In a world of social media where our relationships are measured by likes, shares, and followers, something human is being lost. Data is everywhere around us, business is being transformed by data and is being run by numbers, but the good parts of society are not numbers and data, it is people. Your social circle is not captured on devices and equated to a set of numbers. Some people call these vanity metrics. Is influence measured by the number of followers a person has? Is the value of your thoughts really summed up in how many likes your post gets? I don’t think so. People have been trained over the last decade to think so, but it isn’t true. This is why social networks are plagued with fake profiles, and fake people. Your connections aren’t a measure of your influence or social status, the relationship you have with those connections is.
Beyond Followers and Connections
In a time when we are more connected to people, brands, and information than ever in the history of time, we are also craving human interaction more than ever. Likes can’t replace a hug, and shares don’t really express appreciation for the ones we care about. It takes only a second to click a button, but human interaction instantly alters our mood and energy. Less followers doesn’t mean you are worth less, and many followers may not be a sign of real relationships.
The action of connecting with someone online or following them is simply the push of a button. In real life there is like saying hi. It is by itself void of substance, depth, or relationship. Many people have been taught that these connections represent relationships. The fact is they are the access to relationships. The relationship is the engagement between connections. There are many critics who say technology is separating people and reducing the human interactions. People are sitting together looking at their phones instead of talking. They collect connections but don’t build relationships with the people they connected with. Connections are weak ties.
It’s time to realize that connections are just the start of a potential relationship. If you want a relationship you will have to nurture and develop that. This one thought is the foundation of our MobiLine app. We want to use technology to help you get to know the people you actually want to call for real interactions. Social media should not be about collecting followers, or sharing content, but being social and engaging with people in a real way.
Enriching Your Network
For most people they have a network of friends, followers, and business connections. But many fail to enrich those relationships with regular engagement. Smart influencers I know make it a point to reach out and talk or video chat with people in their network on a regular basis to turn those connections into relationships. This increases the value of their network and strengthens the bond they have with the people in it.
Your Network is Your Net Worth – Porter Gale
The internet has broken down walls, and allowed everyone with a smartphone or internet connection to build a network that goes beyond close family and friends. Entire careers and companies have been created on laptops. You never know who you may meet that could change your life forever. That includes relationships, friends, business partners, and people who influence you. This is our modern reality and the sooner you start to both build your network and also enrich it by developing strong relationships, the sooner you may feel how powerful the internet really is.
Relationships Create Value
Our lives are filled with memories, and those memories are created by experiences. Connections don’t really do anything, they are passive. Relationships are active and they create memories. Those memories generate value in our lives. It is this concept that people need to understand. We must get beyond data and vanity numbers and get to what is real, what is human, and what is valuable. I challenge you to start looking at your network and ask yourself, when was the last time I actually talked to that person. Go through your followers and ask that question and then reach out to them. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation, but find out how you can engage with them and move the relationship forward. You won’t be disappointed in the results.
If you want a better life, create better relationships. If you want new opportunities, build a better network, we have the tools to manage a larger social network than ever before, but very few people are extracting the value from social media and technology. I challenge you to get started today!