Is Social Networking Becoming Blurred?

Writing by Social Marketing Journal on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 Comments Off

I was invited to join another social networking site recently by a contact on yet another social networking site. I had a look at the site to see if it had anything to offer. I also looked at my contacts profile and list of contacts.

Recognize that name, and that name, oh yeah – I recognize them as well. It struck me that half the contacts in that profile where on the other social networking site. So I thought I would do a little research comparing the contacts on each of the social sites I frequent.

Around 15% of my contacts were common to all sites (we are talking six social networking/social media/social bookmarking sites). A further 27% were common on at least three sites and a whopping 52% were common on at least two sites. From that little survey I have only 6% of contacts that are unique – the rest are shared.

One of the difficulties you come across is repeated conversations. You see some comments and its, hang on, I have just finished discussing that – I want to move on. I want fresh news, fresh ideas, and fresh conversation. Not rehashes of the previous conversations.

There is of course a moral to this issue. Social networking is about networking. Sometimes you need to be brutal in who you allow in as contacts. I have seen in a handful of profiles statements to the effect that “if you are in my contacts on another social site, please do not be offended if I don’t accept your invitation here”. In other words, I want fresh faces here.

Some will be offended; however a new social networking site should be an introduction to a new group of individuals to network with. Have social networking contacts become blurred? Kinda reminds me of the old Venn diagrams from school – interlocking circles.

Comments Off                      Category: Social Networking                      

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Social Marketing Journal is a Blog that discusses all aspects of Social Media Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking and Reputation Management for the new and advanced reader.