I am not usually one for New Year’s resolutions, but I started last year by reading a book, “Posting Peace,” by Douglas S. Bursch, about the ways that social media divides us and ideas for better ways to use it to actually build social networks.
My goal for 2023, therefore, was to use my Instagram account, @cassgoarounddaytona, for building relationships IRL (that’s “in real life” for some less text-savvy folks!). As we begin 2024, I’ve been reflecting on how this goal went and my next steps for the new year.
I do want to clarify that my goal of building relationships has been about finding friends for myself and my family. This is not a dating advice column! With that said, I ended up having two different pathways for meeting new friends this past year: the slow-game and the extrovert cannon ball!
The slow strategy involved meeting business owners or shoppers at markets, having a lovely introductory conversation, and then following them later on Instagram. We would interact with each other on posts and then eventually have something in life that warranted invitations, like a kid’s birthday party, and take the leap to hanging out outside of “work” and social media. This is how my friendships with Deborah of @Lil_Mamas_Kitchen_ and Will & Kaila from @VapourBeverages started in the past several years and Kourtney from @SeasideSistaSoapCo this last year.
The “extrovert cannonball” is a much quicker dive into meeting in person. These are folks that we found each other on Instagram and right away knew where our areas of interest overlap, so an invite to that thing was an easy next step. For example, I connected with Jennifer from @SideHustle_WithJenn for coffee after we shared online the experience of being social media managers for local businesses.
My daughters have been encouraging this journey, too, such as while we were listening to DJ Tremble & Alyssa on 103.3 WVYB’s radio morning show this past fall. My girls would listen to the two hosts discuss Alyssa’s recent move to Florida and exclaim, “Mom! You should hang out with her!” So, when Alyssa mentioned enjoying yoga on-air and I knew of a “Moves & Brews” event coming up, I tagged her and the radio station, @1033TheVibe, on Instagram to invite. While that time didn’t work out, we did have lunch together soon afterwards and my daughters lost their minds thinking about me meeting with “Alyssa from the radio!”
Social media has boasted since the start about its ability to form networks of friends. I have certainly enjoyed it as a tool to start these relationships but found even more joy by moving these conversations into the real world.
I cannot forget to add that 2023 was the year that I met Kelsey and Tiffany from @ECCPrint at the 100 Issue Celebration and then later for coffee! It was a great year of new friendships and I’m looking forward to both fostering these relationships and starting even more new ones in 2024! Let’s hang out F2F IRL!
