Steve Rubel (bio) is SVP, Director of Insights for Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman - the world's largest independent PR firm.
He is charged with helping clients identify emerging technologies and trends that can be applied in marketing communications programs. Rubel also explores these topics on his site and in monthly columns for Forbes.com and Advertising Age. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook as well.
Steve can be reached via email at steverubel@gmail.com.
Note: Everything posted on this site is Steve's personal opinion. It does not represent the views of Edelman or its clients.
Comments 8 Comments
I think Bill Gates leaving Facebook due to having "too many friends" was not so much due to him being a dismissive user as people will joke, but really because he did not create a controlled space for himself where he was comfortable (Facebook and Twitter were used in the same way) - I actually wrote about that on my blog.
My messages on FB are a lot more geared towards what I'm doing, and my tweets are more about what has caught my attention. People use different approaches, but as long as they're used consistently, it seems to work.
I think this is a very important topic you bring up because it will allow for more people to start feeling comfortable using different spaces knowing what boundaries they set for themselves. I guess at the end of the day, it's back to the whole target audience idea - answering the question: Who cares? For my baby pictures, I'll post them for my family and close friends, because they will! For those I am following regarding health care modernization on Twitter... probably not...
With facebook, I only "friend" those people that I actually know and with which I am maintaining a relationship. I like the control of this in Facebook while enjoying the openness of Twitter for other reasons.
Theresa, I liked how you summarized your update strategy and am trying to adopt that approach.
I divide my personas like mad, not just business/personal, and not usually between networks, but within, whether it's twitter/tumblr/google, I have multiple accounts. Some I attach my real name to, some I link to each other e.g @matthewjctalbot. Currently it's painful to swap between them, though apps are developing to be more flexible and facilitate dividing (e.g. Tweetdeck for multiple accounts and even Google labs to display multiple addresses).
I divide, not to be dishonest or to hide parts of me from others, but because I don't like to talk to everyone about everything. It feels more natural, and I hope more new social functionality will respond to these needs.