With over 20 million members make up nearly 200,000 Meetup groups in nearly 200 countries, chances are you’re a member. But are you making the most of your membership?
Wikipedia describes Meetup as:
“An online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings in various localities around the world. Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by a common interest, such as politics, books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies. Users enter their postal code or their city and the topic they want to meet about, and the website helps them arrange a place and time to meet. Topic listings are also available for users who only enter a location.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meetup
Did you know that Meetup’s creator, Scott Heiferman, has stated that Meetup was inspired by the way residents of New York City came together after the September 11th attacks? Wikipedia says it’s true. Heiferman wanted to create an internet tool that would make it easier for strangers to connect to each other.
According to the “About Us” section of Meetup’s website:
Meetup’s mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference. http://www.meetup.com/about/
Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Meetup Experience
- Select your interests carefully. When you create your Meetup account you will be prompted to make these decisions. You can also type in a word into the search box and then select from the auto-list that selection brings up.
- Tailor your notifications settings specifically for each Meetup group you join. Each group you join offers 18 different things for which you could choose to receive email, and you can determine how often those reminders arrive.
- Select the most appropriate photo for each of your Meetup groups. For example, for a business-related Meetup group, select a professional looking headshot. For a sports-related Meetup group, you might choose a photo of you in sports attire. Just make sure each photo shows enough of your face that people will be able to recognize you in person.
- Be social. When you select which information to share about yourself in each group, consider what is most relevant to that group’s purpose.
- Honor your RSVPs. Some groups, such as business networking groups, limit the number of attendees at any specific event. If you RSVP that you will be there and then don’t attend, not only do you miss the meeting, but someone who was on the waiting list missed the chance to attend as well. If it happens often, this will harm your reputation within that group.
How About You?
What has been your experience with Meetup? Do you use it mostly for personal or business connections? Or do you use it for both? What advice would you give to someone who is new to Meetup?
About Joyce
Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to be more productive and confident in their use of social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.
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