Ah, Facebook – the great generational divide. Older than 50ish? Probably not comfortable using Facebook as part of your digital brand strategy. Younger? Probably wouldn’t consider NOT using it. The fact is that when I talk to younger clients about using Facebook as part of their digital persona, the focus is more on managing content. Even with strict security settings, people you know can cut and paste content and photos from your page. Your personal brand is public on Facebook, period.
When I discuss options for using Facebook with “mature” clients, about 80% say no. Not interested. The number one reason for not wanting to have a professional and/or personal profile on Facebook is that they really don’t have a clear understanding of who can see what. While not completely unjustified, it really isn’t any risker than LinkedIn if you keep your content targeted to highlight and develop your personal brand, your digital persona. I personally believe the distinction for these clients is largely a matter of mental perception: Facebook is social, LinkedIn is professional. To word it another way, Facebook is for “playing” and LinkedIn is for making serious professional contacts.
What do you think? Do you use Facebook as part of your online branding strategy? Do you have concerns about who might have access to your content? If you don’t mind throwing in an age range (20ish, 30ish, 50ish, etc) I’d love to include your comments in the data I am collecting. I’d really appreciate your comments. Any other comments relative to personal branding are welcome as well.
I’ll share what I hear in a later post. Thanks in advance for your input.