Social Media Friends: Are they really friends?
In Social Media, clearly the above doesn’t apply to the way the word friend is used to describe business contacts. I see business profiles every day with thousands of “friends” — no way that folks know all those people or would truly call them a true friend. How can you possibly successfully productively network with thousands of people you don’t know? Needless to say I don’t blush with pride when I am “followed” by someone who is following thousands of others.
I defined what social really meant in my post Facey Pages & Tweety Books a Fad?
Now, let’s define “friend”:
- a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
- a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: friends of the Boston Symphony.
- a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile: Who goes there? Friend or foe?
- make friends with, to enter into friendly relations with; become a friend to.
So, there are semantics at play here and it is your choice how to best use these services to fit your needs. But I bet if you were to hold the above definition to the concept of friends on any social site that you use for business, the number of “friends” on your profile would most certainly decline dramatically.
For me, on Facebook for example, I no longer found it possible to be “friends” with those I don’t know who were there to “follow” my business posts, while having family and real friends also seeing my “day job” commentary. My friends and family could care less about my business networking and I know that those who were “friends” that never spoke or even e-mailed with me before, could care less about my puppies latest antics.
So what I did was to decide to make Facebook my one personal place on the Web for real, actual, authentic friends — based on the definition above. And added a separate Facebook Business Page. If I get a friend request from someone I don’t know, haven’t e-mailed or worked with — they aren’t truly my friend — they need to visit my Facebook Business Page instead because I am keeping things separate.
This is decision everyone has to make for themselves. The way I look at it is not every stinkin’ thing I do online has to be about business, monetizing or for commercial gain. I’ve decided to make Facebook, primarily because my family and techno-challenged friends are all there, my bastion of fun and personal online. And now, due to the many Facebookers who have e-mailed me, I now have a business page there for them too.
If someone wants to network with me (or be a fan), they also have my Blog here that they can sub to and comment on, my numerous other sites to subscribe to as well and any one of my Twitter feeds to “follow” (istudio, WPGirlFriday, WPMuse). For business, “following” is a more accurate term for Social Media business contacts in regard to those you don’t know or have had no (or do not plan on any) personal contact with. If someone wants to follow me, they have many alternative venues. My friends and family — only one — Facebook.
I’ve yet to find anyone who has successfully used one social media account effectively and efficiently to serve both personal and business activities. Being social media is all about engagement and participation how can you possibly satisfy both. You can’t.
That’s why I’m drawing the line in the sand between business and personal. I don’t want those I don’t know being able to see my life details and I don’t want to bore my family with boring techie posts.
Have you successfully crossed the personal/business divide? Are all your “friends” really friends? And, if not, how does that benefit you other than to have that large number screaming “look at all my friends” displayed?
What say you?
At your service,
Judith
Your WordPress Consultant
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