You’re probably doing LinkedIn… and Facebook. Maybe Twitter.
Have you received a request to branch out to BranchOut yet?
Or become better known with BeKnown?
They are new apps on Facebook linking your friends into something that looks like LinkedIn competitors. There’s 20 employees in San Francisco and $24 million in investors behind BranchOut, while BeKnown is backed by Monster.
After getting my 8th request for BranchOut on Facebook, I decided I better figure out what this new social networking tool is all about.
After installing it a few minutes ago, here are my initial thoughts:
- It’s definitely easier to navigate and get started than LinkedIn.
- I am a bit uncomfortable linking my more personal Facebook profile to a more business oriented website
- It feels like Facebook and wants to me to invite and connect with people right away.
- I think it’s going to be a BreakOut for Facebook job seekers, but I’m not so sure about using for marketing networking yet
- And it wants me to endorse people right away.
- The profile is easier to update and complete than LinkedIn
Questions I’m already wondering:
- Will it “replace” LinkedIn, like Facebook replaced MySpace?
- Will it update my BranchOut photo profile with my Facebook profile photo if I change my photo to something more fun and less professional?
- Have you used it yet? What do you think?
- Should I try out BeKnown or is this app really only for job hunters, not marketers?
Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below! Thanks. And to my USA readers, Happy 4th of July!!
An app on Facebook? Run away! Run away! Considering Facebook’s blatant disregard for privacy I’m going to stick with LinkedIn and I’ll be dumping Facebook for Google+ as soon as possible.
Hi Chris! My name is Ali and I am BranchOut’s Community Manager. I wanted to introduce myself and thank you for covering us!
I encourage you to read about our privacy policy, your BranchOut professional profile is the solution to keeping your Facebook content private, while displaying your professional profile to your network, the world of recruiters, HR managers, and employers, learn more here: http://branchout.com/about/privacy
Thanks for using BranchOut and I hope this clarified a few of your questions.
Cheers!
Hey there Chris,
I’m with you… I am giving it a try as it does indeed seem easier to implement than LinkedIn (which I have never really gotten the hang of or gotten my professional contacts to link up with me)… but again, like you, I’m apprehensive about linking my businesses and professional too closely since I have made efforts to keep them separate. I guess time will tell.
I almost don’t have any (current) colleagues in my Facebook network and I’m not thinking adding any because most of the time, work & my private life are really separate entities and I don’t want them to interact each other. I’m not going to use any of them and for now LinkedIn seems to me the only option.
Thanks for the comments! It does look like I can change my profile photo for BranchOut alone and it won’t change later as I update my profile photo on Facebook.
Joyce and Gokce - I’m still feeling my way thru on this app!
Alison - Thanks for the clarification.
Good luck trying to keep things separate. It gets harder all the time!
Chris
Well, it’s been a month that I’ve been on Branch Out. I only went back to visit/log in once and wasn’t sure if I even wanted to enhance my account any more than what I had. Would I recommend it to others? Not at this point. Maybe later if I see some huge new hidden value.
Thanks for commenting Joyce!
Chris
Alison:
I appreciate your comment and did check out your link.
Good for you watching the blogs and commenting back to clarify questions.
Chris
Thanks for the comment. Just chuckling because yesterday I was reading about Facebook’s facial recognition software and the legal battle going on as a result. You’re probably right. Concern for privacy and confidentality is a real problem while job hunting.
Thanks for leaving a comment.