LinkedIn does not work like Twitter

I received a few questions about this tweet: "I wish people would understand that LinkedIn does not work like Twitter. Completely different approach and purpose". So I figured a quick blog post is in order. If you are one of my social media geek followers, this post is a moot point for you.

Twitter and LinkedIn are inherently different.  In short: Twitter is for connecting with people you want to meet, LinkedIn is for staying connected to people that you have met.

Now in my case the Twitter statement mostly applies to professional connections and people who are passionate about animals. It is not my goal to meet with all my Twitter followers and those who I follow. But I would like to meet some who  are in the same profession as I am or in a profession that interests me or who are simply rockstars in their field (like Chris Brogan :-) ). Twitter can be used to connect with others for many different reasons, and professional networking is just one of those reasons. Everyone has their own personal purpose for using Twitter.

LinkedIn however is different in that it has a very specific purpose. It is a professional network. You connect with people that you have either met in person (for example during a networking event) or that you have worked with.  The latter could be either in person or virtually.

In my opinion, you should only connect with people on LinkedIn if you can speak to their professional abilities in a positive way if someone asked you about it. This does not mean you have to have worked with them. I am connected to a lot of great people who I have seen display their abilities and knowledge during events  and in person meetings.

Lately, I have been getting a lot of invitations on LinkedIn from people that I have never met. Or people that I have met, even at work, but I don't know anything about them outside of their name and where they sit in the office. Now if those people were looking for a job, I would not recommend them or give them a lead because I know nothing about their work ethics, their abilities, etc. They may be great employees, but am I willing to put my reputation on the line for someone who may or may not be a great candidate or employee? The answer is no.

Yesterday I received an invitation from someone who is looking for a training role. She sent me a nice e-mail asking to let her know if I know of any opportunities. Here is my response to her:

' Dear Jane,

Thank you for your nice e-mail. I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn and let you know about any training opportunities that I know of. Please let me know when you are available to meet in person over coffee so we can discuss your experience and what you are looking for.

Thanks,

Miriam'

If she truly wants to connect with me professionally and is serious about wanting to be referred, she will make the time and effort.

On the other hand, LinkedIn also isn't Facebook. You may be friends on Facebook but does that mean you know anything about that person professionally? Think about that before you connect with them on LinkedIn.

The moral of the story is that connecting with people on LinkedIn has lot more significance than connecting with them on Twitter or Facebook. It reflects on you professionally. The two questions I always ask myself before connecting with someone are: What would I say about this person if someone asked me? And, more importantly: What would that person say if someone asked them about me?

Don't put your professional reputation and your network on the line just to be nice and to not offend anybody.

Disclaimer: If you are actively looking for a job and you get an invitation on LinkedIn from a recruiter that you have never spoken to or met in person, you accept!