Meeting someone interesting at a networking event is exciting, but once the buzz of the event and the conversation wears off, it’s easy to get caught up in busy lives and lose touch with the people you’ve met. Meeting someone is really only the first step. The real value comes from what happens afterwards. Knowing how to follow up after networking can help you turn a brief conversation into a useful professional relationship, without making your message feel forced or overly formal.
Don’t leave it too long
‘When to follow up after networking event?’ That’s a question many people ask.
You don’t want to come across as desperate by messaging them immediately after you get on the train home, but you don’t want to leave it too long either. Waiting a day or two is ideal – it gives both of you time to reflect on the event and on the conversation you had. Leaving it for a week or more makes it much harder to pick up the conversation naturally.
A few useful tips:
- Aim to follow up within 1–3 days.
- Don’t worry about writing a long message.
- The sooner you follow up, the easier it is to remember the conversation.
- If they specifically asked you to send something, do it promptly.
If you’re attending an event in the near future and need tips on how to start a conversation, our article on networking conversation starters can be a good starting point.
Personalise your message
This might not be as obvious, but making your message personal is an important part of a good follow-up message.
A simple: “Great to meet you at the event. Let’s keep in touch.” isn’t particularly memorable.
Instead, mention something you actually discussed.
Example: “It was great speaking to you at Thursday’s networking event. I really enjoyed hearing about your experience moving into event management, particularly your work on the recent conference.”
This makes the message feel genuine and gives the other person something to respond to. If what stood out most to you was something from their personal life, don’t be afraid to mention that too. Ultimately, it’s more important to come across as human than to send a dry message they’ll simply scroll past.
Keep your follow-up email concise
There are many ways to follow up after a networking event – whether you choose work or personal email or WhatsApp, that’s up to you. If you’re writing them a follow-up email after networking, keep the networking follow-up email short and purposeful.
- Say it was good to meet them.
- Reference something you discussed.
- Add something useful or relevant, if appropriate.
- Suggest a next step.
A follow-up email after networking event shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes, and can include links and specific topics you discussed. For example, if you talked about an article, supplier, event or professional challenge, send it over. If you’re still getting comfortable with networking, our guide to mastering networking dos and don’ts offers further advice on making professional connections.
Follow up on LinkedIn
A follow-up LinkedIn message after networking is a great way to stay connected and find out more details about their role and company. It’s a good natural place to continue the conversation, especially if you didn’t exchange emails or numbers. Avoid connecting without context as they might not remember every face they met at the conference and might likely reject your invitation. Instead, add a short note explaining where you met and what you spoke about.
Don’t force the relationship
Sometimes the feelings aren’t mutual, and that’s okay. Not every networking contact will turn into a close professional relationship, and that’s fine. If they don’t respond, it’s important to know when to let it go. Avoid:
- Sending multiple messages if they don’t respond
- Immediately asking for a job or favour
- Overly sales-focused messages
- Copy-and-pasting the same message to everyone
The best networking relationships develop naturally over time.
From contact to connection
Following up is about continuing a conversation, not ticking networking off your list. The best follow-up doesn’t feel like a follow-up at all. It feels like the natural continuation of a conversation you started in person. Keep your message personal, concise and useful, and focus on building a relationship rather than getting an immediate result.
A networking event might only last a few hours, but the connections you make there can continue long afterwards. The next step is simply to stay in touch.
