One of the best ways to expand your brand presence is to participate in a variety of networking events and trade shows in your niche. If you’re into electronics, for example, attention the Consumer Electronics Show is a good idea. If you’re into affiliate marketing, hitting up Affiliate Summit West can do you a lot of good.

While at these conferences, it is in your best interest to exchange business cards with potential customers and business partners, because this can expand your network and increase your presence in the marketplace. However, the simple exchange of business cards is not enough, because a lot of those will be swapped over the course of a trade show or networking event.

After making a good connection with someone, try to send a follow-up email after the conclusion of the conference to bring your company back into the front of their minds. Do not use a form letter with a heavy “copy-and-paste” feel to it. Make the emails personal, referring back to the conversation that you had on the trade show floor.

By doing so, you can stand out from all the other business cards that were collected over the course of the conference or networking event. Send a quick email reminding them of what you do, what you talked about, and how the two of you can work together in the future. You don’t need to be pushy, but you should reform that connection so that your company remains memorable.