Don't Forget to Press Flesh

John R. Stokka
CEO DomiKnow, Inc.

Welcome to the new digital age. We can share a picture with the world in seconds with Instagram or Pinterest. The era where we can share every thought, desire, action in seconds through Facebook and Twitter. Yes indeed, we can post, email, tweet, pin, check-in, update, follow, like, and share with relative ease and efficiency, but should we?

I recently "caught" two people in my office going endlessly bantering back and forth with each other about something fairly simple over internal email. Instead of getting up and walking across the room to have a 2 minute conversation, they had exchanged several emails over a couple days about the topic. Not only is it inefficient, it is an environment that can breed contempt, misunderstanding, and a myriad of other issues in an organization that is growing at the pace as quickly as ours.

There is no denying that social media is here to stay. It has changed the way we communicate and the way we do business. It's an extremely effective medium for certain types of messaging. But don't forget to press flesh. That's right, the good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting intro with a handshake. There is no substitute for looking someone in the eye and having a conversation.
The digital world is a wonderful efficient method of communication that should augment, not replace every other activity that we've developed and evolved over thousands of years of human existence.

The best thing about all of this digital communication is how much of the norm it has become. And in nearly every rule, there lies the value of the exception. If you are willing to make the phone call, if you are willing to go and have the one-on-one conversation, if you are willing to write a personal letter and drop it in the mail... Then guess what? As much as social media and digital communication have become the norm, you will stand out in a crowd of tweeters and posters as a true communicator. Those who understand this will have a leg up on everyone else in whatever they endeavor to do.

Website - http://www.domiknow.com

Facebook - http://facebook.com/domiknow

Twitter - @domiknow

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/domiknow

The fuzzy line between social and professional networking

Most of us know (or quickly figured out); Facebook and business do not mix.  An electronic diary of sorts, Facebook is probably sharing more than you are aware of. 
If you’re in search of career opportunities, having your personal and social lives blaring about to the entire world can muddy the waters of landing your dream job. 

A majority of us witnessed the viral up-rising of Facebook while in college; we latched on and never looked back. We wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and connect to the world-wide web.  Facebook, email, instant messengers, and other social networking sites keep us connected twenty-four hours a day. 

When was the last time you did not connect to the web? I bet you can’t remember. Nearly 266 million people access the internet in North America alone (as cited in “Internet Usage,” 2010). That’s nearly 78% of the entire population [North America]. 

Depending on your career aspirations or your business’s vertical, Facebook can be an effective way to network professionally.  According to Neal Schaffer (2010), companies are spending almost 20% of their total marketing budgets on social media.  

What does this mean for you as a career professional? It means there is an increased likelihood of potential employers and businesses seeing your social networking profiles.

Unless you want your future boss to see a photo of the night you decided to moonlight as a karaoke professional after one-too-many margaritas, I’d keep the social networking for your eyes (and your friend’s) only. 

Tips for maintaining a “clean” social networking profile:

·         Use social sites such as Facebook only to build relationships with your friends

·         Limit the amount of images/photos you and your friends post

·         Examine your profile carefully and decide what you want potential employers  and  business contacts to see

If you need assistance and information on up-and-coming professional networking sites, SmallBizBee.com (2010) recommends the following 40 top social networking sites for small businesses and career professionals (here’s the top 5):

1.    LinkedIn

2.    Meet the Boss

3.    PartnerUp

4.    Qupacity

5.    Ryze

Internet usage statistics; the internet big picture. (2010, June 30). Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Schaffer, Neal. (2010, December 14). LinkedIn vs. Facebook for business in 2011-The battle begins. Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from http://socialmediatoday.com/nealschaffer/252062/linkedin-vs-facebook-business-2011-battle-begins

The ultimate list: 40 social networking sites specifically for small business, entrepreneurs, and startups. (2010, February 2). Retrieved on May 18, 2011, from http://smallbizbee.com/index/2010/02/02/ultimate-list-40-social-networking/

Kari Ratkovich

Freelance Social Media/Writing Consultant

Kari.Ratkovich@gmail.com