Networking at Beauty Events: Beauty and the Vlog Podcast 53
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Networking at beauty events: This past weekend, I attended the yearly beauty bonanza, BeautyCon where dozens of brands and influencers show up to mingle with each other and their raving fans. The companies handed out free goodies and offered deep discounts on their products. The influencers hosted meet and greets as well as panels discussing all things beauty and influencer life. I had the unique opportunity to have a Press pass to the event and was able to mingle with the influencers and brands. I LOVE attending these events and get so much out of it. I often come away with dozens of business cards and lots of goodies. Most importantly, I usually end up meeting a few people to have on the show, along with brands and PR managers. BeautyCon takes place throughout the country and even the world., here is their website to see the next event near your area. Other events like BeautyCon are Generation Beauty by IPSY, PhameExp, VidCon and IMATS. If you are serious about your channel, I would highly suggest attending at least one or two of these events a year.
Attending the show got me thinking, not everyone knows how or what to do when attending these events. As an influencer or wanna be influencer, BeautyCon shouldn’t be seen as an event to attend for shopping and free swag, but a unique opportunity to get in front of brands as well as meet other influencers for collaborations and possible friendships. In this post and podcast episode, Ill be listing some tips on how to network and get the most out of a beauty event.
As a side note, my day job consists of attending events and networking. As I’ve mentioned before, I am a sales director for a large corporation and my role is basically to network and bring in business to the firm. If you haven’t listened to my podcast episode where I give a little more info about me, check it out HERE!
Networking is a topic I get really fired up about! Ask anyone who knows me, I know how to meet people and get them to work with me, it’s something I’ve done successfully my entire life. SO, I’m excited to impart some of my wisdom to you, my beautiful influencer. It’s something ANYONE can do, trust me! It’s not just for outgoing people or people that know what they are doing. Follow my steps and you will benefit both at BeautyCon and in life!
Networking at Beauty Events: Before the Event
1.) Research what brands will be attending.
Most events have a website listing the brands attending or sponsoring. Check out the site and see who is going. Study some of the smaller brands and make a mental or written list of a few that you would like to target. You can even go a step further and do some digging. Visit their websites, see if they have a creator program already, check out their Instagram and hashtags and see who is talking about the brand on YouTube and the types of influencers they generally work with.
2.) Reach out to other influencers.
Most of you are probably making relationships with people on Instagram and YouTube via comments, messages, etc. If you are not, then get on it! On your social handles, make sure you share that you are attending the event so people who follow you are aware. Also, you can reach out to people you follow who you would like to meet in person and see if they are going. Most of the time, they will be more than happy to meet up at the event. Please note, this works best for other influencers that have roughly the same sub or follow count as you do. If you are a member of Facebook groups (join the Beauty and the Vlog one HERE) and are active, post in there to see if any other group members will be going. Get together a list of people you have contacted prior to the event, their phone numbers and try and hook up at the event, grab some food or just wonder the booths together. Connecting at large events is a great way to solidify relationships you have been making online.
3.) Get Business Cards!
I got mine from MOO and love them. They are gorgeous, I get so many compliments on them and they look really professional. I’ll be honest, they are a little more pricey, but they make a great impression and will stand out from the rest.
4.) Practice your pitch!
Take the worksheet you created from Lesson 1 of my How to get started on YouTube episode and weave the elements together for your pitch. For example, my pitch is, “Hi! Im Erika Vieira from Beauty and the Vlog, the #1 fashion and beauty podcast on iTunes.” That’s usually enough to get them interested, I then go on to tell a little more about the podcast. “I interview popular influencers and discuss how to start and grow your influence online through YouTube, Instagram and other social platforms.” I make it quick, energetic and to the point. You can do the same thing and lead with your why and niche. Sometimes your SUPERPOWER isn’t relevant when it comes to your pitch, but sometimes it is. The point is to create a pitch that makes you memorable and intriguing. Download the tip sheet for today’s lesson as a reference and jot down your pitch. Once you’ve figured out your pitch, practice! Practice your pitch on your mom, husband, significant other, brother, anyone who will listen! Or, if you are too embarrassed, just do it a few times in the mirror.
At The Beauty Event
1.) Introduce yourself.
Head over to the companies that interest you and ask for the PR rep.
TIP: Do NOT stand in line. Just walk straight up to the front and ask someone working at the booth for the social media manager or PR manager.
You are not there to shop, you are there to meet potential contacts. Most people there are in line to score free stuff or buy things, since you are not there to do that, it doesn’t make sense to wait in line for that. (Some of the PR people you talk to might offer you some goodies anyways since you are an influencer, but they might not, so you can’t always expect it.) Approach them with the intention of simply introducing yourself and exchanging contact information.
2.) Use your Pitch!
If you are fortunate enough to have face time with a PR rep, use your pitch! Make it enthusiastic and natural, but serious. Most people will sense that you are serious about your channel and that in itself will make you stand out. Just say you wanted to introduce yourself in person and would love the opportunity to work together. Ask them how they work with influencers and what they look for.
TIP! Since you did your research ahead of time, let them know how much you love their brand and some specific products you use, if thats the case.
OR, if you are new to the brand but discovered them through your research, let them know that. Say you are new to the brand but have heard wonderful things and would love to work together. Either way, be enthusiastic about that particular brand and show you love them and what they do/stand for. Please note, it should all be genuine. You are approaching brands you like and resonate with, so these things should naturally be your impressions, you are just making sure they are aware!
3.) Exchange contact information.
Whoever you are speaking with will probably ask you for your business card. Make sure to ask them for theirs. Many of the people you speak with might run out or say they don’t have one. Don’t let that stop you from getting their information.
TIP! Whip your phone out and say, thats ok, would you mind writing down your email and name here so I can follow up and stay in touch?
All of your time and preparation networking at beauty events will be wasted if you do not get their information. Without their info, you are relying on them to remember and send an email. I wouldn’t take that chance!
4.) Mix and mingle.
Hopefully you were able to make some plans with other influencers prior to coming to the event. If not, use any excuse you can to talk to the people around you. Chat with people in line, the bathroom, food trucks, at the booths, etc. Just introduce yourself. Ask them where they are from and if they have a channel. A lot of the people hanging around these shows are influencers themselves and it’s a great way to meet new people in person.
After the Beauty Event
1.) Follow up.
Gather all of those business cards you got and send out follow up emails to everyone. In the email, remind them who you are, and give your pitch again. If you have a reel or media sheet (which I highly suggest creating), make sure to include that. If you do not, include links to all of your socials. Make it EASY for them to check you out. Also, make sure you are following those brands on Instagram and write a comment on their latest post thanking them for their time or meeting them.
Tip! A lot of the PR reps have their own personal instagrams. You can usually figure it out after meeting them and scoping out the brand’s feed. Follow that person and if their account is public, thank them for their time there as well. Hopefully they follow you back from their personal account giving you double exposure!
For the fellow influencers you connected with, make sure you follow them on all their accounts and send them seem nice messages on their YouTube and Instagram.
Networking at beauty events isn’t always easy, but with these simple tips you’ll be a pro in no time! Make sure you download the tip sheet reference guide so you don’t miss any of the steps to being a star networker!
Comment below if you use any of these tips or if there are any you use that I might have missed!
Here are some other episodes you might want to check out:
How to Get Started on YouTube with No Subscribers or Views: Lesson 1
How to Get Noticed By Brands as An Influencer
Why I Started the Beauty and the Vlog Podcast and MY Story
Join The Beauty and the Vlog Facebook Group!
