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"Often, there is an ironic disconnect between your online and offline social networks. In other words, we\u2019re \u201Cfriends\u201D with strangers on Facebook, and we \u201Changout\u201D when we're actually apart on Google+. \nFacebook app Shaker attempts to transform the social network into a virtual bar. While buying someone a virtual beer is a poor substitute for the actual experience, Shaker is attempting something pretty interesting when it comes to meeting new people. By mashing up your social graph with your interest graph, Shaker connects you with new people you might actually become friends with in real-life.\nBut Shaker still feels like an awkward middle ground for social networking \u2014 a stopgap bridge between our online and offline selves. In other words, I\u2019m not entirely convinced that I\u2019ll ever really say, \u201CI had a great night last night on Shaker.\u201D \nThere\u2019s no doubt that social networking has transformed the way we interact with friends and family, and has made the world a more open and connected place. There\u2019s just one problem \u2014 social networking is not actually social. \nFriends &gt; Screens\nFrom the Latin root socials, meaning \u201Cunited, living with others,\u201D the word social is firmly grounded in the physical world and implies face-to-face interaction. If you\u2019re a social person, it means you like to spend time with other people. But this definition conflicts with today's concept of social networking, in which we interact primarily with screens rather than with people.\nFacebook doesn\u2019t understand old school, face-to-face social interaction, and it never will because the concept goes against the company's bottom line. The more time users spend with the computer screen, the more ads they encounter, and consequently the more money Facebook makes. While Facebook enables some real-world interactions, this practice is the exception, not the rule. \nWhen Google+ launched Circles as a real-life interaction tool, it seemed to understand the problem, stating that the \u201Csubtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our [current] online tools.\u201D But what was Google's solution? More nuanced online tools. This is a losing battle because there are no substitutes for real-world interaction. \nSo, how do we break away from our screens without losing the benefits of a digitally connected life? How do we bridge the gap between online and offline by becoming more connected with our real friends out in the real world? How do we make social networking actually social? \nPutting the Social Back in \"Social\" Networking\n\nTwo converging trends have the potential to socialize social networking: the explosion of mobile and the shift toward \u201Cfuture tense\u201D sharing. \nMobile has done more than any other trend to drag social networking into the real world. No matter where we go, our smartphones help us to stay connected with friends and family. But \u201Cstaying connected\u201D is different than actually connecting face-to-face. Even industry leaders like Foursquare fall short when it comes to facilitating real-world interactions. The checkin was partly built on the myth of the serendipitous connection \u2014 the idea that when I check in somewhere, a nearby friend will decide to join me. In practice, this rarely happens. There are just too many hurdles, missed connections and passed opportunities. \nWhile mobile represents the bridge between the online and offline worlds, mobile alone isn\u2019t enough. It\u2019s not simply a matter of web versus mobile; it's a matter of past versus future. In the last decade, Facebook and other social networks have focused on mapping and documenting our existing relationships. The company's preoccupation with the past is highlighted by its new Timeline feature. At the same time, however, Twitter and Foursquare emphasize what is happening right now. \n\"Future Tense\" Social Networking &amp; Marketing\nThe past and present of our lives are already established online \u2014 therefore, the next frontier in social networking is the future. \u201CFuture tense\u201D social networking asks: Where do you want to go? Who do you want to meet? What do you want to buy? By sharing your plans, desires and aspirations, you enable real-world interactions. For example, when you push a checkin to the future, you shift the paradigm from \u201CI\u2019m here now\u201D to \u201CI\u2019ll be there later.\u201D You increase the likelihood of connection. \nLikewise, \u201Cfuture tense\u201D social networking has the potential to transform location-based marketing because users are directly expressing their intent. For example, imagine that a user broadcasts her plans to grab pizza at Home Slice. A competing pizza place could then offer a deal in an attempt to swipe Home Slice's checkin. Then, Home Slice could upsell by offering the customer half-off a second pie. So it goes.\nMarketing has always been about understanding a potential customer\u2019s intent. When you understand intent, you can serve a more relevant ad at a time when that person is most likely to take action. \nUnderstanding intent is just as beneficial for consumers as it is for businesses. Consider the travel industry: When a customer buys a plane ticket from Expedia, his intent is clearly to travel to a specific city on a specific day. Consequently, Expedia can present great hotel and rental car deals for that destination \u2014 and the payoff is big. According to Expedia\u2019s 2011 third quarter report, only 9% of its worldwide revenue comes from booking airline tickets \u2014 the remaining comes from booking hotels, car rentals and other travel-related services.\nThe shift from present tense to future tense might seem trivial, but it will generate a huge shift. \u201CFuture tense\u201D social networking catches people at a unique moment in the buying cycle. The consumer hasn't entirely made up her mind about where to go or what she plans to buy, which means businesses can take an active role in the decision-making process. After all, you can\u2019t change the past or the present, but you can change the future.\n\nUltimately, real-world socializing will win the day. Humans are social creatures hard-wired for interpersonal contact and companionship. It\u2019s time to bridge the gap between our online and offline lives and make social networking actually social. Real life: Accept no substitutes.\nImages courtesy of iStockphoto, franckreporter, johnwilliamsphd"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/12/22/real-world-social-networking/>