GenYNetworking.com

Social Media Savvy: Want to Meetup?

“If you build it, they will come.”

It is just like Kevin Costner is walking around the Iowa corn field in Field of Dreams. You’re really not hearing things…if you create an opportunity to reach out to Gen Y, they will take you up on the offer.

So how do you “build” the best group, even if it may be out of your city or comfort zone? Use Meetup, a website designed to bring together groups of diverse people to make a difference in their surrounding area. They want to revitalize the community by “helping people around the world self-organize.” And who doesn’t like a little organizational help, right? Similar to other networking sites, you create a profile and post it online. The beauty of this network is that it allows you to reach out to Gen Y in new cities that are looking to connect. Here are a few ways to make the most of Meetup:

Plan Meetups in Your Travel Schedule

As you’re looking ahead to your work trips this Summer and Fall, do some Meetup research to see which of those groups are having meetings while you’re in town. Meetup groups are not an exclusive club — of the events I’ve attended, I’ve always met at least four people who had never been to that group before. You will walk out of the evening with a handful of business cards and a couple of prospects.

Step Out: Create a Group!

If there are a few cities you travel to regularly and they don’t seem to have a group that suits your needs, create one! I only recommend this if you consistently visit a certain city and can bring a couple of your clients. For a previous job, I traveled to Nashville, TN and Birmingham, AL quite often and it would have been helpful to have Meetup. It would have helped me to recruit more volunteers.

Keep in mind that the best way to attract a wide array of interested people is to build your Meetup group around your industry, not your company. For example, if you work for a healthcare company and want to start a Meetup, center it on health communications instead of your organization. Make sure that the Meetup group doesn’t seem like a commercial for your company. Gen Y greatly appreciates authenticity and wants to meet you, not a promotion.

Don’t Pay For It

While Gen Y doesn’t want you to be too promotional, they’re not saying that they don’t want free drinks and food! Partner with another business in the area that might provide the Meetup group with giveaways or prizes and it may increase your turnout. Creating a Meetup group to network doesn’t mean that you need to blow your expense report doing so.

What other helpful hints would you provide to recruiting Gen Y on the road this summer?