Probably the best part about “social media” is the wonderful people you wind up meeting!  In my weekly report into For Immediate Release last week, I spent most of the report addressing the question raised by a student about “what has podcasting done for you?” and my #1 point was that it has introduced me to a whole range of really amazing people… not just the listeners to both FIR and Blue Box, but also to all the other people working in the “social media” space.  Many of them have in fact become solid friends, even though in some cases I’ve never met them face-to-face… but just exchanged email, listened to their voices on podcasts, read their blogs, etc., etc.  The added fun is, of course, meeting face-to-face.

So it was only natural that when Bryan Person‘s family decided to have a mini-vacation and head to Burlington, VT, for a day for some skiing and to visit the area, he would drop me a note to see if I was around.  Bryan and I have been communicating with each other for quite some time and one time that my constant travels took me to Boston, we did actually meet for breakfast at my hotel, but this sounded like a great way to meet more socially.  We were around and wound up having a great dinner with Bryan’s family and another couple in downtown Burlington.  In fact, we all enjoyed it so much that the visit extended into a brunch over at our house the next morning.  I mean, c’mon… if they come up from Boston we have to make sure they get some Vermont maple syrup!  (The other aspect of social media is that I’m sure it’s only a matter of days before Bryper posts to Flickr some picture of me making waffles…  and I’m suddenly wondering how I looked that morning!  Of course, I’ll probably know soon…)  Great conversations… the kids all played well together… all in all just a great time… with agreements to get together again in the future (like, when it is a wee bit warmer!).

Personal connections… created and fostered through the wonderful “conversational” aspect of this media… while it’s true that you could always make online connections through mailing lists and websites, it’s the “participatory” aspect of social media that I think really helps build those connections.  It is understood and expected that people will comment (on your blogs, podcasts, etc.) and otherwise engage in a conversation with you.  And out of those conversations can evolve relationships which can even evolve into friendships… and that’s a powerful thing.