Probably the biggest complaint I hear from job seekers about networking tools like Facebook and Twitter is that most people write about nothing. And following someone who writes about nothing is a waste of time. But is a conversation about nothing really nothing or can it sometimes turn into something?
Real conversations are not always about something. No one is deep and profound 24/7. People have conversations to be connected and interact with those around them. They use conversations to engage. Small talk about the weather, a new coffee house, a great sale, or a silly thing your kid just did are all part of the rhythm of a conversation. That’s how relationships are built. So why do we assume that an online conversation isn’t worth having unless someone says something meaningful?
Tweets and Facebook status updates are touch points. They are a window into how a person is feeling and how their day is going. They keep you top of mind with people in your life and can even interest people who don’t know you well.
Here are a few silly, meaningless status updates from my Facebook page that recently sparked conversations:
- Helped my son clean out his locker at school today…let’s just say I wish I had been wearing gloves.
- Two kids, 6 finals, 3 days, infinite drama
- wishing I could outsource my inbox
- So now I know why Delta charges $15 to check your bag-so that when they put it on the wrong flight, they have the funds to UPS it to your house the next day. Sheesh!
Different people chimed in on different posts for different reasons. Some were friends, others were colleagues, and others were clients. It didn’t really matter how we were originally connected. For each message there was someone out there that could relate to what I was posting and chose to respond. And that give and take, that sharing of information, that reciprocity, and that ability to empathize with another person is what builds a relationship. And relationships built on shared experiences build trust. And people share information with people they trust. All types of information…including job leads. No interaction is meaningless if it helps support the relationship.
Of course I’m not advocating that all your posts should be about nothing and it’s equally important to give useful information to your network. I’m just saying that the posts about nothing may mean something to someone and might be the springboard for a great relationship.
