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Facebook Social Networking

Facebook is for my personal friends

Facebook is for our personal friends. We have personal friends in many different aress of life, including career and business.

I spoke to a group of business professionals today about the value of using Facebook as a business tool. Numerous people in the room gasped saying, “No way. Facebook is only for my personal friends.” So I asked them these questions:

Raise your hand if you greet your clients or business peer with a friendly handshake.

Most in the room raised their hands.

Raise your hand if sometimes you greet a client or business peer with a hug and a friendly hello.

Again, many in the room raised their hands.

Raise your hand if while greeting your peers or business partners you may share family and community updates.

Again, many in the room raised their hands.

Raise your hand if you know some of your client’s spouses and/or children’s names.

Lots of hands went up.

Raise your hand if you have shared vacation or family pictures with your peers, clients and or business partners.

Hands went up again.

Raise your hands if you care about many of your peers, business partners or clients.

Lots of hands went up quickly.

Facebook is a social networking site for us to connect, share and engage with the people we like and care about. In many cases the people we work with, our clients, business partners and peers are these people. Unfortunately we have been conditioned to differentiate between work friends and personal friends. However, in many ways, they can be the same.

I recommend becoming Facebook friends with people in our business communities who we like and care about. Use social media best practices and privacy settings to make sure what you share and how you engage on Facebook is appropriate.

Use Facebook to do what you are already doing in real life with your peers, clients and business partners; say hello, laugh, have fun, share pictures of family and friends, vacation pics, pictures of our kids and grand-kids, etc, etc.

A benefit is a stronger relationship with the people we already like and care about in many ways.

A benefit is a stronger business relationship with these individuals.

Stay true to your use of Facebook; use it with your personal friends, in life, including business and community.

I love to hear your thoughts on this social networking idea.

 

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