If you're like me, you probably spend more time with many of your friends and acquaintances online than you do in person. It's the beauty of social media, being able to connect with people you may not have been able to otherwise. However, the virtual world isn't  a replacement for meaningful, in-real-life interactions that really drive deeper connections. If you've ever been to a tweetup, you know this first-hand. Putting a face to Twitter handles is exciting and being able to talk to somebody in person tells you a lot more about them than a Klout score. We were able to witness this first hand just a few weeks ago.

In Atlanta, many people in the Pet Blogging community gathered for "Barkworld," a gathering of pet industry bloggers and brands alike. Beforehand, our agency Engauge sponsored an Opening Night Tweetup for all the attendees at Hotel Indigo. You could tell that everyone was not only excited to meet each other but were probably more thrilled about meeting the actual dogs they had read so much about in the last year.

Below is a video snapshot of the Barkworld tweetup. In our virtual world, how much more valuable are "in real life" experiences to you?