Keeping professional contacts updated needs one more step as Tweets are no longer automatic to LinkedIn contacts .You need to specifically share blog posts,Tweets or any other material through the LinkedIn share option. So till Friday June 29, the distribution channel was Blog Post—>Twitter—> LinkedIn. Now it is Blog Post—>Twitter.
It was just after a blog post on the CPSMBlog on Saturday, the weekend delinking of Twittter to LinkedIn sort of started sinking in. Suddenly the CPSM Blog post or StratoServe posts were not visible to LinkedIn contacts- why ? Because Twitter has decided that it needs to manage the interface between Tweets and the audience without digital distributors like LinkedIn. This to allow advertising as people read Tweets and so better monetize Twitter.
But what exactly is the difference between one's Twitter audience and LinkedIn contacts? Those who Tweet put out 140 character messages without unduly thinking about them. Followers like the Tweets and the topics covered.
On the other hand LinkedIn contacts are typically those who are interested in professionally engaging with each other and also help each other with opportunities. These professional 'friends' are different from your Facebook friends who may have no professional common interests. But if anyone follows you on Twitter, they don't know you necessarily but like your ideas. Its not entirely clear how a Twitter follower and the person being followed can help each other with opportunities. And that is where LinkedIn comes in.
In an earlier post the power of LinkedIn to leverage weak professional ties for opportunities was discussed. The point being that you already know your friends (frequently contacted via email) but the real opportunities are from friends of friends that LinkedIn and to some extent Facebook allows.
Now if you want your Tweets to go to your LinkedIn contacts,it appears, you would have to start by sharing at LinkedIn and checking the Tweet box so that the LinkedIn—-> Twitter channel starts off. You cannot do vice versa and to avoid confusion it is probably best to Tweet separately and push out LinkedIn stuff to your LinkedIn contacts separately, and not check the Twitter box, within LinkedIn.
This is just initial thoughts over the weekend since the LinkedIn-Twitter split. More as things get clarified. Contact StratoServe.