Social Networks, Your Way

by Beth Harte

I have rules about my social networks and I am sure most people who are comfortable utilizing social networks do too. When someone is just starting to get involved in building up their social network it’s hard to know or recognize when and where to set boundaries. As well, there seems to be a bit of a challenge when it comes to being completely professional or being yourself. Luckily, the rule of being “you” is winning out and those folks who think they are being “professional” in sending blog links, promotional introductions, and other spammy items are turning into “professional outcasts.”

You might also be wondering how to separate professional relationships from your friends. With social media and the necessity to be honest, real and transparent, they are bound to mingle, so either accept that up front or make a rule to keep them separate and stick to it. [Disclaimer: the link in this paragraph links to my blog].

I’ll share my rules and then maybe you’ll see it’s okay to make your own rules…I mean, it’s your network, right?

LinkedIn
I only link to people I know and when I say know, I mean know pretty well. LinkedIn is about having a solid, referable network. How can I refer someone if I don’t know them? It’s tough to say no when you get a request but, just as an example, think about it from the perspective six months or a year down the road when someone you do know asks for a reference or an introduction. You’ll either need to fess up and tell them you don’t really know the person they are looking to meet or speak to or you’ll pass through a reliable network contact to someone who, well, may not be. And that’s not good for your relationships that you worked hard to develop. LinkedIn, for me is strictly a professional network and it always will be.

Twitter
When first starting out on Twitter, the norm seems to be to follow everyone that follows you. I played along by following everyone who followed me…then it started getting dicey. See, the thing is with Twitter, the more you’re on it and the more you use it, the more people follow you. And some of those people are not there to build up a network. They are there to spam you, get you to their websites, respond to their promotions, etc. These days, I don’t follow anyone unless I check them out first and thoroughly. I check their description, their photo, their friends, their website, what they tweet and who they tweet with or to. It takes a lot of effort, but it’s my Twitterstream and I don’t want it filled with junk. With Twitter a lot of friends met there have become professional contacts, and even business partners, and that’s really the beauty of social media and social networking.

Facebook
When I first started using Facebook, I wasn’t sure what to think or what would happen, I wasn’t even sure it was a viable business social network. It definitely seemed more laid back that LinkedIn, that’s for sure. I kept my Facebook profile very professional for a while (no photos or personal sharing) and only linked to business associates or friends from LinkedIn or Twitter. But I will say with Facebook, I learned that there is a lot of great sharing of books, websites, links, videos, groups, and more that you don’t find elsewhere. Maybe it’s because Facebook provides visuals and not just a link. And that sharing is what leads to other common interests and relationship building. That said, these days I am guarded when I friend someone. I have friended too many people only to receive a novel (actually, it’s a message sent via Facebook) on why their business is good for my business, etc. No thank you! And, for a while Facebook was my little business playground until that one fateful day when my sister-in-law sent me a friend request, then my brother, then my cousin… How can you not friend your own family?! (Perhaps that’s a rhetorical question for some of you.) It was then I decided that if business associates and friends wanted to know the real me…they’d have to know my family too. Why should I be the only one stuck with them?!

If you haven’t dived into LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook just yet, I highly recommend that you do. They are three great applications for building up a social network of professional associates and friends. And you might just be surprised that the more you get to know people, how your associates become friends and your friends become associates. Just remember, it’s okay to have rules and to say no.

Check out our small business news site.