Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Social Networking and me

Ok, the secret is out, I am a social networking junkie. Now, I realize that the social networking "craze" is not for everyone - however it is no longer a fad... it is here to stay.

I thought I would take this opportunity to post my thoughts about the main social networks I use, how I use them, and how I view their various roles.

First of all, a crash course. Scott Monty, the head of social media for Ford Motor Company, stated the following about the "big 3":


LinkedIn is the business meeting; Facebook is the hallway conversation; Twitter is the cocktail party.

Facebook:
The bread and butter of the social networking revolution. Facebook was started exclusively for college and university students (I was one of them) and has since ballooned into a dominant force of over 150 million users.
I view Facebook primarily as a "social" place to keep up with friends and people I know in -- real life.
Jason Cash
Jason Cash
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Twitter:
Twitter is the true free for all. My initial reaction to the service was confusion. Since then, it has quickly become my favorite and most checked social network. As opposed to Facebook, I do not know (in real life) the majority of my Twitter "followers" and people I follow. It provides a great way to quickly share short ideas and links with people who have similar interest areas. I mostly interact with higher education or marketing professionals, and enjoy the connectivity of the community.
Twitter requires that all "tweets" be 140 characters or less, which forces everyone to get the point.

The other major difference is that you don't have to "follow" everyone who follows you. Some people or organizations I choose not to follow back, because they seem to be spammers.




    follow me on Twitter




    LinkedIn:
    I prefer to use LinkedIn as a professional network. Primarily for people I have worked with in the past or present, or have another type of relationship. LinkedIn is my wad of business cards, and provides a great resource for networking and recommendations.

    How do you use your social networks?

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