Do you attend classes about social media?

Whether you are an experienced user of a variety of social media platforms, or whether you are brand new to social media – classes can be a great tool for you.

Naturally you expect to learn something about social media at a class.

What you might not consider is the incredible opportunity to network at these classes.

A recent Lunch and Learn on the topic Pinterest and sponsored by Social Media Study Hall was a gold mine for me in terms of the connections I made there.

Find out more about Social Media Study Hall at http://www.meetup.com/Social-Media-Marketing-Study-Hall/

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Donna Feldman did a superb job of organizing the event. Melissa Taylor, author of Pinterest Savvy: How I Got a Million+ Followers, truly rocked her presentation “10 Ways to Grow Your Business with Pinterest.”

I came out with pages of notes filled with tips on how to be more effective with my use of Pinterest. Plus now I can better explain Pinterest to someone who is just starting out with it.

Equally, if not more important, I made some new connections and renewed a connection with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. Because Donna provided a 30 minute networking time prior to the workshop, it gave us time to mingle with our classmates.

This class gave me 5 networking gems:

  • Pat Booth, a Realtor who has a specialty in helping people age 55 and older with buying or selling a home. Our market niches intersect, so she is a great connection to have.
  • Anita Edge, an Internet marketing consultant. I met her over 10 years ago through Toastmasters, and though I hadn’t seen in years, we are connected in cyberspace.
  • Donna Feldman, business coach and social media consultant/teacher – someone who could potentially become a power partner for me.
  • Jerome Shaw, travel writer and photographer. Already I can see that I can learn a lot from how he approaches his Facebook business page.
  • Jenn Brunson, a digital media strategist. She is definitely someone I can learn from, plus she spends time in Vermont, where my daughter and her boyfriend will be moving in June.

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What kinds of folks have you met at a class? How has your relationship evolved since you connected there?

I truly believe that when we are open to it, there are networking opportunities wherever we go. We just need to be prepared for them and follow through with those who seem to be a good fit for us.

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Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers’ Social Media Tutor, helps people relatively new to social media to become more effective and comfortable in their use of this medium.  Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com