No Friends Offline = No Friends Online

Can You Only Network Online and Become Popular?

Robert Scoble’s bragadocious post about his 4,600 Facebook friends brought me back to my initial opinion on social networking that it only works for you if it is supported by real face-to-face networking. When I think of the most popular folks online, all of them are also the most visible off-line, via conferences, expos, meet-ups, etc. Most, if not all, are top ranking executives at a company, or a bleeding edge entrepreneur. I am not knocking any of them; they get out what they put in.

What I am looking to dispel, though, is the myth that anyone can become popular, famous or an industry/movement influencer solely through online efforts, especially through social network like Facebook.

Online Pursuits Act As An Accelerator

We have all heard of the blogger, forum member, or entrepreneur who has made it big “online.” Four or five years ago I subscribed to the notion that making it big (whatever that may be for you) could all be done online. But as I myself have poured more time into my online activities over the past five years, I realized that while my online activities have acted as an accelerator for my growth in popularity, readership, contacts, and ability to more effectively do “my job” by leveraging my network, none of this would have happened with out the following social network success factors all of which originated from my off-line activities.

Five Steps to Social Networking Success

1. Be Customer or Community Facing - Get a job or start a company where you will be in front of customers, partners, and vendors on a regular basis. Whether this is in person, or via phone/email, interacting with these folks on a consistent basis will grow your relationship quicker then an “add” on a social network.
2. Contribute to the Community - Get on the forums and user groups. Participate in these open, community discussions. Add value, be insightful and what your “status” rise.
3. Blog - Whether you go niche or broad, start and participate in the conversation. While being a “thought leader” is always best, contributing different insights and perspectives on the thoughts of other is better than nothing. There is something about writing and being published that adds to one’s creditability.
4. Go to Conferences, Expo, and Other Industry Events - This is where you will get your biggest bang for your buck. In three or four days, with proper preparation, you can have the ability to meet and interact with all of the major players in your industry. Are you more likely to add, link-to, recommend and have a conversation with someone you have met in person? If you can speak or be part of a panel at one of these conferences that is all the better
5. Join Every Social Network - Don’t go exclusive, unless you are already uber-popular. Go to where the users are. Join Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. There more places you are the better. As your fame, popularity and influence grows you will be able to set the parameters for networking and connecting with you, but in the beginning it is better to be everywhere, then just “some-where”

Ok, I lied. The fifth step is an online pursuit, but it is the one step that ties the first four steps together.

Not everyone will be able to take all four of the steps listed above…and that is why not everyone will become popular, famous or an industry influencer. If you are one that aspire to some day have the reach of folks like Robert Scoble, Jeff Pulver, Chris Brogan, Neil Patel, Rohit Bhargava, and Guy Kawasaki stop adding people on Facebook and LikedIn that you have never met and get out in front of these who you want to know!

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