why not utilize social to the full extent when you are attending conferences, trade shows, visiting clients and other meaningful meetings?

• Share that you are going to be at a luncheon, event, meeting, etc. Event organizers love to hear you are there.
• Follow-up after the event by checking notifications, replies, likes, etc. and engage with the people who are engaging with you. Even better, do it in real time if you are able.
• If no one said anything, still close the conversation with how it turned out.

Your followers, clients and customers will begin to see you as a human being and people want to buy from people. It is all about the relationships you build in your community: everyone benefits.