LinkedIn is one of the best online resources for building and maintaining professional connections. Conferences provide many opportunities for personal and professional development as well as networking. Before you attend a conference such as the RMAI Annual Conference, take the time to update your LinkedIn profile to ensure that you are making the most of your platform. Your profile content and your account activity can help you before, during, and after a conference by increasing your visibility, building your brand, and growing your network. Here are 4 reasons you should update your professional LinkedIn profile before you attend your next conference. 

1.Provide Easy Navigation to Profile   

A common feature of conference networking is the exchange of business cards. Many people and companies now include their LinkedIn profile URL (or QR code) on business cards. It’s an efficient way to invite new connections to follow up with you and learn more about you or your business. Before you update or print new cards, we recommend taking a moment to customize your LinkedIn profile’s URL if you haven’t already, and include the URL on your business cards. 

Using your name for a personal profile or company name for a business profile is likely your best option. That way it’s easily searchable and professionally representative of you or your business. The update takes less than a minute, and LinkedIn provides these instructions for customizing your public profile URL. 

2.Create a Positive First Impression

LinkedIn is a great tool for setting up meetings, learning more about event speakers or fellow attendees, and establishing key connections before your conference. Updating your profile now will help ensure your pre-conference networking is setting you up for successful networking during the conference. A current profile photo, for instance, will help new connections recognize your face at the conference. Updated work history, certifications, or volunteer experience may spark intrigue or make you aware of a mutual connection. Putting thought into your profile updates and activity ahead of time has the potential to increase your “warm contacts” and make networking at the conference more approachable and purposeful. 

Now is also the time to review your profile visibility settings. Review all the settings in the Visibility of your profile and network section in your account’s Settings & Privacy options, but most importantly, make sure all members of LinkedIn can view your profile photo and headline. This will help new conference-related connections find your profile or recognize you if you send an invitation to connect. Remember, first impressions count. 

3.Build Your Brand

When preparing for a conference, you should have a clear idea of what you hope to gain from your experience. With this in mind, you can tailor your profile to help you reach your conference goals. Take some time to make sure your profile accurately expresses your professional strengths, interests, and experiences. It may be worthwhile to invest in a professional headshot or consider creative ways to update your photo factoring in elements such as lighting, outfit, background, etc. 

Many people recognize the importance of building a company brand, but may not consider the benefits of building a personal professional brand. Updating your LinkedIn profile is a great opportunity to consider who you are professionally and how you want to represent yourself. Take a look at the blog post, “How To Expertly Build Your Brand by Improving Your Professional LinkedIn Profile” for more in-depth insight on this topic.

4.Simplify Post-Conference Follow-Ups 

Finally, updating your profile before the conference will prepare you to follow up with new connections quickly. You won’t want to miss your follow-up opportunities if you’re trying to build your industry relationships. Connections made at the conference are often seeds that will need to be nurtured to grow. LinkedIn is a simple and effective way to nurture new relationships in your expanding network and stay up-to-date with company news. 

As with any social media platform or any type of social networking, your continued efforts pay off exponentially over time. Your LinkedIn activity increases your visibility, and your visibility leads you to more meaningful connections, etc. If you weren’t convinced about the immediate reasons for updating your profile, keep in mind your long-term goals and remember that networking is a long-term investment. 

The next big industry conference (RMAI 2021) is just around the corner, so take some time today to consider and update your profile photos, content, and settings to ensure your LinkedIn strategy is working for you. 

“As with in-person networking, it’s about putting your best foot forward and making sure you’re professionally representing yourself or your company the best way possible. Try reaching out to a trusted peer for feedback and searching online for tips. Focus on your overall objectives and present your professional self authentically and accurately. LinkedIn is an important tool for networking but most important is being genuine, having integrity, and doing quality work,” shares Adam Parks, CEO of Branding Arc and President-Elect of Receivables Management Association International (RMAI). 

Adam Parks and Branding Arc Attending RMAI 2021

Adam Parks and the Branding Arc team look forward to attending in-person for the 2021 Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) Annual Conference April 12-15, 2021 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Adam has been an active volunteer on the RMAI board in various capacities since 2013: as a Committee Member from 2013-2015, a Board Member from 2016-2018, Secretary from 2018-2019, Treasurer from 2019-2020, and most recently, in his current role as President-Elect since 2020. 

This year’s conference is a hybrid event that will feature in-person and virtual attendance experiences that include high-quality educational programs and networking opportunities. Other key participants of the conference include collection law firms, collection agencies, major creditors, and international members. To learn more about the RMAI Annual Conference, please visit rmaintl.org.

About RMAI

Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) is the nonprofit trade association that represents more than 500 companies that purchase or support the purchase of performing and nonperforming receivables on the secondary market. The Receivables Management Certification Program and Code of Ethics set the global standard within the receivables industry due to its rigorous uniform industry standards of best practice which focus on the protection of the consumer. RMAI provides its members with extensive networking, educational, and business development opportunities in asset classes that span numerous industries. Founded in 1997 as the Debt Buyers Association, RMAI is headquartered in Sacramento, California.

About Branding Arc

Located in Port Saint Lucie, FL, Branding Arc is a full service marketing agency focused on

providing website, marketing, and reputation management services to the financial services and receivables management industries. Our team is comprised of communications and branding experts who listen to your vision, learn your story, and use that understanding to help each client position their brand, find new customers, and manage their online reputation. We customize each client engagement ranging from simple one-time projects to the outsourcing of your entire marketing department, adeptly handling creative direction, graphic design, programming, and project management. By closely monitoring the marketplace and competition, we are able to identify trends and leverage opportunities that drive bottom-line revenue for our clients.