| As I host internet marketing workshops for business | | | | events. Get creative. You will be surprised how easy it |
| owners on a regular basis, I am constantly searching | | | | is to get your next sponsor. |
| for unique ways to use the internet, more specifically, | | | | 2. Designate Speakers - Are you a subject matter |
| social media to build relationships with my clients as | | | | expert in the topic? If not, do you know of someone |
| well as those who want to gather in more intimate | | | | who is? There are literally thousands of people who |
| settings to learn, share and network with folks who | | | | are willing to speak on a given topic for free! If you |
| love everything about online marketing. | | | | need to find someone quickly, use LinkedIn Groups to |
| Enter | | | | post speaker requests or just call a local company |
| As I am sure many of you are familiar with | | | | that specializes in your topic. You can bet they'll send |
| Meetup.com, I hope you'll indulge me for a moment | | | | someone out post-haste. Bottom line, designate a few |
| while I share a bit of basic information about this | | | | speakers to share something about the topic you are |
| service to those who are not aware of the popular | | | | creating your events around. BUT, ABOVE ALL... |
| community building site. | | | | 3. Do NOT SELL! - People are tired of the old "bait and |
| Although not new on the internet scene, has | | | | switch" or sales pitches disguised as free education. If |
| prospered as an online social networking site that | | | | you are doing this, STOP RIGHT NOW! This includes |
| facilitates real world group meetings in locations around | | | | any speakers you bring in (see above). Make it a point |
| the globe. Founded in 2001 by the triumvirate (and you | | | | to reinforce your no selling policy to anyone who |
| thought only Google's Brin, Schmidt and Page owned | | | | speaks at your events. They want to be asked back |
| this moniker) of Heiferman, Meeker and Kamali, | | | | so they should respect your policy. I can hear some |
| Meetup was developed under the premise that the | | | | people now saying: "So if we can't sell then what are |
| world wide web should focus more on localizing | | | | we there for?" TO GIVE! Giving comes in a lot of |
| engagement activities. Simply put, the web should | | | | forms and may include tips, education, know how, self |
| foster the ability to merge online networking with | | | | help and any other information that helps your |
| off-line face-to-face meetings. | | | | audience to walk away with something of value |
| As one of the fastest growing social networks of the | | | | (without having to open their wallet). The mere fact |
| early 2000's, the company quickly earned their stripes | | | | that you are not "selling" to your audience creates the |
| as an effective grassroots support tool for a variety | | | | opportunity to deliver a positive experience while |
| of political and fundraising group activities. Most notable | | | | establishing you (or your company) as the go-to |
| among Meetups early adopters were then Presidential | | | | resource for what they need. In short, they will |
| candidate, Howard Dean, Senators John Kerry and | | | | remember you when the need arises for your product |
| John Edwards and the campaign re-election | | | | or service. The bottom line is you have to be prepared |
| committee of President George W. Bush. | | | | to give in order to receive. Trust me, if you continue to |
| Since then, Meetup has evolved to include special | | | | hard sell your audience, your only result will be turning |
| interest topics ranging from book clubs to small | | | | more people away and more importantly, you'll |
| business marketing strategies - and just about | | | | assuredly create the wrong kind of buzz about your |
| everything in between (among the most interesting we | | | | Meetup (or worse yet, your company!). |
| found was a group devoted to exploring how to "Use | | | | 4. Create an Agenda - An often overlooked and big |
| Golf as a Business Tool"). Meetup's main source of | | | | "Of Course!" is creating an agenda for your meetings |
| revenue comes from organizers who pay a nominal | | | | and events. Agendas should clearly list your topics, |
| fee to have their groups listed. Despite early criticisms, | | | | speaker info, meeting time frames and organizer |
| Meetup has continued to flourish while adding a great | | | | contact information. They take only a second to |
| many features that aid in producing quality events, | | | | create, help participants know what to expect, allow |
| workshops and even less formal coffee-house | | | | them to do their homework in advance and more |
| meetings. | | | | importantly give your event that professional touch that |
| As of today, Meetup boasts over 6.5 million members | | | | helps to bolster your communications well beyond your |
| hosting over 72,000 groups with over 61 million RSVPs | | | | event. |
| (and counting). | | | | 5. Send Email Reminders - Try to plan your event as |
| After months of email marketing, social networking | | | | far in advance as you can but also don't forget to |
| through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, I decided to | | | | send reminders periodically to keep your event fresh in |
| give Meetup a whirl. In the past, I'd attended a few | | | | people's minds. Folks get busy and often forget about |
| Meetup group sessions on a variety of topics | | | | events they signed up for weeks prior. Sending friendly |
| (entrepreneur, angel funding, SEO and Social Media) in | | | | reminders helps to keep you in the forefront of their |
| the Los Angeles area. The one thing I noticed with | | | | minds. Also, don't just send reminders without giving |
| each was they seemed to generate a lot of early | | | | them something of value or mention of something |
| buzz but most lost momentum and ended up dying on | | | | special about the upcoming event. Let them know |
| the vine shortly after they launched. | | | | you've just written a blog post (include the link), tell |
| In my opinion, this had more to do with what I call "the | | | | them there is going to be a surprise guest at the event |
| informality factor" than anything. Most of the events I | | | | or there is a door prize for the first 20 arrivals (this is a |
| attended were lacking an organizational approach that | | | | great one since everyone here in Los Angeles is |
| helped foster the type of meaningful engagement that | | | | notoriously late. If you are here in LA ya know what I |
| encouraged people to keep coming back. That really | | | | am talkin' about) |
| seemed odd to me since I later found after creating | | | | 6. Print Name Tags - Meetup offers this great service |
| my Meetup Group that the service actually did so | | | | for free. All you need are standard Avery Labels. Use |
| much to help facilitate a fantastically coordinated event. | | | | it! |
| From free, highly localized exposure to the Meetup | | | | 7. Print the Attendee List - Again, Meetup offers this |
| community and a well conceived RSVP management | | | | for free. Nothing like a simple registration process to |
| system to tools that accommodate the printing of | | | | help give your meeting or event the credibility it |
| name tags and table top cards, Meetup did what my | | | | deserves. One thing to note - a biggie here - unless |
| website couldn't do. Sure, I have an RSVP form on my | | | | you are charging for your event, plan on about 15% of |
| site but everything beyond that was manually | | | | the RSVPs to no show.. it's a fact.. unfortunately. Try |
| coordinated using excel spreadsheets, HTML | | | | to encourage responsibility in your Meetup group by |
| generated email, follow up phone calls and hand printed | | | | asking them to kindly un-RSVP if they know they |
| registration materials. To me, migrating over to Meetup | | | | won't be able to make it. Fortunately, Meetup offers |
| was a no brainer. | | | | another great RSVP management feature whereby |
| In relatively short time, my Los Angeles internet | | | | you can create a waiting list that automatically bumps |
| marketing Meetup Group has grown quickly and I've | | | | people up to live if someone cancels. |
| hosted the first of my regular monthly events using the | | | | 8. Allow Time for Networking - Not only allow time, but |
| service as a secondary marketing channel (note: I still | | | | create a special time frame for a well coordinated |
| use traditional email marketing and other social | | | | power networking session. There are many reasons |
| networking platforms). February's online marketing | | | | people come to your events not the least of which is |
| workshop saw a tremendous uptick in attendee | | | | to network with others. In this tough economy, you'll |
| RSVPs, primarily due to Meetup. Meetup alone helped | | | | quickly realize that quite a few people come just for |
| to generate an additional 40 RSVPs to my educational | | | | the networking. |
| workshop and early indications point to another | | | | 9. Share Your Presentations Environmentally - Not only |
| successful March event participation. | | | | does posting your presentation on sites like SlideShare |
| But before I get too far off track, I want to touch again | | | | help the environment (less paper) but it also gives your |
| on the informality factor. What I've learned in my | | | | event or company the additional "link juice" - SEO talk - |
| experience hosting these types of workshops is that | | | | that helps to create more visibility for you online. |
| people need to feel like they are getting something out | | | | 10. Follow Up - Just finished a great event and already |
| of their participation - especially where, in the big city, | | | | thinking of next month? Wait a minute there.. you |
| so much is competing for their attention, time and | | | | forgot the most important ingredient for event |
| energy. The last thing people will commit to with any | | | | management success: Follow Up. Following up allows |
| regularity is an informal gathering devoid of any real | | | | you to stay connected with your audience and, if done |
| coordination and management. Sure, Meetup's design | | | | correctly, can provide meaningful information about |
| supports highly informal meetings (you don't even have | | | | how to improve your event the next time around. Use, |
| to include your last name when registering), but that | | | | for example, polls (provided by Meetup) and group |
| doesn't mean you shouldn't work to create a series of | | | | email to elicit feedback from your audience. |
| professionally produced events. The great thing is with | | | | Honorable Mention: * create collateral to hand out at |
| Meetup's suite of helpful management tools, you can | | | | your meeting listing your Meetup group, social |
| spend more time focusing on creating memorable | | | | networks and SlideShare URLs * Take photos or |
| events! | | | | shoot video at your events (interviews are great for |
| Here are 10 tips to help you create great events | | | | video!) and upload them on your Meetup page, |
| through Meetup: | | | | YouTube & Flickr accounts * Create event notices on |
| 1. Find a Sponsor - Don't think your events are big | | | | sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and MediaPost * Recruit |
| enough to nab a sponsor? Think again. In this age of | | | | people to join your Meetup group from other similar |
| reduced marketing budgets, companies are looking to | | | | groups on Meetup. |
| get creative in promoting their brand. Sponsors don't | | | | Admittedly, I am not the consummate pro using |
| necessarily have to give you money either. Sponsors | | | | Meetup quite yet. But I have learned a lot from hosting |
| can provide meeting space, refreshments and among | | | | events and have applied much of what I've learned |
| other things, free parking (in LA, a gold mine!). I've been | | | | over the years to how I use Meetup now and in the |
| incredibly successful at finding sponsors by virtue of | | | | future. |
| the fact that we bring in local business owners to our | | | | |