All my tech and business contacts are in Facebook and has become easier to keep the networking on Facebook simply because there spending more time of Facebook. I am not adding any new contacts on LinkedIn as I am adding all of them on Facebook.

LinkedIn claims to increase in new membership but they are not release record of how many active members on the site. A lot of people I know are just signing up out of curiosity and not actively involved on the site. I don't spend time of LinkedIn anymore, in fact, in the last 6 months, i probably logged into LinkedIn about 4-5 times only and that was to copy some names of my contact so that I can connect with them on Facebook.

It looks a little too late for LinkedIn. I personally think they should have sold the company to News Corp. They are far behind in terms of features and seemed like they have been more focused on selling the company as opposed to improving their product.

if i'm your mover & shaker you really need to raise your standards ;)

i think both are actually good for business, altho LinkedIn's tools are more properly designed to work for business usage.

however, i do business where my contacts hangout / prefer -- not just where i prefer. so i'd say ~2/3 of my business networking is on LinkedIn, but a solid 1/3 is on Facebook.

last summer i was a little negative on LinkedIn's prospects due to Facebook's continued growth, but nowadays i think i was wrong about that -- both networks continue to grow, and both are likely to be useful in the long-run (and perhaps even MySpace too, if i were focused on the entertainment / music / video business, or on other verticals more native to that demographic).

all said and done, LinkedIn continues to grow steadily in prominence as the dominant / default place for business-focused networking, even if the audience is a bit more concentrated than either of the other 2 big social networks. i continue to use it as my primary resume / profile site, altho i also update & maintain profiles on Facebook, MySpace, & several other vertically-focused sites as well.

Enough Said...

Live From Las Vegas
The Masked Millionaire

At least that was the rule more than 6 months ago - now it's 50/50 bet on which will prevail. I've kept Facebook to a very short list of personal acquaintances and keep Linkedin for my more professional contacts.

So really, LinkedIn is an API away from getting all of its past success chipped away by other value-add services and social networks (including Facebook of course). No wonder LinkedIn's API has been in private beta for quite some time now...

Holding back won't be the answer though. They really need to tackle the problem at the source and find ways to build a stickier platform.

Facebook mainly personal and a bit of business.

If I could only keep one...

LinkedIn

(But that could change...)

My linkedin use, always steady, has continued. But comparing just these two services is inappropriate given the complexity of online social networking these days.

I know how to use Linekdin profesisonally, I just haven't figured out how to use Facebook for similar professional purposes.

With the current generation of college grads or recent college grads all on Facebook - I don't see how LinkedIn can compete without offering product differentiation. The network differentiation isn't sustainable...

That said, I think that when Facebook releases the "list" feature and the privacy/profile control options with it, I will be using Facebook for my professional contacts. I say: wait and see... you never know what Facebook will come up with next. The platform is still in its infancy after all.

That said, I think that when Facebook releases the "list" feature and the privacy/profile control options with it, I will be using Facebook for my professional contacts. I say: wait and see... you never know what Facebook will come up with next. The platform is still in its infancy after all.

That said, I think that when Facebook releases the "list" feature and the privacy/profile control options with it, I will be using Facebook for my professional contacts. I say: wait and see... you never know what Facebook will come up with next. The platform is still in its infancy after all.

That said, I think that when Facebook releases the "list" feature and the privacy/profile control options with it, I will be using Facebook for my professional contacts. I say: wait and see... you never know what Facebook will come up with next. The platform is still in its infancy after all.

That said, I think that when Facebook releases the "list" feature and the privacy/profile control options with it, I will be using Facebook for my professional contacts. I say: wait and see... you never know what Facebook will come up with next. The platform is still in its infancy after all.

I do NOT like the LinkedIn feature where you must know a contact's email address though. I do not spam requests to everyone I may have possibly worked with. Now that I am making contacts via Twitter and other mediums, I do not always know an acquaintance's email address. Why should I have to ask them for their email before sending them a request? More and more, I am meeting young folks (can you tell I'm an oldie with that phrase? ;) who barely use email and prefer to use other networking tools exclusively.

I've noticed an explosion in the number of people connecting within my network the past month. I'm betting Linkedin passes 30 million users this year, and if it holds of suitors ... could fetch several billion by year's end.

And why would I want to spend all my time in either application? I have work and a life. LinkedIn on the other hand repays an hour or so of time a week with new business contacts, additional work and even new jobs

I've only made one successful "business-type" friend on Facebook. My 7 other friends are people I already knew. I made 18 attempts unsuccessfully there. Since I'm of baby-boomer age, I've found that to be a huge barrier when connecting to a college-age or younger person--male or female.

LinkedIn has been more successful for me. I attribute that to two factors--I am connecting with people I already knew professionally or in a business setting in the past who knew me as a leader and producer AND it's about referrals and your past track record.

It's easy to be a fraudulent/imaginary person and successfully network on Facebook. On LinkedIn that would be very difficult. My 48 LinkedIn connections link me to over 945,000 2nd level connections. Plus business/employment opportunities.

That's how I see it...

Obviously Facebook is still not makeing huge inroads into the 'business world'.

LinkedIN on hte other hand is learning from it's own mistakes (being the market leader), and getting better and better. Even the GUI isn't that boring any more (almost)!

:)

Ivan | www.JobsBlog.ie

People who are on facebook are there primarily as a social thing, and not for business networking. As such, their professional info is usually limited if at all present, and rarely is there any info on their past experience, goals, skills, etc. LinkedIn on the other hand has at least one or two jobs listed per profile, with titles. Most profiles have descriptions of job experience and skills.

There really is no contest.

I know about facebook, but frankly i just know about Linked In. Thank for the information

If I am thinking of network a group of insurance or banking colleagues and contacts, I will use Linked In. If we are talking about MLMs, adverrtising, media...probably face book might be better.

Facebook looks like it will progressively become more promotionally oriented....Linked in appears to remain staid and corporatish. I do not know if this will hurt them in the longer run.

In any case I hope the two networks will maintain their own distinguishing features. Other social networks fighting to introduce new widgets and applications and are copying each other.

Soon they will become a mass of grey....proably have to merge or be taken over by soemone like Microsoft or Google.

Has anyone been able to successfully leverage these social technologies to generate revenue at their company?

I have three hundred or so contacts on each. LinkedIn is primarily business (or friends that met me or mingle with me in a business context). It has been incredibly helpful, if for nothing else, research! Facebook is primarily social... but... far more interesting in its functionality (and cluttered). Facebook has potential for (some) business... polling, blogging... but LinkedIn is far better for resume-search (who's who), preparing for business meetings, job seeking and general business networking.

I am quite certain I see multiple revenue lines at LinkedIn. I see subscription (paid) services (and am a subscriber myself). I see ads, yes, which apparently sell for a premium, but I also know their product Recruiter allows corporations to source from the LinkedIn profile pool. The Recruiter play must be worth a pretty penny. I would also imagine as features become more robust (eventually), premium services might become more popular.

HERE IS THE RUB: I believe that Facebook could decide to take on a corporate "Facebook Pro" strategy... in which case it could take over much of LinkedIn's professional lead. This would not be hard to do... or would it?

I saw multiple posts indicating LinkedIn=older and Facebook=young. The stats I've seen don't say so... LinkedIn average age 41 or so... 40% of Facebook users are between the ages of 35-50... Facebook has MORE (70+M vs. LinkedIn's 20+M). LinkedIn is likely growing (exponentially) faster.

I place equal money on both horses... for various reasons. I use LinkedIn far more for business but plan to use Facebook more due to new aps I've discovered (and the fact that many of my business contacts seem to prefer to hang out on LinkedIn). I'd connect with a prospective business parter/client on LinkedIn, but then I'd wait to invite him to Facebook until we actually have established a friendly rapport.

And, if I heard of a good "pro" strategy from Facebook, allowing them to start leveraging premium services, candidate mining, etc., I might shift dollars away from LinkedIn.