Big Is The New Small

This video will blow your mind…

• If it doesn’t, It should.
• If you’re not a believer in Social Media, You should be.
• If your business or organization is not leveraging social media, That’s Stupid!

What do you think?

Is Social Media the vehicle to truly make the world smaller, or is it just a fad? Share your thoughts on these compelling stats and the overall impact of Social Media! ?

There is a lot of discussion about the Internet and social media and whether or not they are creating Illegitimate Experts, Gurus, Leaders… or iPhony’s.  Lets’ look at the definition of Illegitimate- not in accordance with the principles of valid inference.  By this definition the Internet and social media may be creating illegitimate experts, but that’s the beauty of the Internet; a person does not have to be in accordance with a “valid inference.” 

In the www. world you have to create your validity and my thought is “If people are listening and if you have an audience, influence, a voice, knowledge, experience, personality, talent, information… that people want to hear, you have just been legitimized” and therefore are not an iPhony. 

Let’s take a look at a recent product that in my mind was not legitimate and it’s a product that everyone has seen, The Snuggie.  Seriously a backwards robe is not a legitimate product and doesn’t serve a legitimate need.  The Snuggie has sold over 4 million backwards robes; therefore legitimizing them.  “So who am I and what do I know?”

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…  One woman’s phony is another woman’s expert.

Do you think the Internet and Social Media is Creating Illegitimate Experts, Gurus, Leaders… or iPhony’s?   Share Your Thoughts!

Last week had a conversation about Social Media with Tony Steward who in my opinion is one of the most brilliant Social Media Minds that I have interacted with.  Our conversation really got me thinking and challenging the fact that Online relationships are as real and meaningful as Offline relationships. 

I recently had the opportunity to connect offline with a friend of mine @helloheady  for the very first time at a Poetry Night that he hosts.  It felt like I’d known @helloheady  forever, as we have connected in the online world via Blogs, Twitter and Facebook  for well over a year.  Here are 9 reasons Online Relationships Are As Real As Offline:

1. When someone visits/comments on your Blog, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc.; that interaction is as meaningful as you seeing/interacting with someone at your office, the coffee shop, the gym…
2. People can be more authentic and vulnerable in an online environment than an offline environment.  You can be sitting right next to someone and not know their having a bad day, while they are blogging and twittering about the bad day they’re having.
3. It’s easier to connect with people of similar interests in an online environment than in a offline environment.  Everyone is one click or one search away.
4. A person has the ability to overcome interpersonal struggles as they can be an online extrovert, even though they may be an offline introvert.
5. You can evaluate individuals daily interaction, lifestream, thoughts, dreams, perceptions, struggles… through online sharing in a shorter amount of time.  It may take twice as much time to capture the same information in an offline environment.
6. Candor is acceptable and encouraged in the online world; not always the case offline.
7. It’s much easier to overcome demographic barriers in an online environment as compared to the offline world.
8. Relationships are more convenient in an online environment; which can be a huge benefit in our fast-paced microwave world.
9. You can impact lives daily in an online world without ever knowing knowing you had an impact: through your posts, your tweets, your comments, your online presence…

I am a huge  believer in genuine face-to-face offline relationships; however I am truly embracing the value of online relationships.  Online relationships are making the world smaller and smaller.  This Big ol’ World is getting Smaller and Smaller:  One Tweet, One Comment , One E-mail and One Post at a time.  BigIsTheNewSmall 

I know there are people who totally disagree with this line of thinking and I respect their opinion… My only thought challenge is please prove otherwise.

Are Online relationships as Real and Meaningful as Offline?  Is there anything that you would like to add to the list?  Share your thoughts and experiences?