I’m going to my local Chamber of Commerce today for a ribbon cutting. It’s not for my company. It’s not for a company I work for. It’s for Susan Voiers, owner of the Tennessee Valley Barter Exchange. I’ve only met Susan in person once, however, I’ve interacted with her and read her posts on Linkedin for quite some time now. So when she has her moment, I’m going to be there – Flip Mino in hand. What’s my point, you ask?
Take Your Relationships Offline
If you’re engaging in social media and doing it well, you find value in the information exchange that takes place online. Perhaps you tweet often, you connect with others on Linkedin, and you maintain a blog. You’re connected to a social sphere that consists of people all over the world. But what about those in your own backyard? Those are the people that are easiest to meet with face to face. Those are the people you should be supporting every chance you get, offline. Those are the people that can help you locally and provide a community that strengthens when we become acquainted offline.
Business Happens Offline
Sure, if you’re selling a product and effectively engaging via social media, you can close deals online. Obviously I’m a huge advocate of building relationship online and connecting with people there. But again, how much can you strengthen your presence by meeting and interacting with people offline? It’s similar to the whole traditional advertising plus social media angle right? One compliments the other.
So, support your local community of businesses and entrepreneurs. See if it’s possible to connect face to face with influential friends on twitter when you’re traveling through their neck of the woods. Take this relationship you’ve established online and attempt to strengthen it offline. After all, engaging in social media takes a human touch. If you can foster community online, you can probably do the same offline.
What are you doing when you’re not online? How many people have you connected with online prior to meeting them in person. How does face to face interaction affect the community you engage online?
Photo from USFWSmidwest
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