Great Content = Free Lunch

We're lazy. All of us. I don't care of you get up for yoga at 5 am, if I spend enough time with you, I'm confident that I could point out numerous examples of your laziness on display.

And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. We're all lazy.

But when it comes to social media and networking, being lazy can really hinder your ability to grow your network, share your message, and find new opportunities.

Here's what I mean. It's fairly easy to blog, tweet, post to Facebook, update Linked In, and manage all of your major social channels, online. You're not lazy for doing that. Where the lazy part kicks in is in carrying those social interactions to the "offline" world (read: real world), where those connections can really be fostered and grown.

I was having lunch the other day with @JillianMktng and we started talking about the different people/organizations that we interact with online, and how many of them really disconnect their "online" social media efforts from their "offline" social networking efforts, when indeed, those should be tightly connected. The conclusion was basically that if you're doing one but not other, you're missing the boat.

When I connect with someone on Linked In or Twitter, if their content is really engaging, I try to physically meet that person "offline". I mean, if their online content is really strong, they must be damn amazing in person! And it's proven to be the case.

I've had the opportunity to meet with really strong content creators like @jwillie, @jimdemaria, @paigeworthy, and @suzannecohen01, and have plans to do the same with others like @darcyschuller, founder of one of the leading social consulting firms in Chicago.

While I could certainly learn from them and build an "online" relationship with each of these individuals via Twitter and Linked In, that approach has nowhere near the potential of what having actual (unabbreviated) conversations in person can do.

That's why it's important to take your online social media experience, offline -- to share as much as you can in person (remember, the original social network). It'll be better for you, and will provide for a more engaging experience between you and your network.

I'm going to start leveraging the hashtag #GreatContentFreeLunch on the best things that I share. If your tweet is tagged that way and you'd like to connect with me (either for a free lunch on me, at an event, etc.), please DM me and we can set it up. I look forward to it, because while there is no such thing as a free lunch, if you create great content, you deserve one.

If you like this content (and I hope you do), please connect with me on Linked In, Google Plus, or follow me on Twitter.