There is a school of thought and many blog posts out there about the idea of one master profile that merges our professional and personal profiles in one place. It will essentially be you all wrapped up in one hefty online package.
While many feel as though they can be separate, others see that view as naïve.
I once held that view, but it was misguided.
That became apparent a while back. As the Facebook friend requests rolled in, I was seeing my cousins, the wife of my husband’s former boss, colleagues from two moons ago, my boss, his boss, my former bosses, my work acquaintances, ex-boyfriends from high school and even a former nemesis or two. Talk about a wild mixture. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s happening on almost every platform I use.
So, as I began to combine applications and import feeds from other social media platforms I started to think that those people who know me personally will have no interest in my professional blog, my live tweets from various conferences or what I’m experiencing in the workplace and that is largely what I discuss and share. For me, professional is about 75% and personal may be 25%.
So while I did fret over it a bit at first now I realize that it’s up to them to filter my content based on their level of interest, not the other way around. That’s my stance and I’m sticking to it.
When I asked the question out in the twitterverse, I received the following replies: The question, again, is:
Can professional and personal social media strategies successfully coexist?
@akenn: “Isn’t that what personal brand is all about?”
@techherding: “I have yet to find it to be soe.”
@marcapitman: “I’m finding a personal/professional split to feel more & more artificial. Are you?”
@tkpleslie: I think they can. I do it so far but always announce if something I tweet is for or about a client.
Based on that answer, I asked @tpkleslie if she used twitter for more personal than professional use.
Her response: “I use a little more for personal, but about even.”
What are your thoughts? Is this an imaginary split? I am feeling more and more like it exists only in the mind.
12 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 17, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Jeremy
I’ve been putting a LOT of thought into this lately. I like the idea of using social media to bring new people to my websites, but that often requires I bring myself into the circle as part of the ‘brand’ — something I’d never intended to do.
Twitter is the big one for me. I’ve recently seen Twitter used in an interesting mix of personal and professional, and I’m taking notes and trying to embrace that concept. I think the blurring between our professional image of ourselves, and this social/public/non-work side will be interesting to watch as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn become even more popular.
December 17, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Janet Clarey
Hi Angela-
I’ve struggled with this too. I like your stance that it’s up to the individual to filter content not the content creator. It’s kind of like leaving the room because I don’t like someone’s view of something or I just don’t want to hear what they have to say. I just struggle with what non-business friends think of me. This may sound insecure but I get a bit uneasy with what I write (one really shouldn’t worry about what others think). What will my husband/brother-in-law/boss/co-worker/acquaintance think of this? However, once you put your life ‘out there’ there really is no turning back. It just becomes a big blur of ‘I like your new kitchen/how is knowledge management vs. social media/I’m procrastinating today.
December 17, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Jennifer
Interesting post. At first thought I thought yes it is possible and then I thought more about my personal habits and how I adapt.
I would say my facebook is 75% personal and 25% professional. Twitter slants the other way with posts on professional matters more common than personal. Neither is 100% on way or the other but I do see trends.
My networks are composed of both professional and personal contacts. I have seen benefits in this that you can learn things that benefit your professional life from people in your social life who did not expect to have knowledge/contacts in certain areas. The opposite is often true. This provides a way to develop relationships with people in ways that might not have been possible.
December 17, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Angela Connor
@Jeremy: I think a lot ofp eople are putting thought into this now as we all see that it will mesh no matter how much we try to distinguish the two. It’s definitely something to watch.
@Janet Clarey: I find it perfectly understandable to care what your non-business friends think of you. it sounds like you may have to find a way to reconcile that though. Otherwise it will eat at you and I think we all are starting to agree to some extent that we cannot control this. they will merge.
@Jennifer: You seem to have already come to terms with this and enjoy the benefits. i wonder what it’s like though for someone who really goes out of their way to separate or even those who fail to get involved because they don’t think they can.
December 18, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Bryan Person
I throw it all in together, Angela. My personal brand is a mix of my personal and professional interests — from online communities and social media to baseball and breakfast. Not everyone in my more personal network (family, pre-social media friends, old college classmates, etc.) is necessarily interested in my professional work, and vice-versa.
But sometimes, I’m surprised. For example, a couple of weeks ago someone I hadn’t seen or talked to since high school e-mailed me after stumbling across my blog (or Facebook profile) and mentioned her company was looking for help with developing a social media strategy. So … you just never know.
Plus, isn’t personal part of business?
Bryan Person | @BryanPerson
LiveWorld
December 18, 2008 at 10:15 pm
keeping it real, but how real? | Facttactic's online journal
[...] Can professional and personal social media strategies successfully coexist? [...]
December 19, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Dick Carlson
Just to clarify my original comment (aka “TechHerding”) what I meant was that I really don’t feel that I can blog lots of personal stuff as WELL as do professional blogging.
I feel that pretty much every single word that I put on the web is “professional”, in that potential clients/employers/partners might see it and use it to evaluate whether they want to work with me. So I have to view everything that I say or post in that light.
While I envy some of the bloggers who are (right now) in a comfortable employment situation where they can pretty much say anything they want online, I wonder what will happen in ten or twenty years when they want to run for office, open a daycare, adopt a child, or do something in their life that might subject them to scrutiny from others who have a “search” button.
Once it’s on the Net, it’s forever.
December 19, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Bryan Person
@Dick:
I certainly do keep in mind that my so-called personal tweets should be at a particular standard, too, because everything is searchable and discoverable.
But I’m not really getting at that. What I am saying is that I can comfortably talk some of my personal interests (a Red Sox game that I’m watch, a good novel that I’m reading, etc.) right alongside my Twitter posts about best practices for community building. All of that makes up who I am!
Bryan Person | @BryanPerson
December 21, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Nicky Jameson
I started my various Social Networking activites at different times. Hence my Facebook and Linked in are separate (with some crossover because I know some people both personally and professionally). I don’t see the need for all my professional contacts to know what I am doing every minute of the day and so I filter accordingly. My private life is my private life and not up for consumption unless I choose for it to be.
On Twitter it’s a mix, however mostly professional. My business blog is professional (and linked to Twitter), and a I have personal blog that I simply refer to and don’t tweet about.
I have made great business contacts through Twitter so I need to have a reason to bore them with personal statuses as I do on Facebook
And I’m not particularly interested in what anyone had for breakfast or dinner or tea 
I do tweet on a range of different things I am interested in… and it’s actually through that I’ve made some surprising contacts.
By the way on Facebook my friends seem to want to know what I am up to. I found that out when I ceased my status updates for a while. But then, I use FB for my personal stuff.
December 22, 2008 at 2:18 am
Alison Michalk
I think it’s becoming increasingly harder to seperate one’s personal & professional life, but it is wise to form some sort of plan about how you’ll use each tool. I have seen uni (college) students ask about this – it certainly wasn’t something I had to consider at the time!
I’m largely reiterating what many have said – I use Twitter largely for professional use.. of course with my own personality and sprinkles of personal input.
As for Facebook it is almost 95% personal – I do add colleagues and business-related people but often only to my limited profile. I don’t really want to subject them to regular updates on my baby’s development, but they can access relevant info & contact me etc. I find the limited profile a great option as you can still expand your network but eliminate any doubts about divulging personal (yet appropriate) info.
March 4, 2009 at 3:00 pm
utiputtomia
Excellent site blog.angelaconnor.com and I am really pleased to see you have what I am actually looking for here: this .. as it’s taken me literally 2 hours and 41 minutes of searching the web to find you (just kidding!) so I shall be pleased to become a regular visitor
March 4, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Angela Connor
Karen: I’m happy to be at the end of your lengthy search. Nice to meet you. If you ever want advice on anything specific, you can find me on twitter as @communitygirl, or send me an e-mail. Also if you have ideas that you think I should blog about, please let me know.