Being an internet based company, its very common for others to ask us whats the deal with all the buzz about “social media” these days.  To be honest there is no easy way to explain it other than its becoming a major force in the way people and businesses operate day to day.

While at the Internet Summit, I was sitting with a CEO of a publicly traded company discussing the benefits and downfalls of Facebook and Linkedin.  Had this been a year ag0 I’m not sure the conversation would ever have come up, but in a very short period of time the web has become a completely different place.  Facebook is connecting people in ways never dreamed possible and growing at an unimaginable pace.  Almost every person has a Facebook account and many businesses are creating pages as well.  What could be better than connecting with old friends, sharing pictures, and keeping up to date on whats happening (literally in real time)?  Well there is a downside as people begin to create this online profile of themselves.  Gone are the days when you could have an embarrassing night and it was forgotten about the next day.  Instead there will be 10 pictures and 15 posts on your wall about what you did for the world to see.  Granted you can control who sees what, but there is still nothing stopping others from writing anything about you and tarnishing your reputation.  This is where Linkedin comes into play.  Basically an online resume, Linkedin is a great way to network with friends, family, colleagues, and others without the distraction of pictures, comments, and applications.

So now the answer to which one should you use.  As any lawyer would say, it depends.  My advice would be use both for two different purposes.  Facebook is fun and a great way to catch up with people from all over the world, but keep your professional life out of it.  Build your connections and resume on linked in so that you can keep track of that invaluable network without burning bridges because of a random picture or comment.  At Rivik Media we all utilize both to their fullest and have yet to loose a business deal because of it.

As always, the internet can be seen by everyone so no matter who you think is looking at something realize that eventually anyone could see it.

Adam
Personal Linkedin
Rivik Linkedin
Rivik Facebook

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