On our way home from yet another fun dinner with friends, the conversation with my husband became reflective as we continued to discuss new media and new media friends. It dawned upon us that the group we had just dined with, we had met because of Twitter. Not necessarily directly ON Twitter, but at the very least because of it.

We’ve only been on Twitter a couple of years, but it has become an indispensable tool in our lives. Once a month, also for the last two years, we have been a part of New Media Cincinnati, started by Daniel Johnson Jr. It was at our first meeting that we heard about Twitter. [As a side note, my husband, being the geek that he is, had us signed up for Twitter before that meeting was over.] It took a couple of months to kinda get the hang of it; it was still about 6 months or so before I began to see it as a unique business tool; and now, it is essential.

The dinner I just mentioned was after the regular monthly New Media Cincinnati meeting. Six of us got together, ate, then sat around for at least another hour talking. We laughed so much, just sharing and enjoying each others’ lives. However, we are all also friends outside of a NMC context. We get together for dinner, or go shopping or to a movie. We’re not just “tech friends”. That’s where, for me the line is between acquaintance-friends and real friends. (To be clear, there are many others we know through NMC – and perhaps only see once a month – that we consider to be true friends. They just didn’t make dinner.)

But it was because of Twitter at that first meeting that we know these people. Some found us through NMC, through a friend that brought them to NMC, we met on Twitter and invited…all sorts of Twitter-related avenues. If not for Twitter, we all would not have met. But because of Twitter we did meet, and are now true, IRL, F2F friends. Our TFF’s. Even if you think Twitter is just a huge waste of time, you never know where true friendship may come from.

If you would like to find out more about the value of Twitter, don’t hesitate to comment.

Vickie – @editVDO
Don – @drscefiers

Well, now that I’ve had some time (ok, almost 3 weeks), I’d like to share some of my reflections of the business expo I just participated in.

Short version: Awesome! You need to be a part of it next year. Great value; great exposure; great fun (at least to me).

Long version:
When I first heard the Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce was having a business expo, I immediately signed up. I was a little worried the price would be too high (they generally are at all expos. The “little guy” can barely ever participate.) But when I found out it was only $149, I was elated. I even joined the planning committee. That was a lot of fun, and gave me the opportunity to see how things run behind the scenes, and just how much work goes into pulling off one of these events. Plus getting to work with other people in the chamber, getting to know them and them to know me, was a golden opportunity.

Now, my plan for the booth (actually it was a double, corner booth) was a little more complicated than most. It was not going to be “just set up your information on a table and they will come” kind of thing. I wanted to teach people something. Give them some knowledge they need to know.

Well, that specific part of my plan didn’t work out quite so well, BUUUT, we did end up talking to people all day; to the point that I hardly got to sit down. I walked away with a small stack of cards, and of that, about 5 serious follow-ups. THAT was a successful event.

I have been in contact with these people, and a couple of the projects are coming to fruition. If 1 turns into a full-borne project (and it will), then it was worth the $$, time and effort.

So I’ll be posting the event soon for next year’s expo, so If you’d like me to put you on a mailing list so you receive that info, JLMK (just let me know).

~vick

Second Saturday is our favorite weekend every month. That is when we get together with other professionals and non-professionals that are all interested in social media. And when I say “interested in,” I mean interested in. Most are not doing it for an income; many are not even doing it as consultants; most are doing it because they just plain love it, at the core at least. And everyone’s specific interest is a little different: some like blogging; some like web design or programming; some are into photography; some are into marketing; some like video/audio production (that’s me!); some are looking for jobs; some do it as part of their jobs; some do it as their jobs; some as freelancers. There is a wide range of interests, age demographics, and knowledge levels but we all come together, once a month, to learn just a little more.

Sometimes there’s a presentation of sorts, sometimes there isn’t. But even when there’s not, there’s always sharing.  That’s the true story of social media here–different ages, knowledge, and interests–coming together. In what other way could this happen: a diverse group of people such as this come together and become friends? Or how could they have even met, save for social media?

We share our problems because chances are someone in the room has already been through that technical issue or that “wall” of some sort. And then we chat. Many people, at some point, actually first “met” online. Meeting online is a wonderful way to meet new people without having to get past the guards. You know, our own personal “what do I say; how do I look; do they like me” phase that we all go through when we first meet sometime. Chances are, when you’ve met someone online, you’ve met because you already found that common ground. Then when you finally get to meet in person, you’re truly meeting a friend. By then you may have already chatted about many different topics–family, careers, stress–whatever you click on. So now  when you meet, you can move past the small talk stage and move on with establishing the real friendship.