Post event follow up: Startup Secrets: Unleashing the Power of Post Event Follow Up

1. Why post-event follow-up is crucial for startups?

You have just attended a great event where you met potential customers, investors, partners, and mentors. You exchanged business cards, had meaningful conversations, and made a positive impression. But what happens next? How do you turn those contacts into valuable relationships that can help your startup grow and succeed? The answer is simple: follow up.

Following up is the process of reaching out to the people you met at an event, expressing your appreciation, interest, and value proposition, and keeping the communication going until you achieve your desired outcome. It is a crucial skill for any startup founder, as it can help you:

- build trust and rapport with your contacts, by showing them that you care about them, remember them, and respect their time and attention.

- Create opportunities for collaboration, feedback, investment, sales, referrals, or mentorship, by demonstrating your expertise, passion, and value proposition, and by asking for specific actions or next steps.

- Stand out from the crowd of other attendees, who may not follow up at all, or who may send generic, impersonal, or spammy messages that get ignored or deleted.

However, following up is not easy. It requires planning, strategy, and execution. You need to know who to follow up with, when to follow up, how to follow up, and what to say. You also need to avoid common pitfalls, such as following up too late, too often, or too aggressively, or sending irrelevant, boring, or self-centered messages. To help you master the art of post-event follow-up, we have compiled some of the best practices and tips from successful startup founders and experts. Here are some of the key points you should keep in mind:

1. Prepare before the event. The follow-up process starts before you even attend the event. You should do some research on the event, the speakers, the attendees, and the organizers, and identify your goals and targets. You should also prepare your pitch, your business cards, and your online presence, such as your website, social media profiles, and email signature. This will help you make a good first impression and collect relevant information from your contacts.

2. Take notes during the event. As you meet new people, you should take notes of their names, roles, companies, interests, pain points, and anything else that can help you personalize your follow-up messages. You can use a pen and paper, a smartphone app, or a CRM tool to record your notes. You should also ask for their preferred contact method and frequency, and respect their preferences.

3. Follow up as soon as possible. The ideal time to follow up is within 24 hours of the event, while the memory is still fresh and the connection is still warm. You should send a personalized, friendly, and professional email or message to each of your contacts, thanking them for their time, reminding them of your conversation, and expressing your interest and value proposition. You should also include a clear call to action, such as asking for a meeting, a feedback, a referral, or an introduction, and suggest a specific date and time. You should also attach or link to any relevant resources, such as your pitch deck, your product demo, or your blog post, that can support your message and showcase your credibility.

4. Keep the conversation going. Following up is not a one-time thing. It is a continuous process of nurturing and building relationships with your contacts. You should keep in touch with them until you achieve your desired outcome, or until they tell you to stop. You should provide value, updates, and insights, and ask for feedback, opinions, and advice. You should also acknowledge their responses, thank them for their help, and reciprocate their favors. You should also monitor and measure your follow-up performance, using tools such as email trackers, analytics, and surveys, and optimize your strategy accordingly.

By following these best practices, you can unleash the power of post-event follow-up and turn your contacts into valuable relationships that can help your startup grow and succeed. Remember, the event is not the end, but the beginning of a long and fruitful journey. Happy following up!

2. How to turn leads into customers, partners, and investors?

One of the most crucial aspects of any event is what happens after it ends. Many startups fail to capitalize on the opportunities that arise from their participation in conferences, workshops, pitch competitions, and other events. They either neglect to follow up with the leads they generated, or they do it in a way that does not convert them into customers, partners, or investors. This is a huge mistake, as post-event follow-up can be a powerful tool to grow your startup and achieve your goals.

In this segment, we will explore how you can leverage post-event follow-up to turn your leads into valuable relationships. We will cover the following topics:

1. Why post-event follow-up is important. We will explain how post-event follow-up can help you build trust, credibility, and rapport with your leads, and how it can increase your chances of closing deals, securing funding, or forming partnerships.

2. How to plan and execute your post-event follow-up strategy. We will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for your post-event follow-up, how to craft effective follow-up messages, and how to track and measure your results.

3. How to optimize your post-event follow-up for different types of leads. We will discuss how to tailor your post-event follow-up to the specific needs and interests of your leads, whether they are potential customers, partners, or investors. We will also share some best practices and tips on how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.

### Why post-event follow-up is important

Post-event follow-up is not just a courtesy or a formality. It is a strategic opportunity to nurture your leads and move them along your sales, partnership, or fundraising funnel. Here are some of the benefits of post-event follow-up:

- It helps you stand out from the crowd. Events are usually crowded and noisy, and your leads may have interacted with dozens of other startups, speakers, or attendees. By following up with them, you can remind them of who you are, what you do, and why you are relevant to them. You can also show them that you care about them and that you value their time and attention.

- It helps you build trust, credibility, and rapport. Events are often the first point of contact between you and your leads, but they are not enough to establish a strong relationship. By following up with them, you can demonstrate your professionalism, expertise, and enthusiasm. You can also provide them with more information, resources, or incentives that can help them solve their problems, achieve their goals, or satisfy their curiosity.

- It helps you increase your chances of closing deals, securing funding, or forming partnerships. Events are great for generating leads, but they are not the end of the sales, fundraising, or partnership process. By following up with them, you can move your leads to the next stage of your funnel, whether it is scheduling a demo, sending a proposal, setting up a meeting, or signing a contract. You can also address any questions, objections, or concerns that they may have, and overcome any barriers or challenges that may prevent them from taking action.

To illustrate these benefits, let's look at some examples of how post-event follow-up can help you turn your leads into customers, partners, or investors.

- Customers. Suppose you are a startup that offers a cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. You attended a conference where you met several potential customers who expressed interest in your product. By following up with them, you can:

- Send them a personalized thank-you email that recaps the main features and benefits of your product, and invites them to sign up for a free trial or a webinar.

- share with them a case study or a testimonial that showcases how your product helped a similar customer save time, money, or hassle.

- Offer them a special discount or a bonus if they sign up for your product within a certain timeframe.

- Follow up with them again after a few days to ask for their feedback, answer any questions, and encourage them to upgrade to a paid plan.

- Partners. Suppose you are a startup that provides a platform for online education. You attended a workshop where you met several potential partners who could offer their courses on your platform. By following up with them, you can:

- Send them a personalized thank-you email that highlights the value proposition and the benefits of partnering with you, and asks them to fill out a short survey or a form to express their interest.

- Share with them a white paper or a report that demonstrates the market potential and the growth opportunities of online education, and how your platform can help them reach more students and generate more revenue.

- Offer them a free consultation or a demo to show them how your platform works, and how they can create and launch their courses easily and quickly.

- Follow up with them again after a few days to ask for their opinion, address any concerns, and propose a partnership agreement.

- Investors. Suppose you are a startup that develops a wearable device for health and fitness. You attended a pitch competition where you met several potential investors who showed interest in your startup. By following up with them, you can:

- Send them a personalized thank-you email that summarizes your pitch, your traction, and your vision, and attaches your pitch deck or your executive summary.

- Share with them a press release or a news article that features your startup, your product, or your customers, and showcases your credibility and your impact.

- Offer them an exclusive opportunity to try your product or to meet your team, and to see for themselves how your product works and how your team operates.

- Follow up with them again after a few days to ask for their feedback, answer any queries, and request a meeting or a call to discuss your investment terms and conditions.

As you can see, post-event follow-up can help you turn your leads into customers, partners, or investors, by providing them with more value, more information, and more incentives. But how do you plan and execute your post-event follow-up strategy? That's what we will cover in the next topic.

3. How to overcome common obstacles and pitfalls?

While the event itself may be over, the work is not done yet. The post-event follow-up is a crucial step in building and maintaining relationships with your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners. It is also an opportunity to collect feedback, measure your impact, and plan for future improvements. However, many startups face challenges and pitfalls when it comes to following up effectively after an event. Here are some of the common ones and how to overcome them:

- Lack of a clear strategy and goals. Without a clear plan and objectives for your follow-up, you may end up wasting time, resources, and opportunities. You need to define what you want to achieve, who you want to reach out to, how you want to communicate, and when you want to do it. For example, do you want to thank your attendees, ask for feedback, share resources, generate leads, or invite them to another event? Do you want to send personalized emails, newsletters, social media posts, or phone calls? Do you want to follow up immediately, within a week, or after a month? Having a clear strategy and goals will help you prioritize and execute your follow-up effectively.

- Lack of personalization and segmentation. Sending generic and mass messages to your entire audience may not only be ineffective, but also damage your reputation and trust. You need to tailor your messages and offers to the specific needs, interests, and preferences of your different segments. For example, you may want to send different messages to your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners, depending on their level of engagement, feedback, and satisfaction. You may also want to segment your attendees based on their demographics, behavior, or persona, and offer them relevant content, resources, or opportunities. Personalizing and segmenting your follow-up will help you increase your response rate, conversion rate, and loyalty.

- Lack of value and relevance. Sending messages that are not valuable or relevant to your audience may result in low open rate, click rate, or unsubscribe rate. You need to provide value and relevance to your audience by offering them something that they can benefit from, learn from, or enjoy. For example, you may want to share the highlights, recordings, or slides of your event, offer them exclusive discounts, access, or opportunities, or invite them to join your community, network, or platform. Providing value and relevance to your audience will help you retain their attention, interest, and engagement.

- Lack of measurement and optimization. Without measuring and optimizing your follow-up, you may not know what works and what doesn't, and how to improve your performance and results. You need to track and analyze your follow-up metrics, such as open rate, click rate, response rate, conversion rate, feedback, and satisfaction. You also need to test and experiment with different variables, such as subject lines, content, timing, frequency, and channels. Measuring and optimizing your follow-up will help you identify and replicate your best practices, and avoid and eliminate your worst practices.

4. How to create a personalized and effective follow-up strategy?

One of the most crucial aspects of any event is the follow-up. It is not enough to simply host a successful event and hope that the attendees will remember you and your brand. You need to actively engage them after the event, nurture the relationships you have built, and convert them into loyal customers or partners. However, not all follow-up strategies are created equal. You need to tailor your approach to each attendee, based on their interests, needs, and level of engagement. Here are some best practices to help you create a personalized and effective follow-up strategy:

1. Segment your attendees. Depending on the size and nature of your event, you may have hundreds or thousands of attendees, each with different backgrounds, goals, and expectations. You cannot treat them all the same and send them generic messages. You need to segment them into different groups based on criteria such as their industry, role, stage of the buyer's journey, level of interest, feedback, and actions taken during or after the event. For example, you can segment your attendees into hot leads, warm leads, cold leads, and non-leads. Hot leads are those who have expressed a high level of interest in your product or service, such as requesting a demo, signing up for a trial, or asking for a quote. Warm leads are those who have shown some interest, such as downloading a resource, visiting your website, or engaging with your social media posts. Cold leads are those who have attended your event but have not taken any further action. Non-leads are those who have attended your event but are not your target audience or are not interested in your offer.

2. Use multiple channels. To increase the chances of reaching your attendees and getting a response, you need to use multiple channels of communication. email is the most common and effective channel for follow-up, but you can also use phone calls, text messages, social media, or direct mail. The choice of channel depends on the preferences and behavior of your attendees, as well as the type and purpose of your message. For example, you can use email to send a thank-you note, a survey, or a valuable resource. You can use phone calls to schedule a meeting, provide a consultation, or close a deal. You can use text messages to send a reminder, a confirmation, or a quick tip. You can use social media to share relevant content, invite feedback, or start a conversation. You can use direct mail to send a personalized card, a gift, or a brochure. The key is to use the channel that is most appropriate and convenient for your attendees and your goals.

3. Timing is everything. The timing of your follow-up is crucial for its effectiveness. You need to strike a balance between being prompt and being persistent. You don't want to wait too long to follow up, as your attendees may lose interest, forget about you, or move on to your competitors. You also don't want to follow up too soon or too often, as you may come across as pushy, spammy, or desperate. A general rule of thumb is to follow up within 24 hours after the event, and then follow up again every few days or weeks, depending on the urgency and the response rate. However, you should also consider the context and the situation of your attendees, and adjust your timing accordingly. For example, if your event was on a Friday, you may want to wait until Monday to follow up, as your attendees may be busy or unavailable over the weekend. If your event was during a holiday season, you may want to wait until after the holidays to follow up, as your attendees may be traveling or spending time with their families. If your event was during a crisis or a major event, you may want to postpone your follow-up, as your attendees may have other priorities or concerns.

4. Provide value. The most important thing to remember when following up is to provide value to your attendees. You need to show them that you care about them, that you understand their needs and challenges, and that you can offer them a solution or an opportunity. You need to avoid sending generic, salesy, or irrelevant messages that only focus on your own agenda. You need to send messages that are personalized, helpful, and engaging. For example, you can provide value by:

- Thanking your attendees for their time and participation, and expressing your appreciation and gratitude.

- Asking for their feedback and opinions, and showing that you value their input and suggestions.

- Sharing useful and relevant resources, such as blog posts, ebooks, webinars, or case studies, that can help them solve their problems or achieve their goals.

- Offering incentives or discounts, such as free trials, coupons, or bonuses, that can motivate them to take action or make a purchase.

- Inviting them to join your community, such as a newsletter, a social media group, or a forum, where they can connect with you and other like-minded people, and receive ongoing support and value.

- Giving them a clear and compelling call to action, such as booking a demo, scheduling a call, or signing up for a service, that can move them to the next stage of the buyer's journey.

5. Track and measure your results. The last but not least best practice is to track and measure your follow-up results. You need to monitor and analyze the performance of your follow-up strategy, and see what works and what doesn't. You need to use tools and metrics, such as email open rates, click-through rates, response rates, conversion rates, and revenue generated, to evaluate the effectiveness of your follow-up messages and channels. You also need to use feedback and data, such as surveys, testimonials, reviews, and referrals, to assess the satisfaction and loyalty of your attendees. By tracking and measuring your results, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your follow-up strategy, and make adjustments and improvements as needed. You can also learn more about your attendees, their preferences, and their behavior, and use this information to optimize your future events and follow-up strategies.

5. How to use email, social media, and other platforms to stay in touch?

Here is a possible segment that I generated for you:

One of the most important aspects of any event is what happens after it ends. How do you keep the momentum going and maintain the relationships you have built with your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners? How do you leverage the feedback and data you have collected to improve your future events and grow your business? How do you turn your event into a memorable and valuable experience that leads to loyal customers and advocates? These are some of the questions that you need to answer in your post-event follow-up strategy. In this segment, we will explore some of the tools and best practices that you can use to effectively communicate with your event stakeholders and achieve your post-event goals.

- Email: Email is one of the most widely used and effective tools for post-event follow-up. You can use email to thank your attendees for their participation, share event highlights and resources, solicit feedback and testimonials, offer incentives and discounts, and invite them to your next event. You can also use email to nurture your leads and prospects, segment your audience based on their interests and behaviors, and send personalized and relevant messages that move them along the sales funnel. For example, you can send a series of emails that showcase the benefits and features of your product or service, address common objections and FAQs, and provide social proof and case studies. You can also use email to follow up with your speakers, sponsors, and partners, and express your appreciation and gratitude, request referrals and introductions, and propose future collaborations. For example, you can send a thank-you note with a personalized gift, a testimonial request with a link to a survey, and a partnership proposal with a clear value proposition and call to action.

- social media: Social media is another powerful tool for post-event follow-up. You can use social media to extend the reach and impact of your event, engage with your audience and community, and generate buzz and awareness for your brand. You can also use social media to monitor and measure the sentiment and feedback of your event, and respond to comments and questions. For example, you can create a hashtag for your event and encourage your attendees to use it before, during, and after the event. You can also post live updates, photos, videos, and stories from your event, and tag your speakers, sponsors, and partners. You can also create a group or a page for your event and invite your attendees to join and share their thoughts and experiences. You can also use social media to promote your event content and resources, such as blog posts, podcasts, webinars, ebooks, and white papers. You can also use social media to drive traffic to your website and landing pages, and generate leads and conversions. For example, you can create a Facebook ad campaign that targets your event attendees and offers them a free trial or a demo of your product or service.

- Other platforms: Besides email and social media, there are other platforms and tools that you can use for post-event follow-up. For example, you can use a CRM (customer relationship management) system to store and manage your event contacts and data, and automate your email and social media campaigns. You can also use an event management software to create and host your event website and landing pages, and collect and analyze your event registrations, feedback, and analytics. You can also use a video conferencing or live streaming platform to host your event recordings and replays, and offer on-demand access to your event content and resources. You can also use a chatbot or a messaging app to provide instant and personalized communication with your event attendees, and answer their queries and concerns. You can also use a gamification or a loyalty program to reward your event attendees for their engagement and loyalty, and offer them points, badges, prizes, and discounts.

6. How to measure and optimize your follow-up performance?

One of the most important aspects of any event is the follow-up. The follow-up is the process of reaching out to the attendees, speakers, sponsors, and partners after the event to thank them, solicit feedback, share resources, and nurture relationships. The follow-up can have a significant impact on the success of your event and your startup. However, many startups struggle with measuring and optimizing their follow-up performance. How do you know if your follow-up is effective? How do you improve your follow-up strategy and tactics? Here are some tips and best practices to help you answer these questions:

- Define your follow-up goals and metrics. Before you start your follow-up, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. For example, your follow-up goals could be to increase brand awareness, generate leads, build trust, or drive sales. Your follow-up metrics could be the number of email opens, clicks, replies, conversions, referrals, or testimonials. You should align your follow-up goals and metrics with your event goals and metrics, and use tools such as Google analytics, Mailchimp, or HubSpot to track and analyze them.

- Segment your follow-up audience. Not all attendees are the same. They have different needs, interests, expectations, and behaviors. Therefore, you should segment your follow-up audience based on criteria such as their event engagement, feedback, persona, stage in the buyer's journey, or industry. By segmenting your follow-up audience, you can tailor your follow-up messages and offers to suit their preferences and pain points, and increase your chances of getting a positive response.

- Personalize your follow-up communication. People are more likely to open, read, and respond to emails that are personalized and relevant to them. Therefore, you should avoid sending generic, mass emails to your follow-up audience. Instead, you should use their names, mention specific details from the event, and provide value-added content or offers that match their needs and interests. You can use tools such as Merge Tags, Dynamic Content, or AI Copywriting to help you create personalized and engaging follow-up emails.

- Optimize your follow-up timing and frequency. The timing and frequency of your follow-up can make or break your follow-up performance. If you follow up too soon or too late, you might seem pushy or forgettable. If you follow up too often or too rarely, you might annoy or lose your follow-up audience. Therefore, you should optimize your follow-up timing and frequency based on factors such as the type of event, the type of audience, the type of message, and the type of action. You can use tools such as Boomerang, Mixmax, or Calendly to help you schedule and automate your follow-up emails and calls.

- Test and iterate your follow-up strategy and tactics. The follow-up is not a one-time activity. It is a continuous process of learning and improving. Therefore, you should test and iterate your follow-up strategy and tactics based on your follow-up goals and metrics. You can use tools such as A/B Testing, Multivariate Testing, or Heatmaps to help you compare and optimize different elements of your follow-up, such as the subject line, the call to action, the design, or the content. You should also collect and analyze feedback from your follow-up audience to understand what works and what doesn't, and make adjustments accordingly.

By following these tips and best practices, you can measure and optimize your follow-up performance, and unleash the power of post-event follow-up for your startup. Remember, the follow-up is not the end of the event. It is the beginning of a long-term relationship with your event community.

7. How to learn from successful startups who nailed their follow-up?

One of the most important aspects of post-event follow-up is learning from the best practices of successful startups who have mastered the art of engaging their leads and prospects after an event. Whether it is a conference, a webinar, a demo day, or a pitch competition, these startups know how to leverage the momentum and excitement generated by the event to build lasting relationships with their target audience and move them along the sales funnel. How do they do it? Here are some examples of post-event follow-up strategies that have proven to be effective for some of the most innovative and successful startups in the world:

- Personalize your follow-up messages. Don't send generic or mass emails to your event attendees. Instead, tailor your messages to each individual based on their profile, interests, pain points, and actions. For example, Airbnb sends personalized emails to its hosts and guests after each booking, thanking them for their trust and providing them with relevant information and tips. This helps to create a sense of belonging and loyalty among its users and encourages them to book again or refer others to the platform.

- Segment your audience and prioritize your leads. Not all event attendees are equally interested or qualified for your product or service. You need to segment your audience based on their level of engagement, interest, and readiness to buy. Then, you need to prioritize your leads and focus your follow-up efforts on the most promising ones. For example, Slack uses a scoring system to rank its leads based on their behavior and interactions with the app. It then sends targeted follow-up messages to the high-scoring leads, offering them free trials, discounts, or demos to convert them into paying customers.

- Provide value and education. Don't just pitch your product or service to your event attendees. Instead, provide them with value and education that can help them solve their problems, achieve their goals, or improve their situation. For example, HubSpot hosts regular webinars and workshops on various topics related to marketing, sales, and customer service. It then sends follow-up emails to the webinar attendees, sharing the recording, slides, and additional resources that can help them implement what they learned. This helps to establish HubSpot as a thought leader and a trusted source of information and guidance for its potential customers.

- Create a sense of urgency and scarcity. Don't let your event attendees forget about you or lose interest in your offer. Instead, create a sense of urgency and scarcity that can motivate them to take action sooner rather than later. For example, Dropbox offers a limited-time referral bonus to its users who invite their friends to join the service. It then sends follow-up emails to the users, reminding them of the deadline and the benefits of the bonus. This helps to create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and incentivize the users to act quickly and spread the word about Dropbox.

- Ask for feedback and testimonials. Don't assume that your event attendees are satisfied or happy with your product or service. Instead, ask for their feedback and testimonials that can help you improve your offering, validate your value proposition, and build social proof. For example, Shopify sends follow-up emails to its merchants who have made their first sale, congratulating them and asking them to share their story and feedback. It then features some of the best stories and testimonials on its website, blog, and social media. This helps to showcase the success and diversity of its customers and inspire others to join the platform.

8. How to take your post-event follow-up to the next level?

Here is a possible segment that meets your criteria:

You have learned the importance of post-event follow-up, the best practices to implement it, and the common mistakes to avoid. Now, you may be wondering how to take your post-event follow-up to the next level and stand out from the crowd. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you achieve that goal:

- Personalize your messages. Don't send generic or mass emails to your leads. Use their names, refer to their specific interests or pain points, and mention something memorable from your conversation. This will show that you care about them and that you are not just spamming them.

- Provide value. Don't just ask for a meeting or a sale. Offer something useful or relevant to your leads, such as a free trial, a discount, a case study, a white paper, or a webinar. This will demonstrate your expertise and credibility, and entice them to take action.

- Follow up at the right time. Don't wait too long or too short to follow up. Ideally, you should send your first email within 24 hours of the event, and then follow up every few days until you get a response. You can use tools like Boomerang or HubSpot to schedule your emails and track your open and click rates.

- Use multiple channels. Don't rely on email alone. You can also use phone calls, social media, text messages, or video messages to reach out to your leads. Different people have different preferences and habits, so you want to use the channel that works best for them. You can also use tools like Calendly or Zoom to make it easy for them to book a meeting or a demo with you.

- Ask for feedback. Don't be afraid to ask your leads for their opinions or suggestions. You can use tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform to create and send surveys, or you can simply ask them in your emails or calls. This will help you understand their needs and expectations, and improve your products or services accordingly.

By following these tips and tricks, you can take your post-event follow-up to the next level and turn your leads into loyal customers. Remember, post-event follow-up is not a one-time thing, but a continuous process that requires patience, persistence, and creativity. Happy follow-up!

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