Connecting with Influencers: One of Social Media’s Greatest Gifts
Posted in Search & Social — Jul 29, 2013
The proliferation of social media - especially the 1:1 format of Twitter - has created new opportunities for connecting with the 'influencers' in the field you work in, whether across town or across the pond. So how do you go about creating these connections? Sometimes it's as easy as saying hello - or saying "happy birthday."
When FINE developer Alex Miley had a birthday this month, fellow developer Bob Potter thought it would be fun to do something more than a cake or card. So he reached out to Paul Irish, well-respected in the Web development community, and asked for the quick favor of a social media birthday greeting for his fan Alex.
Not only did Paul agree, he took it a step further, recording a fun video greeting featuring himself and fellow colleagues.
When Alex first saw Paul's video birthday card, he admittedly "geeked out" a bit - Alex credits Paul and his blog posts and tutorials in helping to "lead me to the developer I am today." But there's more to the story. Paul's birthday happened to be a few days after Alex's, so Alex returned the favor and put together a video "happy birthday" message response.
Paul had the last word, tweeting "Please do this every year!" Until their next birthday rolls around, Bob, Alex, and their colleagues at FINE have established an ally in the development community with whom they can share ideas and resources. And it all started with a simple birthday wish. How have you connected with influencers in your industry?
