soho-life.com

Apologies for my absence over the past 6 or so weeks - with a trip to Japan, a book being published and launched and other events, life has indeed been busy, but I’m back in my chair and at the computer for the most part, so you should be hearing from me more often now.

Readers will know I’m an active member of LinkedIn, an online business network. I’ve had fun exploring how it all works and have made many new contacts and some friends in the process. However I am becoming aware of the growth of networks online and that many of them aren’t run in the same way - they are less formal and more social.

I recently posted this question at LinkedIn and have received a lot of varied and interesting answers and I thought I’d post it here too, so that you, the reader, also get the opportunity to have your say.

I have always thought of LinkedIn as a business networking medium but more and more I hear people mention LinkedIn when they are talking about social networks.

To me there is a difference - social is (in my way of thinking) for spending time with friends or making new friends, discussing personal interests (hobbies, etc) and so on, where I think of business networking as the opportunity to get to know other business people, look at possible business opportunities and build up your business profile so that people think of you first, when seeking your particular service or product. Or seek you out when looking to fill a vacant position. That’s not to say you can’t develop friends in a business network - I certainly have, but I still see business and social as two distinct and different things. It seems to me there has been a blurring of the two for some time now in some circles.

So, what I’m saying is that I see ’social’ as being informal, personal, discussing things that you wouldn’t ordinarily discuss with someone you are working with or doing business with, whereas I see ‘business’ as being formal, discussing things of a business nature, rather than a personal nature, less likely to ’socialise’ with these people outside of business events or business hours, and so on.

I looked up Dictionary.com just to see what it had to say and here are some interesting definitions for you:

Business:
an occupation, profession, or trade: His business is poultry farming; the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit; a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.

Social:
pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations: a social club; seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious

And here’s an interesting one under social which kind of backs up my way of thinking:

involved in many social activities: We’re so busy working, we have to be a little less social now.

So, what say you?

business networks, social networks, Facebook, LinkedIn

Tags: LinkedIn, Networking, Social Networks //