Facebook, Personal.

Today I was going to post commentary on some of the recent TV commercials that I’ve seen including all of the good, the bad and the ugly. There's a new Honda commercial out that really puzzles me, a Hefty (I believe it’s Hefty) scented trash bag one that I think is genius, and couple of others. Just so you know, I still plan to write something on that topic, but for now, I've decided instead to share my recent excitement about having found old friends on Facebook with you. Warning: the post you're about to read is more personal than professional. So here goes…

First off, as a marketing guy, I have many different social networking accounts. Some are personal accounts and others I use to promote clients and organizations that I’m a part of. Well up until recently, I have to admit that I kind of resisted using my Facebook account ( in particular) as a personal account, and for many reasons. For one, I didn't like a lot of what I was reading in the press about the security issues regarding personal information and how Facebook was selling people's preferences. Also, just the overall nature and idea of exposing yourself to the world, literally forever, kind of gives me pause. On top of that, you have all of the social-holics that just don’t know when to quit. Some people post too often, exposing far too much about themselves and their families, for others, Facebook somehow becomes a gossip channel and a serious addiction.

Well, just recently I started taking baby steps toward using the service for both personal and business reasons. As I hinted earlier, I had had a personal Facebook account setup on behalf one of my clients. I primarily used it to promote the company, to keep up with professional contacts, and to syndicate company content. This Sunday, I decided to switch it up and give Facebook a try from a personal standpoint. I went ahead and transitioned the account by updating the photo (replacing the company’s logo with my head shot), changing out the bio and then began inviting personal friends and acquaintances to connect with me there.

Let me say what a pleasure it's been catching up with old friends. One old friend that I hadn't heard from in 14 years, looked me up and we chatted together last night. Like Classmates and LinkedIn of course, Facebook is nothing more than a multi-faceted online networking tool. Suffice to say, I’m now excited about the service again. While I still plan to remain selective and vigilant about the how I use Facebook, today I'm looking forward to its potential on a personal level. It will always concern me how easily people can become consumed by the social networking sites, often times forgetting to conduct themselves as though they were out in public (which they are), but for now, I am very interested in seeing how my new Facebook relationships develop.

So let me ask you this - if you're on Facebook and you're a friend or acquaintance of mine or, if you have an interest in connecting with me from a Marketing standpoint - click on the Facebook link on the upper left hand side of this blog page. Friend me, and I’ll respond to your request. Here’s looking forward to new connections, Facebook-style!