Over the past couple years I’ve become more and more involved with the social networking site “LinkedIn.” To be fair, “involved” may be a strong word; I’m mostly a wall-flower sitting on the sidelines trying to figure out how the whole thing works. I will say that I’ve been lucky to remain gainfully employed in recent years and not forced to turn to social media for my next gig. My “news feed” is typically filled with the same four or five people trying to appear smart in what I can only imagine is the hope of impressing Warren Buffet or Guy Kawasaki. I log in every few days after the site has sent me an email, usually with the initial idea that I’m going to finally find the settings page to unsubscribe from all the unwanted emails the site sends me regarding useless work anniversaries or notifications that someone I emailed ten years ago now wants to reconnect.
A few months ago, I came across a post calling into question the relevance of trade associations. Obviously, as an active member of our trade association and knowing the author of the post through mutual engagements within SBCA, I was a little surprised. I read the post thoroughly and took the time to read the comments. The premise of the post and comments inferred that the downturn in the economy coupled with the development of social networking jeopardized the long term sustainability of trade associations in general. The handful or so of comments sided with the belief that the internet could replace the value gained through attending association meetings, and being friends or following one another online could replace the relationships built over years of interaction working to promote an industry’s objectives over one’s own.
I came of age in the 1990’s, about the same time the Internet became the end all-be all for commerce, communication and entertainment. It was while I was in college that the first tech bubble swelled and eventually burst. I watched people a few years older than me become multi-millionaires and lose it in the same year. Shortly after college I jumped in the game, started a “dot-com” of my own with a few buddies, jumped out early and watched it get run into the ground by mismanagement and changing landscapes. I am very active on Facebook, using it as a tool to poke fun of myself, troll those I appreciate most and make sure I remain light-hearted despite all the things in life that make it hard to do. I utilize the internet as much as anybody today, but firmly believe no website or social network could match what SBCA has done for me over the years.
I’ve learned invaluable lessons from the smartest people in our industry. How? It’s not because I’ve read posts they’ve written online; it’s because I’ve attended the same meetings as them, sat across a dinner table from them and soaked up every word they said. I’ve become a better communicator through leading discussions online, over the phone and in person. My business is also better as a result. I’m on a first name basis with my most important suppliers and have a real-life network of industry experts to lean on when I need help or advice with a specific problem.
Trade associations, like everything in life, are what you make of them. If you put the work and time in, you’ll be rewarded in ways you never imagined. If you choose not to participate, you’ll never know what you’re missing. Challenges will always exist in every industry and trade associations are a proven method for addressing issues, both local and national. Social media and websites are a great way to communicate, and trade associations should probably leverage them more, but people interacting face to face with a common goal will always achieve more than those operating only in their own self-interest and trying to ”one-up” the previous comment.
Editor’s Note: SBC Magazine is always looking for new ways to connect with our readers. As we branch out into social media, we're interested in learning more about how you utilize social networking websites for professional purposes. Please take a moment to answer a few short questions in this SBC One Minute Poll on social networking.