Social networks are here to stay. And since Google entered this market fully with Google+ we have yet another place to keep a profile – or do we?
I for one start to get a bit tired of keeping all profiles up to date all over the Internet. I believe that we will see a pushback from our sharing society with the coming generation. This got me thinking; if I should go with one network only – what would it be?
Let’s start by going through some of the networks I currently use. This is in no way a complete list but it is the networks I see categories for and could estimate.
Professional – LinkedIn
I keep an updated professional profile on LinkedIn. I use it as a contact card for new people I meet and as a way of keeping an online cv, always ready. My contacts are kept at a level where I am in control over what information is shown for who.
The audience is professionals I have worked with and/or have been in contact with. Content is to build my professional profile and to maintain my name in the eyes of future employers.
Private – Facebook
My personal contacts and friends are on Facebook and it is here I sit and couch surf what people are up to. Also, the place where I update status updates that surround me as a private person.
I try to keep a controlled list of contacts. People I am at ease with sharing more personal information as well as location bound information.
Photography – Flickr/Instagram/500px
As a photographer and I have found the simplicity of Flickr to be perfect for me to share my pictures. Most photos go to Flickr while I maintain my stream at 500px more to the portfolio photos.
Instagram is one of those services I can’t find a clear label for. Currently, I am using it as a more direct way of showcasing everyday photography. Due to this, it went below the Photography category.
Everything else – Twitter
All networks have different audiences and different content and for me to keep all together, I use Twitter. I use multiple accounts to differentiate between language and content but most are connected. I use Twitter both as a re-post service for other networks as well as for posting new content.
Conclusion
So if it all came down to use a single network what would I do? For me personally, I would stay on Twitter. The reason is the pure simplicity of the service. I can tweet from all my devices, I am forced to keep the update direct and short. Feedback is instant and the audience is large.
Using the multiple Twitter accounts I can maintain a good overview of the different streams. Some streams I read to the fullest where others are more at a glance.
So there you have it. If I had to choose, I’d choose Twitter.
