I’ve been using Facebook since it started back in 2005 – and while I wouldn’t call myself an expert, I know a bit about it. I have a personal profile and I drop in a few times a week and read what my friends and family share. I like things, I comment sometimes, I share things myself occasionally. I also have a business page and I share daily tips, advice and useful bits and pieces.
Do I use my personal profile for business? Not until now.
Jokingly, I have always claimed to use Facebook to stalk my grown-up children – and it is a good way to stay up-to-speed on what they’re doing, especially as one lives thousands of miles away. Facebook was how I discovered he’s injured himself yet again doing one of his adrenalin-generating sports activities.
My approach to my personal profile on Facebook has always been that I use it for friends and family – not business. However, through a number of conversations recently I have begun questioning whether that’s a good thing.
I understand when people don’t want to mix personal and professional, but isn’t that like saying you are a different person in professional engagements to the ‘real you’? There’s some issues around authenticity that may arise.
My Facebook profile is pretty middle-of-the-road, I don’t have any weird hobbies or post controversial stuff, so perhaps there is no reason for me not to connect with business people I know. When I meet people face-to-face we talk about our families as well as business, and sometimes our hobbies, so why not online?
I do have some concerns about inappropriate posts that my kids might add to the mix, and I have no intention of using my Facebook personal profile to ‘sell’, but my views are moving towards maybe accepting connection requests from business associates and letting them see the real me.
This is a personal choice – what do you think?
