LinkedIn and Facebook: Use, but don't abuse

This month's Tech Tip is by Nancy Loderick, Dish Editor and VP, Network Partnerships, at DowntownWomensClub.com.  This article originally ran in the Downtown Women's Club March Dish e-newsletter. (click here to register for free).

The Internet has really opened up the universe for many of us. We can make close connections with people half-way around the globe, even if we’ve never met them face-to-face. I just love the openness and inclusiveness of this new world. The proliferation of social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have made it very easy and fun to re-connect with old friends and colleagues.  It's also very easy to make new friends.

Now, I think we’re seeing too much of a good thing. Lately, I’ve been inundated with invitations to join other social networking sites like Ning and ecademy. The networking sites have made it easy, really too easy, to invite all your contacts on one networking site to join another networking site. I used to respond to each of these invitations, saying something innocuous like “thanks for inviting me to this site, it looks like an interesting one.” Of course, I had no intention of joining the new sites; I have my hands full with LinkedIn and Facebook. As my network grows, so do my invitations to these other sites. I’m at the point where I’m getting multiple invitations for the same sites.

I like Facebook, it’s more fun and personal than LinkedIn and I’ve been able to learn new things about my contacts. By the way, my Facebook and my LinkedIn contacts overlap. My other pet peeve is with the Facebook add-on applications. I am not at all interested in joining the “Vampire” club or the “zoosk” club. Heck I don’t have a clue what these things are, but I can’t imagine they have anything to do with business. I used to feel guilty about not responding to these invitations, but now I just click the “ignore this application” button and then make sure to block anyone from sending me another invitation to join this particular application.  There is even a new term for this phenomenon, called “bacn.”

My tips for not annoying your contacts are:

1. Think twice before inviting someone from your network to join a new network. Is this really something they would enjoy and benefit from.
2. Reconsider inviting someone to add on a new Facebook application. The only time I’ve done this is to send a private “poke” message to my husband, thinking he would get a laugh out of it.
3. Send invitations individually, and not to your entire contact list.  This way, you can send those invites to your few friends who might like these new sites and you won't run the risk of annoying all the other contacts on your list.
4. Use a separate email address for the social networking sites. Your business email box won't get filled with the invitations.

For some more interesting articles about this topic, take a look at:
Daniel Terdiman’s Geek Gestalt blog post: Social network invites can be a plague.

For background about the term “bacn,” take a look at:
Caroline McCarthy’s Social blog post: TrendyTerminology: Bacn.  McCarthy defines bacn as "the middle class of e-mail. The stuff that isn't really spam because it's not totally unwanted, but isn't really wanted either. This type of email is really spam, but it attempts to dress itself up as 'bacon.'"

Nancy Loderick

Comments

[Dani Nordin]

I'm really glad you decided to talk about this - I have definitely been seeing a lot of random invites to other networking sites lately, and while I've put basic profiles up on a number of them, I don't really get much use out of any but the main three: LinkedIn, Facebook and Biznik (which, if you haven't checked out, you might consider - but it's more for independent folks).

In terms of the Facebook applications, I've been known to get into some of the more frivolous ones - but I'm also extremely careful about who I share what application with. Friends that I know casually get things like Scrabulous and "Lil Green Patch" invites (it's a cute virtual garden), while more professional applications are sent along (if I feel like it) to select professional colleagues. On a whole, though, I don't send along too many invitations for applications unless I think they're really nifty. It just feels intrusive otherwise.

[Kathy Greider]

When people want to know about something, they no longer turn to the encyclopedia, the Yellow Pages, the newspaper or the tv. They use the internet to search for everything they want to know more about – including people. As a recently retired BabyBoomer, I just started a new business in a new area of the country and have been doing a great deal of networking. I don't have a store front so I need to be find/known by my name. I have a Linkedin account but I am not very happy with the ads on my page so I was glad to see a new business tool for personal searches on the internet. See what you think.

CNN’s Money magazine said in their 12/24/07 publication – “You’re Only as Good As Google Says You Are” and I agree. I like that I can post a photo, write my own bio, create an e-mailable blog (bulletin) and post virtual business cards on my personal site. Another great feature is that you do not have to be a member to read a bio, the bulletin or see the business cards. There is a $9.95 per month charge, but in just the last two months of membership I have gotten lots of business from my membership. Well worth it for the control I have over my web presence.

As a business women or any business person we know how important personal branding is, now I think I have found the best way to present myself on the internet - In person I always want to make a good first impression - now I can make a good first e-impression also.

In a world where your name is your brand, you need to: position yourself properly online where you can be found easily; provide the information you want people to see; and do so in an economical and environmentally friendly way.

[Gail Eddy]

Thanks so much for writing this article. I've forwarded it on to one of my connections who really needs it! I've also just signed up with Biznik. Thanks to Dani for that suggestion.

[Christophe Poizat]

As far as I am concerned, I keep contact with my network on a monthly basis so I think I fall in the category that is using but not abusing my contacts on networking sites. I have 4200+ contacts on Linkedin and have only received 3 or 4 messages asking me to stop sending anything (but then what's the point of networking if you don't want to hear anything at all from your network?! I think there are a lot of people going all over the place and joining gazillions of networking platforms and then getting their inbox inundated by gazillions of messages.... oh well, social networking is in its infancy after all... I think there are quite a few people out there building their network without a clear purpose, without a clear vision.

[Nancy Loderick]

Gail, let's hope your friend gets the message! Hopefully, by sending an unbiased, third party article, she/he won't be insulted, but will be grateful for the tip.

[Nancy Loderick]

Christophe, you are truly one of the power networkers, who understands that it's not just about collecting contacts, but about sharing pertinent information. If only more people 'got it' like you do!