The online/offline networking circle

Wm Morris · 5.13.09  

Sometimes lost in the breathy enthusiasm for social media and the skepticism by old-school business-card-in-hand networking types is this simple fact: communities that form in the metaverse always end up meeting up in meatspace.

Every listserv, web forum, MUD, blog community, Facebook movement and Twitter niche that I have actively participated in or observed has invariably at some point felt the need to have some sort of meet up, social hour, service activity, con, trip, etc.

That’s not surprising — when people discover that they have a lot in common, they want to do things together. They tend to want to meet in Real Life. What’s more, such events almost always strengthen the online community, creating closer ties among members and a pool of shared memories that can help sustain online engagement. And, in fact, such meet ups even benefit those members of the virtual community that are not able to attend (because of distance, other commitments, interminable shyness, etc.) because even though there may be some sense of feeling left out, such events lead to online reports and stories about the personalities involved that help the entire community get to know more of its members better. It also generates excitement for the next event and/or the impetus for others in the group who live in or are traveling to a different geographic location to plan events of their own.

And it works the other way too. When members of an online community meet in meatspace, there is often less overall awkwardness (although there is always a certain amount of awkwardness whenever diverse personalities meet) because members feel like they already know quite a bit about each other. At the very least, small talk becomes easier because attendees have been storing ambient awareness about the other people at the event. You don’t have to go through the lame roster of “Where do you work? Where did you go to school? Do you have a family?” because you oftentimes already know much of that information. You can dive right in to conversation about, well, what you were talking about on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning, somebody’s blog just yesterday or last week.

And when communities are truly engaged, this online/off-line activity creates a circle of relationship building that ensures a healthy, long-lasting network of individuals.

So yes, when we (and I’m especially talking about Alumni Relations professionals here*) talk about the benefits of social networking, we should talk about the benefits of ambient awareness and the fact that it’s not just who you know, but also who who you know knows. But especially when dealing with those who think collecting business cards = smart networking, we should talk about not just the online tools, but how the online tools can facilitate the building of vibrant communities.

* I’m not in Alumni Relations, but I’m involved in it from the marketing/PR side.

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