Internet marketing networking can give a boost to your results and improve your bottom line in addition to other benefits.
Before I elaborate further on the 5 reasons why you should meet other internet marketers or IM people live, I want to share with you what I have found out recently about Google and how it can’t serve any relevant results on some subjects.
If you want to learn about how to network with other internet marketers or anything about it whatsoever and enter, for example, internet marketing networking or networking with internet marketers or network with internet marketers in the search box using Google, the Google robot will serve up unrelated results.
It will display things related to MLM which now uses a better sounding name of Network Marketing. The closest result it serves is Internet Network Marketing which is about MLM (network marketing) done through the internet. Nothing even remotely close to what you want to find.
I hope that Google will come up with a way to distinguish Internet Marketing Networking from the newer name for MLM which is Network Marketing. It shouldn’t be so hard for Google to fix the problem.
Now let’s get back to the main subject of this post.
5 Reasons to Network With Internet Marketers Face To Face
1) You’ll Be Inspired
You’ll be inspired by new ideas and success stories that aren’t shared online.
2) You’ll Build Better Relationships
You’ll build better rapport and relationships with other successful internet marketers by rubbing shoulders with them.
Sharing a drink, coffee or tea with a person builds much stronger bond than just communicating with them through email, phone or skype.
Email and skype work well enough after you have met the person and you both know each other that way.
I speak from experience. After meeting John Chow and Lee McIntyre I’ve been enjoying a much closer friendship and direct access to them that would have been impossible previously.
Watch the video below to see John Chow at his latest visit to Pho Dot Com in Vancouver.
3) You’ll Be Able To Share Resources
You will be able to share tips and resources as well as discuss solutions to problems that are never publicly discussed online.
4) You’ll Get Away From Computer
This one is kind of obvious but a very important point for your health and well-being.
You’ll get away from your computer, which is kind of hard for any motivated internet marketer. Stretching your body for long enough and having fun with other marketers will do you a world of good.
5) You’ll Meet Future JV Partners
You’ll meet people that can very well become your future joint venture partners. I don’t know about anybody who is serious about collaborating with other people whom they’ve never met in person.
It just doesn’t happen.
What to do next?
If you can think of other reasons why do internet marketing networking, in other words why network with other internet marketers by meeting them in person, please make as detailed comment about it as you can.
The best comment will be rewarded by my visit to the best comment author’s blog and my placing a very relevant and comprehensive 2 comments there. The deadline for this rewarding competition is December 20, 2010.
Update December 26, 2010: The best comment was given By Barry Wells. He has won the competition. There were other very good comments and deciding which one to choose was not easy. Barry will get 2 comments from me as promised. I didn’t mention a link but I gladly link to Barry’s blog as well. Update July 20, 2018: Berry Wells’ blog is no longer live so I removed the link which went nowhere.
Keep on commenting because you will be rewarded quite abundantly even without winning the competition as I already mentioned below when I wrote this post.
Any commenter here is getting a comment luv and keyword luv links anyway as long as the comment is approved, which happens with all good comments.
If you can’t think of more reasons for live internet marketing networking, comment on the ones I’ve listed.
Tweet and bookmark this post in order to give a chance to others to read it as well.
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Authored by Vance Sova
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Filed under: Net Marketing Events, Networking
This is a great point here. I love the posts that bring up points that make me think, “wow, that’s so obviously a great idea” but I don’t think about it until I have heard or read it! So..thanks. And I completely agree with reason #5 because too often times people become comfortable just barely knowing who they are working with or for, and I believe if you are really going to trust someone, you’ve got to really know them.
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Hi Jasmine,
Welcome to my blog and thank you for commenting. I’m glad you liked the post. It makes a huge difference to know other internet marketers and to be known by them through face to face meeting and spending some time together sharing a beer or whatever and talking. The benefit from communicating that way is priceless. It’s very easy to forget someone with whom you only exchange emails or communicate indirectly.
It’s virtually impossible to forget someone that you meet and spend time with.
Vance
I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to meet all of my affiliates at least once a quarter. It definitely builds a strong business relationship, and takes away some formal business charade that is normal nowadays.
Carlton @ Current Mortgage Rates Nevada´s last blog post ..Kardashian Kard Keeps Kids Konsuming
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Hi Carlton,
I’m wondering how you meet all of your affiliates at least once every quarter unless they are all in close proximity or you meet all together each time at one place.
I can see how you have strong business relationships doing that. Your business is perhaps a bit different.
For internet marketers it’s not necessary to meet that often with everybody. Meeting those who are close by frequently and take every chance to meet the remote ones is a good way to do it.
Vance
Carlton @ Current Mortgage Rates Nevada Reply:
December 6th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Well, a majority of my partners are located in Los Angeles, so we have the opportunity to set up events once in a while. Aside from that, the phone call and Skype meeting are about as familiar as we get!
Carlton @ Current Mortgage Rates Nevada´s last blog post ..Best Ohio Car Loan Rates for a 25-000 Loan – December 6- 2010
Vance Reply:
December 12th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Hi Carlton,
It seems that you are having things under control and do everything right. Thank you for the comment.
Vance
This was a great article. I am always appreciative of advice that seems specifically intended for us small-internet-business owners. I’m definitely bookmarking this blog to keep up with the latest developments in internet marketing!
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Hi Susan,
Welcome and thanks for commenting. I’m thrilled that you liked this post and are bookmarking my blog. I look forward to your next comment.
Vance
Hi Vance,
To take your marketing and Internet business to the next stage, you really do have to be networking with other marketers as well as your own customers or subscriber list.
If you are out here in the big bad world of the Internet and you are hiding behind your computer and never network how the hell are people going to trust you, believe what you have to say, and want to buy your products or recommendations.
With my offline business I am in direct contact with my customers as well as other business owners as the business is a hands on approach. With Internet Marketing it is so easy to hide behind that screen and never leave your computer.
Us humans are very sociable people and doing so can make very good strong relationships to our lists or possible JV Partners. If you are trying to expand your business and want a JV Partner it will be so much easier to clinch the deal if you are actually there in the same room discussing what you want to achieve, than exchanging a few emails or skype calls.
Ok Skype is brilliant, I only discovered it this year. But meeting people face to face is a must. You can make some good friends and get to know the real person.
So who Fancy’s a BREW (Nice cup of English Tea)
Cheers
Craig
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Hi Craig,
Thank you for your great comment. Hiding behind a computer is what many marketers do at least at first. But at least for a foreseeable future people indeed like to meet, especially if they are going to do business.
A nice cup of tea sounds great to me.
Vance
Craig Sowerby Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
I know we live on other sides of the planet, but if you ever make it across to my neck of the woods and vice versa I will take you up on that cup of T
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I would like that Craig.
I guess you are in England, aren’t you? If I do get there we’ll go for a tea then.
Wow!! That’s great guys.
You’re right Vance, face to face meeting is more valuable.
Alexis´s last blog post ..5 Typical Mistakes Made By New Internet Marketers
Vance Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Hi Alexis,
If this is your first visit to my blog, welcome. I’m glad to have you visit and comment away. Meeting other internet marketers face to face or belly to belly as some people like to call it still works the best.
Vance
I haven’t been to an Internet Marketing conference yet Vance, they always seem to be in London, and I just don’t fancy the travelling. If there was something more local I would be tempted.
I think I would get inspiration, ideas and potential joint venture partners. As you said, I would want to meet somebody I partnered with.
I haven’t even got a product yet, so I don’t feel any urgency over this, but I do look out for local events. One thing that puts me off is that I wouldn’t want to attend a non-stop sales pitch festival. I would get bored stiff, and have to spend all my time in the bar. 😉
Not having attended a Internet Marketing Conference I’m not sure how I would distinguish between a good and bad one?…Any advice?
John
John McNally´s last blog post ..5 Topics for Blog Posts
Vance Reply:
December 2nd, 2010 at 5:52 am
Hi John,
Not having a product shouldn’t hold you back from meeting other internet marketers. Having to travel is sometimes an obstacle. See if you can find some local event or at least some local people. If you live in a small town it may not be easy.
Spending time in the bar with fellow marketers can sometimes be the best part of an event.
The only way to no ahead of time about the worthiness of a live event is if you can find out who the speakers are and see if you know at least one of them that you’d like to meet.
Vance
To me, the best reason you gave to network with internet marketers face to face is the first one. I have been to an internet marketing event and met a certain internet marketer I have always followed and gotten advice from.
And when I met him in person I was even more inspired by him than previously before. The face to face meet allowed me to see that this guy is really just an average guy like me and it was amazing that we shared so many similarities.
Not just him, plenty other well known top internet marketers were there and it inspires you because it gives you a feeling like hey, if they can do it I can do it too. I would definitely recommend internet marketing networking for anyone that wants to be inspired or to get some motivation.
John´s last blog post ..Be Careful Being A Reverse Phone Detective
Vance Reply:
December 11th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi John,
Thanks for commenting. I’m glad that you got inspired when you met your mentor and other internet marketers face to face. Most internet marketers are very approachable and easy to talk to. That is very encouraging and inspiring.
Vance
No.3 is got to be best reason for me why every internet marketer should become friend with other internet marketers. There is just huge advantage when there is someone who can help you with your concerns. Joining Forums is a great example of that.
Hi Vance,
More sound advice again, thanks. I haven’t been to any events as yet but would like to next year, if i can find some close enough with wheelchair access. I have been thinking of attending one of Randy Smiths meet ups here in the UK, but recently found out that they’re above a pub. The chances of a pub having a lift is pretty slim so that’s now looking like it’s out of reach, but i’ll check that with Randy.
In addition to your five points i’d like to add that I would imagine they could be a large learning curve where you could be informed of certain pit falls to avoid. As well as products or services that these people have tried, tested and left on the shelf, saving your time and money.
There’s also the flip side of that where these people could put you onto outstanding products or services that they have tried, tested and made full use of, again saving your time and money on the trial and error method that many use.
Barry
Barry@The Newbies Guide´s last blog post ..Blogging Tool for WP- Highlight- Comment- Share and Build Your Email List
Vance Reply:
December 12th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Hi Barry,
Thank you for the nice comment. I was away for a few days, sorry for not answering sooner. I’m glad you are planning to attend an IM event next year which is soon. I hope that the Randy Smith’s one will have a wheelchair access. Usually hotels will have it but I’m not sure about an upstairs of a pub.
Your points about learning about things to avoid are excellent as well as finding out what is really working.
And you’ll also have fun.
Vance
Vance, You’re very right.
Although i didn’t attend any big seminars or “Internet Marketing conferences” due to odd location i live in, we have a small group of webmasters at Meetup.com and we get together to share and collaborate idaes. Definitely helpful.
First thing you get is, get rid of online life for a while and second thing is you learn alott from others experience.
Good post buddy.
Vance Reply:
December 12th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Hi Joel,
Welcome to my blog and thank you for commenting. The size of the group is not necessarily important. What really matters is to be in face to face contact at least once in a while.
We can learn from others this way and exchange ideas. I’m glad you liked the post.
Vance
Hi Vance,
Face to face is always best, it adds meaning and depth, skype or emails cannot display expressions or tone and this can lead to miscommunication, they are a must for Internet marketers, but nothing can beat good old fashion face to face.
I have not yet attended an IM event, but I will certainly be looking out for future events as I understand the value of meeting people in the same industry.
I believe that when starting out, it is advisable to have a Mentor and it is important to meet your Mentor face to face. I have not met mine yet, but it will happen in the near future and I am looking forward to the benefits this will bring to my business.
Regards
Rob
Vance Reply:
December 12th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Hi Robert,
Many people initially like the feeling that they can hide behind the computer but most realize that it’s not going to work long term.
Meeting people live is always going to be very important and the best way to form lasting business relationships and to build trust.
I hope that you’ll meet your mentor face to face soon. Hopefully he or she will be as most internet marketers that I’ve met, very approachable and open.
Regards,
Vance
Hi Vance, NOTHING is better than being face to face. Sure the Internet is great for communicating especially if you are far apart but being there in a group or one on one is just about the best you can get in communicating with one another.
So much more can be learned and so much more can get done with frequent in person meetings. Nothing will ever compare to the quality of it all. Sure hanging out and relaxing together can be a whole lot of fun too, especially if you got a lot done. It can be a wonderful experience celebrating as well.
Terry Conti
Vance Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Hi Terry,
You just almost never get the accurate feeling and vibes unless you meet face to face. And if you on the rare occasions do, you still aren’t sure unless you do meet that way.
I remember a few times that the person I met live after getting to know them through the net being very similar to what I expected at times but also almost altogether different at other times.
I know for a fact that those marketers that I shared a beer or a lunch with will always remember me and I’ll always remember them.
Face to face meeting just can’t be replaced or substituted by anything. We may want to sometimes think that it can but it just doesn’t happen.
We really agree on this but it seems that there are always things to add on this subject.
Vance
Hi Vance, NOTHING compares to being face to face. Sure you need the Internet for conducting business and communicating especially if distance is a problem but being in front of each other is premium.
Having frequent meetings one on one or in a group is the best quality of communication you can get. You can learn and get so much done in such a way the no machine can offer.
Sure hanging out and relaxing is also good and very much needed especially after you got a lot of work done together.
It’s a great feeling.
Terry Conti
Terry Conti´s last blog post ..The end of the year and wishing you all success
Vance Reply:
December 18th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Hi Terry,
I think that the first face to face meeting with other internet marketers is the most important one. Of course, if you can meet more often with the same guys it’s even better. Just hanging out together sometimes helps too in getting to know one another, even if nothing productive results immediately, it may be more likely to happen in the future.
Thanks for the comment,
Vance
Hi Vance,
Got a great point here, meeting IM people in person will really give you benefits. I like the #1-3 reasons you mentioned. I really get inspired with the person when we share our experience from each other and in that way I can build good relationship with them. Glad to came across to your site. Keep posting!
James
Vance Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Hi James,
Welcome, I’m glad you found my site too. Thanks for the comment. The people you meet are much more real to you and you to them than those who you know just virtually.
I shared a beer with a famous marketer and he’ll never forget me. He talks about it even when he’s with other people. Sometimes just talking and relaxing with other marketers without necessarily talking about business can do more for future business relationship than 50 emails ever could.
Vance
This is nice topic n This is a great point here. I love the posts that bring up points that make me think, “wow, that’s so obviously a great idea” but I don’t think about it until I have heard or read it! So..thanks. And I completely agree with reason #5 because too often times people become comfortable just barely knowing who they are working with or for, and I believe if you are really going to trust someone, you’ve got to really know them.
sharingsmoke.com´s last blog post ..Showcase Of 50 Clean Portfolio Web Designs
Vance Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Hi,
Thanks for the nice comment. It would be nice if you also left your name but perhaps you can do that the next time.
Knowing somebody you intend to business with is always a good thing.
Vance
Great post and when attending live events it can be quite revealing to see what type of event it is.
I have only attended 2 events this year, there was a third which I refused to attend as it started its sign up process with a lie and thus I took it no further.
Of the 2 events, my first was the best. This one was very open and slow paced which allowed time to meet the speakers and make the realisation that these people were not some super breed and had faced the same issues that many of us have experienced. The other event was the sausage factory type of event where many speakers gave out their own paths to success and of course their product to shortcut this process.
The first event allowed me to find my mentor, which was based upon a meeting of personalities rather than the promises in the sales pitch.
Vance Reply:
December 22nd, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi Igor,
I’m glad you liked the post. It’s true that not all events are equal. It’s extremely important to realize that especially at the beginning when you start to attend events.
In your case you were lucky that the first event you attended was a good one. It is usually the big events that have the tendency to be largely filled with sales pitches. When you realize that before you even go there then you can brace yourself and be ready not to take it personally.
You can even learn from that. The way people give their presentations reveals a lot about them.
It is usually during the breaks and after the official sessions that you can met with people in a more relaxed atmosphere and get the chance to get to know them on a different level.
Thanks for commenting,
Vance
Bloggers tend to forget that Internet marketing is a matter of PR (public relations). I found your proposal of meeting IM face to face quite well. I think the most important fact of carrying out this, is getting off away from the computer for a while :).
Daniel@Sock Buster´s last blog post ..Four reasons why hosiery matters on sports
Hi Vance
Some great reasons on why its a great idea to meet up with people in person.
One of my goals is to do this in 2011.
I think it adds a complete new dynamic to things ,as most people are working solo and from home.
All the best for 2011.
Regards
Zahid
Vance Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Hi Zahid,
Welcome to my blog and thanks for the comment. Meeting other internet marketers definitely adds as new dynamic element and will do everyone a lot of good. I hope that your goal of meeting IM people live in 2011 will be reached.
Vance
I think you have some great ideas here. It is often easy to isolate ourselves in this digital age even though we can communicate more easily and frequently. Networking and building relationships are important to any business.
Vance Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Hi Ben,
It’s true that we can communicate more easily in this digital age but it is the quality of communication that matters. Using all the technology is much more effective after meeting people face to face first. It’s a different quality of relationship that is created by meeting and having direct eye contact and spending time together that is built.
Thanks for the comment.
Vance
Hi Vance,
You have a very interesting post here 🙂 Meeting fellow internet marketers in person is definitely a good idea to build a stronger bond and at the same time share some resources. I have met several talented online marketers before and I have really learned a lot from them, it’s really different if you meet in person.
P.S I also hope maybe we can meet someday 🙂
Regards,
Rigette
Great ideas you have here. I also think that meeting them in person is a very good idea. You get to build a kind of relationship that can never be built online. You get to share ideas and you can learn more from other marketers by meeting them face to face.
First of all, has Google solved the problem you introduced at the beginning of your article? Second of all, I agree real life communication is much more open and clear than mediated communication for obvious reasons such as non-verbal communication, tone of voice, eye contact, smells/pheromones, and the overall impression of the other person. These all help open up and share much more than you would online. The problem most for the time is distance. For many of us, meeting some of our online contacts would entail traveling around the world, which most of us can’t afford. What we can do is meeting professionals from our geographical area and learn from them.
Vance Reply:
October 19th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Hi Leonard,
See for yourself if Google solved it or not. Just search for internet marketing networking and see the results. Thanks for the comment. Distance can be a problem for some but for a lot of people they will be able to find some local events or even start them. It’s of course not practical to meet with everybody you know online.
Vance
Internet Marketing Seminars have become especially popular in recent years as internet marketing itself has gained popularity.
Thanks for sharing this Information 🙂
Personally, I hate it when I try to search for internet marketing networking and the first 10 pages is always about network marketing. I have all about given up using search engines to learn more about those. I find that it is extremely hard to meet up with other internet marketers, and not everyone shares the same enthusiasm about sharing their little secrets about internet marketing or SEO techniques. Am I just looking at the wrong place?
Vance Reply:
February 6th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Hi Kevin,
The search engines aren’t that smart after all.They still are confusing things even if you give them all the info you want to find. That applies at least in this case. But don’t give up. They’ll get smarter one day when their programmers do. Over all they do a good job though and are improving albeit very slowly.
Don’t give up on finding internet marketers who want to meet and share either. Perhaps give it a rest for a few weeks and try again. Keep your eyes, ears and mind open and above all don’t get frustrated when things don’t happen for a while the way you’d like them to.
Cheers,
Vance
To be fair Kevin I find it the best way to do it, if you can give me some tips on what else to try I would appreciate it!
As anyone involved in web marketing would know, it can be a pretty lonely journey. Therefore it is definitely a good thing to organize meetups to get to know more like-minded people and keep you social and not a robot.
Kevin Yeaman´s last blog post ..SEO Benefits
A great place for networking is industry related conferences. If you are the owner of a company, its also a cost-effective way for employees to learn, and to network as well.
Johnny´s last blog post ..5 Top Tips For Telemarketing
Love it. Thanks for writing that. I will definitely check again to find out more and recommend my people about your site.