In this fast-paced world of emails and teleconferencing, it can be easy to forget how big of a difference face-to-face meetings and events can make. Specifically, we’re talking about conferences.
There are numerous conferences that cater to the dating industry, including iDate, Global Love Conference, Global Dating Insights Conference, and Niche Dating Conference. Then there are general affiliate marketing conferences, like ASW and ASE, that have a large dating presence and that are worth looking into, too.
Getting involved in the dating industry in the real world, not just online, comes with a ton of perks, and below we delve a little deeper into those perks.
1. Learn an Exponential Amount of Information
We can’t even describe how much you’ll learn by attending a conference. Hundreds of people and companies attend, and they’re all sharing their unique knowledge. You can join in on conversations about where the dating industry has been and listen to lectures about where it’s heading. This can be especially helpful if you work on your own or with a small team because it’s good to get new perspectives. You can figure out how to streamline processes and be more productive without working harder, among other tricks.
Even if you’ve been in the dating space for a while and just haven’t gone to any conferences yet, we guarantee you’ll still learn something you didn’t know before. As they say, we’re never too old to learn.
2. Network With Colleagues and Potential Investors
Meeting new people is one of the best parts of attending a dating conference. You get to rub shoulders with, share ideas with, and get feedback from well-known names as well as those who are in the same boat as you. It’s all about creating relationships. You never know when you’re going to need to ask a favor of a colleague, and it’s easier to ask for that favor when you’re actually acquaintances or even friends with the person. You’ll also probably be asked for favors, so remember that. Plus, the people you connect with can help spread the word about your business.
At each dating conference, hundreds of people attend, so you’ll never run out of opportunities to connect with experts, investors, and those how are in a similar position as you.
While some might see colleagues as competition, and may worry about someone stealing their ideas, we’d say it’s a non-issue. Yes, you want to keep really important company and strategy details to yourself. However, most folks in the dating industry just want to improve their services and help others do the same — so everyone can better serve the clients, who, in the end, are the most important part of the equation.
3. Discover Technology That’s Influencing the Industry
Particularly in online and mobile dating, technology is always changing. Conferences will tell you what’s out there and what everyone is using as well as recommend specific tools that can grow your business. It could be something as simple as a CRM download for organizing your emails, or it could be something as advanced as a new website builder that can take your online presence to the next level.
For example, past iDate Conferences have had leading security companies as guest speakers, and they gave advice and recommended technology for doing things like protecting dating sites and apps from scammers, running background checks on potential matchmaking clients, and enhancing customer service response rates.
4. Add More People to Your Contacts
When attending a conference, you can never have too many business cards, and you can never get too many business cards. Every person who gives you a business card is someone you can add to your contacts and email list(s) and who could potentially help you generate more leads and awareness overall.
Maybe you’re creating content and want to put together a list of people you can send email blasts out to whenever you have a new post. Maybe you’re launching a training program for dating coaches and are looking to gather a big group for the beta testing. The point is you never know whose hand your business card is going to fall into, and you never know whose business card is going to fall into your hand.
5. Test and Buy Trending Services or Products
In addition to breakout sessions and guest lectures, most conferences also have trade shows or an exhibit area with tons of booths for checking out the latest dating-related products. While some people may avoid this area (it can be kind of loud and crowded), you should give it a chance. You can talk with the experts who are selling all the top goodies, getting a feel for the business climate and what clients want.
Not only do dating conferences have lectures and sessions, but they also have exhibit halls where you can browse booths full of new products to make your job easier.
Exhibitors at past dating conferences have included Inovio, MoSocial, UTail, and BeUpon. Test out the products, and if you end up buying something, you’ll usually get it for a cheaper price than you would if you weren’t at the conference.
6. Get More People to Check Out Your Website
Tweeting and emailing people about your site and services is one thing — but actually talking about it and showing it to someone is a whole ‘nother thing. In 2017, spam email accounted for almost 60% of email traffic worldwide. And what about all the spam tweets, posts, and comments? People are just getting so much crap sent to them online that it’s hard for them to weed out the diamonds.
Your pitch is more likely to go over well in person, and people are more likely to remember you and actually spend some time checking out what you do. They’ll probably even tell others.
7. You Can Position Yourself as a Leader
It’s a little harder to do this at your first conference, but if you’re bringing something unique to the industry, you’re already one step closer to showing people that you’re an expert in your niche. The more you attend these conferences, the more people will recognize you as a familiar face. The more people remember you, the more influence you’ll have. The more influence you have, the bigger impact you can have on your business. Who knows, one day you could even have a booth of your own or become a guest speaker, teaching people how you succeeded in this industry.
Now You’re Ready to Book a Conference
Don’t get us wrong — conferences aren’t all roses and rainbows. They cost money, require travel, and are often tiring because you’re going from session to session and party to party. But, at the end of the day, conferences are totally worth it for all the reasons we just mentioned. All that’s left for you to do is choose one that you think will be most beneficial to you and check it out. Good luck!
