Last night, countless groups assembled in hotels, offices, restaurants, bars and coffee shops for fun and business reasons.  They called or emailed each other to get together after work to discuss business growth, plan a business project or just “hang-out”.  Some may have considered it as part of a membership obligation. Others were sales prospect hunting. They met, had a great time, exchanged business cards and went home.  Two groups in the Sacramento area had “Socials,” last night that view connecting in a whole different way.

It was once thought that our digital lives would keep us within the confines of our homes and cubicles. The age of food delivery, on-demand entertainment and digital networking and communication tools would decrease our desire and ability to connect IRL (In Real Life). The opposite has proven true. Networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow us to connect with like-minded people and know more in advance about who we want to be sure to shake hands with at the Tweetup or Mixer. They allow us to continue the conversation online that started in the room. In fact, more people are getting together and connecting in more meaningful ways as a result of social technology.

Social Media Club Sacramento hosted #TheSocial at LowBrau in downtown Sacramento and Windfarm Marketing and Razorsharp Public Relations organized the Placer Business Tweetup at the Dono dal Cielo Winery in Newcastle.  Both of these groups invited their guests to join online through an online event management program, encouraged others to participate via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and email and still picked up the phone to encourage less “digital” friends to join them.  Just in the invitation process alone, their opportunities to meet new people was exponentially extended.  Attendees checked-in on Foursquare and uploaded photos to Instagram and Facebook.  Today, post-event, Facebook and Twitter are where the conversation continues.

There is tremendous (and FREE!) opportunity to intentionally grow your network by combining your interests, social networking online and getting yourself out the door.  You and your business are missing out if you don’t combine your digital and analog activity.

Are you in Sacramento? Check out the Sacramento Social Media Club Sacramento, Sacramento Tweetup, Placer Business Tweetup and Folsom Tweetup Calendars!  If you’re not in Sacramento, let Google introduce you to groups in your area.

[tweetherder]Combine digital and in-person networking for more intentional connections.[/tweetherder]

Do you have a networking success story? Please share it with us!