Drawing Lines in the Social Sand

When it comes to separating the personal from the professional online, there are no easy answers

Image credit: Elli Rader

Recommended by the Editor

On Living Modern Life Well

By: Kate O'Reilly

Separating business acquaintances from personal friends and family is not usually a difficult task. Unless, that is, you’re trying to do so online.

Given the nature of my work, I often have to work to keep my business connections and social affiliations separate. I have often redirected Facebook friend requests to my CleverKate business page because I keep my personal page to people who know me, well, personally.

I’m not the only one who has to navigate this delicate divide. Several readers submitted questions about how to effectively separate their online associations. 

Laura Culbertson (@lkculbertson) said she often finds it hard to be engaging on various social networks because of her job and uncertainty over what can and should be shared. “I see my professional contacts as just as important as my personal connections. How do you best tackle this?” she asked. Similarly, Marcos Lopez-Carlson (@marcoscopic) asked: "How do you draw a line between who you connect with and where? Do you differentiate between professional and social connections by channel or based upon the person?"

It’s worth noting first that many companies have their own social policies to serve as guideposts for employees. If your company has rules, follow them. It’s that simple.

Personal guidelines are more fluid, but I believe some separation is in order.

Personally, I use an individual Facebook page to engage with family and friends with whom I’m comfortable sharing more personal posts. My business page is meanwhile geared towards acquaintances and people who are fans of my work.

When it comes to Twitter, I jump in whenever my interest is piqued or to share something I think others will love. I'm much more casual on Twitter, than I would ever consider being on LinkedIn, which I see as a strictly professional place—an online resume, if you will— that is meant primarily for job seekers and networking opportunities.

I choose not to link my accounts or to crosspost, so that each network is treated separately based on their distinct purpose.

But even if each network has its own rules and purpose, a certain amount of crossover is inevitable. My four main social network populations look like this:

The bottom line is that social networks should bring you closer to the information, images, and people you enjoy and want more of in your life. When deciding who to add, and in what degree, it's less about the network and more about the person themselves.

Although the lines can be blurry, ask yourself one or more of these questions: Do I want to know more about this person? Do I want them to know more about me? Is this beneficial professionally?

Chances are you'll have a clear answer whether or not to add someone after weighing in on these simple questions. If not, let it settle for a bit. Time has a way of making hard decisions easier.

Are there any solutions that have worked well for you?

+ Kate O’Reilly’s column, on Living Modern Life Well, appears every other Tuesday. It is designed to help readers navigate the digital age, from Facebook to LinkedIn and all points in between. O’Reilly, aka Clever Kate, has a strong communications pedigree, and hopes to use that knowledge to answer reader questions. To ask a question, send an e-mail to kate.oreilly@tigeroak.com, or track her down on Twitter @cleverkate.