(Blog-Off II Entry) Why are Linked-In and Twitter SO...... SMALL!?

    I would like to wish the best of luck and success to the other BlogOff2 contestants.  

    There isn't one person that I know that doesn't have a Facebook account.  I decline friend requests daily from people such as ex-girlfriend's fathers, old professors that flunked me, and even an old boss from when I was 16.   EVERYONE is on it.   It is almost common practice to look at someone cross-eyed if they say they are not on Facebook.

 

    But how is it that NO other major social media site has gained nowhere near the popularity that Facebook has?  Over 300 million use Facebook.  Only 50 million each use Linked-In and Twitter respectively.   Selfishly, I want MORE people on Linked-In and on Twitter.  More people = more people for me to network with.    

    So I ask you, my friends, a very important rhetorical question.... WHY aren't more people on these other sites?  What's the hidden factor?  Don't cheat (by  scrolling to the bottom) .   The answer to this question is going to help you develop an extremely powerful network.  But in the meantime, I'll bet I can guess how you answered....

1. “Well, each site has it's different uses... so different users only see the need to join certain ones...”  And I would agree with you, at least on the different uses part.  Facebook serves the social community, Linked-In serves the business community, and Twitter serves both.  
   
2. “There is less of a use for Linked-In and Twitter than there is for Facebook”  If you believe this, then your priority is socializing.  (Those of you that have read my previous work know that I believe this is the ONLY reason for Facebook).  And this is okay, but improving your career is also a major priority in life (Linked-In) and so is staying in touch with events and information (Twitter.)
   
3. “There is less of an audience for those other ones...”    But are the audiences really that different?  The difference between the Facebook and the Linked-in audiences is that Facebook is probably used by most people from middle school up.  Linked-In users usually wait until the last year of college and later if they are going to join.  My 16 year old sister has a twitter account and I know of Grandma's with them too – so Twitter isn't reaching out to less people.   I am going to go out on a limb and say that we can exclude the most of the elderly population from the audiences of all three.   Certainly there may be different audiences, but the audience for Facebook can't be six times as large as the others.
   
   
4. And we know it's not advertising.  Have you ever seen an actual advertisement for Facebook, Linked-In, or Twitter

    Did I pick your answer? If I didn't, I am obviously curious for your answer, so please comment.   Now are you ready for mine?  You might recognize it.....

WE ALL FORGET TO PUT THE “SOCIAL” IN OUR “SOCIAL MEDIA.”

    How often do you push your real-life friends to get on Linked-In or Twitter?   Honestly!  When you signed up for these sites, did you skip the “invite my friends” page?   Instead, most of us are simply content to join and connect with the people already on them.   We don't create the BUZZ!  And we are hurting ourselves!  Twitter actually did not grow last month!  Viral marketing doesn't just stop spreading.  We are failing to create a viral market!  

    Facebook started with one mass email to a bunch of Eduardo Saverin's friends from a dorm room.   And then the viral phenomenon started.   And it continues to grow because you all tell your friends about it!  Everyone knows what Facebook is.  

    With Linked-In, I consistently get “What's linked-in?” And with twitter... “you actually use that!?”  Or people are simply misinformed.  “I don't need Linked-In because I have a job.”  Or “The only people who tweet are sitting on the toilet talking about what they ate for dinner...”  By the way, I do tweet from the bathroom, and I have used Linked-In for years.  

    In all seriousness, the true merits of Twitter and Linked-In are too cool NOT to share.   And I know you are all passionate enough to sell the value to all of your friends.  Go and get them into it!  

    One final thought to ponder: If I ask you share something on Twitter or I ask for your help with my career on LinkedIn, who is going to be more helpful... my real friends on these sites or those random connections I met a long time ago at a networking event?

    Spread the word and see what happens!

What Can You Do: Well, share the love!  The first step is to spread this message through the social media community.  Submit it to stumble upon by doing this....    Use the ShareThis button below and submit Technorati, and Retweets.... are all good ways.  Let's build our community!   And I would love to hear your thoughts here!

Conclusions: Sam Diener joins Blog-Off2 from Philadelphia, PA, US.   He started Stuff For Success, The Sam Diener Blog.    In five months, he has built an audience of nearly 25,000 readers, and has guest blogged for major US sites such as Under30CEO and the Personal Branding Blog.   Feel free to read more at the Sam Diener Blog.   

Comments

[Sam Diener]

Greetings and thank you for e-mailing me regarding Stuff For Success.

Due to extremely high workloads, and in order to be more effective and efficient with my time, I check my e-mail at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM EST. I will certainly get back to you at one of those times.

If your correspondence is urgent, please feel free to give me a call at 215-821-6726.

I look forward to responding to your inquiry.

Best Wishes,

Sam Diener

[cep socks]

Thanks for this.

[Sam Diener]

Greetings and thank you for e-mailing me regarding Stuff For Success.

Due to extremely high workloads, and in order to be more effective and efficient with my time, I check my e-mail at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM EST. I will certainly get back to you at one of those times.

If your correspondence is urgent, please feel free to give me a call at 215-821-6726.

I look forward to responding to your inquiry.

Best Wishes,

Sam Diener

[Michael Armstrong]

Good Article.

Something I think people forget:

I am on all three sites, but finding the time to go on all three regularly is very difficult, so i therefore pick on choose what to go on when, and for what purpose.

If more poeple are on facebook and it can be used for social networking and business networking, then there is often more reasons to go back to that site than there would be for Twitter or LinkedIN.
Also people lookin to socialise usually have more time on their hands than business people who are often "too busy" working, so Facebook will always have more users than LinkedIn.

And Twitter is limited in what you can say and in functionality, so as Facebook is better and can do far more, for far more people, facebook will be used for ore in comparison to Twitter.

Even if Twitter improve and added functionality and Linked in become more social, facebook would probably still have more users as people can't alwyas find the time to use all three so woulsd still probably just stick to the one they use most now (Facebook).
Both LinkedIn and Twitter would need to create exceptional functionality that Facebook didn't offer, or couldn't copy quickly, to get masses of people to switch and "Drop" facebook as the main site they used, for one of them.

[Sean Connolly]

I agree with a lot of the comments made here.

I see my FaceBook profile (http://budurl.com/bctc) as being my social side of my life, and my LinkedIn profile (http://budurl.com/v9w4) as my professional profile, where as I find Twitter (http://budurl.com/29zg) really useful for updating the world on what I have been doing and finding out the latest news. Kinda more of a one way interaction that FaceBook or LinkedIn.

[Paul Young]

Excellent article! I'm 49 and am shocked at the number of people in my high tech company that absolutely refuse to even consider, LinkedIN, much less FB or Twitter--particularly those in my age group.

I've embraced each for its slightly different "flavor" and use them to variously brand and sell myself and to stay connected with friends.

Paul
(T700 on Twitter)

[Michele]

Great article! I do agree with the facebook thing (although I am guilty of it myself).
I am pn twitter - but honestly, just don't get it - I'm not sure how it works, or what to do - any help would be welcome! I've asked a few people, and gotten the answer "I just joined, but I don't know how to use it".

[Mike Limiuex]

Sam --- another great article. I am glad I heard about your articles on twitter.

[Sam Diener]

@clark I do like being able to see news sooo much quicker. Most people who are in business dealing that I know generally use some other way than facebook.

@kat -- I do consider that... but certainly not in the area of 300 million less users...

@kamini -- i really would love if people would listen to all of those invites though

@greg --- yup I agree... thanks for your comment!

[Sam Diener]

@robertG .... that is awful... When I sign on twitter the women tend to RUN from me....

@debbyb Yeah tweetdeck is fun though because you can press the @spam button and away your follower goes.... permanently (just like flushing a cockroach down the toilet... see the parallel -- spammer/cockroach... haha)

@mick - I specialize in direct and to the point :)

@brooke I truly agree with your #3... starting with kids first was a smart move... it wasn't a business decision BUT we certainly did learn for the future

@paul --- it took me a while to figure that comment out, but once I did.... WOW. I almost want to stop posting on facebook.. But then I would lose out on being a Gen Yer...

[Leticia Brando]

Well, Facebook doesn´t serve only the social community. Everytime I have a workshop,seminar or conference, it is more useful when I publish the event in Facebook than in Linkedin or Twitter. But of course, I have more friends in Facebook than in Linkedin or Twitter.

And about the age, it doesn´t matter. All the ages have facebook but not all the ages have Linkedin or Twitter. So you choose what is better

[Pat Licata]

Hi Sam,

Yes they are but we are in the right place to grow with them .. I think Linkedin will move to 200 million plus and FB will continue to grow . See opportunity to build social/business networking in more specialized industry sectors.

We are launching www.MedCareerVillage.com later this week to candidates in med/pharm/bio.

We are looking for resources and talented people to help our membership and to help us not get lost in the woods. I like your style .. your ability to engage your audience and they enjoy and learn from you being in the process.. that is how we work... take a Peek!

Let me know and how can we help you build your visibility and support our membership... HELP!!

Thank you,

Pat
[email protected]
MedCareerVillage.com

[Steve F.]

Being somewhat of a novice (6) months, I enjoyed this article and all of the comments. I have chosen Linked-in as my main site from a professional point of view, my strategy of focusing on the one that can help my business in several ways. Great job!

[Rich DeMatteo]

@SueLeonard - Facebook fan page is great. I've been able to build a nice sized base of fans. In terms of business, look for a Facebook Fan page to help you build up a brand in fun ways. Announce contests, promotions, and other fun things that you can share with facebook fans. If you blog, you can use it to post recent articles and ideas.

If you have more questions about the use of a Facebook Fan page contact me on Twitter - @CornOnTheJob

[Joanne Torbutt]

Sam, The difference is quality vs. quantity. Also, Linkedin is a bit older than Facebook, and twitter, and positioned itself as a place for grownups long before Facebook was developed as a place to play. Plus, Linked in has a valuable function that allows serious feedback to questions. Facebook is great for it's function, but lets keep the two positioned the way they are. Best wishes on your research. Take a look at www.SiliconLaunch.com

[Matt Von Kroeker]

Just read a story that MySpace just lost 100 mil--- and people are leaving in droves. Ahh.... isn't romance fleeting??

Figure out the next Facebook, Twitter, whatever-- the ADD inflicted need thier fix!! And you'll make some quick money.... as long as you get out soon enough--

[Annie Sires]

You're right about Twitter and LinkedIn. My thought to the guru's would be to do what Facebook does. Make an invite part of the entire process. Invite someone to come and "get" get a toy a game a something... when on facebook, it really pushes you to connect. And therefore, it grows.

[Carolyn Baguma]

Great discussion.
I have a facebook account aswell, however its a social site for me. one which I dont visit as often as linkedin.
I am always encouraging friends and family to connect on Linkedin as I think its great and very benificial.
I will be opening a twitter account soon, I was not too sure at first, but now im sold!

Carolyn Baguma

[Crispin Courtenay]

I have used LinkedIn since 2003 and have 36 connections. I have used Facebook since late July and have over 1,000 (80% are highly targeted). Granted I am not working LinkedIn, as I find it too onerous.

Twitter I use as a feed to my Facebook account and blogs, but have little use for it other than the fact that people I want to meet use it. It does allow me to follow industry leaders that I would not normally have contact with, and it short-circuits all blocks to communication.

LinkedIn is not user friendly in creating or managing relationships, it does excel at groups, but that is about all.

The old card about LinkedIn being for developing business...maybe, but I am seeing a lot more real-life results with FaceBook.

Many people deride the 'games' element of FaceBook, but overlook the social implications. People that have fun together, typically have fun working together, and want to work with each other. It's a new dynamic, not covered in B School.

[Greg Smith]

My guess is that LinkedIn is far less popular than Facebook because it requires some thought. If you are using it well, you have a purpose, a strategy. LinkedIn has more in the way of structure and constraints to inhibit mindless misuse.

Facebook can satisfy a kid who wants to yell, "Hey World, it's me! Wanna see some wild stuff from last night's party?" Of course, there are more sophisticated uses and users, but the medium does not compel or even necessarily even encourage it.

Twitter is a different beast. There are without a doubt users without a clue, in love with the novelty of it all. I think that will fade in favor of other uses. For example, I once had to maintain a blog about a production process on a night shift. The blog was started as a way to facilitate inter-shift communication and a way to give management arriving at 7am some way to know what the deuce happened at midnight. The messages were very terse, almost code. Things were either normal and on target (not often enough) or there was some abnormality. The postings would read like, "Decoiler #2 malfunctioned. Limit switch failed. Mtc on site in 10 minutes. Lost 35 minutes production". That's the kind of thing you can accomplish in 140 characters and save a phone call to the plant which would only distract the night maintenance manager from doing what he needs to do right here and now.

[kamini]

Hi Sam,

Till the time people actively participate at linkedin they would never know what it is all about. [ it's something like - I already have a facebook account, I don't have the time to indulge in so many internet social groups] I have a real social life.

my personal experience - I got invites from many people for joining linkedin, before I actually became a member. I just didn't want to participate. But after I have joined I regret not having joined earlier.

It's the same case, I have sent invites to a few people however they refuse to be a part of it.

kind regards
kamini
[email protected]

[Kat Shoa]

I think you need to consider the demographics. Facebook has a very large percentage of people who are not in the workforce and would have no need to be on LinkedIn or Twitter (teens to mid-20s, and now retired grandparents). Also, Facebook offers the platform in many languages (listed on the right hand bar here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook).

[Clark P.]

I am on Twitter and LinkedIn only. I have not gotten a Facebook account nor do I plan to as I have yet to meet someone in business dealings who is only on Facebook as the only method of connecting. Facebook still seems to me to be a social network geared toward fun and private contact. My teenage and tweenage kids are on Facebook, enough of a reason for me to avoid it having watched them chat and play games via it and look at each others pictures. Unless your a celebrity or miss the old days of the AOL chat rooms and IM buddy lists, then maybe the Facebook and MySpace crowd is still your age bracket.

Several months ago I closed down my blog and now I use Twitter instead, (www.twitter.com/alzasagroup ) like any online communication tool you need to know who your following and who is communicating with you, however the block and spam functions work just fine. The ability to instantly retweet links and news stories as well as blast out quick updates is a great tool and several times I've tweeted something ahead of a local or major news outlet - beating them by as much as 4 or 5 hours in some cases.

[Paul F.]

OK, I guess this makes me a snob, but I don't give a rat's @$$ about what someone did last night or what their dog did. I do want to know about people's professional accomplishments - the things that in the business world, tend to matter. I want to know the people that actually make a difference, not the people that think they do.

There has always been a challenge in my family that none of us have figured out yet - and that is to figure out how to make this happen:
If you want to have more money than God, you need to figure out how to buy people for what they're worth, and sell them for what they think they're worth.

I'm still not sure how to do it, but I'm certain than many of my biggest moneymakers would be prominently displayed on Facebook.

[Brooke Warner]

Four reasons I think Facebook is so much bigger:
1. Better brand
2. Socially wide (demographics and breadth of relationships) and right level of casual (behavior)
3. Smarter business strategies (upscale youth first; adults second)
4. Within that casual behavior: There's greater social (interconnected) activities vs. higher personalization (MySpace) -- which leads to casting a wider, more interdependent net which them viral loops more quickly

[Mark B. Johnston]

I actually agree with Scott and Patrea. You should always love what you do. I love Quality Assurance. But the reverse (do what you love) is not always possible or wise. You can ruin a perfectly good passion that way. The hard realities of owning a resturant nearly ruined my brother's love of cooking and trust in people. This is where the difference between Facebook & LinkedIn comes in. I'm a great believer in Work-Life Balance and LI is work & FB is life. Don't confuse the two.
None of this is meant to be (totally) pessimistic or depressing. And I would urge everyone to follow Petrea's advice to love what you do. Just be careful about doing what you love. Use FB to make friends. Use LI to make contacts.

[Patrea]

Scott, I completely agree with you... Everyone should be making money "doing business" by doing something they love. A little time and effort into figuring out what you love can most times reveal a way to actually make money at it. Life is too short to do it any other way.

Thanks so much!

[Michael (Mick) McPherson]

Very well thought out article!! This needed to be said and when said it needed to be as direct as you put it!! I believe Facebook does present a certain amount of value for exposure so rather than fight it I joined and put a link to my Linked In page. It was the only logical conclusion to the facts regarding exposure!

[Anonymous]

I agree that this is a great article. I joined both this year because I was looking for a job and I knew that networking was the key and Facebook & Twitter (ronccpa) are the tools to that end. I was not sure how both worked but I knew not to put anything racy or unprofessional out there. I would offer this assistance when it comes to Twitter, search for topics that interest you, follow those people and CONTRIBUTE, add value don't just ask for help right away. Some of those people you follow will want to follow you and it will feed on itself. That is what I did and people found me and followed me. You must add something to the community that you are in and be passionate about the topic. I apply these tips to Linkedin which I am also on.
I hope this helps. Let me know the results.

[Debby B.]

Hi Sam

Thanks for your thoughts it kept my reading attention. I first started with Facebook of course, for all the reasons you stated. Then, I caught up with some guys that are quite large in LinkedIn and Twitter. I participated in a few live Webinars... I'm hooked....LOVE LinkedIn! I have much to learn, but I'm a quick learner.

On my Facebook profile I have my LinkedIn widget that anyone can click, which will take them straight to my profile!

Twitter is coming but I have yet to fall in Love with it. I have TweetDeck but I agree with Rober Grawet...I've had some really very bad followers.

What I do is, follow and learn from the ones that are making it work for them in a profitable way. It won't be long and I will be on track there too!

I have a vision, passion of mentoring people to success! Own your life!

[Robert Grawart]

A thought about Twitter. I shut down my first Twitter account several months ago due to the one click charge scams that were coming into my Twitter account. (IE: you get some random message that seems interesting, you click on it, and you incur an automatic charge under $10.00). I got two of these taken off my account when I caught it, and I shut down my account.

On this last Sunday night, I set up a Twitter account for my daughter's personal trainer business, and within 15 minutes (probably less) I got a request to follow a prostitute. This must have come from some kind of auto generated system, cause the name on the twitter account was a business name, and the owner's name was a woman (my daughter). So....I'm still wondering about using Twitter for business until they find a way to have the same kind of protections afforded to email and other digital communications.

The scam artists and prostitutes seem to have truly figured out Twitter.

[Sam Diener]

@jim I think I am going for Grand Cru wine (that's the expensive one right?)

[Randall]

I just sat through a LinkedIn class put on by Right Management outplacement services and your advice syncs up exactly with what the instructer was saying(preaching). I am a boomer so all this technology including blogging, tweeting and Facebook take a little more "education" to understand the importance. And yes, I need to work on a more professional picture!

[Brian Pomeroy]

I believe there is nothing we can do with others except learn to work the system and train the government on the way. One example, my pet peeve, is people who insist on driving a car or even trucks today without the proper skills. If we can train the government on the simple idea that there is more political power with all of the people than just the auto makers then maybe some day the streets will be safe again. People worry that someone will come and tell them that THEY can not drive anymore. They must be told.
I think our only hope for the future will be charities and people helping people. The government can not be trusted with our future.
As I said this was just an example but if you ever want to chase people away, or some people, tell them they can not drive. I am the anti-roadrager, gently bringing my car to stop slowly, beside them, and ask what made you decide to get behind the wheel?

[Jim Mitorin]

Sam:

Two thoughts: 1.) You have to select the venue that works best for you, plus overlay it with your personal networking strategy. Despite its size, LinkedIn for me has been an excellent networking tool that supplements my personal networking. 2.) Re: personal networking. Do you want to go deep vs. wide, do you want a network that produces bottles of Grand Cru wine or table wine? What I prefer is to go deep vs. wide, since I am a firm believer in Robin Dunbar's theory of 148.7
http://smartketingreflections.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

Thanks so much,

[Judi Perkins]

I agree with your ultimate comment that there isn’t a lot of social in social networking. In my opinion, that’s a function of people not really understanding the point of social networking – making new friends and sharing information.

So on Twitter, you get people who just post links or they automate their tweets or they ignore those they don’t know. Consequently the self imposed filtering is prohibitive. And when one has 3,000 people following them and is following 3500 – it becomes tough, if not impossible, to really pay attention to everything without a concerted effort, but I know people who do it and do it well and have waaaaaaaaaay more than 3500 followers (a random number I pulled out of thin air).

LinkedIn tends to be all about business, networking, and self promotion and like Twitter, so many people don’t want to connect with others or don’t make an effort to – and I understand, that’s your point.

But facebook – that’s social. That’s clearly a social mechanism and environment for being social. No business. Find your old boyfriend. Connect to your junior high school friends. Suddenly instead of saying “what ever happened to….?” You know what happened to them.

So more effort to make friends and less effort to self promote and lead with the ego would benefit both LI and Twitter. Education, I suppose.

On the other hand, I know a ton more people on LI than FB. And I know a lot of people on FB that hardly ever get on. They thought they should or in a few cases, their kids urged them to, etc. I had to do it to create my fan page and I found, to my surprise, it’s great fun! I’m connected to lots of old friends, romantic interests, and I’ve made a ton of new friends through the friends of others. But then I’m always the one at parties going up to the person standing alone and dragging them out to meet people so I’m sort of an aberration in many ways.

Why don’t you write an article on how to be social? How to be more social on LI and Twitter? Provide some education and put it out there. That will help a lot of people who read it. They’ll either realize there’s a better way to go about it, or better understand how to begin.

[Sam Diener]

Vincent --- great great comment!!! Have you ever seen TweetDeck

[Vincent Bevort]

What made FB even stronger than it was is the fact that you can build "applications" for it to share with other FB users. Thus changing it into a gaming site.

If you want to use FB and twitter optimal you have to sit in from of your (2 screen) PC and wait until a new event arrives being it a tweet or one of your friends on facebook and respond to it.

I still don't get the hang of this tweeting. Shouting into the big bad world what I am doing' right now. Just Imagen listening to all people on the world at the same time. How do I pick out that person that is interesting for me. It feels like yelling on a square that I don't have a job and spend my time irritating people. The benefit with Twitter is that you can select not to listen to some persons. The tab in my browser says I have 8 new tweets from the people I selected to listen to. I did not find those people via twitter but i.e. via Linked In

I can agree that networking is important, but it should not take loads of time. You have to do your job and you have to do the live networking as well.
Have you seen those people on Linked In with more than 8000 connections. Don't tell me that those person know every single human being behind a connection let alone in person. How is that connection a benefit for them and for me? What is the value of this kind of networks?

This is another reason why Linked In never will become as big as FB. It's a professional network and the networks are small due to the need of knowing the people in you network.

[Sam Diener]

@Jayne.... great comment.. You know, it's interesting... I tend to use linked-in in a pair of blue jeans and facebook in my pajamas. Do you think that possibly this is the generation-y shift? Eg. Now business casual is the new business formal?

Samuel

[Jayne Holland]

It's the Quizzes, and the Games....But mostly it's the Teenagers!!!! Most likely Billions of them all on Facebook, all at the same time, all of the time. My teenage son "chats" on Facebook Constantly, Concurrently, and Continuingly! (Although they do seem to have a small window for sleep between 4:00am and 6:00am).

For myself, I'll compare it this way...
- Facebook is like a comfy pair of blue jeans or maybe my favourite yoga pants.
- LinkedIn is like I have to fix my hair, makeup and be at least business casual.
- Twitter is for quick personal and business updates, but mostly to watch celebrities argue with each other... (I'm just kidding about that, well, kind of....)

Of the three, I've found LinkedIn to be the most useful to me in my career and business for the last 3 years. I would never have met some of the delightful colleagues and friends I now know, and it's the most efficient medium to share information, resources and conversely use as a search tool as well. I don't know how we "did business" without it!

[Sue Leonard]

I have had a Facebook page for only a short amount of time, and have not fully come to understand the purpose of it. I hope that there is something more valuable in it for businesses, than just being one big mutual admiration society.For now, I will continue my Facebook presence and stay with the current trend!I do have many new friends!

[Mark. B Johnston]

Facebook is a social network. Therefore people use it for fun. And everyone LOVES fun. But LinkedIn is for business. Serious business. Now while I agree that the difference between a social network and a professional network is only in our heads, that is still a significant difference.
Twitter is completely different. I think (but I'm not as sure of this as with my Facebook theory) that the restrictiveness of Twitter prevents its more widespread use. Both the 140 character limit and the fact that it is almost exclusively for mobile devices (which are not as ubiquitous (yet) as you might think).
Your solution seems to be to promote LinkedIn to our friends. But professional contacts are not the same thing as social contacts. As long as LinkedIn is thought of as a business-only enterprise (which I hope it remains) it will never be as popular as Facebook. Personal is FUN, business is not.

[Chrystal Forkan]

I have to agree with most of what was said. I actually resisted doing Facebook at first because I considered it a time-waster. Would I enjoy fiddling around with the different gadgets and games? Probably. But I have to work some time, so I pick and choose my time-wasters :)

[Toni Lanier]

I totally agree with you. Great explanation of the differentiation among the three networking sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook).

[Barbara Sharp]

interesting conversation. I joined Linkedin for professional networking and to listen to other ideas and to gain a wider scope of that same professional information. I am a member of Facebook to stay in touch with friends or to be part of my nieces lives. I see the sites as quite different.

[EliasD]

While there is some truth to the article. The fact is each tool/site is used for almost completely different purpose. LinkedIn is more of a resume/professional exposure tool. Now there are pretty good group creation/management. I would think that this is seen as business networking/discussion. Twitter is great in delivering quick messages, there has been many companies that had great success with it providing offers/promos for those interested. Considering it's very short concept. Facebook is a different beast all together. From a professional stand point, I would not use it, but to see information IF YOU ARE a FACEBOOK user, then yes, it does expose you to it. But by no mean, would I say that it's the only way.

[John Panico]

Wow, I am surprised to hear creative types dump on Twitter.

Not to discount any of the larger social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or YouTube (that is correct, it is a social network), but twitter is a force to be reckoned with.

So, if all you are looking at is size, then you really don't get it. Because like alot of things, it is what you can do with it more so than the total volume that makes an impact.

Yes, if you have a larger pool to draw from, you have more opportunities. But our those opportunities less because they come from a smaller one?

You act as if all 350 million people on Facebook respond to you. So whether you are on LinkedIn, FaceBook or twitter, the only thing that matters is your distribution reach. 350 million people? Doesn't mean anything if you have only 10 friends/followers.

I do believe that it is a little more challenging creating a specific targeted group on twitter than say Facebook or participating in a LinkedIn group. That could be viewed as either an upside or not depending if you are building your brand or just looking to push a myriad of products/services.

My associates have done business as a result of Facebook. I have had some opportunities here, but nothing has formalized itself yet. But I can say that business comes to me regularly as a result of twitter.

Thanks for listening. Looking forward to the dialogue.

John Panico
twitter.com/johnpanico

[Mike S]

Very good post. Let's not forget that facebook still has the huge advantage of having been in existence for 6 something years now, with twitter still a nascent application compared to facebook. Once people figured out that facebook can serve an important social purpose (ability to get in touch with old acquaintances, etc...) it took off. Before that it sort of fell into that "this is just a way for people to make trite observations" sort of perception.

With twitter, i think the vast majority of people still see it as what facebook was early on, that is a mindless social tool without any real use. Of course this isn't true, as i now use it as my real time news source. If people can see twitter for what it is and embrace it for specific uses or interests in their lives (hobbies, activism, current events...) then more popularity will follow ala facebook.

[Scott]

Mark, I must be weird... I actually find Linkedin more facinating than Facebook. I love business, I love learning, and I love meeting interesting people. And I definately agree with you that Linkedin should remain business oriented.

[Mary]

Interesting article! I believe that all 3 are communication (networking) vehicles/tools which were begun with specific intents of either personal or business networking. I have heard talks given at networking events recently pushing for more utilization of Facebook (and Twitter) for a business purpose. I have a good friend and real estate agent who uses it for just that. Regardless of whether 1 or all 3 are chosen by an individual, I believe it's what you do with the connections that determines outcomes moving forward i.e. whether you really develop a relationship with that person you met at a networking event, perhaps helping them with a sales or job lead and later they'll work to do the same for you.........................

[Ron Jacques]

Sam:

My percentages mentioned are based upon the statistics that I get from Linkedin about my personal network which spans about 5 million people through the third degree (about 10% of everyone curently on Linkedin). It may be somewhat skewed due to my personal network but I believe that it is a fairly good representation of Linkedin's total subscriber content.

True, if 50% of all subscribers are foreign to the US and 50% are HR/Recruiters, that can then suggest that the remaining 25% are other professionals who are using it for communication, professional development, networking, job search or social reasons. This would further suggest that of the supposed 50 million accounts on Linkedin, about 12.5 million are "other" professionals compared to the 300 million on Facebook. Quite a difference being 25:1.

[Sam Diener]

Wow - Ron .... I had no idea that half of the linked-inners were in India. I had a feeling, but wasn't sure.

I am not so sure I agree with the only people making use of it being hr and people from India though. It would not make any sense for people to only use these if they are looking for a job.

Then HR people would have no reason to use it.

Sam

[Ron Jacques]

Sam:

Interesting thoughts. Do you realize that half of all Linkedin accounts are based in India. Also of all the accounts on Linkedin half are HR/Recruiters.
This may explain some of the reasons for slow growth. Foreign folks are using it as a tool to expand their knowledge, connections and business relationships to the currently largest economy in the world (US), while HR folks are using it as a cheaper way to find talent outside of Monster and Careerbuilder.

Many professionals here in the US aren't necessarily concerned about their jobs going overseas because they are service based and services will always need people. Granted, things like tech support can be moved anywhere due to the power of the Internet as we have already seen, but for the most part, all government, state and town level employees don't have to worry about off-shoring. Neither do service or hospitality types, medical, education or even retired folks. So how many professionals does that now leave?

Unlike professionals like myself (manufacturing career) who really care about our trade imbalance and the whole manufacturing based economy theory, many folks have no use for Linkedin because it adds no value to their careers other than as a place to pick the brains of other professionals in like industries to perform tasks such as benchmarking, best practices or problem resolution.
And do people in the above mentioned professional areas really focus a whole lot on improvement by using the tools mentioned prior. NO, they don't. So why struggle with the reasons as to why they don't use Linkedin. Face it, the only folks who really take advantage of Linkedin other than Indian and HR folks are ones who have to worry about improvement, talking to peers and who are concerned with making whatever they do better.

Maybe this could help shed some light on Linkedin's slower growth. I think its a great tool for me and I use it daily but for others, it holds no value unlike Facebook which is personal and knows no boundaries, has no agendas and doesn't care if anything gets better. Facebook is an escape from the daily grind, Linkedin is a professional tool with a somewhat social flavor. They are radically different beings.

[Sam Diener]

Shawn Cassidy .... those are great videos. I have to be honest, I am not sure I like the way Mark Zuckerburg comes across on camera....

[Sam Diener]

Darlene - Why thank you for commenting. Certainly I wish you the best of luck in the contest!

[Darlene Sabella]

Sam it took me hours to scroll down to find a place to make my comment, boy you are rock-in. LOL Seriously, I am so sick of facebook I could scream, but I'm connected to all three, maybe it is a writer thing? Facebook is everyone playing midless games, this is the baby boomers who are no longer working, I do like linkin and your right I have never invited the people I know, so I will get in gear...Oh, by the way, please take a look at my posts...

[Joanne Chiocchi]

Sam, I just can't understand that with all that is going on in the world, including the economy, the war, healthcare, the unstable political climate, just to name a few major, critical issues, that people seem to be so cavalier about their career, future and business networking.

I, for one, have been a casualty of this unstable economy twice and actively pursuing a job. Additionally, even when I was employed, I always enjoyed and benefited from attending conferences and seminars. Now, in the age of technology, we have the luxury of networking and learning in the comfort of our own homes. One would think that people would welcome this wonderful opportunity and there would be more members participating in business networking groups than in the cyber social scene.

Perhaps, for some people, social networking is a psychological escape from what is happenning in the world??? However, where is this economy and country, in general, going if the vast majority of the people are putting their heads in the sand?

This is a great topic, Sam. There is so much more that can be read into these issues, analyzed and discussed.

Thank you.
Joanne

[Shaun Cassidy]

I am in agreement with Michael W Cerkas

Reid Hoffman (founder of Linkedin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIcj44LISbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXcWXiHgTZQ
interviews with YouTube CEO Chad Hurley and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

listen to these interviews then compare

[Carl-Magnus Fogelholm]

This discussion clearly has opened my eys in that LinkedIn is the forum I need for my proffessional contacts and FB just for wider networking. On the other hand FB has many useful special forums where you can change wievs with proffessinals too. I was in fact recommended FB by my son who has made a succesfull career in web business. Note that I have been on FB only since one month and at LinkdIn for only two weeks. I am born in 1940 which may explain my personal wiev a little!

[CathyWebSavvyPR]

I'm not so sure that size matters as much as you think.

Facebook started in early 2004, Twitter started in 2006 - so Facebook has a headstart there. Facebook also started with a "built-in" target market that was already connected - the college and university scene. This helped spur FB early growth. (Also, although they boast 300M users it is more like 150M daily/weekly users I believe). LinkedIn started in 2003, but has always played it conservative - suggesting quality over quantity of connections, and they have been much slower to adopt third party tools (with their recent API project, look for rapid changes/addoption there).

Each site, as many above have articulated, has it's own uses, and varying (and often changing) demographics. Twitter's growth has been fast, but it is not as intuitive as FB - the media perception that it is about "what I had for dinner," doesn't help. Once you show them the possibilities - they "get it" sooner.

And I think that most of us ARE out there trying to get our friends to use all of these services. But for some of my clients with limited time to network, we focus first on the one that best fits their needs and customer demographics, then move out from there.

And as for numbers, I'll take quality of connections over quantity any day. I find all three networks to be intriguing, useful and powerful connection tools - each with its own unique flavor - I wonder what the next cool flavor to come along will be?

[Shaun Cassidy]

I am in agreement with Michael W Cerkas

Reid Hoffman (founder of Linkedin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIcj44LISbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXcWXiHgTZQ
interviews with YouTube CEO Chad Hurley and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

listen to these interviews then compare

[Sam Diener]

@Brian I CERTAINLY AGREE!!!! Obviously from this, everyone wants to socialize!!!!

[Joanne Chiocchi]

I agree with your comments about Facebook (FB) being a "social networking" site. I have a FB account, however I see FB as a "keep in touch", exchange vacation photos, social networking site. LinkedIn is a site that caters to the career oriented, business-minded folks who wish to exchange professional and goal-oriented information and ideas. In addition, I believe it is totally acceptable to belong to all three sites; FB, Twitter and LinkedIn (I do) as each site has a venue of it's own.

However, upon discussion with some exclusive FB users, I conclude that they do not see their career as a priority in their life.

I am having a great networking experience on LinkedIn and mentioned the site to a few people. A strange phenomenon took place; they rolled their eyes back and looked at me like some people do if you tell them that you don't have a FB account.

Clearly, many people are more interested in socializing then business networking. Perhaps it is a "sign of the times". We all have our own priorities.

Thanks for sharing that great article!

Joanne

[Nat]

I use all three. I use Facebook at home for fun. I enjoy pictures from my high school year book, my high school reunion, etc. I would like to point out one obvious difference in the three sites ----- AGE. On Facebook, I connect with my younger cousins as well as my retired parents, co-workers, friends, aunts and uncles, etc. Employment is not a prerequisite for having a Facebook account.

I follow most of the astronauts on Twitter as a result of NASA's "Tweet Up" event.

LinkedIn is strictly for business connections and as pointed out earlier, due to age, disability or simply unemployment, not all of my Facebook contacts have careers.

[Brian Pomeroy]

Everybody wants to socialize, nobody wants to work.

[Melinda]

I think its great that LinkedIn has integrated Twitter. I use both. It has made "branding" a little easier and time spent more efficient (important to professionals).

I feel like many in this conversation---LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook have different target markets and slightly different objectives. LinkedIn=Business, Twitter=Emerging Trends, Facebook=Fun.

Growth is great, but being the biggest doesn't always mean your accomplishing your mission if you forego your niche. Product differentiation is what gives the consumer choices and what companies use to compete.

I have followers on Twitter that I'm connected to on LinkedIn. If I joined Facebook, they would probably be my friend too! All are about social networking but networking is about meeting new and different people. Offline people are social in different venues (golf course, soccer field, dance class, car club, church, festivals, etc.) the same is true Online.

My preference is LinkedIn and I encourage others in my professional network to join.

[Sam Diener]

@Tripta Thank you

@Jim A -- I wish I was being ACTIVELY contacted by REAL recruiters on linked-in. I have only heard from a handful of recruiters for REAL positions.... I wonder why everything is MLM on there...

[Sam Diener]

@clifford --- Thank you very much for sharing your site... I will certainly check it out!

[Dinesh]

Great Insight on Social Medias.
Response to the post too are knowledge sharing.

I created account at FB, Linked-In And Twitter for getting Business leads.

Linkedin Is far ahead in getting contacts and is truly for Business Community.

New Added feature at linkedIn is that you can Tweet with LinkedIn Account itself.

Cordially,

-Dinesh

[Sam Diener]

@kellie, @tim --- Thanks for your posts earlier

[Sam Diener]

@jonminger .... I think linked in should stay seperate, but they just released an API and twitter is now involved.... it will be interesting,

[Rich DeMatteo]

While surely I agree with you completely why Twitter and Linkedin are smaller than Facebook, I think I like it that way.

Here is my logic:

Facebook composes a list of all of my great friends that I've met in person, as well as my online network of career professionals. My Facebook is still pretty 'fun', but I do monitor it more than I used to because I've introduced professionals into the mix. I'm also an HR man, so I understand the value of keeping things PG when possible.

Twitter is wonderful for me because I only follow professionals that have relevance to what i do. The same goes for my followers. If a bunch of my friends joined Twitter they'd probably get nothing out of following me, and vice versa. Sure, each person can find value in Twitter, but I'm doing just great without all of my friends joining. Let's be honest here, people that are profound in their profession have found themselves on twitter already. If you are someone, you most likely have put yourself on twitter by this time. I don't need Facebooks 350 million users on Twitter, to me its quality over quantity.

Linkedin I'd love everyone to join. On Linkedin the more connections you have, the more people you are connected to. I do not used Linkedin for information, it simply for business connections and contacts. If everyone I knew joined Linkedin, I could pick and choose who I associate myself with, and who I'd rather not be connected to.

Facebook = HS reunion
Twitter = Laid Back Networking Reception with some beer
Linkedin = Strictly Business Networking Reception

Great post, Sam. Love what you do, what you write, and I love your blog, but I'm all in favor of everyone staying off Twitter and leaving it to the people that matter most to me.

[Spencer]

I think the reason Facebook has spread so much faster is because it is much more interactive (and mindless). There are so many things you can do on FB that you cannot on LinkedIn and Twitter (games, quizzes, apps, etc.) I think LinkedIn doesn't have as many users because it is for business people looking to network and frankly not everyone wants to do that. Lots of people just want to hop on Facebook to see what their friends are up to. Having said that, I really like that LinkedIn is not flooded with everyone. The people on here have a purpose. What do you guys think?

[Israel Garcia]

Hi Sam,

I think you pushed one of the hot buttons of Social Media.I share same views as you. In fact, I've posted something related to it that might help to understand a little better why Facebook don't. In regards with true purposes of facebook from my point of view, of course. http://wp.me/pwvSB-41
Hope this helps

[pnkearns]

I have to disagree with you.

Facebook is social and family contacts. It also is graphics intensive in shared images, icons, posting walls, etc. The thrust is contacts for social reasons, keeping in touch, finding old friends, sharing feelings and share photos/images.

LinkIn is business contacts. As a result, the website itself is text oriented, resume oriented and more like this blog format for groups. The number of images and photos are limited. The website thrust is to bring together groups based a common business interest or business background. LinkIn assumes a business social decorum in its postings. Posting your personal feelings on LinkIn is considered bad business social practice.

Twitter is more immediate friends and fan gossip. It is more of a hit with friends that want to connect immediately for some reason (sort of a modern beeper or way to oranize an meeting/event), or younger people that like to gossip, sort of a modern high school hallway gossip. In this manner, it plays well with celebrities and their fans, e.g. Ashton Kutcher. It does not pley well with business executives. What business executive would want 50 twitters a day to disrupt meetings?

Hence your question on populations are easy to understand.

[Stefanie Blackburn]

I personally use all three tools, Facbook, Linkedin and Twitter. I agree 100% that in general Linkedin is better for business connections, however Facebook can be used as well for business.

Restaurants, Retail and other consumer facing businesses do better marketing on Facebook with Fan pages than they would do on Linkedin because of who their target market is - the consumer.

I personally use Facebook primarily for personal connections, however I do maintain a few fan pages and the reason for these is to connect and generate business with the target market.

[Kerry Inserra]

Good post. I use all three for very different reasons. FB is strictly for socializing (for now anyway). LinkedIn is my professional persona. I like to keep the two separate. It's important to try and maintain some sense of separation and privacy between work and home life. Twitter is an adjunct to FB and Linkedin. There is only so much time in the day and I want to live life too, not just hear about what others are doing. Finding balance amongst all these great networking platforms is key. FB has a much wider audience due to it's emphasis on "socializing" whereas LinkedIn is mainly for professionals (which excludes most 18 and under folks (a big portion of FB's audience) and the non-working population. LinkedIn has done an excellent job of expanding its features to include all types of "groups" whereby one can dialogue and discuss relevant issues. It's a great learning and networking tool.

[Jon Waldman]

Sam,

The reaction I get to Twitter is the same you get. I'm new to Linked in (maybe 6 months or so).

Here's why i think each haven't attracted the attention they deserve:

Twitter - Twitter has the reputation built in nearly from the beginning that it was going to be filled by mindless posts like "I brushed my teeth with Crest instead of Colgate". Why? Because the populous viewed it as nothing more than an open field for those who already felt it was so important to update their FB statuses with useless info. Now they could broadcast this message to the masses!

Twitter's time will come. Tweens and teens will tire of it and move on to a new social fad, leaving those who want their news headlines and quick real opinions behind to enjoy the program and its true value. You need only look at the boom, bust and echo of the Internet's populous infancy to see how everyone went from having a website to domains now being dominated by professional organizations.

As for LinkedIn, the problem here is that there is little that can be seen on the surface that separates it from the Zoominfo's of the world, which are automatic reference sites that scour the 'net for your name and make a connection to other people through commonalities (such as working for the same company).

LinkedIn's profile can only be raised by encouraging the recognition of the value of its professionalism and great tools that professionally-minded groups like this one have. I've already used LinkedIn for crowd sourcing and have encouraged others in my office to do the same.

I wrote an article a couple months back on social networking for a local business pub. check it out here: http://www.marketplacemagazine.ca/index.php/summer-2009-facebucks.html

[Sam Diener]

@phi delta 364.... Thanks for stopping by. Once again.... Twitter is NOT about what you ate for dinner or.... who you just slept with. I mean, certainly if you want to do that, then awesome. What about being able to text message oprah winfrey. I think that is pretty kick ass. Or I am always looking to talk to Dr. Phil

[Tim Angbrandt]

Hi Sam:

I'm surprised that LinkedIn isn't bigger, but that would be a current advantage for the job seekers that are listed on the site. I just read an article indicating that about 50% of hiring managers are actively using LinkedIn for recruiting. I have had a number of recruiters contact me through my LinkedIn profile.

[Tripta Prashar]

Interesting reads. I use all three - facebook, twitter and linkedin. They're all great to connect people globally both for personal and professional reasons and reach out to all audiences. I do find most of the people connected on facebook use it mainly for personal usage. Having said that, my business has made the younger people (who wouldn't have a linkedin account) more aware of our brand. All in all - all 3 are top for me. :-)

[Clifford Jones]

Good points. Some people can be inherently lazy. It is about being social and building relationships over time by being "you." Check out my recent posts on social media and networking at http://www.wealthnetpartners.com/blog. There are millions of people still not being social enough. And that's their business. Not mine.

[Sam Diener]

@mike Cerkas..... one of the things that concerns me is that Linked-In has been around LONGER than facebook, and has nowhere NEAR the same market share......

[Sam Diener]

@mike I always knew you hated people. Remember when you were desperately single and used facebook every day during your college years. Remember Tiny Lauren and that other girl? What was her name? Now you are like married and I am desperately single. Go figure.

In any case Twitter is only boring if you follow the WRONG PEOPLE..... thats what I am SAYING!

Sex does sell.... so are you saying someone could get much more powerful connections by putting up a REALLY REALLY sexy linked in photo?

Sam

[Tim Anglim]

The proof is in the doing. Does LinkedIn do better at connecting those in need (i.e., a business owner) to those who can fill that need (a competent professional) vs. Facebook or Twitter? From what I can see, LinkedIn wins hands down. But the world is ever changing. So that business edge could change as well.

[Kellie]

I think the difference is in the 'way' people want to network. I belong to LinkedIn for professional networking and discussion that keeps me current or provides an opportunity to obtain other professional's opinions on issues. I wouldn't belong to Facebook because I see that more as a networking that is simply to socialize and have fun. That's not my interest - so while LinkedIn may not be as 'popular' as Facebook, the reason I chose one over another was due to the type of people and information I want to connect with.
I notice that this comment has been made previously in different words; but that's my two cent's worth.

[Jon Minger]

I totally agree with everyone in that LinkedIn is more of a business network with a greater professionalism attached. I would like to see LinkedIn stay apart from the other social networks in that the quality will stay the way it is and has been.

[Phi Delta 364]

You touch on a good point Sam, and I'd have to say that your explanation does play a part in my nonuse of twitter, but really the main reason is that I don't see the point of it. I don't need to know what this person ate for dinner or what colors this person's socks are today. Even if I did want to, the same messages can be found in people's facebook statuses.

Linked-in on the other hand, seems like it would be much more valuable. I simply haven't had the time or the inclination to update it. That one I think doesn't get as much publicity as it should mainly because young people aren't as focused on bettering their careers as they should be.

My two cents. Keep up the good work and hopefully you'll stop by Baltimore sometime so we can catch up.

[Gina]

I don't have a FB account, but I do have a Twitter and LinkedIn account. I came to LinkedIn for business purposes and to Twitter for the same but to reach more people in a casual environment. I do think that FB is a more social network for seeing what friends are doing and finding people. There are some people that I don't want finding me. And those that I am friends with, I would rather do it the old fashioned way and talk on the phone or in person. I think it's great that everyone is in communication but there is much less intimacy now as a result of all of the social networking. Strange.
LinkedIn is definitely more business oriented and Twitter is both business and social but less intimidating than LinkedIn. To me, LinkedIn has more invisible boundaries. You have a chance of being rejected, where on Twitter you can follow anyone. Once I got past the creepy connotation that the word "follow" can sometimes carries along with it, it's actually fun.

[Melissa]

Your ignoring the way that users use the different sites. I love both Facebook and Linked In. Linked In has features that are simply invaluable for a business professionals. I would never try to do the same things with Facebook, for many reasons. And Linked In works WONDERFULLY for the tasks I use it for (i.e. finding someone in my network with knowledge of a specific product, person, company; posting job annoucements in a professional manner; finding job applicants, keeping track of who is working where, so on and so forth) I would never try to do these things with Facebook 1) because it doesn't work nearly as well for these purposes and 2) my social network really could care less about these types of things and frankly, I'd like to keep it that way as I don't want my Facebook friends to start bombarding me with their daily work tasks either.

[Michael Cerkas]

LinkedIn differentiates itself by its exclusive focus on business. I don't believe you can even compare Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. It's like trying to compare a mercedes with a smart car. The only thing they have in common is five wheels (tires and a steering wheel). The similarities end there. LinkedIn is much the same. The only thing in common with Facebook and MySpace is that they are internet-based social networks. Drastically different audiences (age, education, profession), uses, and content.

In my view, LinkedIn is the absolutely, most professionally oriented (and used) social networking tool available. It currently has the largest market share of professionals / audience. Likewise, it is picking up momentum in the business world by partnerships with Microsoft, Twitter, Blackberry, Palm, the US Government (White House), Palm, IBM, CNBC, the New York Times... Well, hopefully, you get the picture and see the trend. Again, we're looking at apples and oranges here.

Anyone else have thoughts on this subject? Please join in and contribute.

[Mike]

SamDienerMan,

I think you've failed to mention a really strong detail regarding the popularity of certain Internet sites. Sex sells. Facebook was originally implemented from College to College, one by one, using a student's valid university e-mail address as a form of identity (whereas that hot chick on MySpace is more likely to be a 50 year old man). Lets be honest, you first started facebook to check out whether that girl in front of you from your Biology class was actually single or not. Then you wanted to know her friends so you could ask them about her. Later on, facebook added the photo album feature, now you had a reason to go back to the site each day. You wanted to know how Nancy looked in her miniskirt at the club. It was an addiction. Best of all, "everybody does it" so you're not the compulsive psycho as seen on tv.

Twitter is boring. Why do I care knowing when my friend is taking a dump or reading a book? Twitter doesn't really use pictures, its just words, I hate reading. Its also more active than passive. If I really want to know what my friends are doing without calling them, I'll go to facebook at my own will, not have my phone getting lit up with tweets all day. I truly think Facebook will eventually engulf Twitter and they will no longer be separate entities.

Why doesn't Linked-In have as many users? What does Linked-In provide that Facebook doesn't? In fact, what does Twitter provide that Facebook doesn't? I want the whole package together. Plus, so far, I haven't been successful getting a girl to hook up with me from Linked-In, something about me being unprofessional...

In reality, I hate people and wish all 3 would go away. :)

[Debra Zimmer]

LinkedIn actually gets really interesting once you open your network to those you DON'T know. The bigger the network the more useful LinkedIn becomes. When I kept it to people I knew, I found it pretty useless as most of them didn't use it much. Now that I am an open networker I am making all kinds of useful contacts with smart and interesting people.

I find LinkedIn more useful than Twitter because I get too much spam on Twitter.

The other issue is that Facebook is fun because it is all social and catching up and connecting with people who have touched my life. It has not been so much about creating new connections because then I have to worry about protecting personal information about my family and kids.

And, I know that some school districts have actually recommended their teachers NOT be on Facebook as it poses problems when students want to "friend" teachers or parents "friend" teachers. If there is a photo posted with he teacher holding a beer, they've been told it could cost their job. Life gets complicated when you start mixing the boundaries of some of these personal and professional relationships.

[Laurie Neumann]

Well, here's another one who is NOT on Facebook. I do not need to socialize on the internet - I can do that in person.

The reason I am on Linkedin and Twitter is for business purposes, but in all honesty, have not really seen a benefit.

[Sam Diener]

Ms. Stinson.... I understand where you are coming from. I barely use it myself. Actually as I write this, Mark Zuckerburg just announced that Facebook has 350 million users now. By the way, I ran the calculations, that's somewhere around 4% of the world population. A TON of people don't use facebook.

But to preserve my normal style of humour:

WHAT YOU DON't USE FACEBOOK!?

[Margie Stinson]

Sam: Guess what? You are now "speaking" to a person NOT on Facebook! Contrary to what you believe, not everyone is on Facebook. Some of us simply don't see the benefit and don't want to be "found" by people who knew us 20 years ago and who have drifted out of our lives (sometimes for very good reasons). The electronic age is great, but does not replace face-to-face, email or direct written communications. Facebook is simply a convenience, even a fad, that will be replaced by something else soon. We all don't want to spend hours a day blabbing on Facebook only to have someone post a not-so-appealing photo of us at some long-forgotten event. No thanks!

Margie Stinson

[Sam Diener]

@Craig LIONS are so you can build a HUGE network to LOOK at every blog post you write. Other than that, I am not so sure of their effectiveness.

SNF.... love it..... Your blog is quite awesome. Good thoughts last night btw.

[Craig]

I think another part of the reason is SNF:

http://www.lohad.com/?p=2503

Plus, two other points: (1) Facebook may have 300 million users, but how many of those are ACTIVE users? I'm guessing that a higher percentage of total LinkedIn users are active (i.e. daily, or twice-weekly, usage). The percentage on Twitter is probably higher still. (2) Many active Facebook users probably look at Twitter and Facebook and say, "Why bother? It's redundant to what I'm doing on Facebook."

@MattyMat's point on quality vs. quantity is well taken, too. LinkedIn LIONs? I just don't get it.

[Sam Diener]

I would LOVE to connect with my mother. She is SO connected. Better than I am... well, maybe not. I would actually think the OPPOSITE. Even though I do connect with my mother on Facebook, I probably shouldn't. I am 25. She probably shouldn't be privied (sp?) to my happenings ALL the time.

Correct that quality trumps quantity... But certainly you don't have to invite your email list. Its a simple task that would take 20 minutes based on you clicking who you want to invite.

Also, for some people, there closest friends are the ones who share professional interests!

What do you think?

Sam

[MattyMat]

Sam-- Although some of your points are well taken-- I still think you're emphasizing the "quantity" of people in your network versus the "quality" -- which lends itself to the "popularity contest" aspect of these social media sites. I would go to Dice LONG before I go to Facebook or LinkIn to look for IT professionals-- mainly because Dice has established a reputation that has lasted-- and that's where the majority of highly skilled, technical and IT candidates post thier resumes. I've tried the Twitter's, LinkIn, Facebook, etc. and I've rarely been able to match up requirements to skills as much as the traditional Monster, CB, or Dice. And if I do find someone on these sites??-- the likelyhood of them looking for work or even getting back to me is slim to none most of the time.

But I'm not looking for sales or admin positions either-- my clients are looking for needles in a haystack most of the time.