Social Media Integration: Look Before You Leap

Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed how far Facebook has gone in integrating with other platforms across the Web. LinkedIn , reportedly, is following suit. What do you do when total integration becomes available between businesses and social networks? This article looks at how some social media integration could cause problems for business owners – the advantage, however, is that you can look before you leap.

Conclusion

While integrating Facebook with your business might prove to be a smart move, think two – nay, three – times before you make that decision. Look at the possible problems from every angle before you decide to move forward with an integration like this. One lesson that HP is learning – although they may not admit it – is that this broadening of a social base also is changing their readership.

HP has been known for a liberal and well-read or educated readership. But, the broadening of a social network base also opens the door to other readers who are not so liberal and who are not so well informed. In fact, some people who comment at HP now are tagged as "trolls" as they leave behind talking points from the opposing political party, thereby diluting a conversation to a series of baits and responses that can turn ugly.

While I welcome debate and ideas that are well-informed or thought-provoking, my relationship with HP has changed since August. I not longer enjoy reading comments, and sometimes I look at HP as having sold out. They've gone from a provocative venue to one that is loud, brash and – at times – seemingly irrelevant. All this for...what? Numbers?

Before you take umbrage at anything I've said above, remember that what I say is based upon my personal history with that Web site, its content, and the changes that have occurred on that site. I have no answer as to why HP is doing what it's doing or why – I just know that my experience with this venue has been altered drastically since its alliance with Facebook.

So, I wonder whether this alliance would be good for my business – that's a natural progression for my thought processes. And, as I read about other expansions – such as the one that LinkedIn has planned – I wonder how that will fit into my personal and business plans as well. I just hope that my perspectives will help you think about how all these changes fit into your business plans as well as your personal life.

One word of warning that I would like for readers to take seriously: with all the changes that have come about with Facebook, I definitely would not drink and surf. Facebook may have land mines located everywhere before long, and a loss of an alert frame of mind may prove costly.