Going on a trip?
Today, we’re sharing tips with you on how to leverage LinkedIn when you travel. There’s a few things you can do to maximize your opportunities and capitalize on some of the features in LinkedIn to make your trip even more worthwhile, whether you’re traveling for business or for pleasure.
1. Search for connections that are located in the area that you will be traveling to ahead of time
Before you get on the plane or get in the car, go onto LinkedIn, do a search by geographic area and find a few connections that you haven’t talked to in a while or haven’t yet met face-to-face and then reach out to them and see if they’d be interested in getting together to grab a cup of coffee. Also, a great way to get in touch with your connections or get onto their radar is to reach out and let them know you’ll be traveling to their area and ask for recommendations on places to eat, stay, and visit.
2. Engage with people you meet along the way when you’re traveling
Maybe it’s the person sitting next to you on the airplane, or it’s the shopkeeper, or the hotel staff. Engage them in conversation and find out what’s going on in the area because you never know where your next opportunity is going to come from. They might be very interested in what you do and be able to use your services.
3. Give updates on LinkedIn along the way
If you’re going to a conference, give updates periodically on what’s going on. If you’re making a client visit, share a success story, or share some of their back story. Showcasing them will make for great content to share on LinkedIn.
4. Use LinkedIn to search for vendors ahead of time
If you’re hosting a conference, you can use LinkedIn to find vendors in that area through people that you’re already connected to. Or maybe you’re giving a presentation and would like to have it filmed. You can search LinkedIn and find a local videographer.
5. Find LinkedIn groups that are based around the geographic area that you’ll be visiting
Join the group and see what’s going on and participate in the conversations. It’s a great way to engage with people and then ultimately follow-up with them in person.
6. Snag the conference attendee list ahead of time, if possible
It’s a great way to connect with others who will be attending the conference and letting them know you’ll be there as well. You can invite them to meet up for a coffee or a cocktail at some point during the conference. Capitalizing on those opportunities will make your time away that much more valuable.
7. Be observant
Pay attention to what’s going on around you. It may trigger an idea that you can use as a long form post on LinkedIn, such as a wrap-up of what you learned during the conference or something you observed during your travel. A great example of this is a post by Chris Rudolph of Freedom Family Business who posted about what digital marketers can learn from beach sunglass peddlers.
As always, you can download today’s tips in the handy guide and add your own ideas to the list as well.