In the last week or so I’ve had a couple of interesting online experiences. On Facebook two individuals have emailed me asking for more than just an idle connection. So many of us get caught up in the numbers racket of connecting, growing our friend lists to new and sometimes stratospheric heights, but do we really know many of the folks on our lists? In our circles? Oh sure, you recognize a few faces but often many others are there because of a friend that follows you or someone recommended you. You don’t really know who they are, and they don’t really know who you are.
Stop gathering new followers, slow the growing of your flock, and instead take the time to explore the faces you already have. Find out how you can connect them further and how they may be able to share a lead or contact with you. The two that contacted me genuinely wanted to know more about me, what I’m up to, who I am and how we can support and assist each other. They reached out and I’m reaching back.
Social media and networking isn’t about how many warm bodies you can collect. It is about how many meaningful interactions you can create with those in your circle. While I appreciate that you may not have time for everyone, and not everyone is going to want your time, but if you took the time to get to know even 5 new faces a week, by the end of the month you’d have 20 new colleagues instead of just acquaintances. This is the true value of social networking and it far more about netweaving and netliving than the work that is implied.
Forge relationships, don’t settle for idle connections.
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