Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have created all kinds of new work-related etiquette questions:
Is it OK to post a link to that killer story you wrote for Ladies Home Journal on Twitter more than once – an hour?
Does memorizing the LinkedIn profile of an editor you’d like to pitch constitute stalking?
Is it OK to friend your editor on Facebook?
All humor aside, since social networks have become such an integral part of freelancers’ daily work life, it’s easy to forget some people – including editors – still use them just for fun.
When it comes to social networks, it’s important to look before you leap. And when it comes to connecting with editors or potential editors, that means looking at how they’re using social networks and acting accordingly. If an editor you’re dying to work for is on Facebook but only uses it for friends and family, don’t go there. But if the same editor is on LinkedIn and has specifically listed “Career opportunities,” “Job inquiries” or “Getting back in touch” in their LinkedIn profile, it’s a clear sign to use the service to introduce yourself.
Linda Formichelli has lots more to say about this in a post called Connecting with editors on social media on The Renegade Writer blog for freelancers. If you read closely you’ll see yours truly is one of the writers interviewed in the piece.
Great advice—look first, identify the culture of the situation/person, then move forward.
That can be tricky, though, because Facebook profiles are often hidden unless the friendship is established. Case in point: I befriended an editor on Facebook. She keeps it quite professional–updates on publishing/editing topics, notes that look like blog posts on journalism.
It’s great stuff and I’m glad to have her as a friend on FB, but I’m a little embarrassed of my “Ron’s daughter just sneezed boogers on him… again” updates that were really meant for friends and family.
This is a really important topic! Like Michelle, in my early Facebook days I accepted friend requests from a few people who I should have kept as professional contacts only, so I set up a Facebook friend list just for those people; friend lists let you hide basically everything on your profile from whoever you want; they can’t see your status updates, post to your wall, whatever privileges you want to take away, you can 🙂 Now I’m less wishy-washy about it and I just tell people that I prefer to use LinkedIn for professional contacts.