Virtual Community

Re: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

SallyQ — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:05:22 GMT

Thanks for sharing this post! A lot of people are hooked up to using Facebook as a means of communication. Facebook maybe the fast-growing social networking website these days, but there are a lot of issues in connection with this. One of the issues is CFO Gideon Yu’s departure which comes as he was in the process of trying to raise money for the fast-growing startup. Facebook may have a hard time raising money for reasons that go beyond the credit crisis affecting so many US companies. However, the company said at the same time it announced Yu’s departure that it has produced positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Gideon Yu recently left his post at Facebook, after helping the company build from a college student intensive network, to the mammoth that it currently is. He helped raise millions in cash advances from investors, after his tenures at Yahoo and Google. His usual gig is to come on board with a company, take them from where they are to superstar status and then leave once the company has grown significantly. This works great for a company who needs someone whose experience is in management of a large entity. Still, it isn't likely that Gideon Yu will need cash advances for a while.

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

MeganKeane — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:30:00 GMT

Hi Mike--

What I found out from Facebook on the search function is that while their general search is more refined, they are working on improving the specific search capabilities (i.e. searching only applications, or only groups, etc.)

--Megan

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

mkirros — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:57:00 GMT

I know it's been quite a while since the question was asked, but I've also found the search function on Facebook to be less than useful.

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

MeganKeane — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:40:00 GMT

Hi Cary--

What specifically are you having trouble with for Facebook? I know I had some struggle w/ Facebook when I started using it, but if you post any specific questions about it, maybe we can help.

Best,

Megan

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

NPHCA — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:48:00 GMT

I signed our org. up for facebook, but haven't used it. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the site. I've had more success with Myspace so far.

Cary Lewis
National Preventive Health Care Association
www.nphca.us
www.myspace.com/nphca
clewis@nphca.us

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

Sasha — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:20:00 GMT

Thanks, Megan.

It would be so easy to veer off here into an interesting discussion of class... a kind of obsession of mine at the moment. I appreciate the link to the article and the author's approach to this topic.

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

MeganKeane — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:43:00 GMT

Interesting article, thanks for pointing in out, Sasha. There's a very worthwhile essay by Danah Boyd, a Berkeley phD student on race and class divisions between social networking platforms.

--Megan

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

Sasha — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:31:00 GMT

An article was just put up on the Time site comparing MySpace and Facebook. It has some interesting comments on how the audiences differ/are the same.

On a per capita basis, MySpace has 4% more women visiting its site than Facebook. Facebook users tend to be more affluent, with its users skewing towards households earning over $60,000 per year, while MySpace users skew toward lower income levels, with 12% more of its users earning under $60,000 per year. Using the psychographic system Mosaic to track U.S. Internet users, it's clear that there's a class distinction between users of the two social networks. Facebook's most predominant group of visitors in Mosaic is "affluent suburbia," a group that Mosaic describes as "the wealthiest households in the U.S., living in exclusive suburban neighborhoods enjoying the best that life has to offer." The predominant group for MySpace, on the other hand, is "struggling societies," or households that are primarily single parent, single income, raising families on lower incomes and tight budgets.

For nonprofits that are using Facebook for donor networking that could be important information.

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

MeganKeane — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:54:00 GMT

Great point, Carie. When you put it more into the "hour a day" framework, it seems much more manageable. I'm finding that the more I use Facebook and get comfortable with it, the more I find benefits and ideas for how it can be used effectively. But I like your suggestion of having it as an intern project too--younger MySpace/Facebook users often have a leg up, having already devoted hours of time to the site. :smile; But it is great to see people of all ages starting to dive into Facebook a little more--it's certainly moving further away from being just a tool for youngsters.

--Megan

--Megan

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

carielewis — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:16:00 GMT

I get that question a lot, and I do recognize the fact that the HSUS is a HUGE organization. If you can dedicate just an hour a day to keeping the content fresh and responding to comments / messages, i think it could work. the reason I spend so much more time is because i have the time, it's a big part of my job, and i'm always finding new bells and whistles. But that's not always necessary. I also recommend enlisting the help of volunteers or interns, as they are probably doing this stuff on their own and are experts! :)

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

MeganKeane — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:34:00 GMT

Hi Carie--

Really enjoyed the interview--correct link is here for folks who'd like to see it.

You mentioned in your interview that outreach was definitely the most time-consuming part of keeping up a presence on Facebook and other social media networking. In your opinion, is it worth the time investment for smaller nonprofits with limited resources to build up a network in Facebook, in terms of return (i.e. donors, fundraising dollars, etc.) from Facebook?

--Megan

RE: Who is using facebook for their professional networking?

carielewis — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:08:00 GMT

Also from Wild Apricot's blog, I talk about some of our strategies and successes using Facebook..

http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/archive/2007/08/16/interview-with-carie-lewis.aspx]Using Facebook and MySpace for Fundraising and Advocacy[/URL]

Also, if you're on the progressive exchange listserv, we've currently got a pretty in-depth discussion going on about Facebook and nonprofits.

RE: update fund develolpment examples!

Jesse — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:21:00 GMT

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today:

"Social-networking Web site Facebook Inc. is quietly working on a new advertising system that would let marketers target users with ads based on the massive amounts of information people reveal on the site about themselves...."

RE: update fund develolpment examples!

Sonny_Cloward — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:16:00 GMT

Really...not trying to be a nay-sayer here. However, the orgs that are raising that much money are 1) First adopters, and have been on FB since it opened up 2) are larger organizations. If you look at most of the smaller causes/change.org orgs, they are not raising that much money from FB. So with limited capacity, limited resources and a platform that is so restrictive, does it makes sense for smaller orgs to invest in using FB right now?

Not a rhetorical question...really curious.

~S

update fund develolpment examples!

vvrana — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:24:00 GMT

This article is a great start, but someone really needs to update the fundraising examples. I'm not sure how to see which cause has the most members and funds raised, but a quick glance shows:

Save Dafur at 396,180 members - $31,910 donated

and
Support Cancer Research
1,009,707 members - $25,895 donated

Those are great results!