Last week, at the F5 Expo, Malcolm Gladwell spoke about social media and the way it relates to our real-life networks.
He said people in our lives fall into one of two camps: Strong Ties and Weak Ties. Essentially, Weak Ties are your Facebook friends and Twitter followers, and Strong Ties are your real friends.
That's not to say that your online followers aren't important: the truth is, most of our employment and business opportunities come from these kinds of nebulous connections, as Gladwell argues, so it's worth staying in touch and fostering these types of relationships.
Taking Gladwell's cue, here are a few tips for making the most of your Weak Ties on Twitter.
Twitter is an amazing tool for meeting new like-minded people. This past year I have made over 100 new connections initiated by conversations on the social network. The nice thing about Twitter is that there is no stigma about meeting people, so go for some coffees, go to some "Tweetups" and meet your Twitter friends in person.
The best way to make headway in business is to leverage the people you know. Therefore, the larger your network, the more you're worth, so to speak. You can grow and sustain a network of several thousand Weak Ties as long as you follow the golden social media rule: give endlessly, and never hesitate to ask anyone for anything yourself.
Maintaining offline relationships with all of your Twitter friends can be daunting: it's a never-ending process, and it's never guaranteed to turn into new business. It can wreak havoc with your schedule, and therefore your productivity. Above all else, it can be exhausting – especially if you're having a beer or three every time you meet someone.
Still, social networking is worth it in the end. Where else can you ask 300 people a question and get a response in 30 seconds? If you're new to Twitter, start by following as many local people as possible – then join in the conversation. Grow your network, and grow your business as a result. You have nothing to lose.
