Do you let work into your playground?

I went to Costa Rica last weekend for a friends wedding and upon my return logged into Facebook and uploaded some photos from the trip. While online, I noticed a friend request from a co-worker. Do I invite this colleague onto my social networking playground? Many of you have had similar requests from professional contacts to join your social network.

Similar to work-life balance I have a networking-social balance. I primarily participate in three social networking sites: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. I use LinkedIn for business networking purposes and Facebook for most of my personal/social interaction. I only Twitter things that would be appropriate for both audiences. I personally like to keep my two worlds separate, but realize that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to play in separate playgrounds.

While my trip to Costa Rica was for a friends wedding and not a scene from a college spring break, I have to wonder if I would really want my co-workers to see photos of me dancing the night away, or sitting poolside with an umbrella drink.

As you are navigating your own social networking playground, pay attention to what equipment you play on and who you ask to play in your sandbox.

It’s a delicate balance on the seesaw and I find it best that I establish boundaries between the two social networking sites. Typically, when a professional contact requests to be my in my network on Facebook, I immediately go to LinkedIn and send a connection request to them letting them know that my professional networking site of choice is LinkedIn and that I use Facebook for close friends and family. This seems to have worked well for me.

We all know employers and recruiters use the Internet and social networking sites to find information on potential candidates. And not enough people remember that photos, comments on many social networking sites and blogs can last forever.

Follow the Leaders

I have always had an easy time meeting people and making friends.  As a child, my parents always called me a social butterfly.  When I think back to my childhood where my networking skills began, I think of the game follow the leader.   It was usually pretty easy to identify who the leader was, all you had to do was look at the front of the line and follow along wherever they went.

How do you play follow the leader as an adult?   Utilizing social media tools can get you in front of industry leaders, it just takes a little effort.

Today I will focus on Twitter as I believe it is one of the easiest to participate in and, in some ways opens doors to industry leaders in a way unlike most other social networking tools.  Did you know that CEO’s of major corporations use Twitter and LinkedIn? Back in the fall BusinessWeek ran an article about Tweets from Chiefs.   You can have open conversations with the experts and build your network and personal brand with ease. 

First, you have to sign up for a Twitter account and create your micro-bio (140 word profile).  Next, import and search all of your professional friends, acquaintances and family and start to “follow” them on Twitter.  Pay attention as you are reading your Google alerts, industry blogs and figure out which experts in your industry are using Twitter and follow them as well.  When you follow people many times they follow you back.

Pay attention to the conversations that are happening around you on Twitter and then start to get involved.  “Tweet” (reply to) posts when you have something interesting to contribute to the conversation. Add your own insightful observations, links and content about your area of interest or focus.  Do this every day and watch how your network will grow and you will begin have real dialogue with industry experts that you would never had access to before. 

Follow the leader on Twitter and who knows when the leader might just be you. Want to learn more about Twitter and how to start? Check out the

CNET newbie guide.