Yeah, yeah, you're a 21st Century digital boy (or girl). You've got 900 Facebook friends, 1,200 twitter followers, and power accounts at digg, reddit, and StumbleUpon, but does anyone actually know you?  This week Rand talks about the importance of in-person networking to people in the online marketing world.

No matter how prolific you are online there is immeasurable value to getting out there and meeting your peers in-person. Whether your status is rockstar or n00b, a little face time with like-minded folks can build important bonds that far surpass what can be accomplished online. The level of connection and amount of trust that can be built even over a couple of drinks with a new friend at a seminar can lead to great things for your business, your brand, and your level of satisfaction with your career in the field.

Over the years I've had the chance to meet lots of amazing people in the search space, and there are many I honestly consider my friends. I look forward to seeing them at events, feel welcome to email them with questions, get a kick out of their jokes on twitter, and when business opportunities come through the door that aren't a good fit for SEOmoz, these are the people I send them to.  The connections you make can be more than fun, they can be extremely lucrative. That said, coming from a background in the film industry, don't make every new relationship about how it can benefit you...nobody wants to feel like they're being used, or filed away for a favor. Enjoy the comraderie of the folks in this field, learn from them, laugh with them, and you'll find yourself surrounded by a bunch of good, smart people who will be more than willing to help you out when they can.

After watching this Whiteboard Friday you're probably dying to get to a conference and meet people, so I want to quickly remind you of two awesome opportunities we still have available:

1. Get a FREE PubCon Gold Pass with 1-year of SEOmoz PRO:  If you haven't heard about this offer yet, or you've been procrastinating, time's running out. We've only got a couple dozen free PubCon Las Vegas passes left (up to $1299 value) and when they're gone, that's it.  PubCon is, in my opinion, probably the best of the major conferences for in-person networking. Aside from all of the great content, there's just something about Vegas and the laid-back attitude of the show that brings people together and makes it easy to form new connections.  This offer is a killer opportunity to save a ton of money, get full-access to PubCon, and get a whole year of PRO for one great price.


2. SEOmoz PRO Training Series: London: Our sold-out Training Series in Seattle last month was absolutely awesome and we expect London to be no less amazing. At only $599 for PRO Members, it's a great deal for two full days of super-actionable, advanced-level content and we've got about 20 seats remaining.  On the networking front, SEOmoz seminars are smaller and more intimate than the big conferences, so they can be a great opportunity for people who may be a little shy in huge crowds or want a little more direct interaction with speakers.