Being a part of a Social Media/Marketing/PR community is a great experience. You are most likely doing work that you really have a passion for, but then you also work to build relationships with others who do similar work because you have a common link and also are looking to branch to see what others are doing in yours or similar fields.  You can also work to expand your knowledge of your chosen field by seeing how others handle and approach your role.

One area that can be a constant battle is to juggling your time. Weather your a freelancer/consultant or have a 9-to-5 role, there can be a lot of “pulling” on your time to attend events and network with other people over coffee or for arranged meetups. How many can you make in 1 week?  How many can you make time for in 1 month?  Which ones do you see as gaining real value from and which ones may be a group of people that you already know talking about things that you already understand?  There can be a lot of questions to ponder over in your mind before saying “yes” or accepting an invitation.

Your decision making isn’t going to be just about time, but also about dollars and cents.  How much is this event going to cost me for the ticket, for food and for parking?  Will my employer pay for this, does it come out of my own pocket or does it come out of my consulting budget? Will attending this affect my income for the week or month? Am I going to see any kind of financial return by attending in a relatively short period of time, if ever?

Another factor to consider, probably more so for those of the Gen X generation as opposed to Gen Y; will this take time away from my family?  Will I have to get a baby-sitter?  Do I have things around home that I need to attend to like repairs, grocery shopping, etc. before I can consider attending?

The answer to the title is “No!”.  It can be hard emotionally, mentally and scheduling wise to plan for and attend every event and meetup that a person is invited to. The key is to figure out what you can do, and then as things become presented to you, attend/participate in the things that have the most meaning to you and that will give you the most value. Is this a struggle for you?