Moving beyond Twitter 1.0 into Being Human 2.0

Years ago when I joined Linkedin I set down an objective for how I would build my connections, including qualifying criteria for accepting invitations. This meant, for example, that I turned down most invitations from old colleagues and work friends unless they were relevant to my new objective.

I was happy with that plan, and followed for these 5 or so years, and am happy with the resulting network.

However this kind of planned "objective driven" approach for a social network has become outmoded in the new more open and more human and more eclectic "followers" and "friends" world of Twitter and Facebook.

At least this is what I now believe and practice, although many of my colleagues remain unconvinced. 

Just today in Linkedin Toma Bonciu started a discussion in which his opening theme was this:

What I’m saying here is for those that are using Twitter as a way to leverage their business or their brands or them as authority persons in some niche market or they just have a defined-goal, because for this people Twitter is a tool that is used to increase awareness and web exposure. Having a plan helps, but it’s not enough. You also have to implement it (stick with it), track results and then make adjustments. This is my advice for you: think about what you’re tweeting, especially if you plan to achieve some goals by using Twitter.

Several others then came in and agreed, however my answer was this:

Toma, sorry to say this but your advice is what I would have said 6 months ago but I would now brand it "Twitter 1.0" coming from Web1.0 thinking.

I've been "re-educated" by the Social Media Academy and the precise advice that I now follow myself is, ironically, your first 4 words - "you, as a human" should be human and twitter and interact as a human on all your social networks, business or personal. People who may want to have a business relationship with you will decide as they always have decided - on the product, the company and you. And the more they see you as human the better.

If you are displaying things that they don't like about you as a human then you are either better off without that relationship, or you were not going to ever get a business outcome anyway.

That is how my thinking has evolved recently, thanks to Axel Schultze at the Social Media Academy. It felt uncomfortable at first, but now I do see and feel it is the best way to go.

What are your thoughts on this subject?