I used to be horrible at networking. Horrible. But it takes time and effort to make it work. I wasn't willing to do it. Now I am. And articles like this one reveal why.

One of the real ways to get ahead in these online channels is to take things offline. To meet people in their protein forms. To share, to learn, to build and to grow. Never forget that.

There are still many brands that believe these online channels and platforms are filled with very lonely individuals who spend their time stealing music and illegally downloading Hollywood blockbuster movies while playing Warlocks in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. People who could never really influence anybody, let alone get a date. Those who are engaged online or those who take the time to scratch beneath the surface (just a little bit) know that those who think like that are actually the same people who are online. The demographics and psychographics are there.

How do you really grow and make these online channels work for you?

Get out into the wild. Meet those you have met online and connected with for a coffee, invite them to lunch or - better yet - create a meet-up, unconference, tweet-up or attend an old-fashioned traditional convention. Not that connecting on Facebook or LinkedIn isn't "real", but nothing beats a real world meet-up. Always remember that you can't read body language online, and then there's that old saying that, "words account for only 7% of all communication."

Online social networks are not a substitute for pressing flesh.

It's great to connect with people online. And it's certainly quite easy. But we need to reach beyond our laptops and "press the flesh" from time to time to time.

There is still considerable value in face-to-face encounters and getting to the handshake. As the article says, "Online social networks are not a substitute.