Personal Branding Weekly - #1 Must Do to Accelerate Networking

A popular saying is that “Social Media is word of mouth marketing on steroids.” Another is that Social Media amplifies your word of mouth.

Both of these statements are true.

The mistake that’s made is in the foundation or in the assumption that word of mouth in that connections or association already exists. It must already exist to be ramped up or amplified.

While social can certainly speed things up, there has to be something to speed up.

Nothing accelerates networking and connections like face to face networking. Second to that is face and voice networking through video platforms.

Real human moments, laughter, hugs, high-fives and fistbumps, cannot be replaced by social media connection – they can be amplified but not replaced.

Last week I participated in SMX – Search Marketing Expo’s Social Media Conference in Las Vegas. It’s my second time to participate in the event and as I had hoped, I knew more people attending the event.

Even BRANDidos (a term of endearment for those who actively participate in a weekly Twitter chat I founded called #brandchat) , whom I’ve known in the chat for a few years now, had a chance to attend. Relationships were solidified and even more solid friendships formed with this one face to face encounter.

There’s something reassuring, endearing and powerful to be able to have a conversation with someone and see their excitement, hear their interests and see the expressions on their face coupled with the tone.

The one thing you need to do to accelerate your networking is to meet face to face. [tweet this]

You don’t need to meet with everyone.

There are some you will never meet face to face.

There has to be a goal. You need to be focused and purposeful when you make the decision to attend a face to face event.

Know:

1. Why you’re attending and who you plan on spending time with there.

(Realize that you will not need to spend time with everyone. The point is not to be the social butterfly. The point is to further deepen the relationships you choose to nurture with and through this event)

2. Define how you’ll measure the success of this event? What has to happen at this event or whom do you need to connect with to feel that the event was extremely successful?

3. How meeting these people or attending this event significantly contributes to your overall goals?

If you don’t have the answer to all of these, then use them now to determine the conference/events or meet-ups that you’ll invest your efforts into in 2015.

Here are posts you might have missed last week: