For a few days each year, the packaging and processing communities come together at PACK EXPO to network, exchange ideas and do business. There’s nothing that replaces face-to-face connections, but there’s another way to foster the business relationships that are the hallmark of PACK EXPO: Social media.

“More than 300 million people participate in ongoing, online conversations and they’re talking about packaging industry news, connecting with business partners and seeking advice from colleagues,” says Matt Croson, vp, member relations and communications of the Packaging Machinery Mfrs. Institute (PMMI). “It’s essential that PMMI take advantage of this trend to strengthen the communities and connections that are important to our members and exhibitors.”

PMMI’s venture into social media has begun at today’s most popular sites: Facebook; LinkedIn; and Twitter. Through each of them, PMMI reaches out to different populations.

Social networks create conversation
It’s more than chit-chat, though. Throughout America, businesses are considering how and why to use social media as they once considered how and why to post a website. And while platforms and styles may differ, the basic content is the same, Croson says. “PMMI is using social networking to create an ongoing conversation featuring industry news, packaging solutions and personalized service.”

And the conversation is spreading. By late August, PMMI reported about 500 members in its Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter online communities. “While today’s business relationships are less formal than in previous generations, communication styles can vary,” Croson says, noting the differences between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

A clear winner
In terms of sheer numbers, Facebook wins handsdown. Its orientation is toward the more social extreme of “social media,” however. “It’s sort of like a large cocktail party,” says PMMI social media specialist Michael Hess. “PMMI’s presence on Facebook is about interacting and connecting, building relationships and chatting, but it tends to skew younger and more social than LinkedIn,” Hess says.

LinkedIn is geared toward professional relationships, he adds. “It tends to be more like a
conference than a social event, with participants’ primary objectives being more business-oriented than socially-oriented. That’s one reason the packaging discussion boards on LinkedIn are filled with such good information,” Hess adds. Finally, there’s Twitter, the Smartphone-oriented, thought-of-the-moment social networking site.

Enter your 140-character statement, “follow” others’ comments and find your own “followers.” Hess describes the difference between the three sites in terms of their status lines: “The Facebook status line asks ‘What’s on your mind?’ LinkedIn asks, ‘What are you working on?’ On Twitter, you don’t even have a status line. You have a ‘tweet.’ And the question to answer is, ‘What are you doing right now?’”

Social media is drastically changing the way people interact and the way they conduct business, notes Croson. “This is an exciting time for us.”


PMMI and PACK EXPO social media:

Facebook: Search “PMMI” or “PACK EXPO”

LinkedIn: Search “PMMI” or “PACK EXPO”

Twitter: Search “pmmiorg” or http://twitter.com/

pmmiorg for PMMI or #packexpo for PACK EXPO.