Most brand ambassadors thrive on the hustle and bustle of crowded events and the camaraderie of working on a team. After all, a brand ambassador’s primary job function is to connect and converse with others.
After working a few experiential marketing events, brand ambassadors often find themselves working with many the same people – from staffing agency reps to other local brand ambassadors. Hence, networking in the event industry is a very organic process. There is no time like the present to prepare and connect with potential employers and your peers.
5 Virtual Networking Tips for Brand Ambassadors
1. Prepare: Revisit and Refresh
Update your professional credentials to reflect your current employment and/or education status, skills, and experience:
- Gather, review and edit your resume, headshot, references, letters of recommendation, and other relevant documentation.
- Update your staffing agency profiles and professional social profiles (LinkedIn plus any others you use professionally) with your updated credentials and experience.
2. Understand Your “Whys”
Narrow down and journal your networking intentions. Having clarity upfront will give you some direction on who to connect with and what your approach will be.
- Ask yourself questions such as:
- What is my goal with networking?
- Am I limiting my outreach to the events industry or will I include a different industry?
- Am I interested in learning more about a specific occupation or role?
- What is my employment preference: part-time, full-time, contract, or gig work?
- In addition to my work as a brand ambassador, do I want to start a side hustle?
- Is there a specific brand or company that I would like to work with?
- What is my timeline for finding work or additional income?
3. Messaging and Communication
Before you begin your outreach, take the time to create a variety of templates that can be customized based on who you are reaching out to (agency reps, co-workers, other employers, etc.)
- Considerations for correspondence:
- The tone of your messages should reflect the way you speak so that the reader feels like they are meeting you.
- A personalized and authentic message is critical in connecting with the reader on a personal level.
- Your written correspondence isn’t just for digital communication. You can also verbally practice your messaging to prepare yourself for non-written communication with your connections.
- Key things to keep in mind when sending a cold email or message:
- Keep your message brief, warm and personalized by including the contact’s name. Be sure to reference something notable about the company.
- Explain the skills, qualifications or experience that you possess that will benefit the company or brand.
- Include a CTA (call to action) in your initial outreach, state that you’d like to send your resume. If they agree, then send your resume and with a suggestion to schedule a time to chat.
- Follow up but don’t spam! If you don’t hear back in a week, send one follow-up email and from there, move on.
4. Get Started
There are multiple ways to network and to build a solid network, including:
- Reach out to personal and professional contacts:
- Contact anyone that comes to mind that you are comfortable connecting with.
- Connections who know you (even slightly) will be more likely to respond favorably than someone you’ve never had contact with before.
- Touch base with industry friends, former co-workers, supervisors, acquaintances, staffing agency reps, event managers, etc.
- Send a brief email or text your contacts with the appropriate messaging to touch base and reconnect.
- If you’re comfortable calling a connection right off the bat, go for it!
- Consider sharing your job aspirations on your social media account/s and kindly ask for friends to share with their networks (you never know who may be connected to your social followers).
- Explore LinkedIn:
- Search 2nd connections and if you see a good fit, request to connect (be sure to include a customized note when sending a connection request).
- Look for possible connections by searching keywords and company names (ex: “staffing manager ATN Event Staffing”)
- Check out your University Alumni Association page and or group (if applicable) to search for relevant connections.
- Share or create content: use your LinkedIn account as a platform to share relevant content and exciting articles that could get you noticed. Showing your vested interest in your chosen industry is a worthwhile action.
- Visit company and staffing agency websites:
- Perusing company and agency sites may offer additional names and or contact information for those you’d be interested in sending your resume to.
- Check with your local Chamber of Commerce
- If you’re looking for work outside of the event industry, your local Chamber of Commerce is the hub for local business owners and companies. With a little research on these local businesses, you may find opportunities you never knew existed in your area.
5. Be a Joiner
Virtual group meetings and hangouts can prove to be a worthwhile networking tool. Jumping into a group expands your reach and could lead you to valuable connections.
- Sign up for virtual job fairs and professional networking events
- Check out Eventbrite and Google search “virtual job fair or virtual networking event + your location” to find free professional events that may be of interest to you.
- Join personal and professional groups
- Mastermind Groups: Mastermind groups lend a supportive platform to brainstorm with others to learn and grow both your professional and personal skills. Peer accountability in taking action on your plan is a primary feature of mastermind groups.
- Facebook Groups: This is a great place to network with peers, engage with professionals and find jobs. Facebook groups cater to interest groups and industry professionals on a national and local level.
- Social clubs: Seeking out social clubs that center around your hobbies and interests can lead to professional opportunities, and you may even have some fun along the way.
- Friendship Apps: As an adult, it can be challenging to make new friends. For those who would like to network socially, friendship apps offer a safe space to chat with others and make a platonic match.
The Takeaway
With remote work becoming the norm, so is virtual networking. Putting yourself out there to grow your professional network will open you up to opportunities you simply can’t find organically. Happy networking!
Be sure to check out our talent blog while you’re here for even more helpful tips, news, and trends!
ATN is a leading event staffing agency that provides promotional staffing for brands and marketing agencies in the U.S. and Canada. If you’re interested in learning more about what we do or joining our team, please click here.
Article originally published in January 2021 and recently updated
