November 29th, 2009
by Sarah Caminker
*The Good* Since LinkedIn has synced with Twitter, I realize LinkedIn’s attempt to be more “social.” People are not primarily using LinekdIn as an online resume, rather they are humanizing their profile and trying to interact for more than just a potential job. As a firm believer in don’t knock it til’ you try it, I’m attempting to reach out to my LinkedIn network via Twitter, but searching for each person’s name on Twitter and Google can be extremely time consuming, especially if that person doesn’t use their first and last name as their Twitter handle. LinkedIn now allows users to include a link to their Twitter profile, so people can EASILY connect with each other!
*The Bad* Although I appreciate LinkedIn’s attempt to stay afloat this social media revolution, I see Twitter and LinkedIn as two very different platforms. If that’s the case then why are we spoon feeding content that’s originally intended for Twitter to our LinkedIn network and vice-versa? I know my LinkedIn network doesn’t want to hear about my amazing dinner yesterday night, whereas my friends on Twitter would not only love to hear about, but they would also want to see a picture of it!
Lisa Leverich, a member of our Wild Web Women LinkedIn Group, said it perfectly, “I don’t think of LinkedIn as the same type of social platform as Facebook and Twitter. I feel like it’s more of an internal conversation with like professionals whereas Twitter and Facebook are conversations that are “out there” for all the world to see. It will be interesting to see if it evolves LinkedIn at all.”
*The Ugly* The more I get immersed in social media (for both professional and personal use), the more I understand the true meaning behind it. Social Media = Authentic Communication in Real Time. However, with LinkedIn joining forces with Twitter, this “authentic” communication (the reason I live, breathe, eat social media) is slowly disappearing. Gail Helmer, a brilliant and innovative marketer, blogged about this and brought up a very interesting point, “I am seeing the proliferation of platforms feeding to Twitter that is diluting its effectiveness. If everyone is automating their tweets to Twitter from other platforms, who is at Twitter to read them?”
Bottom Line: STOP AUTOMATING and START COMMUNICATING
We live in a world where everyone wants things done instantly! Yes, I believe in making your marketing multi-task, but I’m an even bigger believer in being AUTHENTIC and communicating in real-time…the point of social media!
Will LinkedIn’s integration with Twitter enhance your business development opportunities, or create even more unwanted noise for your audience?
Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:
- The Ultimate Combo: LinkedIn Now Works with Twitter!
- Tip of the Day - Add your Blog to Your Linkedin Profile!
- HootSuite and Ping.fm Integration = Awesomeness!
- Have You Optimized Your LinkedIn Profile? How a Few Simple Steps Can Increase Your Visibility
Hugh Briss
(November 29th, 2009 at 2:03 pm)
The solution to the Twitter updates issue is simple. Just select the option to only post tweets you have added the #in hashtag to. I do the same thing on Facebook and use the Selective Tweets app so only tweets that I’ve added #fb to are posted.
Nothing wrong with an occasional tweet being posted as long as it’s something you know your Linkedin or Facebook friends will be interested in, but I agree with you that just posting everyone of our tweets on multiple social networks is a bad idea.
Lorrie Thomas
(November 29th, 2009 at 5:47 pm)
Hugh,
I agree with your statement that there is “nothing wrong with an occasional tweet being posted as long as it’s something you know your Linkedin or Facebook friends will be interested in”.
I see patterns with professionals who rely on folks like you and me to give them an all-encompassing rule with social media tools. (insert game show wrong answer buzz here)
This is the wild, wild web - I say to heck with “shoulds” with social media…we need to THINK about what makes sense per message based on our audience. How we use tools will vary per professional, as it fits with our networks, message, etc.
Thanks for your post - great to know you. You have wild web women groupies now…can you handle it??
Off to follow you on Twitter!
-The Marketing Therapist
Joseph Wagner
(November 29th, 2009 at 6:00 pm)
Interesting piece. Recently I was attempting to look up a past employer on LinkedIn and she had set her account to private so there was virtually no information on her LinkedIn profile page. When I attempted to search for her on Facebook I received no hits. From a past coworker I learned that this employer had recently remarried and changed her name. She hadn’t entered her past surname as an alias in Facebook, and so I had just assumed that she didn’t have an account. In this way, LinkedIn seems to have come out on top, by at least offering me that opportunity to see that she was still working at the location where I knew her from (though very little else).
My question is: do you see LinkedIn syncing with Facebook in the future? I have a feeling such a venture would be mutually beneficial, but I have little understanding on the internal politics of why LinkedIn synced up with Twitter. Would the success or failure of that connection directly influence their chances syncing with Facebook?
~Joseph Wagner
Hugh Briss
(November 29th, 2009 at 6:05 pm)
Hi Lorrie, nice to know you too. Ah, wild women groupies. I haven’t had any of those since my rock band days.
Sarah Caminker
(November 29th, 2009 at 9:40 pm)
Hi Hugh,
I agree that selective tweets are the way to go. The great thing about social media is that it’s about rolling up your sleeves, getting a bit dirty and playing around with what works and what doesn’t. I say tweak what doesn’t and enhance what does.
Appreciate your feedback! Always love hearing from new people. Look forward to connecting with you via blogging and Twitter.
And yes, brace yourself for some “Wild Web Women” groupies!
Gail Helmer
(November 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am)
Hi Sarah,
Great article, and one I agree completely with. As we have discussed before, in the WWW forum, social media is about being authentic and I’d like to see it stay like that. Social media isn’t about the tools, it is about the relationships and connections made using those tools.
And thank you so much for the mention dear friend, I am deeply honored!
Gail
Sarah Caminker
(November 30th, 2009 at 11:57 am)
Gail,
Amen my web sistah! “Social media isn’t about the tools, it is about the relationships and connections made using those tools.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Thank you for your refreshing perspective! You’re a fabulous friend who really practices what she preaches.
The Marketing Therapist
(November 30th, 2009 at 5:31 pm)
Hugh, you are a web rock star to us!
Joseph, thanks for the post!! It is funny to me when people use social media then block the heck out of it…sort of defeats the point. I am all over Facebook privacy settings, but how secret do we need to be on Linkedin?
I do not see LinkedIn formally syncing with Facebook in the future, but little connections like what Sarah blogged here make sense and are mutually beneficial for both social sites. FB seems more friends/informal overall and LI is so biz-heavy, some of us use FB for business, but not everyone. I like the integrations with #in, etc. (see http://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/blog/the-ultimate-combo-linkedin-now-works-with-twitter/), but I do not see the two getting formally linked.
Failure connections come from overuse, being too commercial and driving users away.
As long as we tweet responsibly, sync FB and LI messages that make sense and think before we shoot, I see the social synergy continuing!
-The Marketing Therapist