LinkedIn and FaceBook

I like Linked In. It's a very handy little tool I recommend for almost everyone. This is actually saying something because normally I avoid social media like the plague.

Why would a search marketer avoid social media? Because sometimes I find that you can be too social. I'm finding this with Facebook - it's lot's of fun at first, but there are some people who simply never leave you alone to get any work done.

Worse, there are many Facebook applications that make it really, really easy to social spam people. I once accidentally sent a "present" (I think it was a picture of a chocolate sundae) to everyone connected to me because my sister had use the application to send me something and I was trying to reciprocate.

I didn't notice at the time that the application had automatically checked everyone on my list, even though the link I had clicked on clearly said something to the effect of "send Cindy a present back" which means to me exactly that - not, "spam everyone on my list, even people I barely know or only know professionally."

That's the problem with Facebook - it has lots of tools that professionals like, but at it's heart is aimed at groups of friends, not professionals.

LinkedIn, on the other hand, is all about professional networking. I never get sent presents via linked in, but I do know whenever anyone has left their job or whatever.

It's all well and good to be friends with coworkers and other people you work with, but I think it's important to not assume that everyone you know is either a close friend or a professional contact only. I'd like to see something that combines LinkIn with Facebook for people who are friendly with their professional contacts but not trying to sleep with them ;)

Ian