This week we’ve done quite a bit of talking about relationships that have been formed due to social networking, and conversations over social channels.
In Wednesday’s post about Twitter we had some conversation around relationship building in the comments section, and our featured entrepreneur from last week talked about relationships in the context of their business.
Evolving Conversation
I started thinking about how conversations have changed, and evolved, not only with the advent of the internet, but with the proliferation of social media networking, and how that affects our relationships. We (the collective we being us plugged in internet folk) do more communicating now than the generation before us. And no doubt we would say we foster more relationships than we did a few years back.
My Question
The breadth of communication and relationship building is greater today than it has been at any other time in our history.
But are we sacrificing the depth? Has quantity overtaken quality – or has the internet and social media made it so we can have quality conversations and relationships on a large scale?
That’s today’s question.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s see if we can get some “conversation” going around this topic. I’m interested in what you have to say…
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you’re partly right about quantity vs quality. I operate a hardware store in a small town. The relationships I build locally are deeper, purely by the fact that I see many of the people outside of work, know their families, etc. On the other hand, through online social networking, I’ve met a lot more people within a certain field than likely even exist in my town. For example, my brother and I own the only hardare store in town. Any relationship we build online with another hardware store owner or employee is more than we would have found using traditional networking.
@Jason
What you describe is what I am thinking about…home town connections so to speak. I don’t really want to be “right” though, I’m just thinking out loud and want to know about quantity vs quality. I really appreciate you sharing!
Matt
As I read your first couple of lines I immediately thought…there’s no depth in these social media conversations and trust. In my experience, as with any important relationship it still takes time, effort and money.
I believe you still have to build upon the one-to-one conversations off the social media avenue (e-mail or telephone). Even then it seems that a one-to-one relationship is hard to start with someone without having to pay someone for the connection–one-on-one coaching/mentoring or aligning thru a peer support group/mastermind they are part of???
I own my business and meet new people in person all the time. I go to networking events and am very close with my clients. However, I find that social networking has enabled me to meet the people I don’t have the time to meet in person.
I believe in quality relationships and use social networking sites in this way. I connect to people I’ve met or respect and I follow people who will help me learn or inspire me.
I know many people who follow everyone and connect to everyone, and they believe that quantity will get results; which is great if it works for them. Social media can be treated just like live networking, you can go up to everyone exchanging cards or you can pick a few people and really learn about what they do and how they do it.
Name recognition is important, and I like to recognize a name/face or business because of a personal connection not just because they are on the network. Call me old-fashioned but I don’t refer a business just because I am connected on their plaxo.
Thanks for asking this questions, I am looking forward to reading more responses.
We are so busy networking face to face and online we are doing two things – 1. we are confusing activity for results http://tinyurl.com/activity-or-results and 2) we are forgetting how to sell http://tinyurl.com/sell-more
Seth, although, I agree that the Internet is the 7th Wonder of the 21st Century and has increased our ability to connect with others globally, it has come at the expense of ‘quality-relationship.’ Today, at best we communicate in sound bites; there are seminars on how to say what you want to say in 30 seconds or less, because everyone is much too busy. Even our speech (our tool to effectively communicate) has been reduced to ‘lol’ ‘rotfl’ ‘tffw’ – it seems no one wants to ‘buy a vowel’ anymore, unless it’s an ‘o.’ My question: Is there a way to utilize the wonders of the Internet without lowering the “Standard of Quality Relationship and Effective Communication (good, or at least decent grammar)?
We need all of the above! Thank you for reading and for your reply.
Loretta, brilliant post, could not have put it better myself.
Ian, Thank you!
Actually Loretta I’m having a bit of a one man crusade myself – are we losing the art of face to face communications and face to face networking? You can follow me on http://www.twitter.com/ianfarmer and I am blogging at http://tinyurl.com/best-damn-sales-blog
@Everyone
Thanks for the feedback and conversation so far to my thoughts/questions. Really helpful to hear what you all have to say on the subject.
Matt
Ian, I am now following you on Twitter – thanks!
Matt, you are welcome! Your website SmallBizBee is quite helpful and I have recommended your site to others. Best Regards
I think Ian and Loretta is a good example of why social media is important. Right here on the message board they are communicating, bouncing ideas around, and then continuing other conversations through various social channels such as Twitter.
Really cool reason to write a blog, and super cool reason to comment on blogs. Thanks you two!
Matt