Facebook And LinkedIn: What Am I Supposed To Do? What Am I Missing? Help!
Not a day goes by without someone sending me an invitation to be a friend on Facebook or to be a contact on LinkedIn. Let me start by saying I have had a LinkedIn Account for over a year and have had almost 200 invitations. Some of those invitations I have accepted while others were from strangers and I didn’t. Even though I accepted some of these invitations, I don’t use LinkedIn at all! I never think about LinkedIn! In fact when I am thinking about finding certain contacts at a company, it would never cross my mind to use LinkedIn! I tend to share my contacts with lots of people. Some would say I am a pretty good networker. So why do I want to share my contacts with total strangers? I have a feeling I am making a big mistake!
- What am I missing?
- How do you use it?
- When does it work the best?
- Do you have any success stories you can share?
Facebook is probably worse for me. I seem to be getting many invitations to join. The reason I did join and open up an account was that a contact of mine, Toby Bloomberg, mentioned there was a market research group with over 600 contacts in it and I should check it out. I did, but that was pretty much it. I don’t check out the site or group daily or even weekly.
I really think I am missing something and should be using this site much more effectively. I probably need to buy a Facebook for Dummies book! I have asked a few of my contacts how they use it and they appear to be in the same boat as me.
- Are you on Facebook?
- How many contacts do you have?
- What is the best way to use it for business?
I really look forward to your comments.
February 11th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I am on Facebook, but only for my friends, not for business. I also am on LinkedIn, but like you, i rarely use it! Recently I have been reaching out to more independent moderators who are on LinkedIn, because it is an easy way to keep track of their contact information so i can recommend them to clients. I think LinkedIn is for true sales people, but it’s fun to feel connected!
February 11th, 2008 at 10:02 am
This is one of those questions where we run the risk of showing our ages. The younger among us wouldn’t even have to ask.
It strikes me that I have been asked the same question about participating in this blog (especially when I do so during business hours).
The thing that has gotten me most interested in Facebook and LinkedIn is the ability to reconnect with people from the past, from college or companies where I used to work. I see LinkedIn as a tool that helps me to maintain those connections.
I wonder, though, how many of us pay for the premium account on LinkedIn and has that been of any benefit?
How many of us use LinkedIn to find new client contacts? How has that worked?
Regards,
Steve
February 11th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Merrill,
I feel the same way! I know I am missing something, but who has the time? An acquaintance of mine through the American Marketing Association (AMA) is the director of PR at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont. He was recently in a webinar which pointed out that email is quickly becoming an “older person’s” computer tool. Younger people more often than not communicate through the social networking sites such as FaceBook and LinkedIn.
Our AMA chapter, in fact, is planning a marketing seminar for nonprofits and one of our topics will be Web 2.0, which is more frequently tied into programs such as FaceBook. In fact, a local nonprofit has begun using FaceBook to administer one of their programs for expectant mothers.
To make matters worse, there are programs such as Second Life, which actually create a virtual world in which you move around through an avatar — your virtual alter ego. Reuters has a correspondent on Second Life, and they recently were offering coverage of the Davos World Economic Forum.
I have been active in one of the presidential campaigns — out of respect for other people’s political views I won’t mention the candidate (Obama ‘08!!!). The campaign is tied into all the social networking sites, and I am sure that at least some of the other campaigns are, too. I have received several invitations to become “friends” with various individuals — some I know and others I don’t. Who can keep up?
There is a lot to catch up on out there, and I feel as if I am constantly falling behind.
February 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I use LinkedIn all the time. The more people you connect yourself to, the better your results when searching. For example - you are looking for Study Directors at Synovate - a colleague of mine with limited connections typed in this search and it yielded about 7 results. I am connected to a lot of “connected” people and received about 100 results.
I have had great success on LinkedIn - both for new clients, prospective partners, and finding long lost clients (I work with a lot of advertising agencies and the turnover is brutal). I believe it is currently the best professional networking site with no frills - it’s really just there for busines.
Facebook is something I only use for personal use - I think it is a bit overwhelming, telling me what everyone is doing all the time. Do I really need to know that one of my friend’s just uploaded a new photo? Do I really need to know they joined a new networking group? Do I want them to know each and every move I make on Facebook? NO! I can’t seem to keep up with my page on that site and baasically just return emails to people through there.
February 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Merrill:
I second Heather. I use LinkedIn all the time for the same reasons Heather mentioned above so I will not repeat them.
I have not used Facebook before so I cannot comment on that.
To me LinkedIn is a professional Facebook. Merrill, if you invite me I will join your network (if you allow Yankee fans in)!
February 11th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Merrill, what a coincidence - I was just talking to a co-worker about LinkedIn on Friday. I had contemplated joining in the past but didn’t know much about it so I kept putting it off. Based on his comments and these posts, I think it’s high time that I got in the LinkedIn game. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I have joined both LinkedIn and Facebook. I use LinkedIn much less, but it it is much more useful when I do use it. People know why I am engaging them and I know what to expect when they engage me.
Facebook is a farce of games and lame announcements.
Remember when you first got an email address and all of your friends would send you cookie recipes and urban legends and chain letters? That’s exactly what Facebook has become.
Bill gates is an investor in Facebook and he announced earlier this week that he is closing his account. I’m following suit.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Just wanted to let you know, there is a Facebook for Dummies in the Dollar Bin at Target - and I SO almost bought it for you!
February 16th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
There is a great conference in Las Vegas, March 5-7, that includes a session, “Social Networking for Business Purposes” presented by Mario Sundar, Community Evangelist at LinkedIn. Click on the Events button on the MRA Southwest Chapter’s website (www.swmra.org) to find out more.
LinkedIn is good for all the reasons mentioned above, plus your LinkedIn profile always comes up at or near the top of search results of your name so it makes it easy for people you’ve lost touch with to find you.
February 17th, 2008 at 7:22 am
Keri,
I wish you would have bought it for me!
Melissa,
Thanks for letting us know about the upcoming speaker.
Merrill
February 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I’m on both, and I have to admit that I have not used LinkedIn to the fullest extent, as of yet. I passed up several invitations before signing up, simply because I was unsure what the next step would be after I accepted an invitation (am I going to get a million emails now?), and for lack of time. I have since logged on, and it’s been a great way to connect to current and previous colleagues and peers. Unlike many in the research world, I have only been at this for about 7-8 years, and had almost the same amount of time prior working outside this industry - and it’s been a big tool for that. I try and take a little time each week to search through LinkedIn and expand my network, for the unknown day in the future that I might truly make use of it.
As far as facebook goes, that’s really more for personal, at least that’s how I use it. I have reconnected recently with several people I went to High School with, which is nice since my 20-year reunion is this year (HOLY COW!)! Anyway, it is a lot of fun, with interesting quizzes and stuff, but quite frankly, who has the time?
February 19th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hi, Merrill. I’m on LinkedIn, and have found it a good way to reconnect with old coworkers, and to get in touch with professional contacts who have changed employers. (Often the old company will not give out any contact info.)
Because Facebook is more social, I have not made the time for it.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Facebook originally started out for students and young friends, and that’s probably how Mike Zuckerberg should have kept it. Not suggesting that Facebook’s applications should be exclusive to young folk, just that it’s not intended for business purposes. If I want to peek into the personal life of a friend I haven’t talked with in over a year, I’ll use Facebook. If I want to make a business connection, I’ll use the phone or email.
The only real advantages to using Facebook as a business tool involve a better understanding one can have about his/her co-workers or boss. If someone in the business is planning a social gathering, she could scan Facebook profiles of people within the company and take a sample of what kinds of music co-workers generally enjoy. Or, in your case, Merrill, a manager may want to take you out for dinner and check your Facebook to see what kinds of food you like…even though he could just ask! Checking birthdays, interests, and friend connections makes Facebook a bonus information tool for businesses. Consider these little things it has to offer, but don’t believe it has the power to strongly impact your business.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Yes, I’ve used LinkedIn and had some success! Did you know that you can easily export the e-mail addresses of your contacts into an excel and merge it with your database?
I do this every month (because my contact list grows so frequently) and send them my newsletter, freebies, new product offers, etc. Up at the top of the e-mail I always state, “You are receiving this newsletter because you have either signed up on the Career Coaching 360 website, or you have a connection to Sherri Thomas.”
I have not received any complaints, and I’ve several of my contacts have turned into clients
February 19th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I used Linked-in while job hunting a few months back. It was totally useless but I did reconnect (albeit briefly) with colleagues from the distant past. So it was fun saying, “Hi” and noting that they were all gainfully employed while I was miserably unemployed.
Merrill is his own Linked-in. Everyone who knows him, knows he has the fattest Rolodex in town. So who needs Linked-in when you are linked to Merrill?
I obtained my current position by aggressively marketing myself and then asking Merrill if he knew the prospective employer - which of course he did. The rest is history.
So Merrill, you are not missing a thing. You are way ahead of the pack. You invented Linked-in, just without the Internet!
March 10th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I also use Linked-In primarily as a way to stay in touch with people. Business and personal e-mail, phone, and physical addresses change, so Linked-In provides a relatively stable contact point, plus a mechanism to discover lost acquaintances.
Facebook strikes me as a purely social gathering place, suited to the more extroverted, and like a physical social club its popularity is subject to the rather capricious whims of those involved. It gets too popular, the “cool” people move on, and eventually the masses follow. Facebook is a fad, like Pet Rocks, and I expect it will change dramatically or be a mere footnote in the evolution of social media.
Last week’s MRIA Ottawa chapter presentation by Robert Hutton from POLLARA, titled “The Social Media Sandbox”, covered a number of discoveries from their recent research. The two that struck me were that companies are not welcome - social media are for individuals - and the number of people who have Facebook accounts but never use them. The presentation should be posted soon at http://www.mria-arim.ca/OTTAWA/Archive.asp.
It doesn’t surprise me that market researchers are exploring Facebook, Second Life, and other technology driven social forms, but the amount of attention they get in the industry does baffle me. Is it because talking to real people in the real world is becoming such hard work? Is even a possible silver bullet such a shiny object that it grabs so much attention?