Comments on: Facebook is the Online Hub for Connected Professionals

By: Kimberly Schurtz (s57kimberly) « FaceBook is the Online Hub for Connected Professionals | Brian Soli... « Chat Catcher

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:53:05 +0000

[...] FaceBook is the Online Hub for Connected Professionals [link to post] via [...]

By: Ravi Karandeekar

Ravi Karandeekar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Hello Brian! wonderful post. very well balanced. I liked the comparison between L and FC. You suggestions about how to use FC are very valuable. I enjoyed all comments too. Surprisingly i agree and share everybody's views. I think, you are the right person to write "how to use FC to become successful in your profession" on the line of how to earn money online. Thanks! nice to know you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:12:00 +0000

I am happy that facebook is growing faster than MySpace: Its design looks better, and now with its open platform, its functionality is more "2.0"

I am shocked however at how many professionals are flocking to facebook, over and above LinkedIn. I hardly use my account, which is ironic... But I'll start professionalizing my profile!

~ Vikram
PersonalBrandMarketing.com

By: michellesocialmedia

michellesocialmedia — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:23:00 +0000

Brian-Great post about Facebook. I think Facebook works because it allows people to be more like…PEOPLE instead of resumes. LinkedIn is the network for Sunday best clothes and a loaded powerpoint deck. Facebook is the younger sibling of LinkedIn, who meets for cocktails and has more fun. MY SPACE is the bratty toddler spawn of Facebook. I got that analogy from one of my Facebook friends, by the way.

By: Eric Rice

Eric Rice — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:22:00 +0000

Oh forgot to add, I’ve been fascinated when I use Facebook as a marketing tool, that it crumbles under the force of Twitter or Pownce, one being a chatroom and the other being a utility…. the utility (Pownce) devastates with referral traffic, even tho the userbase is flighty. Twitter people stick around and explore sites, but that could be a tighter bond with peers or just fanboyism.

Facebook is just, I don’t know, a weird place to market. Myspace works better at times.

But heh, I’ll just keep being on all of ‘em cuz it’s what we’re supposed to do.

By: Eric Rice

Eric Rice — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:18:00 +0000

The more I reflect back on social networks of days gone by, and the more I use facebook and others, the more I'm convinced that it's most definitely a nightclub model.

The 'social' even in a business sense, relies on people. I use FB more like an address book, the place I can get phone numbers. If I could more effectively ignore every last poke, prod, bite, pie throw, etc etc etc, it would be _today's_ killer biz app. But like biz conferences even, some of them lose luster over time.

I guarantee that you can save this post and replace 'facebook' with whatever comes next.

Something will always be around the corner.

By: Dan Schawbel

Dan Schawbel — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:02:00 +0000

This is an amazing post and it’s right in time for the next issue of my magazine.

Building a community through facebook and LinkedIn is critical to you’re ongoing development and success.

If you would like to contribute this article or another let me know.

Dan Schawbel
Publisher – Personal Branding Magazine
daniel.schawbel@gmail.com
http://www.personalbrandingmag.com

By: dave mcclure

dave mcclure — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:43:00 +0000

great post brian. linked here.

By: Brian Solis

Brian Solis — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:07:00 +0000

Hey Ryan, you ARE absolutely right! You have to know the community and participate in it before you can attempt to market. You'll wind up insulting everyone and losing all credibility.

Every network has its own culture and it can not be overlooked for the sake of spam.

I've been on FB for a while and I think the old demographics are currently getting rewritten. I do think it's a valuable place to be, however, like you said, it's one of many communities vying for and stretching our limited attention span. One of the things I do like about FB, is that it is almost like a central command post for all other online networks.

I re-read the post and I think you bring up important points. I added this part to make sure everyone understands what we're talking about...

However, this isn't a pass for you to start marketing blindly. Research, watch, and listen before even thinking about jumping in. Absorb the culture of the community and participate as a person, never as a marketer. Social Media requires respect and intelligence.

By: Ryan Clark Holiday

Ryan Clark Holiday — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:46:00 +0000

But don’t you think all this violates the cardinal rule of KNOWING a community before you join and attempt to market in it? FB has been its own ecosystem for nearly 3 years–then they had some tech gadgets and the bloggers want to come in and tell everyone how the people are there?

There’s no way anyone can know. The average tech blogger is what 30+? The average FB user is probably, 25 and under? After less than 2 months it is way too soon to be making any conclusions or do any marketing. I have a feeling this will be Russia for the tech crowd. They have TOTALLY overextended themselves with Twitter, Second Life, Linked In and now they are attempting to take over FB. To think that anyone can contribute to that many communities in ridiculous. I guarantee that in the next six months we will hear cries to converge all these profiles (because it’s too hard to manage all at once) which will put us precisely back in the convoluted, jack of all master of none, state we were in with the old media.

Brian, don’t you think the real advice ought to be to SLOWLY dip your toes in the FB water? You’re looking at a community run by a demographic that almost no one understands, that no one has bothered to try and understand. You can’t think they are going to cede control to their parents’ generation that easily do you?