I was reading Chris Brogan‘s newsletter and resonated with a paragraph that briefly talks about how using the same message across all social media platforms is just wrong. He didn’t spend much time on it so I want to elaborate.
By the way, Chris Brogan is probably at the forefront of social media and internet marketing. He’s been blogging since 1998 and is considered one of the leading internet marketing guru’s by many. Here is what he said that caught me eye:
I don’t like using a service like Ping.fm to send one message across multiple platforms. It’s lazy. It’s mechanical. And the platforms all have a different vibe.
First off, Ping.fm is a social media aggregation service. You input all your social media logins and then from a single interface, it sends out updates. A lot of people like this service because it seems efficient and a time saver. And it is.
But Chris’s problem with it stems from the way you interact with, say Facebook, is totally different than how you would interact with a more formal community, say LinkedIn.
As Job Seekers, your asset is time. If you were blogging and marketing for a business, then Ping.fm and other shortcuts might make more sense. But you’ve got too much to loose by ignoring the rules set out by each platform. So just as a frame of referance:
- LinkedIn: The most professional outlet you have. ALL of your updates need to be professional and somewhat formal. Generally, there needs to be a reason why you would connect with anyone here.
- Facebook: More casual is ok. You can keep things personal. Just remember that a potential employer might get a glimpse if you aren’t paying attention to your settings. The rule of thumb is that Facebook friends should be friends, or have a good reason to connect.
- Twitter: Anyone can connect with anyone. There doesn’t need to be a reason or an introduction. A good rule of thumb is to tweet about personal (not-too-personal) things about 80-90% of the time. 10-20% can be about what type of job you’re looking for or trying to reach out to certain companies.
If you did a blanket post on all of these, it would come across weird.
I have found a tool that doesn’t require blanket posting, and still allows you to aggregate your profiles. It’s called DandyID. I’m just getting started with it and I love the analytics. I can see who is looking at what social media profile. This helps me focus my communication message on a specific platform.
Play around with it, or stick around b/c I’ll be reporting to you how I use it and if it is worth signing up.
Let me know what you think of this post! Your comments are always welcome.
