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Which is more effective: Face-to-face networking or social media?Entrepreneurs dish on what form of networking they prefer

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Catherine Vu, owner of Proactive IT Management Inc. (proactiveit.ca), says that both forms of networking hold value. “I believe both face-to-face networking and social media can be incredibly effective, as long as you are authentic. People want to get to know the real you. My preference is face-to-face, because I love meeting people and getting to know their story ... For me, social media is a supplement to my networking; it allows people to get to know me on their own terms, and vice versa.”PHOTO SUPPLIED BY: CATHERINE VU

“Social media has its purpose, but for networking, it’s not very effective. It is a form of asynchronous communication where there is a break between interactions, causing it to be impersonal and a poor way to gauge someone’s personality.”— Connor Aylwin, general manager at College Pro — collegepro.com

“It’s more convenient and accessible to communicate through social media; you can reach more people, and deliver your message faster to people from your personal network. However, it’s always good to keep it in balance.”— Yuliya Cruikshank, founder of Epic Experiences — epicexperiences.ca

“I really enjoy face-to-face meetings, and recognize how effective they can be, but we network globally with close to 10,000 safety professionals a month, so face-to-face isn’t an option. Social media is by far the most effective way to interact and stay connected with the thousands of members in our community. It transcends geography and time zones, and enables us to receive the invaluable feedback we rely on from our network to constantly improve upon our business.”— Scott Cuthbert, co-founder of Safeopedia — safeopedia.com

“Face-to-face networking is the seed-planting part of ideas you wish to nurture and grow. Social networking is the nurturing of those ideas for delivery to a much broader audience. One is not more effective than the other. They need to work together to obtain a desired outcome.”— Kees denHartigh, owner of Organic Social Media — organicsocialmedia.ca

“Both are effective; however, I personally find that social networking gives me more reach into places I am not capable of going to in person. For example, I am working on a commission piece for a wonderful friend in England, who I would not have a friendship with if it weren’t for the fact that he saw some of my artwork on a popular website! Face-to-face connecting is great for building local repute.”— Marlaina Eldey, owner of Eldey Originals — facebook.com/EldeyOriginals

“I find face-to-face networking more effective, but we can’t always be at every event. Social media is a great backup method to enhance opportunities to engage with people when you may not be available in person, or cannot travel to have that face time. It truly allows unlimited expansion of our network.”— Natalie Harper, managing director of Harper PR — harperpr.com

“Face-to-face is a deeper, richer form of networking, but social media cannot be ignored. They go together and depend on each other.”— Terry Jorden, operator of Terry Jorden & Friends — reverbnation.com/terryjorden

“Both digital networking and face-to-face networking have a role and a function in building a brand and growing a business. To grow geographically or to get in front of people that don’t get out to events, social media is brilliant. For building deeper connections, especially with more traditional business people, you can’t beat face-to-face interaction.”— Puneeta Sandhu McBryan, account executive at Incite — incitemarketing.ca

“I find face-to-face networking more effective than social media because it’s great to meet prospective clients in person, as it’s more interactive and personal then social media … Although social media can reach a larger audience, I believe face-to-face wins out.”— Jay Shore, partner at Shore 2 Shore Automation Ltd. — shore2shore.ca

“I prefer social media networking, because I don’t have to put on pants (or leave my apartment) to do it!”— Mikhaila Skehor, account manager at Kick Point Inc. — kickpoint.ca

“Social media allows everyone to stay in touch; however, face-to-face networking helps foster trust and builds the relationships.”— Jocelyne Lanovaz, vice-president of finance at CashCo Financial — cashcanada.com

“Face-to-face is always important. Building relationships is key to building business, and the best relationships happen in person. Social media can enhance and catalyze those face-to-face interactions.”— Ian Mathieson, senior consultant at CRC Consulting — crcconsulting.ca

“I think a face-to-face meet is still more effective, because we remember physical interactions more than digital ones. But a digital relationship is a great way of networking and finding new people with similar goals and values. I think you need to have both.”— Laura Milroy, blogger at The Accidental Mama — theaccidentalmama.com

“Why can’t it be both? I find them complementary. I build on an in-person connection over time through social media. Or I begin to build a relationship on social media, then cement it with a face-to-face connection. Both are tools and perform different tasks. Like a hammer and a drill, they can work independently, but work best together to get the job done.”— Nadine Riopel, speaker and writer at The Savvy Do Gooder — nadineriopel.com

“As an introvert and someone who looks for deeper and personal connections with people, both of these can seem daunting. Face-to-face networking in small groups is most effective in my case, as it’s easier to develop a real connection and to add value.”— Stacey Berger, life coach at Ever Expanding Coaching & Consulting — everexpanding.ca

“Technology makes us feel like we’re connected because of all the contacts we have and all the tweeting we do, but what are we doing to nurture and add value to those contacts? As someone who teaches the art of conversational networking, I would have to say face-to-face is most effective. By all means use social media to make a contact and get introduced, but real connection happens when we have conversations in real time, eyeball-to-eyeball.”— Joanne Blake, president of Style for Success Business Image and Etiquette Trainers — styleforsuccess.com

“Face-to-face for me has always been a success. You leave a lasting impression and are able to express yourself rather than the lack of tone with your digital voice. I always encourage emerging entrepreneurs to get out there and shake some hands! You can follow up on Twitter post-meeting.”— Sona Chavda, principal at DEC by Sona — decbysona.com

“Both are essential to networking; however, social media is time, travel and cost efficient while face-to-face is more personable and relationship-solidifying. The personal touch is the signature on the contract.”— Linda Crockett, CEO and founder of ABRC Inc. — socialworkersagainstbullying.ca

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