Was anyone surprised to hear the news yesterday that Facebook is working on a new work-based social network to rival LinkedIn? I’m just surprised it’s taken this long.
‘Facebook at Work’ as it is being nicknamed will allow workers to connect with work contacts, chat over the social network with colleagues and even potentially collaborate on documents.
Facebook hopes the new social media platform will mean more users are able to access it during business hours. According to rumours, the site will maintain the look and feel of the original Facebook with a newsfeed and groups. It will also allow users to keep their personal and professional accounts separate and prevent those photos and statuses you’d rather just share with your friends away from senior colleagues and clients.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Facebook delivers with this platform as I think it is likely to be more user-friendly than LinkedIn as most people are so familiar with its format. Also, as a B2B PR agency we welcome any platform that facilitates debate and the sharing of content to a wider business audience.
So what do you think? Has LinkedIn got the business social media market place sewn up or is there room for a new (albeit very familiar) new kid on the business block?
Fiona Whyatt has worked in B2B PR for many years. She loves blogging!