| Remember the days where you would go to | | | | created for the sole purpose of enhancing the on |
| business networking meetings? There, you would | | | | line social medium. Social networking isn't just |
| exchange business cards, enjoy some free food, | | | | about throwing up a random 140 character rant |
| give a brief two minute summation speech about | | | | about how much you can't stand the government. |
| what it is you did for a living and then mingle | | | | Rather, social networking with other people is |
| some more before calling it a day? Well, those still | | | | getting others to respond to what you have to |
| exist, but now these meetings have been | | | | say- having healthy discussions, criticisms and |
| enhanced by the fact that online social networking | | | | trading ideas back and forth. It's as if we are |
| is so incredibly popular. | | | | trying to rethink the way that we approach |
| With things such as 'Tweetups," people are finding | | | | communication. |
| ways to make connections on line and then taking | | | | There is no doubt that networking is great for |
| it a step further to set up actual in-person | | | | business. If you look at something like law, most |
| meetings with other like-minded individuals, and | | | | attorneys and private investigative companies |
| guess what? It's working! Now, you can check | | | | acquire their clients through word-of-mouth |
| your local online social networking communities to | | | | referrals. Well, now, those word of mouth |
| find out what meetings are taking place where. | | | | referrals are beginning to come more quickly into |
| With just the click of a button, you can instantly | | | | focus with the dawn of a whole new on-line era |
| RSVP to a gathering or set up your own | | | | of Internet users and social networks. If you use |
| gathering. Besides this, if you can't make it to a | | | | a lawyer and you like what they have done for |
| meeting, you can do video conferencing via | | | | you, you might tweet about it. Then, because you |
| Skype or set up mobile alerts to your phone to | | | | have a giant following or because someone has |
| help you stay connected. | | | | looked up the word 'lawyer' in the Twitter |
| On the contrary, to all of those doubters out | | | | system, suddenly, and perhaps without knowing it, |
| there who claim that with the explosion of social | | | | you've contributed to that lawyer's credibility and |
| networking has also come the disappearance of | | | | given them a free marketing plug to the world. |
| face to face communication, nothing could be | | | | There is no doubt that on-line Internet social |
| further from the truth. If anything, the abundance | | | | networking is extremely effective. The key is |
| of on line social networking has spawned a whole | | | | knowing who is using what networks and what |
| new kind of face to face networking. Now, you | | | | sorts of information people are putting out there |
| can reach out to more people in different areas | | | | to garner huge followings. Once you figure this out |
| around the country or around the block. What's | | | | and put a little work into a few social networking |
| more is that every day that goes by, there are | | | | profiles, you should begin to see results almost |
| new technologies and applications that are being | | | | immediately. |