When building out your intentional marketing plan, are you considering the power of in-person marketing? In today’s episode, Angie McPherson joins us to highlight the benefits of networking through local events, retreats, and creating your own gatherings. Listen in as she shares how to plan before an event, engage meaningfully during, and follow up afterwards so that you get the best ROI. Plus, we even share how to track the success of your efforts for in-person events!
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Guest Bio:
Angie McPherson is an industry-leading branding photographer, marketing strategist, and hype-woman for creatives. Angie captures women entrepreneurs, brands, and influencers across the country, transforming their visions into custom-crafted imagery that elevates their brand presence. She also empowers fellow branding photographers to build impactful and lucrative businesses through her dynamic courses, hands-on workshops, and personalized coaching.
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Here are the highlights…
00:52 – The Importance of In-Person Marketing
03:43 – Angie’s Journey into In-Person Marketing
06:53 – Effective Networking Strategies
09:49 – Tracking and Measuring ROI
16:18 – Long-Term Benefits of In-Person Marketing
18:29 – Building and Maintaining Professional Relationships
18:54 – Crafting Your Business Pitch
19:30 – Showcasing Your Superpower Online
20:02 – The Importance of Social Media Consistency
20:51 – Networking Strategies and Personal Branding
25:02 – Choosing and Attending Events
29:29 – Setting Goals for Event Participation
Connect with Angie
Website: angiemcpherson.com
Instagram: instagram.com/angiejanine
Podcast: angiemcpherson.com/podcast
Review the Transcript:
Colie: Hello. Hello. And welcome back to the business first creatives podcast. I have Angie back on the podcast. If you did not listen to her previous episode, you should, but today she is here as part of the marketing with intention series.
And she is going to be talking about in person marketing. I know, right guys?
Angie: I love it. First of all, I love this series. Like marketing is my jam. And so I’m so excited you are diving into the different facets of it. And I feel like people really sleep on in person marketing. Yeah.
Colie: if you will, that the last time I had you on here, we were actually talking about Instagram marketing. And now you’re here to talk about in person marketing. So guys, you know that I think of these series and then I’m like, okay, who am I going to invite? And Angie is now the second person that just happened to put out Instagram content related to a topic that I was like, Oh, that would be great.
I don’t know who to ask. And then Angie had an episode on her own podcast. Cause yes, guys, since Angie was on this podcast last, she now has her own podcast, which will be linked in the show notes for you. But she did an episode on in person marketing. And I was like, girl, like, can you come back on my podcast?
Talk about this. So I’m so excited that she is here to chat about that today.
Angie: Yes, thank you so much for having me. I love this topic because I do feel like it’s a slept on. Marketing strategy, and it’s so easy to do, like literally get out of the bed, get out of the house, get in a position of either a small group, a large group, wherever and whenever, and you can just really control that whole marketing strategy.
I love in person networking events from local events. To, you know, bigger retreats, to things in my specific niche, to things outside of my niche. Like, I feel like, what do they used to say? Like the, it’s not about what you know, it’s who you
Colie: Who, you know, yes,
Angie: And, you know, people will say like, you know, where do your, you know, I’m a branding photographer.
So people say, where did most of your clients come from? And of course I say, you know, Instagram and, and Facebook and referrals and all that. But so many come from just people that I’ve met. And even if those people don’t book me, they might refer me to someone. And I feel like if you put that as an actual marketing strategy in your business and be more intentional about it, looking for the right events, looking for the right connections. I just feel like that can really change things for a lot of people who might be, you know, lacking in inquiries or bookings or, you know, uh, networking opportunities. They’re just like, they’re there and they’re not going to them. And I’m like, just go, just go.
Colie: Well, and I feel like does anybody really need prodding after the pandemic to go out and actually be with people? Now, I will be the first to admit. When I went to Creative Educators this year and actually last year when I first met you in person and you were speaking, um, every day after we were all together in that room, I had to go back to the hotel and sit in complete silence in my room for like 45
Angie: Decompress.
Colie: decompress.
I do really feel like ever since the pandemic, when I go to in person events, I need time, and silence, because I do feel a bit overwhelmed, at least compared to what I was like at in person events before the pandemic. But you got started in in person marketing before the pandemic. So why don’t you tell me your story now about how you got your first little taste of in person marketing, and then we’re going to talk about how this has expanded as you’ve grown your business.
Mm
Angie: almost 12 years ago as a wedding photographer, eventually pivoted into branding, but I did weddings for a long time. And literally the first thing I would do to just get clients to meet people was just get out in person and talk to people. So it was like twofold.
It was like, I would go to photography meetups in my local community, and even that was just so life giving, meeting other people who were doing what I was doing, talking about our challenges, our goals, things like that. I have so many like business besties that I, that I met through these in person events, so that was great to just Meet with people that I’m already, you know, working alongside with and trading referrals and trading information.
And then another thing was just getting out to different events where people in that community would find me. So not just wedding photographers, but wedding planners and, venue coordinators, things like that. And so. I remember me and my friend would always be like, where’s the next like vendor party?
Like what DJ is hosting some party for wedding professionals? And I just really realized I was getting so many referrals and so many bookings just through meeting people. So that’s like really when I kind of started and it wasn’t for the intention of marketing. I was just like, you know what? I’m a little lonely in this space.
I want to meet people. I want to see what they’re doing. And then I was like a light bulb and I was like, Oh, Angie, this is, this is actually bringing in a return on investment. You should get a little bit more strategic about this. And so as I’ve grown my business from wedding photographer to branding photographer, to brand photography, educator, to podcaster, I, my circles are bigger, my circles are photographers, entrepreneurs, other podcasters, brick and mortars.
I have a wider circle and to widen that circle, is great, but you also really want to go deep with those relationships. Like, yes, you can know everybody in your local market. Great. But like, how are you making some sort of transformation or introduction or something that makes people actually want to work with you?
Because I, I’ve seen some people at events over and over and over, you know, they’re there. But they’re like off in the corner or they’re not their friendliest person and I’m like, you’re doing yourself a disservice. You’re here, which is great. You’ve made the first move, you know,
Colie: But you have to
Angie: the first step, but you have to participate.
You have to bring value, you know, don’t just soak up everything in the room. Like everybody has their own unique value, their own unique perspective on things. Share it. Share it, get out there, speak to people, and a lot of people will go and just look for, okay, who’s the highest paid in the room, and who’s on the stage, and I’m telling you, the best relationships I’ve had and created are the people who are like sitting next to me, You know, at the table or getting coffee, the coffee bar next to me doesn’t always have to be looking up like who can I rub shoulders with and who can give me a great opportunity.
It’s not about that. It’s not about that at all. It’s literally about creating a community in the spaces that you are in. And most of the time, the people who are your peers are the best. Part of the community because they really want to help you. You can help them. So that’s kind of where my story is. As far as in person events, a list of, if I could just like rapid fire, a list of in person events that are a great idea for an entrepreneur, no matter what you’re doing.
Local events. So like those local meetups, maybe like chamber of commerce, rising tide has local meetups every month in specific markets. I would say retreats. So like small events, maybe you’re going to a different sort of retreat for your niche and you’re bunking up with different people that you, that you are running in the same circles with.
Big events, you know, 500 plus, 1000 plus events because there’s just so many personalities there and you don’t have to go and meet everybody, but I’m telling you just a couple of people, maybe the person you’re sitting next to in, you know, in the chairs. Another thing is creating your own event and it doesn’t have to be something big, like literally pop in a Facebook group and say, Hey.
I’m looking, looking to connect with these different types of entrepreneurs. Let’s meet up at this local coffee shop next Tuesday at 12 o’clock. Like you don’t have to always get in the room. You can just create the room and bring people to you, create the room. I’ve done that so many times from the first year in business.
When I had no money and no contacts to now, I’m always creating a space for people to get together and I’m bringing my value and I’m helping people shine. So that’s, that’s my biggest tip is not just to get in the room, but to create the room as well.
Colie: I mean, the organization part of my brain, of course, has to steer us towards. Okay. So Angie just gave you like a really long list of all of these kinds of events that you can go to. And perhaps you are feeling slightly overwhelmed right now because you’re like, Oh my gosh, well, I go to all these events and Angie even said you have to participate, but like legitimately, what does that mean?
Angie: Mm-Hmm.
Colie: My system’s brain is like, Angie, like when you go to an in person event, how are you keeping track of the people that you are meeting? Cause guys, you know what? My answer is going to be right. Airtable. I feel like you need a table. You need a spreadsheet perhaps for each of the events that you go to, or one where one of your fields is you’re identifying where you met this person at.
And I just feel like you need a, you need a slot. Like you need their name, how to contact them, their web address. If you know, if they’re talking about their website or whatever, and then you need a field where you just write something about them, like maybe how you want to collaborate with them or what you thought was interesting about meeting them.
But Angie, when you go to in person events, how are you keeping track of the people that you’re meeting? And also you mentioned ROI. So how are you figuring out what the return on investment is for all of these in person events that you’re going to?
Angie: Oh, this is so good because you and I are the same. I’m like, okay, let me track this in a cute little spreadsheet. And if I go to an event, Before I even go to the event, the, the work starts before you get there, the work starts before you get there, because if you’re going to an event that maybe has a website or a social media page or a Facebook group, you should be able to see who’s going.
You know how they say like, oh, you know, I’m having a cookout and you’re like, who all is going to be there? Like, I want to know who’s going to be at the cookout. And that is the same thing for in person events is who’s going to be there. So I’ll click on maybe the hashtag or I’ll go through They’re the profiles, you know, their stories and see who they’re reposting and I’m like, you know saving people like you can save an Instagram to different folders.
I’ll literally rename the folder the name of the event and I’ll save people who I think that I want to connect with. And I’m just like going to the page. Hey, I see this. You’re going to this event. I’ll be there too. Most of the time when I’m going somewhere, I’ve already connected beforehand with like five to 10 people and said, Hey, I saw you’re going to this event.
So excited to get there. This is what I do. What do you do? Let’s make sure that we meet up and, you know, give each other a quick hug while we’re there. I do that every single time, whether the event has five people or 5, 000 people, I’m making sure to connect in advance. So you can do this. different ways as far as tracking it.
So for me, it’s usually a, a, a save on an Instagram, you know, an Instagram post. I have done for bigger events. I have done literally a spreadsheet, like name, website, social media. How did I meet this person? What do they do? Are we connected? You know, like, are we connected like
Colie: With other people. Mm
Angie: with other people so I can bring them up in conversation?
Uh, I feel like I should literally just like do a whole course on like my networking process because. I, I get, I’m ready, like, stay ready. So you don’t have to get ready, stay ready. So you don’t have to get ready. And so I get there and my, my conversation isn’t like, Oh, like, what do you do? And where are you from?
Like, I already know that, like, let’s, let’s stop this small talk and talk, you know, a little bit deeper and get in talk shop and get to know each other. And how can you help me? How can I help you? You know, do we run in the same paths? And so, like, like you said, tracking that in some system before you get there, you know, and then when you’re there, you’re Remembering people’s names.
If they have business cards, grab those. I feel like nobody has business cards anymore. They all have the QR codes or an app on their phone.
Colie: They don’t. But Angie, do you know what I suggest? Here’s my little tip. And I mean, you know, Angie’s a photographer. She’s probably going to appreciate this. Every event that you go to, they give you a badge, right? You should be taking a picture of the person sitting there with their badge so that when you go through, like, especially these multi day events, so that once you’ve identified someone’s face with the name that you wanted to, you will recognize them for the next day.
And, you know, you don’t have to be like, oh, my gosh, like, we talked yesterday and I can’t remember what her name was. Like, this is embarrassing.
Angie: Yep.
Colie: you see them, and I mean, I just, hey, can I take a picture of you with your badge? I mean, because it also has, like, their, website most of the time printed on there or their Instagram handle or, and Hey, shout out to the event coordinators who are putting that stuff on the badges.
I appreciate you.
Angie: Genius. Genius. I love it. Yep. And, um, you know, I’ll usually send either while we’re at the event or after the event, I always grab their Instagram. So while we’re chatting, I’ll be like, Hey, what’s your Instagram? I want to make sure that I’m connected with you. I always send a voice DM, like not even just a DM, like, Hey, so great to meet you.
Pick up my phone. Hey girl, it was so great to meet you and just talking like I, we’ve already met in person. I want you to continue to hear my voice and hear my tonality because it was great to, to meet you. And so I’ll send it a voice DM and we’ll stay connected that way. And, um, you asked about what I’m doing to track.
You also asked about, I’m
Colie: ROI girl.
Angie: ROI. Yes. ROI. Thank you. You’re so organized. I love it. Uh, you, you also asked about ROI and I like to track. what money is coming in from this new connection or how the money is coming in. So for example, if I go to an event and I book branding photo shoots from that event, so people actually inquire, you know, within three, six, 12 months, and I book a branding photo shoot, I’m going to that event the next year because obviously they’ve got the right people that want to work with me that value brand photography.
Great. If I go to an event, And I don’t book anything, but people are referring me out or people are connecting me with someone I could be working with, or people are saying my name in a different room. Okay, that’s great. Like, that’s a different ROI, but that is still great. If I go to an event where I literally cannot connect with anyone or I feel like we’re all on different pages with different goals.
That is another, you know, analysis of, okay, maybe that’s not the event that I, that’s not the room that I need to be in moving forward. Because not every room is a good room. A lot of rooms can suck the life out of you. So you want to make sure that you are analyzing.
Colie: Well, and I just want to add, because it’s interesting to think about who’s in the room, and if they’re referring you out, one of my favorite things, if it’s a room that I enjoy being in while I’m there, I directly ask people, and what is the next event that you’re attending, or when you’re leaving that DM, that voice message, I might hit them up later and be like, hey, it was So great to see you in Dallas.
Like, what else are you going to this year? I want to see if we’re going to have another opportunity to connect. Number one, it’s nice. Cause you’re saying that you want to see them again, but number two, that’s how I figure out where else I need to be because
Angie: the party? Where’s the next party?
Colie: There is not a master list that is like, Hey Angie, you know, here’s all the events.
No, I often have to get those by asking people sitting next to me, what else they’re attending or asking the speakers themselves, Hey, are you speaking at any additional events this year? That is how you find more rooms like the room that you were just in. And if you did get a really great ROI, that is your opportunity to potentially be in another room that is going to give you More ROI.
Angie: Exactly. I love that. I love that. I keep, I don’t know why I keep thinking about like the party analysis where I’m like, you finish a party and you’re like, okay, where’s the next party? Like, let’s go to the next spot. Like, that’s literally what you’re doing. And I love that.
Colie: Yeah, I want to say one other thing, though, because Angie said something very important, but she said it quickly. And so you guys know I want
Angie: I say everything quickly.
Colie: Me too. But my teacher brain feels the need to highlight this for you guys. She said, if I book a branding session in the next month. Three months or a year.
So what I want to say about in person marketing, perhaps, which I feel is very different than online marketing inside of rooms. So what we’re talking about today of doing in person events, you can do in online summits, like there are online opportunities, but I feel like the ROI for in person results can be much slower.
And so if you are not tracking this in a long term way, or if you come home from an event and in 30 days, you’re like, well, damn, I didn’t book anybody. I guess that wasn’t worth my time. Guys, that is unrealistic.
Angie: huh. Uh huh. And people, they’re looking for that like fast, you know, fast action, that instant gratification. And I’m like, in person networking is the long game. I have people that have booked me or, you know, referred me out and we’ve met three, four, five years ago. And I just have stayed top of mind over the last five years when it comes to a specific service.
So know that it’s the long game.
Colie: Yes. I mean, I think it’s mostly, it’s closely paired with SEO. If you want to think about the different types of marketing, I feel like you do SEO so that that blog post lives forever. I feel like in person events, you make that connection. But if all you do is say hi to someone at a party and you don’t do the further connecting, following them on Instagram, asking them what they’re up to, looking for other opportunities to connect with them, it is going to be a missed opportunity.
So, it is not immediate results, and it is definitely not that you can do one thing. Now, I mean, granted, if you’re a speaker on a stage, that might have a bigger impact than the person that you’re sitting next to, but If you’re sitting next to someone and you feel like you guys are aligned in your business and you want to move forward with them in some kind of collaboration, y’all, it’s like plants, you have to water it.
Even though I kill plants, I do not kill collaborations.
Angie: Right. You have to cultivate it because you’ve done all the work, you know, it’s like a three part Strategy, like looking at who’s going beforehand, doing your research before, seeing who you want to connect with. And then part two is getting there, connecting with them, cultivating that relationship while you’re there.
And then the third part is continuing that relationship. Don’t ghost your people. Don’t be all up in their face. Hi, so great to meet you. And then you’d never even talk to them again because that’s not going to pan out for the best. So I always, I always suggest do your, you know, your research before, connect while you’re there and then cultivate the relationship after you meet them.
Colie: So Angie, we talked about like the pre work and that’s figuring out who’s going to be there. And then we’ve talked about what happens after, but I feel like In order to be super effective, and you feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I feel like you have to have a pitch. And I’m not saying in the room you’re telling them what they can buy from you, but I feel like everyone needs like a pitch that lets people know what you do and perhaps how you could be helpful to them.
Cause again, I’m not talking about directly spelling yet, but if you are not clear in your conversations about who you are and who you work with and what you offer, the likelihood that you get an ROI on the back end is less. Do you agree?
Angie: I agree. I agree. And I feel like that’s another two parter because These are things that you should be sharing while you’re with them. I like to ask people that I’m meeting, like, what’s your superpower in business? Like, how do you help people? What do you do? And that opens up the conversation to, for you to share how you help people.
And then it’s like a light bulb where they’re like, Oh, you, you know, you do XYZ. Like, great. Like, I’m going to save that in the back of my head for when I need XYZ. And then the second part is when you’re connecting with them, whether it’s online or on social media. You should have already built that platform that showcases that superpower.
If you’re meeting people and you don’t have a website,
Colie: Mm hmm.
Angie: social media, what are they connecting with? How can they see that they can work with you after you meet them? It’s like kind of a waste of, of sharing all your superpowers and how you can help them in person.
And then they go back to your Instagram and they’re like, I. It doesn’t match. It doesn’t match what she was talking about. Like, what, what does she even do? So making sure that your, your home is in order, I guess, before you’re inviting people over, so they can really see how they can work with you. Because you don’t even have to, you can, like I said, tell them what, what you do, what your superpower is, how you help people.
But the actual call to actions and the pitch can be On your social media, in your LinkedIn bio, your lead magnet, your website, your blog, that can be where you’re actually pitching those new, um, people you’re connecting with.
Colie: And gosh, I said I wasn’t going to bring up social media, but here I go again. Like when you connect with someone, Angie has already said that her preferred method is Instagram, right guys? She makes sure that she gets everybody’s Instagram, but it is also about the passive connection that you have after.
So you drop that voicemail, that DM for them, right? But then I would also interact with the content that they have on Instagram or another social media platform, because who you interact with is how the algorithm is going to show you those people again. And so then when Angie puts out an offer for a brand session in Colorado, which Angie, I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Colorado,
Angie: No.
Colie: if she did that, it would probably end up on my Instagram feed.
Because I have been interacting with her content and it goes both ways. I know that when I meet someone in person and I start interacting with their social media content, they naturally start interacting with mine. I mean, it’s not a requirement, but most people will do it because they’re like, Oh, you know, she’s interacting.
I should check her, you know, I should check out what her Instagram is like. And I will say that also, like, I am very glad that Angie mentioned this because you guys all know. That I say who they meet online should be who they meet when you show up. And the reverse is true. And I’ve never thought about that, who they meet in person has to match up with who they find online.
Because when you meet them in person, that’s not when you get the referral. It’s when they go to find your website or a reel that they can share with a client or a friend that might need your services, I mean, if they’ve talked about how amazing you were in person. And your online presence does not match who they met.
It is going to be a weird mismatch, not only for them, but also for the person that they are potentially referring you out to, because they’re like, okay, but you said this about this person. And that doesn’t even seem like the right person. Are you sure you sent me the right website?
Angie: It’s like a loss of trust, like you’ve done such a great job connecting with them in person, and then they go and click on your website or Instagram, and this has happened to me multiple times. I’ll connect with, you know, I remember vividly meeting a real estate agent at an event and I remember I was going to keep her in mind for, you know, referring her out to local friends and meet a real estate agent, because that’s one thing you always need. You always need to refer out real
Colie: Yes.
Angie: People are like, I need somebody. And we met at an in person event and I remember going and following up, going to an Instagram that she gave me. And there was nothing about. Real estate there. She had
Colie: Yeah.
Angie: Lincoln bio and it was like an immediate lost. Because I was like, I don’t even know who you are anymore.
Everything we talked about at this event, I, there’s, there’s nothing to really back it up.
Colie: no proof.
Angie: There’s no proof.
So I never referred her out. And, you know, I even said later, you know, we were talking in person about personal branding. and so I even took that opportunity to give her some tips. You know, like I said, when I met her, I was talking about my superpower.
which is helping people build their personal brand with photos, with imagery. And so after, you know, cultivating our relationship a little bit on social media, I was like, Hey, you know, you would really benefit from some photos to really show showcase who you, are as a real estate agent. And then girl, she came to my branding mini session.
Colie: Ah, there you
go.
Angie: session and started to really focus on building her personal brand. So that is just my tip for, like you said, it’s vice versa. People always say, I want to make sure that I’m authentically me. It goes both
Colie: Yes.
Angie: are in person and who you are online. Right.
Colie: Angie, I was like, like, but did she have another Instagram? Because, you know, some people are really funny. I will say some people are really funny about keeping the personal and the business separate. And you and I could have a conversation about personal brands all day, but if I met somebody at an in person event, and they gave me an Instagram that had nothing to do with their business, I might reach out and be like, Hey, do you have a business account?
Cause I’m looking here and there’s no real estate or is there something different that I should share? I mean, because, you know, if she had a banging website, but she just wasn’t an Instagram person for business. I mean, I think that’s a mistake, but it’s not necessarily a reason to not work with someone, but yeah, just keeping that in mind goes both ways.
Angie: Yeah, for sure. For sure.
Colie: All right. So, Angie, let’s talk about like the nitty gritty. Okay. Someone’s like, Oh, I hear you. How many in person events do you go to? And then we’re going to come back and say how we would expect people to start because you and I are gone a lot.
Okay.
Angie: thought about a per year number how often i’m at events I I typically go to local events that are just In my schedule, maybe they’re during the day when my kids are at school or maybe there’s a unique opportunity to meet someone I’ll go so maybe in person and I don’t, probably not even once a month, maybe a couple of times a quarter, once a month would be great.
A couple of times a quarter. As far as traveling for in person events, there’s typically an event I go to every year because I’m in a program and they have an event as an add on, so I’ll go to That love to look for smaller events, maybe like 50 to 75 people. I’ll go to those. It, I, there’s really no number.
Some year it could be five events. Some year it could be. Literally every month going to a rising tide, you know, meeting and some years it could be a mastermind that I’ve invested in. It has a really cool event. So I, it’s more about the quality and the type of events than the quantity for me. And you know, what’s working within the budget because I’d love to be on a plane all the time, but you know, it costs money and I have two kids, so I probably should not be gone
Colie: That part. So for myself, I mean, I like for travel, I would say for me, like once a quarter would probably be my happy place. I mean, I have done that. I will admit though, the events tend to happen in clusters. So I know Q1 for me is always super busy. I mean, last year, when I came and I saw you at Creative Educators, I was at Creative Educators and then I spoke at an event.
And then I think I spoke at a second event and then I went to another event as a participant. It was four events in Q1 and they were scattered everywhere. I went to Dallas. I went to California twice. I went to Palm Springs twice. I mean, I got to be honest, anyone listening to this, if there’s an event and you want to host it in Palm Springs, I will probably just buy a ticket regardless if I am a speaker or a
participant, because that is my happy place.
Angie: Oh, I’ve never been. It looks so beautiful.
Colie: Angie, you’ve never been to Palm Springs. Oh my
gosh.
Angie: go. Let me know. Let me know when the next event is in Palm Springs. Like I said, where’s the next party?
Colie: And I will say, I also tend to do bigger events versus small events. So it was funny when you said a small event, like 50 to 75, I was thinking to myself, no, a small event is like 10
to 15, like 10 to 15.
Angie: like five to 10 people a meetup. It’s like Hey, let’s go to this coffee shop and coffee shopping. Let’s go to this coffee shop and meet up where I feel like that 50 plus, then it turns into more of an event because there’s probably a schedule.
There’s probably a speaker, you know, they all are umbrellaed under the same terms. But I,
Colie: Well, and I also,
I feel like your mastermind, cause we were both in masterminds in 2023. And I feel like your mastermind was much bigger than mine because my in person retreat for my mastermind, there were 20 of us and not all 20 of us came to Dallas. I mean, it was timing and a bunch of other things, but like, I, I really liked those.
Cause then when you get together and you actual mastermind, it’s like, Ooh, everybody fits in a room, sits around the table. Everybody gets to speak that kind of thing. And then there’s. For the photographers listening, then there’s things like WPPI,
which Angie. So I have always gone to WPPI kind of for networking, but in a very different way.
So you guys, I had that episode with Candace Coppola recently talking about affiliate marketing. And the first few times that I went to WPPI, it was so that I could go meet vendors in person. I didn’t even go to any of the talks. It was so that I could go and touch the albums and figure out what kind of products I wanted for my photography clients.
But on the back end, I was, as an educator, I wanted to go to WPPI so that I could meet the vendors, put my face in front of them so that in the future, When I came to them for sponsorships for my small retreats or online courses. Yes, I had a personal connection. And so I think this is just a great opportunity to say.
No matter what the in person event is, you should always have a goal. The goal should not just be to show up. Maybe you want to put, maybe you want to have a face to face with three vendors like I did at WPPI, or maybe you want to connect with three vendors. Five people that you can potentially invite to be guest speakers into your group program.
If that’s what you do in the case of Angie and all of the other photographers that listen to this podcast, maybe you want to get your name out there so that you can be the photographer that they think of for their next branding session, but make sure that you have thought of a goal so that you can figure out if you met that goal by the time you leave the event.
Angie: You’re exactly, exactly right. And that goal could differ from one
Colie: Yes.
Angie: to the next. I love that. I’ve never been to WPPI. I think I thought about it when I was in the wedding world, but when I pivoted to branding, these huge events, I can never find like a branding and commercial track. And
Colie: Mm hmm.
Angie: you need to just host this massive event for brand photographers.
So right now I have small retreats, like 10 to 12 people. We stayed at a house, we have them coming up in Orlando. And like I said, this is like the dream because this is what I started with. Like, I want to get around my people, be together. Network, help each other. And so every year I’m, I’m, this is going to be my second year.
So I’m like, this is just going to be a once a year thing, because is where the magic happens. When you have those events that you can really have full conversations with someone, break bread with each other and continue those relationships moving forward. So I love the idea of bigger events.
And I love the idea of smaller retreats, but like you said, having a goal at each one. is what’s going to help you to actually implement what you need to be doing instead of just showing up and being a wallflower.
Colie: Yes. I mean, Angie, is there any kind of closing advice that you would give someone that has never really done intentional in person marketing?
Angie: would say to go through the steps of how can I connect beforehand? What can I say and how can I connect at the event? And how can I cultivate the relationship afterwards? I would say plan that out now before you even look for your next event. Plan that out now, plan out the events you want to go to and the intention.
I basically make a whole plan for this. And I feel like that is something that people can be lacking is some sort of plan or structure or even tracking when it comes to in person networking. They, they might hear the advice to get out there and they’ll, they’ll do the, like I said, they’ll go out there, they’ll take the inspired action.
And that’s great. But you can really, Have exponential growth when you plan the beginning, the middle and the continuance of the relationship before you actually go. So that’s, that’s my biggest advice in closing is to be intentional, open up a Google doc, or like you said, air table. It could be a spreadsheet, have some sort of system and consider this a real marketing?
strategy in your business.
Colie: Yeah, I mean, and the weird thing is, I feel like when it comes to an in person marketing event, it’s a little different than doing something online because online you’re typically like, you know, planning emails and sending them out and doing all of these kind of activities that are kind of like this continuous long term thing.
Whereas for in person marketing, I feel like there’s a chunk of time that you have to spend before the event. There’s the time when you’re actually at the event, but after, even though Angie and I are both encouraging you to continue to follow up and touch bases with these people, it is not. If, as long as you have a system to like remind you, it is not as much time required as it is for like an email marketing campaign or something along those lines.
So you dedicate a few hours up front. You actually go to the event, which I mean, for me, when I go to events, sometimes I’m gone for three days. I mean, if it’s like a travel one, but if it’s an in person, maybe it’s just 60 minutes of your time plus drive. So, you know, make sure that you figure out the events that you can go to.
Who you potentially will be meeting. what you’re going to say while you’re there. And of course you have that goal in mind. And then after, please don’t forget the follow up because the funds are in the follow up, even for in person marketing.
Angie: I love that the funds are in the follow up.
Colie: Yes.
Angie: that. You’re so right. You’re so right. And if you are kind of nervous or maybe an introvert and you’re like, I don’t know, bring a friend, bring a friend. I love the thing I love about traveling is that Yes.
you can meet new people, but it also helps to cultivate relationships with.
People you already have. So maybe it’s someone local, you guys can hop on the same flight together or ride together to the same local event. I have a business bestie, Elizabeth, that we try to go to a ton of events together, and we fly on the same plane, we stay in the same hotel, and it’s just our regular stuff.
You know, our relationship gets even stronger and, you know, we’re able to kind of help each other. And if I see her talking to someone and maybe she’s kind of struggling to like, keep up the conversation, I’ll come in and be a wing woman or something. And so if you, if you don’t want to go alone, bring a friend, whether it’s someone you can take with you or someone you can meet there.
Colie: I mean, I feel the need to shout out. Hey, Kate, Kate is my travel buddy
for conferences. We have been going to conferences together since I think 2017. I mean, it’s been a long time, but, like, we go together. And while she is a local friend for me, I will say, I also have other friends that live across the country for me that I’m like, Hey, I’m going to this event.
Would you like to come with me? And just this morning, I’m heading to make your mark, which will have already happened when this episode goes live, but. Somebody that I’ve had on the podcast in the past, Ali hit me up on Instagram and she’s like, are you going to make your mic this year?
I’m like, yes, I am. See you in two weeks. I mean, so, and sometimes you get a chance to connect with people that you already have an online relationship with, and that’s just a chance to hug them in person, have deeper conversations and perhaps again, get that relationship going, even Better on the other end of the in person event.
Angie: right, I love that. I love that. Mm
Colie: mean, I cannot thank you enough for coming back on the podcast to come share your love of in person marketing. Cause it really is that thing that can be so easy for people to do with just a tiny bit of intention. And if you treat it like a marketing activity, which all of us should be doing the ROI that you can get from it is limitless.
Angie: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me. This was such a fun conversation and I took so many gems away from you I need to go and make sure I have a nice little analytical table for all
Colie: I mean, Angie, you never know by the time this airs, I might have one in my shop for
people to purchase.
Angie: drop it, drop it and send me the link.
Colie: All right, everyone, that’s it for this episode, but don’t forget there are still a handful of episodes in this marketing with intention series. And if you don’t want to miss out, please hit subscribe for this podcast. All right. That’s it for this episode. See you next time.
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