Twitter vs Linkedin | The Board Room vs The Bar

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Where should professionals be focusing their online networking efforts – the corporate haven of LinkedIn or the casual sphere of Twitter? A question that many grapple with in our hyper-connected age. Indeed, while LinkedIn has carved a significant niche as a business networking tool, we cannot ignore the diverse conversational opportunities that Twitter presents.

Many corporate professionals and businesses I advise have a single-point focus on LinkedIn. There is little doubt that this platform offers immense networking benefits. From identifying potential collaborators to initiating meaningful connections, LinkedIn can be a powerful conduit, more so if one opts for its premium service.

However, the LinkedIn ecosystem often mirrors the rigidity of a corporate boardroom. It could be akin to a struggling artist attempting to gatecrash a corporate meeting to share their work. There exist layers of gatekeepers and barriers, with interactions often feeling stiff and formal. One misstep, one off-kilter comment, or simply catching someone on a less-than-stellar day could lead to the virtual door slamming shut.

Let’s not forget, some of the most successful business deals are sealed not in the austerity of boardrooms, but in relaxed environments – the golf course, the casual bar meetup, places where formality is shed for candid conversations. This is where Twitter comes into play.

Twitter, in essence, is like that welcoming bar where everyone loosens their ties and engages in easy chatter. The same executives, label heads, and CEOs you seek on LinkedIn are often found here, more approachable and open to dialogue. Starting a conversation is as simple as tweeting a thought. For those seeking to build new business relationships or cultivate a personal brand, Twitter is the online networking venue par excellence. Beyond mere connections, it allows you to foster deeper relationships, a critical aspect for success in the business world.

What sets Twitter apart and makes it a veritable gem in the realm of social media, however, is its search feature and the ability to ‘listen’. This, indeed, is a topic that deserves a dedicated discussion, which I will dive into in my next blog post.