Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Social Network Shorthand

Have you ever needed a quick analogy in a business or social situation that helps you explain what a social network concept is? I know I have - many times.

One of the most common questions I get is "What's Twitter?" And I've witnessed many experienced people explaining Twitter in more than a few sentences. I know, it's ironic that it's difficult to explain it in fewer than 140 characters. One of my descriptions is: "it's like group IM, a water cooler and market research, wrapped up in one."

But beyond that, when people begin comparing social networks - or more importantly, questioning the use of each - how can you discern them in a way that people can undertand quickly and easily? This is especially important, given that Facebook is becoming more Twitter-like.

While it's possible to have a profile on many sites, I concentrate my efforts on the triumverate of social networks - Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. In order to help you understand how I interact on each, I previously published a posted called How I Think About My Social Networks.

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in <140
Here's the best way I've been able to describe the difference in each platform and how I use them:

LinkedIn is the business meeting; Facebook is the hallway conversation; Twitter is the cocktail party.

For me, LinkedIn is my most professional of networks, where I have my work experience and connect with other people on a professional level. On Facebook, it's more of the interaction between meetings, where we're free to share information on a professional and personal level. And on Twitter, it's a free-for-all.

One interesting observation, though: increasingly, these sites are becoming more similar to one another. LinkedIn has applications and groups (Facebook, anyone?) and Facebook now has an interface that asks "What's on your mind?" (Twitter, anyone?). It will be interesting to see how they continue to differentiate themselves.

Do you have a better description of social networks? Are there any trends that you're noticing? Drop a note in the comment section and let's see the magic happen.

Photo credit: saschaaa

Labels: social networks

Posted by Scott Monty at 9:31 AM

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Comments:

Have you ever needed a quick analogy in a business or social situation that helps you explain what a social network concept is? I know I have - many times.

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in <140
Here's the best way I've been able to describe the difference in each platform and how I use them:

LinkedIn is the business meeting; Facebook is the hallway conversation; Twitter is the cocktail party.

Do you have a better description of social networks? Are there any trends that you're noticing? Drop a note in the comment section and let's see the magic happen.

Photo credit: saschaaa

Labels: social networks

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About Scott

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The best way to describe Scott is "Renaissance Man." Friends and colleagues that know Scott from one facet of his life are very frequently surprised to learn of his interests and talents in other areas.

Scott is a marketing and communications professional focused on the digital industry — specifically on social media. His career spans a number of industries such as healthcare, pharma, biotech, travel, automotive, tech, and communications, and includes a wide range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Currently on the staff of corporate communications in Ford Motor Company, Scott heads up the social media function and holds the title Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager. He is a strategic advisor on all social media activities across the company, from blogger relations to marketing support, customer service to internal communications and more, as social media is being integrated into many facets of Ford business.

Prior to joining Ford, Scott served as Consigliere for crayon and spent a number of years with PJA Advertising + Marketing, a boutique BtoB agency specializing in health sciences & high tech.

In addition to his consulting and agency background, Scott is an active blogger and podcaster. He writes about the intersection of advertising, marketing and PR at The Social Media Marketing Blog and also writes The Baker Street Blog, a literary undertaking. Scott has been featured in numerous news and business publications, on a variety of podcasts, and on national television. Scott is a recognized thought leader in the social media industry and frequently speaks at industry events.

Scott received his Master's in Medical Science from Boston University's School of Medicine concurrently with his MBA from BU's Graduate School of Management. He lives in the greater Detroit area with his wife and two young sons, golfs all too infrequently, and has a hidden talent for voice over work.

Oh, and one last little-known fact: Scott coined the term "tweetup."

You may download a headshot here, courtesy of C.C. Chapman and a PDF version of Scott's bio here.

Books in which Scott's work is featured:
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
Twitterville
Six Pixels of Separation
Monkeys with Typewriters
Read This First
World Wide Rave
Get Seen

Disclosures/Relationships

Scott is on the Advisory board of SavvyAuntie
Scott is on the Advisory board of Business Smart Tools
Scott is a judge for the SAMMY Awards
Scott is on the Advisory board of The Hive Awards
Named one of iMedia's 25 Top Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators
This blog's content is also syndicated on Social Media Today
Plaid occasionally does web work for me and designed this site
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.

Speaking Events

Scott speaks on social media at events, seminars and conferences around the world. His topic generally focuses on corporate use of social media, becoming an online spokesperson, and specifically on the progress that Ford has made in the recent past. If you're interested in booking Scott to speak at your event, please send an email to speaking [AT] scottmonty [DOT] com. Scott's bio and headshot can be found in the "About Scott" tab above.

Some previous engagements include:

BlogWell - How Big Companies Use Social Media - Minneapolis - August 13

Who is Scott Monty?

Hi, I'm Scott. I'm the head of social media for Ford Motor Company. This is my personal blog, where I share my perspectives on social media - the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web - for marketers, agencies, the enterprise and the individual. This blog contains my personal views.