Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Messenger. Each of these tools create new opportunities to communicate in our personal and professional lives.
No matter how you use it, Social Media are a vital set of communication tools for keeping up with our friends, family, colleagues, and peers.
- We stay in touch with our aunt in Idaho via Facebook
- We talk to someone on Twitter about a hot industry topic
- We find potential business partners by reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn
- …and the list goes on.
We use social media to stay connected with one another in a virtual space, asynchronously, across time and geography.
Despite the amazing power of these tools, we should still be conscious of the incredible opportunities offered by meeting people face-to-face.
Instead of sitting behind the computer, or staring at the screen of our smartphones, we should think about how to use these tools to create more opportunities to meet one another in-person.
Here’s why we need to get offline from time to time…
Conversations you can feel
There’s a segment of the population that will inevitably allow technology-based communications to replace human interaction.
It doesn’t.
While the quantity of communication can scale through technology, the quality of communication can actually become weaker.
Text-based communication can lack context and tone. Body language is impossible to interpret over audio. And even video communication can have its drawbacks depending on the technology.
This is not to discredit technology. While it has provided us with the tools to build online communities and connect with others across the globe opening up new doors and opportunities, there are still elements of in-person communications that the virtual and social world may never replicate.
As time goes on, online networks will continue to advance. But we mustn’t forget that human beings have existed for thousands of years as social creatures, and we will always have an intrinsic need for physical interactions that happen away from a screen.
Wading in the Depth
We all know people who hide behind a computer screen yet, strangely, they are often the ones who don’t share their personal lives. Yet when you invite that same person out for a drink or coffee, you’ll typically find that you’re able to learn more about them. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about anything from their interests and hobbies, to their lives at home, if they have kids, where they’re from, etc. There is something more intimate and personal about a one to one conversation, than broadcasting and sharing your life with your 150 Facebook friends. The opportunity for follow up questions, and relating to one another is much more apparent when meeting face to face.
Some people aren’t well designed for online interactions. Perhaps you meet someone on Twitter only to realize how much more witty they are in person than in 140 characters. These encounters change how you will digitally communicate with them in the future.
Meeting someone in person and building a quality relationship can often open more doors than when someone is nothing more than a profile picture and status updates.
Exploring why we care
When you “put yourself out there” and create meaningful bonds with people, they will likely find themselves invested in your success.
- These are the people who will vote for you when you are nominated for something
- They are the ones who will take a few minutes from their day to share your content with friends
- And they are the ones who will advocate for you when the time is right
You can obviously build strong relationships using online tools only, but your chances of success are substantially greater when you feel a real connection with someone who you’ve looked in the eye and shared a cup of coffee with.
I always have a running list of people that I want to talk to and meet with in person.
Some of those people are prospects, some are just really smart people that just seem like they’d be an interesting conversation. Whatever the motivation, make today the day you take the initiative to ask someone to meet in person. I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it.