Ann,

I always struggle with how to use these networking sites. Yes, I am linked to or friends with many at both LinkedIn and Facebook and keep my profiles current, but the goals at the end of the day for business people such as us should include referrals, leads and more work, I believe.

I left you a suggestion to that end at started a discussion about how best to achieve that goal. For many of us invest our time during our work days building our presence using social media. As a business person and marketer one of the results needs to be more business, if we are to completely justify that time spent. Doesn't it?

I still like the distinction between Facebook being for social and Linkedin being for business use.

I finally started checking out Facebook a couple of months ago. I will admit that it is much 'cleaner' than LinkedIn, and I like that you can add applications to your profile.

But there's one place where LinkedIn has Facebook beaten, and I think it's an area you'll see more social sites moving toward. LinkedIn regularly has offline meetups where the staff encourages users to come and meet them. I think that this is an area where social sites will move toward, and that's having these online groups organizing themselves into offline meetups. And I think that's a great byproduct of social networking sites that you'll see more of going forward.

I'm on Facebook, as well as MySpace and maybe one or two others. (Not LinkedIn yet). But I really don't use them. I've joined because a friend or associate invited me to be a "friend."

I am finding it a bit overwhelming to keep up with every site. Email comes first (along with the telephone), and then I go to various blogs including, of course, Daily Fix.

But I only check in at Facebook, et al in response to an invitation or request. There's just not enough time in the day and, as we all know, it's so very easy to spend an hour -- or two or three -- online doing non-work. But at the end of the day, or end of the week, it catches up to you.

Hey Ann,

It looks like you're having a good time on Facebook. I am a "Fan of MarketingProfs" as you probably knew.

As for the Pulver argument: I did mention to Jeff that I personally believe that mixing the two (professional and social) is not in my best interests :(

As you know, I personally do use Facebook for my social interactions and sometimes am a little careful since my colleagues/boss are also privy to aspects of my social network (no more public vegas trip pics :) More concerning is the fact that if my friends choose to tag me in vegas pics, they'll be added to my profile before I can even untag it... :(

BTW, Pulver is back on LinkedIn (managing "dual citizenship"): http://tinyurl.com/2fmtcu

Disclosure to readers: I'm the Community Evangelist at LinkedIn.

I am quite enjoying the separateness of LinkedIn and Facebook. Once setup, LinkedIn works nicely in isolation as a business connections management tool. It is about facts and figures, roles and responsibilities.
Facebook on the other hand is about the emotional and personal side of those business relationships. Does this mean doubling up? Only in some small ways. But there are benefits to the systems and to these different ways of working.

Well as you know, I'm on facebook. I still prefer myspace. It's just homier.

Lewis: I can't promise to have all the answers, and I love that you are starting the dialogue. But I do believe that a platform that allows interaction on a quasi-personal level has a business application, if only because it allows us to network more easily and quickly with like-minded individuals. I guess I think of the people I've met on this blog... some of whom I have since hired to work with MarketingProfs in various capacities. So yeah -- I know it's a time-sink, but I also believe social media platforms are worth investing the time in.

That being said, I think some naturually suit some people more than others.. just like some people will feel more comfortable at certain types of "parties." I can see, as Gavin suggests, some overlap between entities like Facebook and LinkedIn. And I can see some people preferring one over the other.. in terms of what each offers and the overall "feel." I think they can coexist peacefully in the social media kingdom... along with many others, in other words.

Mack -- I actually would rather see groups within Facebook organizing in-person meetups -- which some are already doing -- rather than Facebook facilitating. I think of it as a platform more than a brand unto itself.

David -- I use Facebook as a way to see what's going on with those in my network, as well as blogs and email. (Less telephone, which I hate.) One example -- it's how I found out the Podtech's Jeremiah Owyang had officially announced his move to Forrester.

Mario -- Thanks so much for weighing in. For the record, I didn't want this post to become an "LI v. FB" smackdown, because I do believe there's room for both. But I think you raise an interesting issue about privacy.. it seems to me that what you post on Facebook becomes, essentially, part of your "resume" whether you want it to or not. I'm careful about what I put on there, too... which is honestly why I might as well use it for business networking!

Tammy -- Thanks for your comments! Never been a huge fan of MySpace -- been spammed too many time by it to consider it very homey -- but why do you like it more? The community? Something else? Just curious.

Hi Ann,

Thanks for the mention. :) I need to do better editing next time though.

I'm going to keep using LinkedIn too. I doubt I'll *ever* completely abandon it. The primary use of Facebook will likely remain social -- but isn't business becoming more social?

They may not be your "real life" friends, but your business colleagues, contacts, even clients, are often social connections, though I concede less so than people you know intimately.

Anything that can make that bond stronger, and can make you more of a resource to others has to be a good thing. :)

Oh, and I'm totally with you on MySpace. I just couldn't get into it. I'd love to know why anyone loves MySpace more, maybe it'll turn on a light in my head.

i am totally addicted to twitter and the conversation there, but am in socnet fatigue. facebook has too much extranrous crap for my taste, but i do check in there regularly anyway because my friends are there.

but when i want a biz connection, i go to linkedin first.

Maybe the difference with me is that very few of my friend-friends are actually ON Facebook -- despite my nagging and evangelizing and whatever else... The truth is, most of my friends barely know what a blog is...

Maybe I'd think of FB as purely a social play if that were the case...? Not sure.

Facebook is a great tool for the marketers tool box. I believe in utilizing technology to the fullest and the best part about this community is the fact that there is no fee so everyone can use it.
I wish some businesses at home ( I live in Barbados) would utilize this site.

Hey Ann,

I don't have many friends on FB either. I have mostly business connections. The fact that I don't have to have an ulterior motive to reach out and touch someone is one of my favorite things about FB. It makes business friendly and incidental to the connection.

BL has a point for people who use Facebook with the extraneous crap -- but you don't HAVE to use all the extras or even look at them. I also don't see why there's an either/or comparison to LinkedIn. They're nothing alike. Even the overlapping function of connecting to other business people isn't remotely the same.

Neither are their audiences. I'm starting to think I should stop talking about how great FB is, because once everyone catches on, there's less for me. :)

anghelo edmund