May 12, 2008
Transparency in social media- how much is too much?
We keep hearing "transparency, transparency, transparency" when talking about social marketing on the web, and how important it is. But how much transparency is just too much?
There's a fuzzy boundary between being real and being irrelevant and stupid.
It used to be so simple, remember? "Keep your personal life separate from your work life." Those were the rules. Now we're talking about our cat, our shampoo, what we drank last night, showing off our cliff diving pictures, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I talk about my personal life too, especially on Twitter. I love the new media. I use it all the time, because it's quite refreshing to build relationships in such an open and unguarded way- it suits my personality.
But when you're in business, how much is too much to share? It seems like no one has any idea of where the boundaries are anymore.
So where does transparency end and irrelevance begin? And Is this a passing fancy, or a permanent change in the very structure of business as we know it? Share your thoughts here.
Sandra Sinclair
Filed under Blog by Sandra Sinclair
Comments on Transparency in social media- how much is too much? »
Shari Sultana @ 3:43 pm
It's funny you should write this because its exactly what I've been thinking lately. I don't mind knowing what someone had for breakfast because it makes the person seem more real than just another person in cyberspace.
The thing I'm having trouble with is the sharing of information with regards to client information and the constant promoting of one's business. I see too many people openly disclosing who they work for and what they do for them. Maybe I'm showing my age too much but I think some things should remain private. I know I wouldn't want someone I work with telling people about it all the time.
Sandra Sinclair @ 5:42 pm
I'm grappling with this myself, Shari. I am always more open on twitter than anywhere else, but with one foot in the "old way" and one foot in the new way, I'm just a tad confused about how much is too much. I guess it really depends on your audience in the end. If your clients want a more open approach, then that's probably the way to go. But if your clients would be turned off by that, social networking can be tricky at best.