Blurring Lines – Social Media Refuses to Stay inside the Box

Like a lot of people I know, I’ve tried to set up the way I use social media to both help me grow my personal and business network while trying to maintain some semblance of privacy.

I set things up this way:

• Facebook for personal friends and family connections
• LinkedIn for business contacts
• Twitter for broadcasting information and gathering information
• Blogging for expressing thoughts in depth

And I bet you’re thinking, “How’s that work’n out for you?”

Let me put it this way. It ain’t easy.

People I meet want to be friends on Facebook, even though our dealings are all business. Family members want to connect on LinkedIn, which is more than a little strange. And some really interesting conversations take place by exchanging tweets. I’ve also found that my most personal posts on this blog are the ones that get the most traffic.

I completely get it when someone replies to a friend request and says, “I reserve Facebook for friends and family, but I’d love to connect on LinkedIn.” But, on the other hand, I’ve connected and made more new customers through Facebook than any other form of social media. It’s that personal touch, that sense that I’m a real, authentic person and completely passionate about my business, as well as the community that people respond to. It lets even cynical business people move beyond the cold dollars and cents equations and decide if they’d like to do business with Minds On based upon someone that gets it, not just anyone that’s cheap.

So yes, more people know how I spent the weekend or where we went to dinner last night than I use to be comfortable with. I think I could get by with a little less of that, but I have to admit, it’s all just so darn useful.

So what about privacy? Here are a few tips:

1. Get to know, in depth, Facebook’s new privacy settings and use them. Restrict who every message and posts go to. Be selective.
2. Set up a Facebook page for your business – a fan page. Be sure to post and respond often to make it useful and interesting.
3. Be yourself. If you only use social media to release faceless PR and business bits, you’ll generate very little interest. But share a bit more of yourself and people will respond.

You don’t need to share everything. Learn what’s TMI (Too Much Information). Eventually you’ll find that balance, perhaps living a bit more in the open, but retaining enough privacy to be comfortable.

So blur those lines and let’s connect!

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

Better yet, I’d love to talk with you about how you combine all of the elements of social media with your company marketing. Are you getting the most impact from what you’re doing? And would you like to explore combining social, interactive, and conventional marketing? Give me a call or drop me a line.