The Perfect Social Media Trifecta: Have you found yours?

I have. And it feels as comfortable as an old piece of new media. (Well, you know what I mean.) So here’s what I call my social media network trifecta and what I think you can get out of each of these three venues. (Because I keep getting asked “what do you get out of those three venues?”)

In particular order:

Facebook: Personal Connections

MYTH: All people post is stupid stuff about baking cupcakes, I don’t care about those kinds of things.

FACT: I have never posted about baking cupcakes on facebook. (No matter that I don’t bake.)

BENEFITS: “What’s in it for you?”

• Connect with friends you can’t find time to talk with more often because life is so crazy busy

• Reconnect with old friends you didn’t realize how much you missed

facebook login page

• Find out what all of your friends are up to without having to get on the phone (because who of us has time to get on the phone “just to chat” when you’re over 30)?

• Share life/work happenings that are interesting, but would otherwise not warrant an immediate phone call or email to one (let alone all) of your friends. Example? “You’re leaving tomorrow for a biz trip to Okinawa.” Or “you just found out you’re pregnant with your 5th child.” These “status updates” are unequivocally interesting and each are likely to illicit some feedback from your friends, like, “watch out for the poisonous Habu snake” or “haven’t you two figured out how babies are made yet?”

• It’s fun. And I say this as a longstanding, regionally renowned, anti-social curmudgeon. It’s been great to have quick and easy chats with people that matter to me with whom I would not otherwise have been able to manage keeping up with due to the business of life. It connects you with your “inner circle” of friends AND your “outer circle,” too, in a highly efficient way: you can just listen in or join in the conversation. Either way, you remember how many lives intersect with yours and it turns out that’s pretty cool. (Though I’d prefer you didn’t mention I ever said something so blatantly uncurmudgeonly.)

LinkedIn: Professional Connections

MYTH: People just like to show off how many people they know.

FACT: Some people, maybe. Others are simply what you might call “power users.” But the truth is, in my opinion, most people really just want to bring all of their professional connections under one, easy-to-reference, access-from-anywhere roof.

BENEFITS: “What’s in it for you?”

• It’s EASY. Easy, easy, easy. This one is a no-brainer, I swear. If you can send email, you can set up your Linked In Profile lickety-split.

• It’s low-maintenance. You don’t need to be a power user. You don’t need to “update your status” daily (or at all, for that matter). You can set up your profile and chill. Your local network will build itself organically. I guarantee it. Once your network grows, you may want to revisit your profile for a good spit-polish every now and again.

Click here to vote in my LinkedIn poll

• It’s like having a web-based, open-access digital rolodex. LinkedIn is a great tool for keeping up with other professionals with whom you might otherwise lose track of over the years. You may also be surprised to see the people you and your own contacts know in common in your local network.

• It’s an at-a-glance resume. Think of it as a resume that is easy to maintain and will get a lot more traffic than the one you have to type up and perfect when you’re looking for a new job or a job change. This gives you a nice, easy-access “backup” resume, one that’s always current and ready to go.

• It keeps you top of mind. As people dip in and out of their contact lists on LinkedIn, your name is going to pop up. When you add a new contact, your name pops up. If you join a group and make your involvement public, your name will pop up. As a matter of fact, if you do end up joining any of the Linked In groups, you might find yourself engaging in conversations with other professionals outside of your “firsthand” network, thus building a whole new set of connections and a more “robust” network. Me? I’ve made some nice linkups with people (I did not previously know) from my college alumni group. Probably wouldn’t have otherwise met them. So I think that’s pretty solid networking in action.

• LinkedIn Apps. If you want to go really crazy and pimp your Linked In profile, you can incorporate some of Linked In’s applications that enable you to display your blog feed, post a poll or showcase your slideshare presentations, among other things. There’s more, but that’s all I have to say about that at the moment. The apps are relatively new as of this writing and I’m still playing around with them.

Twitter: The Personal-Professional Connection Conduit

MYTH: “I have nothing to tweet about.”

FACT: Sure you do. You know something about something. Tweet that.

BENEFITS: “What’s in it for you?”

• Speed-networking. Yes, twitter is like a networking function that takes place in the backseat of a Formula 1 race car. Gazillions of conversations happening in 140 characters or less. The twitterstream flows fast, but that doesn’t mean you’ll drown.

My Twitter Homepage

• Options. Here’s one example of how it works: you get an email that so-and-so “username” is following you on twitter; you click the link and go to username’s twitter page; you look for a real name behind “username;” you read username’s bio (a whopping 160 characters); you thank username for the follow via DM (the “direct message” function in twitter); you decide if you would like to follow username back; you click “follow” if you’re so inclined; you’ll now see username’s tweets in your twitterstream… and usename, will thus, see yours, if you chose to followback, of course. It’s that easy to “meet” someone and that easy to “move on” if a followback doesn’t feel appropriate for you. Personally, I also always glance at the person’s list of tweets to see if username is a “broadcaster” or a “converser.” If you don’t see any @other_username tweets, (tweets directed at another username), then they’re just broadcasting which I find to be less useful, generally speaking.

• Web traffic. Twitter also provides the option of including your web site in your profile. This can work to generate traffic to your blog or corporate site that you might not otherwise attract. You can also occasionally (and not spammingly) promote your accomplishments (again, sparingly) which could drive traffic back to your blog or your business.

• Retweetability. Okay, this is pretty cool. When you see an “RT” at the front of a tweet, that’s called a “ReTweet.” This is when you read the tweet of someone you are following and think it’s so great that you want to share it with your twitter followers. So you RT it. Now imagine if you tweet something and someone else RT’s it. Think about how far your tweet could go! And this all happens with a velocity behind it you won’t find anywhere else. It’s Word of Mouth (WOM), done RT-style.

• New Tweeps. Again, I am anti-social. So don’t think it’s because I’m some kind of impassioned extrovert that I say this…but you can actually “make friends” on twitter. That’s right. AND, you can make them, as I’ve pointed out, faster than in most other venues. This is a forum like no other. A party where you make your rounds repeatedly (or “retweetedly,” you might say) in only 10-15 minutes a day (if you’re disciplined). [NOTE: To make this opportunity work at its best, I highly recommend Tweetdeck and Tweetbeep as key support services to help you enhance your twitter experience. There are many others, as well. But these two are essential, in my opinion.)

• The Twappetizer Effect. (Twitter Appetizer, I’m herein creating the term.) Because I love food, I’ll make it the center of my analogy:

Twitter is like a conversation appetizer. You may then decide to make an entree out of the conversation and move it on over to Linked In, giving your connection more substance. And for dessert, you might decide to move your connection and your conversation on over to facebook where you may see each other more often and in a definitively more relaxed light. THIS is what makes twitter such a great connection builder. If birds of a feather, flock together, they all probably met on twitter first.

So that’s it. There you have it. That’s my perfect social media trifecta. A perfect balance of engagement venues, each perfect in its own right and even more perfect in triplicate.

Now I ask you, (“tri” as I may to get you all to quit being so shy and leave a comment already), if you had to keep it to three, what’s your social media network trifecta?

Tags: Facebook, Linked In, Social Media, Social Media Trifecta, Twappetizer, Tweet

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 10:45 pm and is filed under Blog, LinkedIn, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

29 Responses to “The Perfect Social Media Trifecta: Have you found yours?”

Scott Mahler-Datex Media Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 12:27 am
I am familiar with and use twitter and facebook, and find them both to work great for exactly the reasons you’ve mentioned. I haven’t yet built a profile on Linkedin though, but I am going to now. I never understood exactlly what it was for until now. Thanks
Shannon Wickliffe Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Well I’m two out of three at least. I think you’re spot on about Facebook and LinkedIn, and while I haven’t delved into the complicated world of Twitter yet, you’re probably onto something there, too. Coming from a fellow social crumudgeon – professionally that is – networking “forced socialization” parties always left a bad taste in my mouth. The online networking possibilities, however, are like switching from beer to wine, although the wine still has a lingering aftertaste yet to be proven worthwhile to this sceptic.

I’ve only recently thrown my hat in the social media ring as a means of getting back to work after a stay-home-mom stint. As a freelance television producer, contacts are the bottom line. No contacts, no work. Period. Being top of mind is crucial and the old methods don’t work anymore. Emails are deleted in a second without being read and phone calls are forgotten on a busy day. The industry is changing. Cheaper, faster, easier, virtual-er. People don’t “waste time” on conversation anymore. The more digital you are and the more your name pops up on Google or your contact’s contacts, the more reputable you look.

So far with LinkedIn, I’ve been back in contact with business associates I would not have thought about emailing or calling and have an opportunity to build my contacts back up that would not have otherwise existed. With Facebook, I’m connecting with family members, friends and associates across the globe I otherwise would only wonder about.

There’s no doubt the online networking revolution is a good thing – especially for as easy as it is – but until it starts making my Mission Impossible ring tone sound-off, it’s still just a glorified business card to me.
Robin Zaragoza Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Concept of DM to thank someone for a follow is new to me – no one has ever thanked me, so it never occurred to me to thank others. BUT, it does seem like good manners, so I’ll have to try it. Thanks!
minutemaker Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, Scott! Good for you. Check out my resources page for help with How To’s on Linked In (under SocMed & Biz) and definitely check out
http://www.cincyrecruiter.com/cincy_recruiter/2009/01/25-resources-to-help-you-understand-how-to-use-linkedin.html

Shannon…RE: your 2nd paragraph…Yes, the way we communicate is changing, but it’s not that people don’t want to “waste time on conversations anymore” it’s that they’re having those conversations in different ways. I would suggest that with proper engagement in the SocMed Trifecta you may find you’re having MORE conversations that before. I know that I am. Separate out a long chat over coffee with a friend from the opportunity to “touch base” with dozens of people every day in a manner that is actually “time efficient” b/c you’d never be able to converse with that many people by phone, for example.
I think what I’m seeing is that the length of the conversation does not necessarily determine its value. Whereas, I’m finding incredible value in the VOLUME of conversations I can now have on any given day.
I mean it when I say my world got bigger with this Trifecta. And the trick is to engage in “meaningful” conversations…my time has never been better spent.

Thrilled to see you here…and I’m most grateful for your thoughtful response.

Robin…No one has ever thanked you for a follow???????? Oh my. I’ll need to look into this…I thank every single person who follows me (regardless of whether or not I follow back)…as long as they’re not a bot/spammer or “get rich quick” person…those I “BLOCK.”

I’ll look for you on Twitter. And if you’re not already a subscriber, check out http://twitip.com This is a great tool for getting the most out of “twitter culture.”

Thanks again, you three.
Wow. Three great comments.
Yet another TRIFECTA!
rjleaman Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Three for three! But I must admit, I’m a LinkedIn novice: thanks for the usage tips!
Charity Hisle Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Hey! You stole my Trifecta! I’ve recently added MultifamilyInsiders.com and FriendFeed to my basic social media browser set-up.

Great post, and of course I agree with every word!
Kishau Rogers Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
This mirrors my Social Media Trifecta. I use Facebook for maintaining my personal/social network (99% folks that I’ve seen and interacted with ‘in real life’). My LinkedIn profile is primilary for professional networking. Also, there are many really great (active) LinkedIn groups for ‘online networking’ with liked mined professionals. The Q&A area is nice as well. I’m a new Twitter use, but I love your terminology: Twappetizer. I think that describes it perfectly.
the naz Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
trifecta: twitter, facebook and qik.

but i approach social media from a different angle. there is a certain electro-human relation that i enjoy from these three–it’s like true cyborg poetry.

i get the biggest kick from reading and watching the absolute mundane–iow: the cupcake. i want to know who’s baking a cupcake. i really do. now, i’m also interested in spreading information, in passing on interesting links, shows, etc. but i get the biggest kick in reading tweets from my long lost friend and her day to day w/ her baby.

weird, i know. but i thought i’d represent for all in the closet about this
sdesjard Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I agree with everything you’ve said. My trifecta: twitter, facebook, and LinkedIn.

I would only add a word or two about the LinkedIn Groups feature.
For example, I found your blog from a post you made on the LinkedIn Group called Social Media Marketing.

The groups are a great way to network and to read lots of interesting stuff.
Of course, its also a great way to promote yourself.
Shannon Wickliffe Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Minutemaker – your input is duly noted. I agree with you that, with social media, “conversations” are both higher in volume and technically “time-saving” as opposed to doing lunch or meeting for coffee. I see this as a value. For me the question yet to be answered is, does it actually make a difference? Am I better off for the quick LinkedIn note exchange to multiple people than I was when I could actually build quality relationships with a choice few people “in person”?

I guess it’s better to be at the party than across the street listening to muffled music beats and cocktail clanking. I’m just waiting to see who notices I’m holding a tray of cupcakes and wants to give one a try.
YourMortgagePlanner Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Good Post. I concur with your evaluation of all three. I too use FB, LinkedIn and Twitter (love my twitter). Twitt with me @YMPlanner
minutemaker Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Hey Shannon…this is a good discussion. For the record, several of my online meetings have resulted in getting together with the local people I met somewhere within my Trifecta, people with whom I may not otherwise have met.
You ask if you’re better off for the “quick LinkedIn note exchange to multiple people” than you were when you could “actually build quality relationships.” So I would ask, why do you feel that the relationships you may build online are of any less quality than the ones you may build offline?
My best friends will always be my best friends. But my circle of “new friends” continues to grow and I don’t value those any less. There is quality in each.
You’re engaging with me on this blog…so in my mind we’re building a “relationship” and you’re doing much more than “holding up a tray of cupcakes to see if someone wants to give them a try”…here, you’re actually actively passing out your cupcakes. And I’m then telling you they’re quite good, please go make some more! (This conversation is making me hungry.)
I hear your skepticism (I think) and I hope we can continue our discussion…
Paul Papadimitriou Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I mostly agree with your points. With the all array of social media tools I’m using, these are the ones I most often get back to. It’s mainly a network effect (people are on them) for me. The only one I’m sticking with that’s not on your list is Brightkite, hoping it will gain traction at some point.
William Says:
January 8th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
My perfect Social Media Trifecta is Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. I have seen more photographic ideas, met more like-minded creatives, and reconnected with more of my extended film community than I ever would have in the old days. (6 months ago)

It took a huge amount of time for me to get into social media. My first experience with LinkedIn seemed like a waste of time.

Now that I have seen the power of electronic/online inertia (in particular on Flickr) and the future that will live by it, I am re-energized by the possibilities it creates in professional reach, creative thinking and otherwise unlikely interconnections.
Shannon Wickliffe Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 2:42 am
Hey Minutemaker, I’m laughing out loud because, much to my surprise, I’m actually enjoying this – it could also be the screwdriver my husband just put in front of me, since I’m enjoying that, too.

The bottom line is that I have a long way to go before I’ll trust new people I meet online. Call me old school, but as I become more proficient at this social media thing (by the way, this is my very first time participating in a blog like this), I don’t believe I would value those relationships the way I do existing “in the flesh” relationships. To me, there’s no comparison – they are two distinctly different entities. One is a look in the eye, a vibe, a real hand shake, the other a mere gamble on a mystery person with fleeting words in cyberspace. I don’t hire someone I haven’t gotten a vibe from, spoken to or met in person – even if they’re referred. And I don’t expect to be hired by anyone reading this conversation.

Granted, this exchange is entertaining and this experience alone is helping me understand why people engage in blogs and date online. But my use of online networking is not to be entertained or to make new friends, and maybe that’s the difference. My intent has been to use it as a tool for research and to grow my business opportunties through existing contacts and people I meet in conventional ways, that’s it.

Would I be here if I didn’t already know you? Probably not. I’m talking with you now because we know each other, all be it not well, through mutual contacts and because of this, I trust you. What I am discovering, however, is that I admire your enthusiasm and crossfire – and incidentally, I really enjoy your writing. Could it be that I’m actually getting to know you better because of this social media interaction? …The light… it’s blinding…

I’m a newbie here. A visitor. An observer. I’m willing to give it all a try with guarded optimism, but as with all that is unseen, I need to see my business benefit to truly believe.

Now where’s my husband with that refill?
minutemaker Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Whew! You’re a toughie! But so am I. I’m not giving up on you Wickliffe!
Important to identify your goals when you enter any online social venue. You have done that, true. But I think you may be disappointed at the results unless you seek out venues that align with those goals.
For example, we’re not having this exchange b/c I think you’ll hire me. Nor do I engage in my TRIFECTA with a primary goal of getting hired.
Yet these venues are growing my business in unique and valuable ways.
My ROI is in the relationships I’m bolstering with those I already know and in the offline meetups that are occurring with those I did not previously know AND in what I’m learning from engaging with both of those groups.
And I would suggest that yes, we are getting to know each other better right here, for all the world to see. Your instincts for determining who you can and cannot trust will probably work better than you think online. As a true conversation begins, so does the foundation for trust.
I am ALL business…this blog is part of my business…and I’m absolutely thrilled that it can also be personally entertaining and enriching at the same time. I didn’t ask for more than that, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m getting so much more out of it than I ever expected.
Renee Lemley Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Sharon – I no sooner posted the above, when I stumbled upon this in my RSS feed… Too serendipitous on the heels of our conversation. Please do take a look when you have a moment.
http://www.jmorganmarketing.com/the-online-gods-three-things-value/
Sidebar Note: Jacob’s blog is a good one to subscribe to…I’ve learned a lot from his posts.
Best,
-R
Nerissa Marbury Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 7:31 am
We have the same trifecta. LinkedIn is my favorite as I finally tapped into more benefits of the site last year via the Questions/Answers section and company profiles available on the site. Facebook is great for reconnecting with people you have seen or thought about in years, which is why I like it. Twitter is my latest craze. Plan to have a voice in 2009 so I’m more focused and balanced (professional interests vs personal tidbits) in my tweets.
Shannon Wickliffe Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
All points well put and well taken. I am aware of how much I have to learn about using social media venues to my advatage and expanding my virtual horizons. Pre-baby, I never bothered because I was as busy with work as I wanted to be. Post-baby, I don’t have a choice. The world is passing me by like a bullet train and I have to put the pedal to the metal to get back in the game… Good thing I like to go fast.

This has been a great place to start my new path. Many thanks.
SisterSledge Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
My trifecta is the same, though I’d weigh it most heavily towards Twitter because I get immediate benefit from it daily.

To ShannonW, I’d provide this example of how engaging in social media in any fashion can bring you closer to your business goals – reading your comments here made me curious about you and I followed your link to see if I could learn more about you and perhaps find your Twitter user to follow you…I found your site interesting and your career path unique to my network. Having begun to like you already, I would remember to recommend you if there were an opportunity I felt you’d be a good fit for.

You never know who you’ll meet online or what helpful piece of info will be dropped into your lap by engaging in social media – I find good stuff every single day that helps me move forward in some fashion.
Amy Bomar Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I’m right there with you with the same trifecta! I’d have to add to the Twitter what’s in it for you – one of the things I really get out of Twitter is new information – posts to great blogs (how I found yours) and news, local and industry information. Good post!
Andy McDonnell Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
The idea of a Trifecta makes for a nice theme and Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are all worthy of “Top 3″ ranking, but if three is good, more is better.

Video sharing and viewing is great for personal fun and business too, so let’s not leave Youtube out of our Trifecta. Slideshare is an incredible tool for sharing Powerpoint decks with business associates and its a great place to find presentations on topics you are researching. Digg is a great tool to find info and content based on what the masses have rated as the “best stuff”. Oh yea, and Technorati is an effective tool for BLOG searches. I could go on and on, but I really don’t want to have to limit my Trifecta to three. Is there such a thing as a Decafecta?
Patrick Rafter Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Renee:
Liked your your Trifecta post. You inspired me to blog on the subject “To Tweet or Not to Tweet”

http://intrastand.blogspot.com/2009/01/to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet.html

Have a great weekend
-Patrick

Patrick Rafter/Intrastand
prafter@intrastand.info
Mark Druskoff Says:
January 14th, 2009 at 7:35 am
A month of ago, I would have agreed with on the first two exactly. Facebook seems to work best for friends, kith, kin, and old school chums who I honestly thought I’d never see again–except in some wild coincidence that would provide fodder for a you’ll-never-believe-who-I-saw story.

Definitely LinkedIn is for professional contacts. Even Bill Gates recognized that although Microsoft put $100M into Facebook.

Twitter, however, seemed like a rift in the space-time continuum that would vacuum away what little discretionary time I had left. I still think I might be right, but Twitter IS powerful. (Want to be convinced? Check this out http://www.twitip.com/8-ways-that-twitter-can-grow-your-freelance-business/) I signed up and can see that will be worth the possible pain.

BTW, I’m not the type of guy who’s never met a social media site I didn’t like. I’ve tried many: Plaxo, Ryze, Naymz, Classmates, professional writer’s groups, and a few more I can’t remember (never MySpace or Orkut). However, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the cream of the crop that… wait for it… rise to the top.

I hear now there’s meta-social media companies that can combine these sites into a single portal/dashboard. I think that violates the like-with-like principle of organization, and I plan to keep LinkedIn and Facebook separated for MY peace of mind. I’m still figuring out where Twitter fits into this, but if I’m going to spend time on it seems best to use it for professional contacts.
Lea Says:
January 16th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Wow! The only three I belong to! I was hesitant to join Twitter this year, but it’s actually turned out to have great uses (such as getting the latest info on weather and traffic through the state department of transportation Twitter site). I like Facebook for keeping up with friends, but it’s too much and frankly I can’t figure some of the silly gadgets out (besides, they waste too much time). Facebook is great for personal groups such as hobbies. Linked In is indispensable for business and a great way to find former colleagues and network.
Nathan Says:
January 21st, 2009 at 5:57 am
I’ve always been a little afraid of twitter until recently, when I looked at it. It gets an enormous amount of traffic, and it’s hard to break in. But once you do it becomes easier. Cheers for the heads up about LinkedIn, never heard of that one before!
Marc Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I found this article on LinkedIn, appropriately enough, and, like others here, was inspired to write about it in my brand spankin’ new blog.

http://www.myweb20blog.com/2009/01/28/social-networking-convergence/

I’m definitely a Facebook and LinkedIn devotee, but I’m still trying to get into the Twitter swing of things.

Thanks for the article!
Twitter Marketing, and Other Social Media Insights « Audacious Ink Says:
February 5th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
[...] for? RL: I have to say I’ve not been a big fan of MySpace. But that’s just me. I named my “Social Media Trifecta” in one of my blog posts: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I think it goes back to your own personal [...]
Belen Bookwalter Says:
March 10th, 2010 at 6:24 am
Hey there. great job. My spouse and i did not expect this kind of website on a Tuesday.