S5 Bonus 02: Travel Networking How-Tos

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[INTRODUCTION]

[00:00:00] YD: Welcome to the Travel Media Lab Podcast. I’m your host, Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer and writer, entrepreneur, community builder, and a firm believer that every one of us can go after the stories we’ve always wanted to tell with the right support, encouragement, and structure. 

I’m on a mission to help women storytellers everywhere break into and thrive in the travel media space. If you’re ready to ditch your fears to the side, grow your knowledge and confidence and publish your travel stories, you’re in the right place. Let’s go.

[EPISODE]

[00:00:38] YD: Welcome back, everyone. We are taking the month of June off to rest here at the Travel Media Lab podcast, and we will be returning with fresh season six episodes for you in July. Until then, I'd like to share with you a few conversations that we regularly have in the circle, our membership in which we help you get your stories published with ongoing support, encouragement, opportunities, and a community, as you establish yourself in the travel media space. 

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing with you a conversation we had earlier this year about networking in the industry. I had just returned from the annual Travel Media IMM conference, and I was sharing my learnings and reflections with our members. We dedicated a whole hour discussing networking strategies and tips in travel media. In today's episode, I share with you a part of that discussion. 

This whole conversation and all of our workshops and calls, in addition to all the support and community that we offer, are available to you when you join us over at travelmedialab.com/circle. At the end of this episode, I gave our circle members homework that's related to the theme we're discussing here networking in travel media. I want to encourage you to go ahead and take that homework to heart too to advance your own career and path in travel media. 

Before we get started today, I wanted to share with you a recent review we got on our podcast from someone called Selfie Reviewer that says, “I just finished listening to the first three episodes. I'm really inspired by the interviews and Yulia’s personal stories as well. I'm excited to get insights from so many different perspectives of travel professionals in the industry.” 

Thank you so much, Selfie Reviewer, for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. If you're listening right now and if you enjoy our podcast, I really, really hope that you can go to your podcast platform right now and share your thoughts. I look at every single review we get. They're really, really important to us. Who knows? Maybe I'll be reading your review on the podcast next. Thank you so much. 

All right, let's get into this episode. So what we're going to dedicate the month of February to, and selfishly it’s because I just got off of the conference last week, it's very fresh in my mind, so I want to share this with you, is the theme and the idea of networking. Networking in this industry, how do we do it? What are some best practices of doing it? By the way, there is homework, and they end up today. Yes. 

As you guys know, I went to IMM Travel Media last week. It was another really good event, and honestly I think they couldn't have done it better, considering all the circumstances, right? But a lot of people were thinking, well, it's – Myself included, I felt they should have done it virtually because last year virtually it went very well. But they decided to – I think they couldn't back out of the convention center deposit or whatever that they paid, so they decided to keep it in person. Yeah. Considering all the circumstances, it was very well run. 

There is something to be said about speaking to somebody in person, really like the magic of that and the impression that you make. Even though you're in a mask, you just cannot compare with Zoom calls. It just, once again, proved to me that person-to-person interactions, in person are really important. That's why networking works, right? That's why it works in every industry when you make those personal connections, when you really discover something that you share with the other person. Then that other person, let's say it's a tourism board representative, will be even that much more excited to work with you and to send you an email and follow up, etc., etc. 

Editors as well, right? I didn't get to see any editors this time around, but I saw a lot of people sort of schmoozing to the editors and be like, “Hey, remember me?” I didn't do any. I don't know. I was so behind everything. With an NGO class and everything, like I was just so behind that I – Because usually, you try to like line up some meetings with the editors because like – Sorry, I'm jumping all over the place. 

But with the travel media events, it's very structured, right? So it's like these 15-minute speed networking appointments that you have. Before the event happens, you put your preferences. So who is in your top preference, middle preference, low preference? You sort of sort everybody into those pockets. Both the tourism boards do it, and we do it, and then we sort of see how it matches up, right? So it's like Tinder. We see if we both like each other, and then we get matched up kind of thing. 

But editors are not part of that process, even though they do come to the conference, right? So a lot of times, people try to line up meetings with the editors ahead of the conference or after the conference, like little coffee chat, introductions, get to know each other. To be honest, it never occurred to me that you could do that. It never occurred to me, which it just goes to show that maybe I shouldn't be doing this workshop because I'm not like a networking guru or something. 

But I saw a few of my friends that I knew, that I know in the industry. They do. They did it. Not last year because it was virtual, but the year before when we went in 2020, just before the pandemic. I was like, “Where are you going?” They’re like, “Oh, I have this coffee chat with the Conde Nast Traveler editor.” I'm like, “What?” So what I'm trying to say here is that there are many different ways in which we can apply networking. 

If you remember an episode with – Oh, goodness. Of course, I'm blanking on her name. But we had a photographer based in – Nancy Lova, based in Britain, and she was talking about how she sends DMs to all these magazine Instagram accounts, and they reply. She introduces herself and she asks who's the right person to be in touch with, etc. So she uses the Instagram as an avenue for networking. 

Again, when she told me that on the podcast, I was like, “What, you can do that?” Listen to that episode, if you'd like to refresh on Nancy's story. But again, the point here is that the point of networking. What is the point of networking? It's not to send your pitch, right? It's not – If you're sending your pitch at your happy hour networking event with somebody, or if you're pitching somebody on that event, that's the wrong way to go about networking, right? The point of networking is to establish a connection. The point of networking is to introduce yourself, is to tease perhaps what you're working on. Then you follow up with the actual pitch or with the actual proposal later on in an email and so on and so forth. 

You can do that in so many different ways, and some people are really creative. They do it via Instagram. They set up coffee chats with editors ahead of conferences. They just reach out to editors in general and say, “Hey, I'm in your town.” Imagine the audacity, right? But, of course, it's not audacity because, again, let's put this – Let's take the editors off the pedestal. They're humans, just like us. But sometimes, people do that too. I've never done it. But sometimes, people do it. They send an email saying, “Hey, I'll be in New York for a week next week. I'd love to meet for coffee and introduce myself and see if we can work together.” Imagine, right? So different ways that you can really utilize networking to your advantage in this industry. 

What I also realized, it's been sort of growing as a snowball in the past couple of years, but this year, it's really culminated. You guys, the conversations with the tourism boards are so easy now. They are so freaking easy now. This time around, I had one tourism board. I'm not going to say which one. The rep told me, “I am intimidated to talk to you.” I almost fell from my chair. I’m like, “Oh, my god. That is very new. What is happening here, right?” 

Trust me, trust me. When I went for my first couple of conferences, the tables were very turned. Not that I was intimidated to talk to them, but that I had to prove to them that we should work together. Now, they're proving to me that I should come to their destination, right? So I'm not showing this to like brag or say, “Hey, look at me. Look how great I am.” I'm just saying, hey, these conversations get easier. They definitely get easier. The bigger your portfolio grows, the easier those conversations get.

But the other part of why these conversations are so easy right now for me is that I know what I'm looking for. I'm very zeroed in on what I'm looking for. I know exactly the kinds of stories I want, right? Of course I leave space, right? Of course, I'm not just going to say only this story, and that's it. But when I come into that conversation, I mean, I have this pitch now, right? Or it's not a pitch, but it's like I know what I need to say. I say this is who I am. These are the kinds of stories I typically produce. This is who I typically write for, and I'd love to see if there's a fit. 

It’s very straight, and it's very easy for the tourism board to then say, “Ah. Okay, so that's what you're looking for? Well, we have X, Y, and Z for you,” right? Because you would be surprised how many people come to these conversations unprepared, meaning they come and they say, “Oh, I'm a travel writer. Let’s work together.” That is a very sort of – It’s very wide open, right? Where do you go from there?

What happens in that conversation then, if that's how you open it, “I'm a travel writer. Let's work together,” they're going to start spilling you a generic load of facts about their destination, right? They're going to give you the press release, basically, because you haven't given them any direction to focus in. So actually, tourism words, they appreciate it so much. 

Like I've noticed this so much in the past couple of years that when I come in with a super directed pitch or presentation or these are the kinds of stories I'm looking for, they light up actually because it makes their job easier. They're like, “Oh, yeah. I know this one guy, or there's this character in our region in the south that is amazing. You should talk to him.” They're humans too. They get excited by these conversations as well. 

When you interact with them, just have an idea of what it is that you're looking for. Again, it doesn't have to be about their region, specifically, right? You're there to find out what's in their region. But in general, what kind of stories you write or you're interested in, that's really important. So it's a bit of like I'm talking about sort of a hybrid right now. Because in one conversation, we're talking about networking, which is about introducing yourself, establishing a relationship. 

I'm also talking about a more specific like speed dating interaction with the tourism boards, where you do pitch them right there. So I hope you guys are understanding that I'm sort of covering two at once, right? If you're just showing up at a networking event or a happy hour somewhere, you wouldn't go straight into a pitch right away. Just have fun and network with people. But if you are in a setting where you are presenting yourself in that way, then that's really important.

The other thing is, and forgive me if what I say right now, you're going to scoff at and say, “Yulia, of course, so obvious,” but listen, we need business cards, right? We need business cards because business cards do something for us that – I don't know. They just instantly elevate your intention. Because here's another thing that I've learned, actually, in this conference, this time around. I was speaking. I think it was South African that I was speaking to. I showed up. I did my thing. I did my pitch and presented my business card. She's like, “Wow, Yulia. You get six stars.” “What?” Like, “You are so professional.” I'm like, “What do you mean?” She’s like, “Well, you can instantly see if somebody just wants to score a free trip.”

There’s loads of people who show up at these conferences, and they just want a free trip. I was shocked because I thought travel media, they have a process by which you can just show up. You have to. I know a few of you have experienced that because you're applying. Anyhow, that's what she told me. She's like, “You're a professional. You know what you're talking about. You know what stories you want to write. You want to see if we can work together. You gave me a business card. Like you see what I mean?” 

I think we also have to work a little bit against a bit of a stereotype that exists in the industry, where there are a lot of freeloaders actually who just want to score a free trip, right? So the more we can separate ourselves from that by all of these things by knowing our niche, by presenting ourselves in this clear way, by having a business card, a simple, tiny detail, right? It all helps immensely. 

Then the other thing to think about too is how will you stand out in an event like this? If it's a small, intimate networking event, where there's like 25 people, great. But if it's a huge conference like the one I went to. Or, Hannah, you went to World Trade Market in London. It's even bigger. How the heck do you stand out? Because they see probably 50 to 100 people, if not more, a day. How do you stand out from that, right? 

For me, over the years, I've sort of zeroed in on how do I stand out, and I do by two things. The first one is, again, that pitch that I have in which I tell them that this is my niche, and I've honed my niche over the years. They tell me actually. This is the feedback I get from the tourism boards. They're like, “Oh, I haven't heard that many people come, and I haven't heard that many people looking for those kinds of stories. So when they say that, they will remember. “Oh, this is the girl that was looking for those artists and stories or whatever, right?” Your niche is a hook as well. 

But the second thing I knew, and that, again, maybe sort of cheesy or silly, but trust me, it works. I have my business cards, and I have – I don't know if you can see this. Okay, you can – I don't know. So this is one of my business cards. I have every one of them. So here's the thing. But every one of them has different photographs, right? It’s very easy to do on the site called Moo, moo.com. I recommend it to everyone. I don't know if it works outside of the States but check. It's a really great website for –

[00:15:03] H: I can order from them, so I have some cards from them already. 

[00:15:06] YD: Oh, awesome. I mean, of course. 

[00:15:07] H: Canada works. I'm not sure about the UK. 

[00:15:09] YD: What?

[00:15:09] YD: It works for Canada. I'm not sure about the UK. 

[00:15:12] YD: Oh, yeah. But anyhow, so what I do, and you don't have to repeat my trick, I mean, you're welcome to, but maybe find a trick that works for you. But again, I do this because I'm trying for them to remember me. I have all these different business cards from different parts of the world, and what I do is when I'm about to present my business card, and I usually do it at the end after we paged, we talked, it's like a final thing for them to remember me with something. 

I say, “And now I have a question for you.” Because all this time, they're asking me questions. Now, I want to give them something little fun to relax because it's also an intense, right? It’s an intense day. They speak to so many people. It gets boring, probably. So at the end, I'm like, “And now I have a question for you. Where would you like to travel to this afternoon? Turkey, Morocco, Mongolia, Russia, or Oman?” They choose, and then I give them the business card from that destination. They're like, “Oh, I've always wanted to come to Turkey.” You see what I mean? 

It’s a tiny detail, perhaps, but they remember me better because of that, because nobody else is doing that. Usually, it's pretty dry. We are in the travel business, right? So let's have some fun. I'm saying this that just think about if you're in those situations, especially if it's like a huge crowded event, how will you stand out? What will be your little tiny touch that will help them remember you? Then overall, if you look at this package, right, she knows what she's talking about, she knows her niche, she has a business card, she's not just here to freeload on a free trip, and she has this little touch. I mean, the chances of you working with them just shoot up honestly. Just shoot up because of all of that. 

Then after your networking, after your events, always follow up with them, and always follow up with them within one week, if you can. Because after one week, it gets a bit – It’s not that they forget. No, of course, because they keep lists usually in events like travel media. But let's say it's an industry happy hour that you went to, and let's say you met somebody great, a great editor. You connected with them. Let's say you sent them an email. Probably they're not going to send you an email because they're probably super busy or something, right? Or probably they might, but it's probably best to have the initiative. 

Let's say you send them an email like a week or like three weeks later or four weeks later. What does it say about your interest in connecting with them further, right? Not to say that it can be done, but what is that saying? Strike the iron while it's hot, right? Just try to be timely with whatever it is that you're connecting on, and follow up within the next one week, if you can. 

These are sort of my tips and tricks and things that I've learned and got reinforced this time around again. Again, not really this super breakthrough stuff. But at the same time, it's all small details that really, really make a difference. So I said, I mentioned that there will be homework for us this month because our theme this month is networking. The homework that I have for you guys, and I will check in on it at the end of the month, is to find one event, one opportunity to engage with a tourism board, to engage with an editor. 

Again, it can be either a tourism board, or it can be an editorial side, outside of the pitching. So I'm not talking about sending a pitch to somebody. No, that doesn't count. I'm saying find one opportunity, whether it's virtual, whether it's in your area, to connect with somebody in the industry and have a conversation, okay? It can also be reaching out to somebody via Instagram. That counts. I will accept that as done homework. 

Any way that you can find, maybe you'll have to do a little bit of research on – Hannah, for example, I know that British Guild of Travel Writers is super active. I see their events and things happening over there all the time. So I'm sure they have plenty of opportunities coming up to do something. Yeah. So that's the homework. Find one opportunity, one event for you to go and engage with someone in our industry, be it a tourism board, be it a editor.

But, again, you're not pitching. You're just networking, right? You're just presenting yourself because this homework will also be an opportunity for you to hone that pitch that I'm talking about, right? What is your pitch? Like when you're in the room with somebody and you're presenting yourself, what do you say about yourself? What are you interested in? What kinds of stories are you looking for? 

I think it's always good to keep honing that pitch and keep thinking about that for yourself, right? What is it that I – What kind of stories do I want? Keep practicing your introduction. I write for X, Y, and Z or etc. Okay. So that's the homework, and I'm really excited to see what you guys can come up with.

[OUTRO]

[00:20:19] YD: Thanks, again, for listening to our bonus episode today. I hope you found the conversation we had here relevant, inspiring, and useful to you. If you're looking for support, opportunities, and community in the travel media space, consider joining us in the circle, where we have conversations like this one on a regular basis. Visit troublemedialab.com/circle to learn more. Thanks, again, for listening and stay tuned for another bonus episode coming your way next week.

[END]