Heading to ILTA? Tips for Networking with Social Media

You’re at a conference, excited to learn, connect and network – and, like an increasing number of legal professionals, build your personal brand as a thought leader, authority, or influential member of your professional community. 

📆 Connect with DISCO at ILTACON 2024

How can you make your personal brand stand out with all that’s going on? It’s easy to get lost in the midst of all the content sessions, vendor meetings, exhibit/sponsor hall, dinners, happy hours, and more. Even if you already have a presence on social media, how can you cut through the noise and make a real impact? 

Before CLOC ‘24, the last major conference I went to, I shared some tips and tricks on what I do to prepare physically, mentally, and professionally. Take a look at my pre-conference checklist, as these practices are applicable to any conference – then read on to maximize your personal brand via social media at conferences. 

‍

My personal brand playbook for conferences

Heading to ILTACON ‘24? Here’s a quick playbook for publicizing your brand, on and off social media.

• Post once daily on LinkedIn. Ideas include:
  • Recap events
    • Pro tip: Include how you feel about them
  • Post pics of who you saw
    • Get consent before uploading and tagging! Nobody likes to be surprised
  • Summarize a session you attended – and add your point of view
  • Advertise an event you’re going to, and tag others you want to join
  • When you post, ask friends to comment on your posts within the first hoursome text
    • Pro tip: This gives your post a boost in LinkedIn’s algorithm
• Comment on others’ posts who are attending
  • Add value to the conversation — include your take and how it made you think
  • Amplify others’ brands… you’ll find it’s reciprocal
• Schedule coffees with people you want to meet with specific agenda of what you want to discuss 
• Have business cards or QR codes to share your contact info
• Take the six actions on social I outline below

‍

#ConferenceLife: 6 social media actions to boost your personal brand at conferences

For ILTA and other legal and legaltech conferences, LinkedIn is my social media platform of choice. Legal and technical professionals tend to be more active on LinkedIn than other social networks, particularly for professional networking. In short, everyone you want to talk to is there.

Take these six actions on your social media account while you’re at the conference:

1. Post about your flight over. 

Use the hashtag: #wheelsup and/or #planeselfie as is customary. See my example post.

2. Take pics of sessions you attend and tag the speakers. 

React to what they said and give your opinion on the subject. For example:

3. Post about your personal schedule during the event and tag the people you want to join you. 

Can be as simple as a list of events you want to attend (run/walk in the morning, specific sessions, happy hours, dinners, etc.) People like to know what else is going on and you may be the catalyst for others to join you.

4. Daily “lessons learned” posts can help recap the conference each day for those in attendance and those that couldn’t make it. 

Use the conference hashtags (e.g. #iltacon2024) and tag the sponsors of events to broaden reach.

5. Connect on a human level with a post about how you feel during the conference. 

Are you energized by all the interactions? Are you tired out? What did you miss at home while at the conference? Who are the people you wanted to see, but couldn’t? What are you doing to stay sane during the conference?

6. Interact with others who are posting at the conference. 

Add comments to their posts acknowledging their points, adding your opinion, creating awareness that you were there, too. Repost if you think it’s worth it.

‍

Social media must-haves to create effective content and lasting connections 

Share why you’re there

To make the most of the conference, you want to ensure people know you’re there and the specific reasons you came to the conference. Consider touching on these topics in your posts: 

• Networking
  • Social connections and pictures with friends
  • Share a specific problem you need advice on
  • Make local community connections
• Speaking
  • Share details about yourself speaking, colleagues speaking, and clients speaking
• Technology evaluation
  • Highlight specific vendors 
  • Call out that you’re looking for a solution to a problem
  • Share news about product releases
• Content
  • Share your interest in topics, speakers, or product demos
• Job hunt
  • Many attendees are looking to hire expert people for their teams
  • Keep your eye out for #lookingforwork or #amhiring hashtags

Make it personal

Aside from the obviously work-related reasons you’re there, make it personal. Your personal brand matters just as much and can help you find your way in the sea of ‌people. This will make the conference smaller to find others with similar interests. 

For example, at ILTACON ‘24, I might post about:

• Nashville music I’ll be listening to (concerts, live music at offsite events, etc)
• Non-alcoholic drinks I’ll looking to find
• The challenges I’m working on coming into the conference 
• My colleagues or significant other joining me
• Local childhood friends I’m seeing
• Extending my trip or exploring Nashville
• Running, walking, working out or other unofficial meetups

Be authentic

Be yourself. Whatever you bring to the table is unique. Celebrate it! I geek out over certain things and truly appreciate others who geek out over completely separate things. Celebrate that in others, and that celebration will will come back to you!

Putting it all together [example pre-conference social media post]

So for me, this is how I’m approaching ILTACon. I might even post this verbatim leading up to the conference:

I’m going to #Iltacon2024 representing DISCO and the best way I can do that is to bring my full self. 

I truly love talking and thinking about legal holds. I hope we can have some client conversations and meet new potential customers interested in how DISCO Hold fits in with their playbook for managing preservation. 

It’s been over a year since I’ve quit drinking for health reasons, so I’m going to find the bars that have non-alcoholic beers and the best mocktails and share about it on LinkedIn! Stay tuned… And hope I can give other sober/non-drinkers permission and encouragement to do the same…water is always a good option for everyone!!!

The Nashville music scene is legendary. I’m still finalizing plans to at least hear some live music in one of the bars. Grand Ole Opry would be amazing, but not sure I can pull that off. Country is king and I love me some country, so looking for a good show one of the nights. Any tips would be welcomed! 

Hot chicken will be another theme for me, hopefully! Hole-in-the-wall recommendations anyone?

And while I’m at ILTA, life continues at home as my wife and kids prepare for school to start and sports practices heat up. I’m sure each kid will want to have friends over for late summer pool days/nights that I’ll miss. I never sleep well in hotels and will miss late-night jacuzzi with my wife talking over the days. 

‍

Connect with me and DISCO at ILTA

What is your personal brand you’re bringing to the conference? Please share and let us all know who you are and what you’re bringing with you. And if we share interests, let’s connect!

And if you’re headed to ILTA, don't forget to stop by DISCO’s booth, #214. Learn more about my colleagues’ speaking sessions here: https://www.csdisco.com/iltacon-2024