Social Networks Are A Start, But Engagement Is What You Need
Feb 05 2010 
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For the past 2 days I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the Blissdom Conference in Nashville, TN. Alli Worthington and Barbara Jones brought me out here to speak with some wonderful women about technology, blogging, and social media. However, what I found and shared with these women was an experience that started with a connection, but ended with something deeper that you should be reaching for in your online connections.
Disclosure: I hate disclosures and I’m very thankful that the ladies of Blissdom paid for my travel and housing. Sorry, if you feel some sort of way about it. I’m not a millionaire yet.
Starting With A Connection
Technology allows us to make these wonderful connections with people. I’ve been meeting some of those connections in person like Liz Strauss, Jenn Fowler, Lucretia Pruitt, Kelby Carr and Jessica Smith. Wonderful right? The thing about following people on Twitter is that you really feel like you know them. But you don’t. You’ll never know someone from a single tweet. You learn from them, but never about them. You know of them, but you don’t know them.
Deepening Connections
At Blissdom, I noticed something different about these ladies. It wasn’t clear to me at first. After taking the time to converse, joke, laugh, and brainstorm with these women, I realized that I didn’t know them. Why? Because I’d never seen them smile. I’d never heard them laugh. I didn’t know the depth of their knowledge until I engaged with them.
Definition of “engage”
to occupy the attention or efforts of a person or persons.
I occupied a lot of their attention, but more importantly I tried to make their efforts worthwhile. Twitter can’t capture the experience and brilliance of engaging with these women. There are not enough characters, or time, to truly engage with people online. That doesn’t mean Twitter isn’t worth the effort. If anything, your connections wouldn’t become an engagement if not for Twitter. But these tools are just an introduction.
I have to thank Alli Worthington and Barbara Jones for providing an amazing event and avenue for me to deepen the connections I’ve made.
Discuss It
Are there any differences you’ve noticed when meeting an online connection at an offline event? I’d love to hear what you’ve learned and experienced.
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I love the disclosure line Corvida. Very well said. :)
Thanks Patrick. What do you think about the lesson learned in this post? Agree or disagree?
Oh, I agree. I think Twitter and other 'social' tools we use online help us to connect with people in a fairly limited way, as you say. It's always great if you get an opportunity to take that connection further by email, phone, or best of all in real life. Speaking of which, I hope you're going to make it to SXSW this year and hope I'll get a chance to meet you :)
I love the way you put this! No, we don't really 'know' someone till we've heard them laugh or seen them smile. The amazing thing is, many of them laughed or smiled just the way I'd imagined they would! And, of course there were a few who totally surprised me, some in not-so-good ways, but overall, I was tickled to finally meet those tiny avatars in real life!
I don't think we were properly introduced, but I 'met' you Saturday evening, when everyone was trying to decide where to go for supper. :-) Didn't know you were a fellow tech blogger!!
Subscribing now so SheGeeks can be one of my new hang-outs!
I loved meeting you via Lucretia and Jenn. Really, that weekend was all I could have asked for.
Same here Heather. It was an awesome event and a great experience! I hope I to catch you at another conference before the year is over.
I remember who are you Erica. Glad we're able to meet online too as a fellow SheGeeks. Added your blog to my RSS reader also. Loved your post on blogging outside of my niche. Something I've been thinking about doing more of.
Hey Cool !!