Gus Svendsen

How to Leverage the Spectrum of Personal Relationships in Social Media

Posted by gussvendsen - 01/25/10 at 10:01:28 am

Clients always ask me about which social media tools they should use. They do not know how deeply they should engage or where they should invest their time. At the end of the day, an organization’s focus should be dictated by the level of personal relationships it wishes to cultivate.

Different social mediums foster different stages of personal relationship. Therefore, each type communicates a different relationship goal. Identify the type(s) of social media you use below and evaluate the message you are sending, in respect to personal relationships:

Website – I don’t know you, but I want you to know me.

Blog – I probably don’t know you, but since we share common interests, I would like to exchange ideas and possibly meet you.

Twitter – I know of you and like something about you. You may or may not know of me. Let’s see if there’s mutual interest.

LinkedIn – Due to shared work experiences, skills, or interests, we have come to know each other, but it’s strictly business.

Facebook - I know you and you know me personally, and we would like to stay in touch.

So which forms of Social Media are right for you?
If you prefer to keep your communication one-way, then a website is about as far as you should go.

If you want your audience to relate to the people and purpose of your organization without giving them direct access to employee contact information, then blogging is a great way to start the dialog. It’s a good way to meet new people as they participate in the public discussion. However, connecting with them on a personal level outside of your blog takes effort.

If you would like to become more approachable without losing control of how often people can communicate with you directly, Twitter is a great option. For example, celebrities have embraced Twitter to connect with their fans without obligating themselves to respond or divulge personal information.

If you would like to keep your relationship on a professional level, LinkedIn is the best tool. You may communicate directly with the people you know, but you could also reach out to others through groups and your existing contacts.

If you want to make it easy for friends and acquaintances to stay in touch with you, then connect with them on Facebook. Although you can still throttle your inward and outward messaging, it’s where you have the least concern about giving people access to your personal contact information and methods.

Social Media’s Relationship Trifecta
1. We follow each other on Twitter, plus…
2. We’re connected on LinkedIn, plus…
3. You’re my friend in Facebook
Note: With these three relationships in place, a person usually knows of or can access your blog and website.

I hope this helps you understand the personal dynamics of these popular social media outlets.

If you found this post interesting, please comment, RT, or share. Thanks!

9 Comments »

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1. How to Leverage the Spectrum of Personal Relationships in Social Media http://bit.ly/7LjwbZ #socialmedia via @gussvendsen

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   Trackback by Carole Hicks — January 26, 2010 #

6. How to: Spectrum of Personal Relationships in Social Media by @gussvendsen – http://bit.ly/64S1mS

   Trackback by Jason Spector — January 26, 2010 #

7. Thanks, I really do appreciate it!

   Comment by gussvendsen — January 26, 2010 #

8. Gus,

   Spot on as usual. I like the explanation of how different forms of social media provide increasing levels of intimacy.

   Let me throw you a little curve ball –

   What happens when a business, brand or individual ‘jumps ahead’ on your social media scale (for example, trying to start relationships with little known connections on Facebook?).

   No one has to start with a blog, or end on Facebook, but I like this post because it shines a light on the importance of understanding which networks to use based on your conversation goals.

   Great work!

   p.s. I’ve got a big announcement coming up this week — would be happy to let you in on it as a ‘first mover’

   Comment by Joe Mescher — January 29, 2010 #

9. Thanks, Joe.

   Good question. As far as jumping ahead, I do not necessarily see this as a process as much as a spectrum. You can jump in at any point of this spectrum if that is the kind of relationship you wish to cultivate. And you’re right, you certainly do not need to start with a blog or end on Facebook. It simply depends on your goals. At one end of the spectrum you have impersonal, public content, and at the other end, you’ve got personal dialog and some level of emotional engagement.

   Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cooking! I’d love to be considered as one of your first movers.

   Thanks!

   Comment by gussvendsen — February 1, 2010 #

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