Dec 10
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Social Networking Online and Offline

Social Networking

Social networking has been around for centuries. Synergy and empowering relationships are the essential ingredients of civilization. The internet is an efficient channel of communication for human beings who would like to interact for mutual benefit.

I’ve been a fan of social networking for decades, and I was delighted when social media arrived in the 90’s. I am excited to be at the intersection where “Old School” meets “NuSkule” networking in the 21st century.

The Human Element

Modern channels of communication allow us to leverage global resources more efficiently than ever before. But let us not forget that the “human element” is still the most powerful component of the equation. Wisdom acquired from experience, combined with innovative technology, is an awesome combination!

The Cuban Missile Crisis was an example of human communication triumphing over the incredibly destructive power of technology. If cooler heads had not prevailed, the Third World War could have destroyed civilization. Science and technology have served mankind since the discovery of fire. But human beings are still in control.

Networking Relationships

Social media are, by definition, social, and should not be dominated by software robots. Networking is still about relationships and leveraging trust and personal influence. In the words of Tim Sanders, Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo, “Love is The Killer App.“

Networking is More than Contact "Management"

Relationships or Business, Caring is King

Use Parkinson's Law for Productivity

Tags: Alliances, Business Relationships, Social Media, Social Networking, Social Networks

This entry was posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:39 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Business Relationships Internet Tribe Relationships Personal Alliances Social Media Relationships Uncategorized by Buddy Hodges 51 Comments

Antonio Licchelli says:

January 2, 2011 at 6:44 pm

Great post Buddy

Networking is, was, and always will be all about making personal connections.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Antonio Licchelli 🙂

Radu Dascalul says:

March 23, 2011 at 10:00 am

Hi Buddy,
You’re right,human and technology can make a great team and get fantastic results.In social media marketing it is essential to communicate and build relationships with people. That’s the beauty,growing a business with others, not alone.Love your quote:)
Thanks for sharing,
Radu

Samantha Bangayan says:

April 3, 2011 at 7:54 pm

Buddy, I’m SO glad that you stopped by my blog, so I could discover yours! Your posts will be valuable resources and sources of insight for me on my journey building relationships through blogging. “Empowering relationships” are indeed the cornerstone of society and of my life. I was surprised that such relationships could be built through social media! The most important part was not taking all these easy modes of communication for granted, but instead, building those “human” connections that you speak of.

So glad we’re in touch! =) Looking forward to reading more!

Bill Hartman says:

April 15, 2011 at 11:47 am

Networking is still about relationships and leveraging trust and personal influence.

I truly believe this. To many times people forget about the relationships and try to simply take the shortcuts.

Bill

Donna Merrill says:

April 19, 2011 at 9:04 pm

Building human relationships are the most important thing to do when we are networking. Thanks so much for reminding people of that. It is very important to socialize. I find that sometimes when I make new “friends” on the internet, I use a video to accept their friendship. It makes it up close and personal.
Thanks for this information,
Donna Merrill

Rick Lelchuk says:

April 23, 2011 at 11:48 am

Buddy,

Can you imagine going to a party where robots are having all the fun? We need people in our lives, we need the human touch and the subtle interaction that Mother Nature intended. This medium is a double edged sword in that we have expanded our ability connect, but thing automation works. Uh, have your bot call my bot. Not!

RICK
Rick Lelchuk recently posted..Shifting Gears- You Can’t Stop Change

John Gaydon says:

April 25, 2011 at 9:10 pm

HI Buddy,

This is the catch with Social Networking. A lot of it can be automated and you can send a message to thousands with the click of a mouse. The big end of town has caught on and they are about to bombard us with lots of clever messges and attempts to reach our networks.

Truth is we don’t need tousands of “friends”. The great thing is taht we can find a few we really connect with, and work to mutual benefit. As yous ay network the old fashion way using technology.
John Gaydon recently posted..Anyone Can Sell – Once They Overcome Their Fear!

Dave Kotecki says:

April 29, 2011 at 12:29 am

Hey Buddy,

I never thought of social media being able to save lives before, but now that you mention it, what about all the relief messages sent whenever there’s a disaster? Or raising money with Facebook and other sites?

Very true that if you truly want to interact with people, you have to actually talk to them. Too many people think that it’s all about traffic. While you will get traffic, and there’s no way you’ll have a personal relationship with every visitor to one of your social sites, the objective should still be to make a connection.

Even if your business is online sales, the objective is to know and understand your customers and clients so you can serve them better. Not building a funnel with an endless supply of suckers who will throw a little cash your way before you never see them again.

I think more and more people are beginning to understand this. Good service will always win out in the end. It’s all about helping people get what they want.
Dave Kotecki recently posted..How Procrastination Kills Businesses

Chester Delameter says:

April 29, 2011 at 10:56 am

Buddy

I think we have all been social networking for a long time we just didn’t call it that or didn’t know that’s what it was. The internet has taught us a lot about communicating. Thanks for your post. I love the quote “Love is The Killer App.“ Love can solve so many problems too!!! Jesus said love would cover all the commandments!!!

Have a Great Day
Chester
Chester Delameter recently posted..Honor your mother and father

Glyna Humm says:

May 3, 2011 at 6:50 pm

Hi Buddy! I totally agree with you here. Social networking of any kind can be a great thing but nothing beats talking to someone in person. On the internet or even the phone, people can hide their true reactions and feeling and it can be hard to tell when you are dealing with a sincere person. All of that masking goes away face to face. I try to strike a balance with the two. If I meet someone online and can’t meet them in person then I at least give a phone call or Skype a chance. Great Post!
Glyna Humm recently posted..Appreciation Marketing – A Must Read For Home Business Owners!

Jaden Daniels says:

May 4, 2011 at 3:25 pm

Buddy,
I agree networking is all about making friends and building relationships. So many people want to make money quick they forget about building relationships…they shoot you a link to their website right of the bat without introducing themselves.

Jaden
Jaden Daniels recently posted..Universe Always Opens Doors

Loren Greig says:

May 5, 2011 at 1:36 am

Hi Buddy!

It was a pleasure to read this blog post about networking and relationship building.
I’ve always believed that if we were not meant to have relationships there would be just one of us on this planet.

All the apps and technical devices in this industry are awesome tools but the human connection is what matters most. That belly-to-belly communication approach is what best builds trust and friends.

Networking IS about building relationships and also gives us the opportunity to position ourselves as an experts in our chosen niches.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom! Blessings, Loren
Loren Greig recently posted..Using Relevant- Specific Keywords – Keywords For SEO

Paul Beamon says:

May 8, 2011 at 5:09 am

How true it is about the human element.Unfortunately there are to many people flooding the social networks with automated commenting ect. I recently installed captcha to my comments area in an effort to stamp out all the automated comments I was receiving. The funny thing is I actually thought they were real people, I soon learned! Great post.
Paul Beamon recently posted..Hot MLM Biz Building Tools

Buddy Hodges says:

May 9, 2011 at 8:51 am
Thanks Paul,

Unfortunately, we are forced to use captcha or “awaiting approval.” It is another nuisance, like airport security and doorlocks, that is forced on us by the naughty elements.

Pearly Quah says:

May 9, 2011 at 8:17 pm

Hi Buddy,

I truly enjoy this topic you have chosen to share with us. Frankly, some people are lucky to have natural skill to build relationship with others while others are learning to be good at it.

When you mentioned the word social networking especially you are talking about building relationship, I will have to say that this is a common topic but it it not a common practice. We are given a great way to build relationship with others through social media and why not we use it as a platform to build relationship rather than straight away for business. It takes a lot of effort to train our mind to put “building relationship” as our one and only priority to be at social media. This is exactly what I am doing. I used to make lots of mistakes with new friends at one time till I finally realize that is not my personality or my style at all. Then I made a stop to my mistake.

Buddy, I appreciate this post and truly thank you for helping your readers to realize the importance to connect and build relationship through social networking.

Cheers
Pearly
Pearly Quah recently posted..The Relationship Builder

Laura Morris says:

May 10, 2011 at 10:32 pm

Hi Buddy,
It makes me so happy to meet you!! I have been looking for someone online that thought like me, and I found you! i like where you are coming from and your natural style. The old timers have a thing or two to teach and the new techies do too!! It’s all good stuff and works together..what a great message. But i like how you say that personal relationships are the key.
Hope to chat soon
Laura Morris
Laura Morris recently posted..Are Your Practicing The Fundamentals

Buddy Hodges says:

May 11, 2011 at 9:15 am
Hi Laura,

It is so great that we can meet online and really get to know each other. You seem like someone I would like to become REAL friends with. I agree that we can learn from many sources — young and old. We are green and growing! I am in favor of lifelong continuing education, and it is so helpful now that we have the option to access information online as well as by physically attending classes, buying books, and going to the library.

Louise Steiner says:

May 11, 2011 at 5:10 am

Buddy…I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Social Media was designed to be just another form of communication, but the extent of automation has sadly impacted on the quality of relationships that are being built. At the end of the day I believe you get out of social media what you put in! Luckily, sites such as Twitter and Facebook are quite strict about the level of automation permitted and are good at seeking out the automation, so let’s hope they can keep on top of the situation and let Social Media be the wonderful platform it is, that allows us to meet and connect with wonderful people from all over the world.
Louise
Louise Steiner recently posted..Facebook “Like” Button html Tutorial For Fan Pages

Buddy Hodges says:

May 11, 2011 at 9:10 am
Louise,

Thank you very much for your kind comment. I agree totally. I am glad that we are actually communicating.

Wendy Hewlett says:

May 12, 2011 at 4:46 pm

I couldn’t agree more about making the personal connections. Social media has become an incredible tool for establishing relationships, but you really must take it beyond the ‘internet’ connection if you are going to succeed in the networking business. Tools like Skype make it easy to connect with people across the globe and really build that trust on a personal level.

Wendy

Nicole Hisler says:

May 18, 2011 at 10:40 pm

I’m glad to hear you talking about the importance of the human element in social media. Too many people I talk to want a quick-fix answer to using social media and gaining followers, and often they want to hire someone to be their voice for them. It is much better to be your own voice! Be genuine!
Nicole Hisler recently posted..Home Page

Buddy Hodges says:

May 19, 2011 at 9:54 am
Thanks, Nicole! People definitely like and trust those who are authentic. We are born with a “built-in lie detector.” Non-verbal communication is stronger than verbal words. Two things seem ironic to me about authenticity. 1) It should be the easiest and cheapest way to present yourself (doin’ what comes naturally), and 2) If we were able to fool someone into liking and partnering with our unreal “self,” we might not enjoy being with the person who was relating to someone we would have continue to pretend to be.

Bryan McHeyzer says:

May 23, 2011 at 3:21 am

Hi Buddy
Excellent ….“Old School” meets “NuSkule” just love it:-)
I loved your post and the sentiment behind it.

Social media when used by people with the only reason being to keep in touch is when I would say it is used for building relationships.

When we build like pages etc with the purpose of expanding our business how can anyone honestly say they are building friendships…when the ultimate motive is to get the person to like you so they will either buy your product or join your business.

I just thought I’d throw in a different view point

Cheers
Bryan
Bryan McHeyzer recently posted..Use Viral E-books

Beth Allen says:

May 24, 2011 at 4:52 pm

Wonderful post. I love when you said, “Wisdom acquired from experience, combined with innovative technology, is an awesome combination!” It is when people take the wisdom acquired from experience (the human-ness!) out of connecting online (innovative technology) that the system fails. Technology is amazing, but unfortunately many abuse it. If we don’t respect it, it will run us rather than us running it! Yikes! 🙂

Thanks for sharing your perspective ~ it is pretty extraordinary to be able to combine the old school art of relationship building with the “NuSkule” platform of social media. The sky’s the limit when done right! Thanks Buddy!
Beth Allen recently posted..It’s Time to Turn Up the Heat!

Janet @ The Natural Networker says:

May 26, 2011 at 3:21 pm

Buddy, aloha. What a pleasure it is to meet you on your blog. A quick perusal of your posts shows me that I am going to have to spend much more time here reading and enjoying

Relationships and social networking are the “game,” if you will. Social media adds another variable by adding greater depth, expansion and opportunities for interaction.

Buddy, loved this comments of yours:

“Science and technology have served mankind since the discovery of fire. But human beings are still in control.”

Look forward, Buddy, to “getting to know you . . .” Until the next time, aloha. Janet
Janet @ The Natural Networker recently posted..Eat- Pray- Love and Live! By Janet Callaway The Natural Networker

Lynn Jones says:

May 28, 2011 at 1:10 am

Social Networking is the Bomb! As in, it is exploding and continues on bigger and bigger! I find it amazing how it works and how I am learning new things everyday about making connections and perfecting your profiles by tuning in to Trainings when they are available, which you can find everywhere! It’s the wave of the future. I wonder what will show up next!
See you around on those social sites!
Lynn Jones
Lynn Jones recently posted..How is Your Likeability Factor

Linda Thomas says:

May 28, 2011 at 11:34 pm

Hi Buddy,
Thanks for the great post. We are at a great place in time as social media is growing and evolving. Glad you are part of my social media explosion! LOL!
The future is now, and we are part of it. Looking forward to networking with you.
All the best, Linda
Linda Thomas recently posted..What Is An Entrepreneur&8217s Most Important Quality for Success

Rick Salas says:

May 31, 2011 at 8:11 am

Hi Buddy, Networking on the internet really is about building relationships, leveraging trust and personal influence. Sometimes business strategies take a while to learn and who we learn from is so important so connecting is a must.

Rick Salas
Rick Salas recently posted..Following Up Strategies- Turn Leads Into Sales And High Conversions

Dereck says:

June 1, 2011 at 2:01 am

Thanks for laying down the law. Also, there are a growing number of other social media sites now coming around.

One such site now offers an actual value to someone and their social value.

It;s interesting to note, that news spreads faster online using twitter and facebook, than anything the main stream media can kick out.

Thanks!

-Dereck

Paul Reimers says:

June 1, 2011 at 4:02 am

What I love about social media is that it’s not fundamentally changing how humans relate to each other, it’s just changing the rate and scope in which we do so. Instead of looking at pictures of our next door neighbor’s trip, we can be seeing pictures of a trip that a friend who lives half way around the world made. Instead of waiting for news crews to report to a scene of an emergency, we can see the impressions on those who are tweeting about it within minutes.
Paul Reimers recently posted..Network Marketing and Internet Marketing – Two Kinds of Leverage

June 2, 2011 at 10:49 am

Buddy you’re right about social networking being about relationships. I have been connected with a few who didn’t realize this. They didn’t stay on my list long. We can learn so much from each other. It helps us all build better business.
Love is a Killer App!!!!

Have a Great Day
Chester
Chester Delameter recently posted..Is Adultery Worth It

Leslie Watson Leake says:

June 7, 2011 at 9:50 am

Buddy,
Great posting, so true, relationships in business are more successful than “working” a warm market. I love the analogy to the seeds in an apple, you really never know who others know, you know? LOL I look forward to your other posts!

Kevin Schmidt says:

June 7, 2011 at 11:38 pm

You are so right!
We have to remember the “social” in social networking. It’s all about building relationships with like-minded people.

Thanks for sharing1
talk soon,
Kevin

Terrific Tonya Heathco says:

June 16, 2011 at 1:20 am

Hello Buddy, My first trip to your blog and I can already tell you and I are from the same mindset. Great post! I too remember the early days of networking. So easy to lose sight of the human element in today’s fast paced world. It is up to true leaders and teachers like yourself to educate the up&comers of today the correct way.

Looking forward to more –

Terrific Tonya Heathco
Terrific Tonya Heathco recently posted..NSDF- Our Position in a World of Ignorance

Linnea says:

June 21, 2011 at 5:58 pm

You hit that nail right on the head with this one! It truly is all about relationships but I do love the way technology provides such great tools to enable networking. As others have commented, we do make a great team. I think a few too many tend to forget that the technology is the means to an end and not the end in and of itself. Thanks for the great reminder!
Linnea recently posted..Three Cool New Google Search Features

William Earl Amis Jr III says:

July 14, 2011 at 4:37 pm

I agree with all of your straight forward, insightful conclusions. Your right about building relationships in social media platforms without robotics, is the way. To many people make the fatal mistake, to over look the benefits of just getting to know people. Really listening and not just hearing them. Getting involved in things that make a difference to others, and support their awareness globally.

If you give and really make that your brand. You will succeed in building a real team. One that will be around for along time. Being that it was created with people, who have the same burning passions as yourself. You made it a point to build real relationships from that social media platform, based on trust. That takes time and well worth it.

Empowering others to manifest that energy to move things forward, awesome. Everyone involved can feel all the passionate support, and share it by edifying each other daily. Communicating real usable information. Sharing with others great finds that will enhance their lives.

Buddy, your an amazing leader in our industry. A true visionary who all that come into your mentoring, are blessed. I look forward in my next visit. Knowing there is so much knowledge within your amazing site.

Thanks for sharing and supporting your readers and I.

CJ Priestley says:

July 18, 2011 at 10:42 am

Social networking in regards to the platform whether it be FB or Twitter can be frustrating at times on a couple levels, but have meet some cool people and their brands/sites/ etc and had I not been on those platforms who knows what I would have missed out on.

Lynn Brown says:

January 3, 2012 at 10:06 pm

Simply put and well said Buddy! The human element is so important and even though robots are good for maybe vacuuming your floors or making our cars, they certainly don’t go with building business relationships. I agree that social networking and social media is still about building those connections, confidence and communication. Thank you for your wonderful reminder and how important it truly is.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Reasons Why I Love MarketMeSuite

Dr. Erica Goodstone says:

January 6, 2012 at 10:45 pm

Buddy, I love your last remark “Love is the Killer App.”

One of the things I find most annoying is when I have taken my time to write a thoughtful comment on someone’s blog and I receive an automated response. The person writing the blog thinks that it is better to give such an empty response rather than taking the time to write a personal note. I would rather have no response than a useless automated one. Even on Twitter, I take the time every day to read each and every friend request and I respond.

Warmly,

Dr. Erica
Dr. Erica Goodstone recently posted..Is 2012 Your Year for Love?

January 7, 2012 at 12:39 am

Hi Buddy, When I think back to the day when we had party lines and compare it with today and social networking as we know it…..WOW, I would never have imagined this day and age as it is. Back then we had to share a line with several others and now young kids can’t be with Facebook or a cell phone! What a riot!
Have a social networking weekend!
Lynn
Lynn Jones recently posted..Reflecting on the Past and Designing the New Year

Perry Davis says:

January 23, 2012 at 4:39 pm

Hello Buddy

Like you, I am excited to be at the intersection where “Old School” meets “NuSkule” networking in the 21st century. In this era of social media when we are reaching out and communicating with more and more people but are we connecting? John Maxwell says when it comes to communicating, connecting is everything. In this article you reminds us we may be communicating with the automated software but unless the human element is there we are not connecting. Your example of the Cuban Missile Crisis is a perfect example of the importance of the human element when connecting is the bottom line.

Thanks

Perry A Davis Jr
Music City

Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
Perry Davis recently posted..Network marketers what is your most valuable ammunition for improving your relationships?

Srinivas Reddy | Disciplining Teenagers says:

January 26, 2012 at 12:55 am

Hello Buddy!
It’s good to discover you and your blog. I love technology…until it destroys our humanity. So I couldn’t agree more. While it’s tempting to resort to automation (because we’re all so short on time), it should never replace the human element. The ones who’ll thrive in this age of technology are the ones who show their humanity and take the time to really connect with others.
Srinivas Reddy | Disciplining Teenagers recently posted..Disciplining Teenagers

Akos Fintor says:

February 17, 2012 at 10:08 pm

Hey Buddy!

Speaking of The Cuban Missile Crisis, Thirteen Days is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Networking is about human interaction. Social sites are just a powerful tool that provides a serious leverage.

Good thoughts!

Akos

Buddy Hodges says:

February 21, 2012 at 8:04 pm
Akos,

Thank you for your comment. Thirteen Days is one of my favorites, too.

It is a good example of the importance of channels of communication between real human beings. If the crisis had been left up to computers or robots, they may have blown up the world.

I agree with you that social sites provide serious leverage. Leverage is the basis of most major achievement.

I look forward to knowing you better. All the best to you!

Rick says:

February 20, 2012 at 11:13 pm

Hi Buddy, nice blog.
It was a great phone call we had today. I enjoyed our conversation and I really appreciated your wisdom and sincerity. I look forward to our future networking relationship!

Rickp –

Ken Kinstle says:

July 4, 2012 at 10:02 am

Buddy, yes social networking is a virtual copy of what we used to do just at the coffee house. The reach of the internet allows us to make these connections from all over the world. I also am glad to be part of this technology and love making new friends with social networking. Thanks for the post.
Ken Kinstle recently posted..Four Reasons Why Network Marketing May Not Change Your Life

lastbabyboomer says:

November 29, 2012 at 9:42 am

“Approach ever new connection as your next best friend and not your next sale”

Jean-Francois Gemme says:

November 29, 2012 at 9:50 am

Great post! Relationship first…. business will follow…
Jean-Francois Gemme recently posted..Inspirationnal quote

Harold Gardner says:

November 29, 2012 at 9:51 am

I am constantly amazed by the folks who seem to forget about the “social” in social network. They seem to believe that they are in a pulpit rather than in a conversation. I do wonder if that same behavior manifests in their offline world.
Harold Gardner recently posted..10 Keys To Self Improvement

Ron Callari says:

November 29, 2012 at 10:02 am

Social media networking has accelerated what humans have been doing for years down through the ages – communicating, disputing, debating, collaborating, building, assembling, innovating, etc. It’s catapulted us into a space that’s allowed us to expand our networking capabilities. However taken for granted or exploited, it comes back to the individual as to how best to harness this new and exciting distribution channel. Thanks for the post, Buddy – look forward to supporting each other on EA and our many other social media outlets.
Ron Callari recently posted..Mayor Booker SNAPS To Social Media Food Stamps Challenge

Jane says:

January 16, 2013 at 1:56 am

Agreed, that Social Networking is the “in” thing. But, I am surprised to note from the web, that Religion hasn’t impacted Social networking much. Think about it, spreading God’s words through the web, sure can be a hit with the masses too!
Jane recently posted..Body Cleanse Or Detox: What, How And Why

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