Curious about this ever-changing social media environment we’re in, I decided to reach out to my social networking community and ask “Do you have a preference for communicating with others via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? If so, why?”
I posted the question on all 3 social networks, which included a couple of my Facebook and LinkedIn Groups and a post on Twitter. I received feedback from friends on Facebook and professionals on LinkedIn, but no one responded to the Tweet. Perhaps 140 characters wasn’t enough for them to deliver their reply (since most of the feedback I received was longer than 140 characters).
Well, while everyone who responded is using (or has used) Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter on some level, their replies indicated that Facebook was their preferred social network of the day.
As you might expect, being the world’s largest professional social network, LinkedIn is used by most for “professional communications” and “developing business relationships.” Many respondents take advantage of LinkedIn Groups and discussions. And, Twitter is their choice for “connecting initially,” “simplicity” and “quick messages”.
However, whether communicating with personal or professional friends, most people like the ease of use and the conversational style that Facebook provides. Here are some of their comments:
- “Facebook allows us to get to know each other on a deeper level [than Twitter].”
- “Facebook – more directed to the group you want to communicate with.”
- “I like FB for more detailed conversation …”
- “Facebook: friends. Why? More personal aspects & info…”
- “Twitter for me is a one-way street . . . for me it’s Facebook.”
- “Facebook with chat is nice for spontaneous communicating.”
- “Facebook does seem more personal.”
- “Seems like Facebook works best for us.”
While the results are not statistically significant (I’m not a statistician by any means), I found it interesting to read everyone’s comments. Many of you did indicate that you sometimes start out with one network, like Twitter, but given the 140 character limitation of a tweet, move the relationship to Facebook where you can converse in more detail.
One of my favorite replies was this food analogy from Laurie Tossy in Colorado, “I think of Twitter like a cocktail party, Facebook like a barbecue and LinkedIn like a sit down meal at a restaurant.”
So what’s on your social media menu? Do you have a preference for Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? Please share your comments here. I’d love to hear from you.
