Meetup Marketing Lessons

 This column was written in September 2009 for Smart Business Network.

This month I want to discuss five lessons I learned promoting a meet up. A meet up, as you may know, is a synonym for a person-to-person networking event. My team designed and promoted a business-oriented meet up for women- and minority-owned businesses in Louisville, Kentucky. The event attracted 80 people to the Muhammad Ali Center on November 4, 2009.

The format showcased 10 local businesses and a keynote speaker, Dr. Emeka Akaezuwa, founder of a successful software company (Gaviri Technologies in New Jersey) and the not-for-profit foundation, Global Literacy Project in New York City. Each speaker had seven minutes to cover such basics as purpose of the business, a client case study, and details about products and services.

Between each speaker, the co chairs (Constance Ard, MLS and Keisha Mabry, MBA) asked the attendees to introduce themselves to two people. This approach triggered a flurry of business card exchanges and kept the meet up dynamic and interactive.

The promotion for the event consisted of a Web site (http://www.theseed2020.com) hosted by SquareSpace.com, messages sent via Facebook's systems, Twitter messages, and old fashioned email to individuals in the ArnoldIT.com contact list.

The five major lessons my team and I took away from our experience surprised us. Although we have handled social media projects for clients, we gained considerable insight because we handled the event from initial conception to holding a team meeting after the event to talk about what was a highly successful event. One Twitter message that arrived less than 15 minutes after the event said, "Thanks for a great event. I enjoyed it and made great connections. Great format."

First, social media is as labor intensive as more traditional marketing methods. With carefully tailored social media messages, it is possible to reach a larger number of potential attendees than with more traditional methods.

Second, the cost of mounting a social media campaign is the time required to prepare the various messages and materials. An organization jumping into social media marketing without the skill and appropriate human resources may find that the new tools may not be an automatic home run. The ArnoldIT.com motto “Nothing worthwhile comes easy” is a message to consider.

Third, the people tracking social media messages who attend the event are definitely technically aware and computer oriented. The companies represented at the event had individuals in their firm who understood and used social media. One surprise was that a number of the conversations among attendees were about information, search, and online marketing. The program was designed to represent a wide range of businesses, and technology was a unifying factor among the audience.

Fourth, sponsors who expect a traditional trade show set up will have to learn new ways of engaging attendees. The emphasis was upon face-to-face conversations and a good social presence. Wall flowers are as forlorn in a meet up as they were as at a grade school dance. Attendees were engaging. I can see that some sponsors eager to make contacts may find themselves out of their element.

Fifth, attendees appreciated the opportunity to learn and network. Unlike traditional trade shows where grousing is the conference sport, the attendees at this event were enthusiastic. One person told me that the evening was “fun” another said, “Joyful”. I learned that these comments made me happy to have had the opportunity to support the event.

Should you consider a social networking event for your business?

Based on my experience, I think the answer is, "That depends." The key variables to consider pivot on one key factor – your access to technically-adept professionals who can handle the many tasks that a social networking event like a meet up requires. If staff or part-time workers are not available, the event will almost certainly be difficult to deliver a significant payoff.

For example, what the social network mavens understate is the need to be able to create a Web site that acts like a marketing magnet and provides such features as ease of use, registration forms, sample presentation templates, and automatic notifications to registered participants via email or Twitter. My group has the requisite technical skills to handle these tasks quickly and without time consuming experimentation. If your company does not have the technical resources, you will want to look for a partner or co-sponsor who can provide this capability.

Another nuance that is given scant attention in many social network evangelists' writings is the difficulty of capturing the attendees' attention. At our most recent meet up, we knew to keep the presentations brief, almost a business version of speed dating. Fortunately we encouraged networking between each presentation. We learned at an event in Washington, DC, in September 2009 that attendees, if bored, leave. In fact, at that event only a few dozen people remained in the meeting room about 30 minutes after the program began. We worked hard to keep the pace quick and the program fast moving. Traditional conferences are more leisurely. At the end of our 2.5 hour program we had 60 people in the room. Most meet ups lose as many as one half of the attendees by the mid point of the program. Holding attention, therefore, is a skill that meet up sponsors have to master.

A third insight we gained from TheSeed2020 event is that sales are made before and after a presentation. Overwrought PowerPoint presentations are less effective than a crisp, interesting presentation. When a presentation is well received, the speaker is surrounded by people who want to talk with that speaker. We saw the downside of the Hollywood type presentation at a meet up in Louisville sponsored as part of the O'Reilly Ignite project. We worked with each speaker at TheSeed2020 event to keep the talks brief and focused. Hollywood is a long way from Kentucky. But the distance between the speaker who depends on multimedia and glitz is even farther from making a sale when the fancy stuff fizzles.

A final insight to which we had been blind was the emotional impact of the meet up itself. The meet up produced noise. Attendees were talking and laughing. When a speaker made a point that resonated with the audience, our group applauded and on several occasions made statements of support to the speaker. The spontaneous "Yes" and "Great" comments illustrate how a speaker at a meet up can connect in a direct, intense way. At a more traditional conference, the emotion is rarely displayed. The meet ups create a more intense, almost festive environment in which to make connections and do business. If your firm feels comfortable with formal blue suits and dresses, you may want to hold a luncheon. A meet up is a more informal, vibrant affair.

I want to end with a brief comment about the cost of a meet up versus a more traditional marketing activity. I looked for cost information prior to running TheSeed2020 event. I found little substantive information. My own experience is that meet ups are not significantly less expensive than more traditional marketing methods. One surprising point for was that if one has to pay for technical expertise, the meet up may be more expensive than more traditional marketing techniques.

Despite the cost issue, I see social networking events like meet ups a valuable marketing tool. Like any other tool, it is important to have the right tool for a specific job. A meet up is not a cure for a cash strapped marketing budget. Meet ups can deliver a significant commercial benefit. A meet up is not a magic marketing wand. Meet ups can be effective for certain situations. One thing is certain: Meet ups are fun but require hard work to craft into successful events.

Stephen E. Arnold
September 6, 2009

Stephen Arnold is an independent consultant. Watch for his new, free, six-part video series “How to Make Money with Google”. More information about these informational programs is available by clicking on the Video link at www.arnoldit.com.