This instant recognition happened because they viewed my picture within Twitter messages over many months. Through multiple interactions, they felt they knew me.

Why is this so valuable? Because people buy from those they know, like and trust. “Buy” can mean purchasing products, services, referrals or hiring you as an employee.

I can share many similar stories like this where people commented on how easily they recognized me based on my online profile photos. Including a picture in your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other online networking sites helps others develop a bond with you before you meet in person.

I can also share stories of people who are surprised when they meet someone in person who looks very different from their online photo. Sometimes the pictures are several years old, several pounds ago or from back when they had a full head of hair.

A red flag seems to go up when the real person does not match their photo. Take a look at your online photos. If they are more than a year old, consider giving your online look an update.

I enjoy talking to people who follow my Twitter tweets. Shared experiences build connections and the tweets are a conversation starter.

My Twitter handle is @aprilmwilliams. I tweet on career and networking topics. I also tweet pictures and comments about interesting places I visit. Log in and tell us your Twitter handle and what you tweet about.

Guy Kawasaki is co-founder of Alltop online magazine where you can follow his blog “How to Change the World“. A popular speaker and author, Guy is involved in numerous other ventures including Garage Technology Ventures. Guy was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, one of my favorite destinations. He was one of the first Apple Computer employees and early evangelist for their products.

Guy tweets on Twitter many times during the day on a wide variety of topics. His followers are interested in what he has to say and carry on a dialog with him.

Guy follows me on Twitter because I follow him. Guy follows me and he may have even read some of my tweets. At last check, he is following 220,769 Twitter users and has 208,350 Twitter users following him. I am sure he filters the incoming tweets and selectively reads content. With 208,350 followers, I cannot expect he reads every single tweet.

Here’s what makes Guy Kawasaki credible for me. He walks the talk. Guy does not broadcast on social networking sites, he listens and participates in the conversation. He follows me because I am part of the social networking online cocktail party and he might be interested in what I have to say. My tweets are just as worthwhile as the other 220,769 folks Guy follows.

John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing is following 22,567 Twitter users, and has 33,149 Twitter followers. He is a busy guy running  a business, speaking at events and interviewing others. John asks for feedback  and I have send him several emails. He has responded personally to each of my emails – the same day.

Social networking is different than traditional marketing communications. Some businesses understand and some don’t quite get it. Take the Daily Herald, a Chicago area newspaper. I have been a delivery subscriber for many years and also follow them on Twitter. They have 1466 Twitter followers and are following just 1 Twitter user. The Daily Herald broadcasts their message both through print and on Twitter rather than have a conversation with others. They are missing out on the opportunity to listen to their followers.

Last week United Airlines began relief flights to Haiti. A plane staffed by volunteers  flies medicine, food and supplies into Port Au Prince returning with refugees. It is a great story of how for-profit businesses, non-profits groups and volunteers banded together to do good things. United is in many ways a traditional company and turned to traditional methods to bring this story to the media. They invited Daily Herald writer Rick West to cover the story and broadcast their message in the paper.

Check these numbers out for yourself. Follow Guy Kawasaki, John Jantsch and me on Twitter. Talk to us. We will likely follow you back and continue the conversation. I enjoy hearing from your through blog comments, Twitter posts, our LinkedIn Group, Facebook page and emails. Thank you for conversing with me.

Today I am tweeting on Twitter. Where you you today?

What other companies or people are making the most of their social networking presence?