“Social media” is all the rage these days. Facebook updates, Twitter “tweets”, and LinkedIn… links? I’m a big fan, but to be totally clear: these tools, just like email, webinars, and others are just tools. They don’t produce business for you.
Human beings are social creatures
Alexandra Levit says it quite well in today’s article in Forbes.com:
Finally, don’t allow these useful services to overshadow your in-person relationships. You don’t need to have Webinar training for the team downstairs, and you should avoid the temptation to play constant rounds of e-mail tennis with your manager instead of occasionally sitting down in her office. Human beings are social creatures at heart, and simply talking to a colleague or client is sometimes the best way to communicate a clear message.
Last night Richard and I met with someone who said “You guys aren’t about online social media like LinkedIn and Facebook, are you? Isn’t your Social Capital work more about in-person, real human connections?”
Our focus will never be on the latest tool of the day
The short answer is that Social Capital today involves both (offline and online), but our focus will never be about certain media or tools. It’s about your mindset, habits, and approach.
Take our 8-Step Networking Process. You do your homework (steps 1 & 2). You arrive and depart effectively (steps 3 & 4). You take notes right afterward (steps 5 & 6). Then you follow up and start the lunch process (steps 7 & 8).
Can Twitter help? Sure. Do a search on Twitter to see if anyone is talking about your networking event. See what they’re saying—I mean “tweeting”—about the event and if they’re attending (step 1).
What about LinkedIn? Yep. After you find out who’s going to attend the networking event, head to LinkedIn to find out more detail about them (step 2).
(There are other ways that LinkedIn can help you develop Social Capital, which I wrote about here.)
The important thing to remember is that these are just tools. Impressive and promising tools, but just tools. It’s the same way that Salesforce or Hirise are tools for keeping track of your contacts after a networking event (step 7). Just tools.
Tools change. Fundamentals persist.
Today we’re in 2009 and Twitter is huge. Facebook is adding more features and functionality to support business needs. LinkedIn is building more apps. But next year will be 2010 and who knows which website, tool, or feature will be in the spotlight. Regardless of the tool of the day, in the end, business is done face-to-face.
Tweet that.
17. March 2009 by Craig Peters
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