The question, I suppose, is whether you want to separate your business network from your social network. I agree with Dan Nye, LinkedIn’s CEO when he says that many people prefer to have distinct social and business networks and that sites like LinkedIn will continue to dominate the business networking space. I spend a lot more time on Facebook than I do on LinkedIn but then Facebook is my space for me and my friends to share non-work related experiences. I friend people I know or want to know on a more personal level in Facebook although this is where Facebook and LinkedIn converge for me because I connect to people I would like to develop a business relationship with in LinkedIn. What keeps them apart for me is that Facebook isn’t about business for me and LinkedIn isn’t my space to share photos of my puppies and my taste in movies.
I suppose it is a fine line depending on your perspective and there are people like Paul who are talking more about more about Facebook replacing the likes of LinkedIn and Xing as a social and business networking tool. Perhaps the challenge isn’t the platform but more how we view the distinction between work and play?
(Sources: Web Strategy by Jeremiah for more on LinkedIn’s web strategy and The Social Web blog)
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linkedin, facebook, social networks, business networks, paul walsh
What do you think?