Should you update your Facebook status using Twitter?
The concept of using Twitter to automatically update your Facebook status is a small thing, but one that vexes me a lot of late. I’ve been a Facebook user for almost two years and I’ve been on the ‘Book more frequently during the past four months after a big lull.
Facebook is actually how I discovered Twitter because I seem to remember seeing something in Facebook about that nifty little app that allows you to use Twitter posts to update your Facebook status. I experimented with that briefly, but generally speaking I update my Facebook status manually and I don’t put my Twitter content through Facebook.
A number of other people that I know and respect use their Twitter updates to update their Facebook status. That’s cool for them. I don’t.
My reasons for keeping the two things separate are:
- My Facebook connections tend to be people I know in real life; I’ve never met the vast majority of Twitter users that I follow and vice versa for those who follow me. The things that I talk or write about on these two websites might not have crossover appeal.
- My Twitter content also tends to include @reply Tweets. Seeing those in Facebook is like the days of police radio scanners when you’d only hear half of a conversation – most people wouldn’t understand the conversation or what’s being said without seeing the other contributors. It just causes confusion, IMHO.
- EDIT: how could I forget this one… FREQUENCY OF UPDATES! There would be times that I’d overwhelm my Facebook Friends with the sheer number of updates that I pump out…
I realize that it can be very efficient to use Twitter to update your Facebook status, but I don’t think it should be considered a best practice. I look at services like Ping.fm the same way, where micro-blogging entries are spread across multiple applications, but might not appeal to all audiences. I think you should take time to craft communications that apply to specific audiences or that are generic enough to be spread to everyone.
What do you think? I’m particularly interested in hearing opposing points of view.
Daryl Goard:
I use them together but I have thought lately it might not be the best thing. Still, I hate having to go multiple places to do updates so thats why its still linked
11 March 2009, 11:04 amLiz Fini:
The twitter app doesn't send @ replies to your status.
11 March 2009, 11:05 amzafarali:
The fix to all your problems
11 March 2009, 11:09 amhttp://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id...
Dawn:
I've found the “Selective Twitter” application, and that allows me to keep the “Stranger” update (Twitter) and the “Friend” update (FaceBook) separate. I have been getting PO'd with all the “application” thing on FB, so I've been stepping away a bit. I don't want a drink, beads, 25 things… I don't know.. I think FB is starting to grind on me… and if I want to really update my friends, most likely they are on IM.
In reading that, it's clear, I'm overconnected.
I was just thinking, if I became pregnant, would I update my status.. likely not… I think I like to keep both a bit of a “stranger” thing.
11 March 2009, 11:09 amting ting:
cool thanks for that!
11 March 2009, 11:13 amting ting:
@zafarali cool thanks for that!
11 March 2009, 11:13 amJennifer:
I agree with you, both because of the two-audience thing and because FB is stricter about starting your status message with your name. I tried it for a little while but there are a lot of things that I post on Twitter that would sound weird in my FB status, or the phrasing of my FB updates would sound weird on Twitter.
11 March 2009, 11:14 amtwitter:
nice app. wll use
11 March 2009, 11:14 amDoreenatDMS:
I have my Twitter set up to automatically update FB status. I literally don't have 100s/1000s of FB friends, and have yet to hear any negative feedback; but probably because most, if not all, of my FB friends work full-time during the day and aren't on FB potentially seeing a frequently changing 'status.' I agree that the best form of communication, esp. when non-intrusive, is when it fits — fits the audience and, in this case, the platform.
Just on a related (musical) note, I've recently been won over (again) by Grooveshark. Liked it last year, but they didn't have the share tools they have now. So for some time i was using blip.fm — but broadcasting blips on Twitter is all or nothing; can't choose and be blip-specific, so to speak. But with Grooveshark, i can choose to broadcast on my Twitter, FB … or not. That flexibility, for me, is gold.
11 March 2009, 11:17 amMark Dykeman:
I could stand to be corrected on that point.
11 March 2009, 12:57 pmMark Dykeman:
Yes, that's the efficiency argument.
11 March 2009, 12:58 pmMark Dykeman:
Hadn't heard of Selective Twitter before, thanks.
11 March 2009, 1:02 pmMark Dykeman:
Yes, exactly.
11 March 2009, 1:07 pmMark Dykeman:
Oh, thank you, I almost forgot the most important reason (for me) – frequency of updates!
Yes, I've been meaning to check out Grooveshark…
11 March 2009, 1:08 pmIain:
I update them separately – my twitter “friends” are much more techie than my facebook “friends” – and my facebook “friends” are generally people I know in “real” life – if I posted all my twitter posts to my facebook status most of my “real” friends,
a. Wouldn't understand half of them
b. Don't want to understand
c. Would think I'm a nutcase!
Two very difference “audiences” therefore two different statuses.
11 March 2009, 7:51 pmEric Heinzman:
I do it, simply because I'm rarely on Facebook. It's kind of like leaving the TV on while you're on vacation – makes the place look lived-in. If I ever do like you did, and start using Facebook more frequently, I'll probably rethink.
11 March 2009, 9:19 pmAdamSinger:
That is RAD – I loved this part: “there is one and only one step” – beautiful
11 March 2009, 9:19 pmMelGallant:
I too feel my Facebook and Twitter audiences are different and so keep them separate. I do however have my Twitter updates streamed into FB. Just not as part of my FB status update.
12 March 2009, 12:38 pmMark Dykeman:
Hi Mel, long time no talk. That's an interesting way to bring your Twitter updates in.
12 March 2009, 1:38 pmThree Monetization Strategies For Twitter | Telecom Update:
[...] Should you update your Facebook status using Twitter? (broadcasting-brain.com) [...]
19 March 2009, 12:52 pmHugh:
Interesting points. I use Twitter when I want my comments to go out to both worlds, and FB when I want to reserve it for my FB audience.
Note: A tweet STARTING with an @ in Twitter is not passed through to FB. A tweet CONTAINING an @ will be passed through.
2 April 2009, 11:25 amMark Dykeman:
I think we use Facebook in the same way. Point taken on how Tweets go into Facebook.
6 April 2009, 1:01 pmNatMich:
Haha, can't really offer an “opposing” point of view here
. I agree and think Twitter and Facebook are both best at sharing different types of information- Facebook for me is usually info of the more private nature (inside jokes, new cell number, other info I wouldn't want just anyone to know) whereas Twitter (from what I have found) is about receiving and sharing public pieces of information. It's interesting to see what will happen though with all these new Facebook developments (Facebook Lite, facebook pages being able to directly tweet out updates… etc).
31 August 2009, 4:45 pm