You don’t need me to tell you that Twitter and Social Media networks in general are a great way to meet new people, make friends in your area, find potential clients, and make connections.
Back in July I packed my things and left my home-town of Nashville, TN to embark on the next step in life’s journey which just so happened to be in the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. This move had me facing several obstacles to overcome, the primary one being the struggle to find a job in a new city where I didn’t know anyone during a recession. Talk about a challenge.
Enter blogging and Social Media – my saving grace and my “foot in the door” in the world of web marketing. I spent countless hours scouring Twitter, commenting on blogs, making connections and putting myself out there in front of the Chicago community.
One of the most significant contributions to making connections, especially early on, and establishing my network on Twitter, was joining in on “Twitter Chats” – you probably know what I’m talking about – but these chats are topic specific, typically led by a moderator, and at a scheduled time, a huge group of people come together for a live interactive question and answer session.
#Journchat was the first one that hit my radar – with topics ranging from Public Relations, Marketing, & Social Media – this was right where I needed to be. Not to mention, the chat’s founder, Sarah Evans, was located right here in my new home-town. Every Monday for at least three months I’d grab my laptop and for a couple hours, would join in with some fellow job-seekers, PR professionals, and others as we talked about everything and anything related to online PR/marketing.
What this did was allow me to connect with so many more people – while also building up my own personal knowledge base, providing inspiration for things I wrote on my own blog, and topics to discuss during upcoming interviews. In short, conversing with people who knew the field better than me turned out to be something that really helped me in landing the job I have today.
#BlogChat and #U30Pro are two others I would strongly recommend for any and all bloggers, Social Media marketers, Gen-Yers, etc. A great resource and one of the easiest ways to me some really smart people (not to mention yours truly) on Twitter.
Twitter is already a powerful tool – but when you take the time to take it one step further, you open up Pandora’s box to another level of possibilities and value.
Matt Cheuvront is the mastermind behind Life Without Pants. Take the next step by saying hello on Twitter and subscribing to his blog today!
Tags: community, conversation, Matt Cheuvront, Social Media, social media tools, social network, social networking, transparency, Twitter
This is exactly how I got into blogging and learning more about social media communities. It’s a fantastic way to find other professionals regardless of industry. Thanks Matt!
Thanks for the #u30pro shout – Dave and I wouldn’t be where we are without people like you and our awesome community!
LAF
Sometimes I like to “stalk” these chats–I don’t always have much to say, but I ALWAYS learn something. It’s a good way to follow the conversation and the pitch in when you’re ready and feel you have something to contribute. Another good one is led by @bethharte of @marketingprofs, #pr20chat, relating to anything and everything public relations/social media!
I came here to write #u30pro but you beat me to it! Such a valuable chat. I’d also have to say #Journchat, but you beat me to that one as well.
Nice post, Matt. You are living proof of the value of networking– online and in-person.
Catherine
@Kristina – Exactly, it’s a great “first point of contact” in terms of meeting and networking with other professionals in your area.
@Lauren – Of course Lauren – #u30pro is an outstanding chat and I’m pleased to know almost all of the active participants very well. Always good conversation to be had. Cheers!
@Becca – “Stalking” is good too – that’s what I did at first with #journchat – I would sit back and watch the conversations unfold – then I slowly started getting involved, and then became a very active participant. You don’t have to dive in all at once! Thanks for the comment
@Catherine – Thank you for the comment here – you are on board with some of the best chats out there. Been great connecting with you!
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