{"id":21723,"date":"2019-02-21T16:35:50","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T15:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mention.com\/blog\/?p=21723"},"modified":"2020-03-04T21:49:38","modified_gmt":"2020-03-04T21:49:38","slug":"digital-marketing-conferences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mention.com\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing-conferences\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons Attending a Conference is the Best Personal Growth Hack"},"content":{"rendered":"

The field of marketing is always changing.
\nSo as a marketer – I constantly feel the need to keep apace with industry trends so I can make the best and most informed decisions.
\nIt’s also a competitive world for a marketer nowadays. Information is accessible to everyone – so it comes down to who makes more of an effort to keep ahead of the game
\n\"29662313Photo from CXL Live 2018<\/em>
\nSure, staying on top of everything is impossible.
\nYou can do things like: read a handful of blog posts everyday,<\/a> follow industry thought leaders on social media, and take online courses regularly to educate yourself.
\nBut there is a shortcut I\u2019ve found particularly useful for staying relevant, informed, and super energized by new marketing ideas: attending a marketing conference.<\/strong>
\nI’ve attended many, many<\/em> conferences in my life and learned so much from them as a result. In this blog post, I’ll share the three reasons why I think attending a marketing conference is the best growth hack for a marketer.
\n\"Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s not just what you learn; it\u2019s the people you meet<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve been lucky enough to speak at ~20 conferences in the last few years, including CXL Live<\/a>, SearchLove<\/a>, Call to Action Conference<\/a> and Digital Elite Camp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s been the best part?  It\u2019s meeting and connecting with all the like-minded marketers!<\/p>\n

Research tells us that networking is a critical aspect of achieving personal and professional success<\/a>. It\u2019s the whole \u201cno man is an island\u201d trope; people need communities to thrive – but not all networking is the same.
\n\"DbtgqXQW4AANB2Q\"Me with Amy Harrison at Interact Conference 2018  <\/em>
\n\"DZUI4VPhoto from SearchLove 2018     <\/em>
\n\"Dfuw5YvWAAAwqPhoto from Digital Elite Camp 2018<\/em>
\nIt\u2019s generally thought that you can sort networking into three categories:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Operational networking<\/li>\n
  2. Personal networking<\/li>\n
  3. Strategic networking<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    \nPhoto source: The Harvard Business Review<\/em>
    \nOperational networking<\/strong> builds relationships with your colleagues and peers to improve the quality and efficiency of your work. Personal networking<\/strong> happens mostly with external contacts who provide you with interesting referrals\u2014like good books, recipes, music, or job prospects.
    \nStrategic networking<\/strong> is the most ambiguous, but it can also be the most impactful. It\u2019s about \u201cclout\u201d; increasing relationships with     influential people<\/a> who ultimately help you achieve a larger goal, or purpose.
    \nOnly at a conference have I experienced all three types of networking at once.<\/strong>
    \nConferences play to the     psychology of shared experience<\/a>. The sheer act of spending hours or days with colleagues or new acquaintances strengthens the intensity of that experience and builds deeper bonds between you and those experiencing the event with you.
    \nWhether Operational, Personal, or Strategic, a conference is a perfect vessel for building your network.
    \nHere are some general tips for making the most out of conference networking:<\/p>\n