The great thing about social networking is its ability to connect people without boundaries. We can catch up with friends, find business contacts, meet people with similar interests, and so on. For a lot of users of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, it is very satisfying to have a large number of ‘friends’ or ‘followers.’ What many people forget is that just as in the real world, it takes time and effort to make any relationship work. It isn’t enough to simply have 478 friends on Facebook and say you’re ‘networked.’ It isn’t enough to follow key people on Twitter and say you’re involved. It takes more than that. It takes being proactive and making the most of your connections.
One of the recommendations I have is for people to pick one friend, follower, or contact every day and send them a brief note. Make it personal and relevant to that person. It will show them that they are more than a number, a contact, or a member of a group. They are important and relevant to you, and thus, you become to them. We used to preach to our clients about making sure your goodwill bank account was full for when a crisis hits to help manage bad news or a branding black eye. The same can be said for keeping your networking in order. If you’re looking for a job, a client, a referral, a friend, or anything from someone else, when you need it is the worst time to try and fire up a relationship. Building relationships is key to developing a true relationship.
Just because technology has made it much simpler for us to stay connected, it has also made it easier for us to be ignored. Make a difference to someone else, and they will make an effort for you.
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