I have this question.
What is networking to you?
And when I talk about networking I mean the interaction amongst humans for pleasure or profit. The trouble with that one question is it forces me into lots more.
Do you see networking as a means to an end?
Is it there to support only your needs and what you can get out if it?
Is it something you use and abuse or do you try and gain by it?
Do you splurge tidbit after tidbit until your network rejects you? I’ve seen this on twitter far too often where some folks can’t have a life because they spend 12+ hours a day sharing links to the point where their network mentally rejects them.
Do you find your circle of networkers rarely if ever respond to you?
Do you ever wonder why that might be?
Why do you network?
I've tried networking many times myself, primarily just to meet other people as it can become rather mundane working by yourself on the internet.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't have a clue how to network though as I have put a lot of effort into blog commenting, promoting other peoples' sites, etc and they don't even seem to notice me.
Ho hum, back to a life of solitude :(
Thanks Lee.
You've hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned. I only use Facebook for networking with family and friends and I get a much larger response there than anywhere else.
I was wondering like you – is it me, is it the way I do it, what? I provide advice and goodies, stuff for free, comment on blogs, answer queries and hopefully I do it with good grace as well.
So when I'm seeking something it always stuns me that out of almost 300 followers on twitter alone (yes I know I'm small fry) I get no response most times.
I wish you'd had more success than me Stuart but it is comforting, in some ways, to know that others have found themselves banging their heads against a wall too.
All the top bloggers go on about how important networking is yet most of the people I come across seem to have no interest in interacting whatsoever.
Not sure what that says about the blogosphere and internet at large but I for one find it a little depressing at times.
I wonder if the top bloggers, etc are a little full of it and happen to havve been lucky more than successful?
Looking at my live twitter feed now I can see a dozen tweets of which 8 are taken up by two people. All that does is turn me off from reading .. surely not the aim?
Twitter certainly seems like it is becoming a place where people just drop links, and I must confess to doing it myself from time to time.
I'd much prefer to engage others in conversation on there but only have that kind of relationship with about 15 of the 4500 people who follow me!
Dropping links is all part and parcel of twitter and even networking I'd suggest.
But surelyy the main part of networking is in making connections that mean something. For example – I doubt I could call upon my twitter network to help me get a new job? At the moment they can't (won't) comment on this post :)