I’ve shared lots of tactics with you about branding yourself online. But what about when you take relationships offline? When you meet people you may (or may not) have a relationship with online?
Although you’ll be in a different environment, a lot of the same rules still apply to offline relationships. You want to convey your personal brand as congruently as you’ve portrayed yourself online. And you also want to continue to create mutually beneficial relationships with your connections.
Taking off
Here are a few good ways to take your personal brand offline and meet people in the “real world”:
Join or volunteer at an organization that aligns with your expertise or interests. Whether it’s in the nonprofit sector or helping out a local small organization, your experience could be very beneficial for whatever organization you choose. You’ll also meet many different people who you can add to your professional network.
Meet your online network offline. Organize an event or meetup for a group of your online network to further your relationship and connection with each person.
Attend networking or other events. You don’t just have to limit yourself to networking events. Attending business events, professional development opportunities and conferences can be great (if not better) ways to take your personal brand offline.
Don’t forget to:
- Always have a business card handy
- Ask for a business card or contact information when meeting someone new
- Be polite and courteous in your interactions
- Genuinely make connections with the people you meet
As always, you should follow-up with each person afterward. I would suggest connecting with them on Twitter or LinkedIn or sending them an e-mail shortly after meeting.
