Happy New Year. I had a great stay-cation, enjoyed time with my kids and the Sports Dude. Loved meeting up with Gina Furia Rubel and her fabulous family at Universal Studios. I completely checked out from work and from legal marketing. I ignored my Google Reader. But, it’s now time to write my first post of the year. I started one last night, but this one is what I’m feeling most passionate about at this moment. Are you a Facebook friend, or are you a Facebook spammer? I’m thinking about the memorable posts and comments I read over the holidays from my Facebook friends. Over the years, and definitely over the holidays, I’ve gotten to know many of you a little bit better via what you share in your status updates and photos. Somewhere along the line I have come to realize that I have a whole group of Facebook “friends” who are really nothing more than spammers.

• They never share anything personal.
• They never comment on a post.
• They never post a photo of them in a casual setting.
• There’s NOTHING personal about their Facebook profile.
• There is no interaction.
• It’s all work and no play.

What I have come to realize is that these “friends” are really not friends. They should just have a business page that I can “like” or fan. But they have no business being my friend on Facebook, because they are not. They don’t make me laugh (like Darryl Cross’ Redskins game video). They don’t make me go awwwww (like Rebecca Wissler posting pictures of her new baby). They don’t make me identify (like Tim Cochran and all his laundry). They don’t make me hungry (like Nicole Black and her dinner pictures. Really, where does she find the time, and can she start posting the recipes in her notes??). I’m going to do some Facebook culling. I want to see an 80/20 split (or so) on your wall. 80% personal. 20% business. If it’s all business, I’ll subscribe to your blog and add it to my Reader, but I’m going to unfriend you. I don’t need you cluttering my Facebook page with your spam. Here’s my word of advice for those venturing into social media via Facebook: If you are going to ONLY post work related content on your Facebook wall, do everyone a favor and set up a business page. However, if you want to build and develop personal relationships, than get social and start acting like a person. I like to say that my Facebook page is akin to a holiday party at my house. It’s going to be an eclectic group of people with possible shared commonalities. You wouldn’t sit at my dinner table and just regurgitate information on articles that you have written, speaking engagements, or upcoming webinars that people can attend for CLE credit. You would get to know people sitting around the table. You would listen. You would add to the conversation. You would get to know people. You would share a bit about yourself. Perhaps you would discuss what you do for a living. Hey, you might even walk away with some new business, or the offer of a fix up with someone’s single neighbor. In no uncertain terms, you would bring your entire self to the party, not just your 9-5 persona. It’s okay, really, to be a human being on Facebook. It’s okay to have interests outside of work, and share about them. It’s okay to share about what you do for a living as well. But you need to have a balance.  To only bring your business persona to your personal page can be seen as nothing more than spamming for new business opportunities, and, let’s face it, no one wants to sit next to that person at a dinner party?? All of this reminds me, for those who keep asking, Girl Scout Cookies go on sale January 16. I’ll post the details and an order form on my Wall. And, yes, I’ll deliver to LMA’s Annual Conference (April 4-6 – Orlando, FL).