If you visit my Resources page, ( http://tinyurl.com/74wr55 ), you’ll see a list of corporate examples under both “Social Media & Business” and “Twitter for Business.” There you can see how other companies manage their online “profiles.” Peter Kim’s wiki is a great resource, too: http://wiki.beingpeterkim.com/ .

Here’s a few quicklinks to online profiles being managed like your department’s:
http://twitter.com/nordstrom
http://twitter.com/starbucks
http://twitter.com/NYTimes

And here’s a few brands that name names:
http://twitter.com/RandomHouseCA
http://twitter.com/tysonfoods
http://twitter.com/AlgonquinBooks
http://twitter.com/rubbermaid

Same deal on facebook. The level of transparency is going to differ from company to company. Transparency = Personal Accountability and, apparently, that still freaks people out.

Hope my feedback is helpful. You know where to find me if you’d like to discuss further.
You know me… love to talk.

-R

Glad you found my site, too. I checked out your UK-based networking site:
http://fullworxnetworking.co.uk/
Love your toolbar…great way to extend functionality and boost members’ consistent usage.

Also checked out your blog:
http://agbellbusiness.livejournal.com/

Good luck with everything. Definitely keep me posted. (Couldn’t find your twitter account name… @fullworx is still available!)

Best,
Renee

I now have my own networking web-site and Networkers Tool-bar and use it constantly to flit between all the networking web-sites. I am networking continually from morning to night and the folks that I’ve met since I developed my on-line strategy have been just great. There’s a lot people that I choose not to network with directly. However everyone is welcome to my bridged networking community.

I’ve subscribed to your newsletter and look forward to your next post.

Keep up the good work, I’m glad I found your site.

Alec
Network Manager
Fullworx Networking (.co.uk)

Skip,
I will get in touch so we can help you find the right people before you jump. For starters, go to http://search.twitter.com/advanced and type in keywords or phrases that relate to your industry. Take the time to look at the profiles of those who come up in the search, THEN look at who THEY follow. This is a good start to finding like-minded peeps in search of the same type of valuable info in the content that can be culled from twitter.
And I promise you, someone, somewhere will think you’re a jerk sooner or later. (I know this because I’ve earned the title myself…but have come to accept that being misunderstood is inevitable in this medium.)
After reading Seth Godin’s book, “Tribes,” I realized that you’re *supposed to* feel “UNCOMFORTABLE” … which was validating, since I do… with every post. The trick is, apparently, to post anyway.
Look fwd to speaking with you more.
Hop, Skip, then Jump, my good man. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself…had to be said.)

-R

Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweeter even a blog. Yep, I got ‘em, I go to Facebook frequently, that’s where family is. LinkedIn go there too but that is to join discussions in Groups I have joined. Tweeter, I still don’t really embrace what it does or how to find anyone.

Looking forward to educating myself and then JUMPING IN!

If there are sites which help novices or that mentor them, let me know

You’re right, Twitter allows me to follow folk without any real immediate connection and therefore I feel its so much more passive. Its always nice to hear personally from them and the people I engage with more do so. BUT LinkedIn for me is a lot closer to networking in the real world sense and again I’m not great at that. Perhaps its just bad networking experiences that has clouded my perception of LinkedIn.

I try not to assume – I’ve been wrong far too many times to do that, but I was actually excited to have received your invitation today and dare I say it, if a recent connection has been made via Twitter, a blog comment or even a business meeting, connecting via LinkedIn is far less daunting if its done quickly. If I’ve accepted requests in the past and really only engaged with them 6 months plus ago, I’m far less excited about it.

Your point about our website is interesting! Our website pretty much sums up the personality of my company – not me. With a group of friends I’m full of bravado, probably annoyingly loud and love the attention, but on my own or with people I don’t really know I am really quiet and shy. My wife doesn’t understand it!

Nice to see you again. So you don’t send invites. Hmm. I’m not buying “shyness” … you’re website is FULL of personality. Shyness just doesn’t seem likely…you can’t sport “hot pink” as your corporate color and be shy. It just doesn’t jive.

Twitter is easy enough to “follow” people, so I’m guessing you’re talking about LinkedIn. For the record, I am not suggesting to anyone that random invites on LinkedIn are a good idea. But if you’ve made a connection on Twitter, or met someone at a business meeting, I think that’s an excellent opportunity to go back to the office, find them on LinkedIn and send an invitation. (Kind of like the one I just sent you. Don’t feel pressure to accept, I’m just underscoring my “insight” with action.)

I’ve also found LinkedIn groups to be valuable. But again, you’ve got to participate.

Cheers, mate.
-Renee

I have no idea why, but I tend not to really send invites – I don’t think its a fear thing though – more shyness?

Looking forward to some insightful comments here!