I had heard there was a 5k friend limit on Facebook. I just didn't take it to heart. Until I reached 5k and tried to add 5001., at which point FB reminded of the limit.
It was a weird moment ,but actually one that I have come to respect and appreciate. Facebook went from being a way to broadcast information to 5k people, probably 4k of which I didn't know or even have a business link to, to a platform I either had to take seriously or walk away from.
I try to have open lines of communications with anyone who is interested in The Mavs, HDNet, HDNet Fights, 2929 Entertainment, Radical Buy or any of the many other businesses I'm associated with. If they had a question, I wanted to be able to at least acknowledge it, if not answer it. My email address, mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com is readily available across the net.
What I had not accounted for was that there were a lot of people who I had never met or had any connection to, who took the concept of FB "friending" literally. They wanted to interact as if we were long time friends. I was getting FB emails asking me how i was doing. What I was up to tonight. What did i think of X, Y, Z. Stuff that I was not going to tell a total stranger, even if they were my FB "friend"
So I started paring down "my friends". Based on where they lived, or what friends we did or didn't have in common, who they worked for and whether or not I thought there could be some, or any common ground. It was kind of a bizarre process of deciding who i didn't want as a :"friend". I actually felt bad "cutting" people from my friend list, but I really didn't have a choice.
i also had to make decisions on the 100 plus new friend requests I get per day. Could this person really be my friend ? Could this person really be someone i do business with ? Did I actually know this person ?
Its kind of a bizarre process of clicking on ignore and deleting friend requests. To any of you who I have deleted or ignored. Its nothing personal.
My new FB strategy is not exclusively about "friends" in the truest sense of the word. Its about three layers of "friends"
The first layer has my real friends. Those people who who I have actually met in real life and who I enjoy keeping in touch with. FB provides a great way to keep up with things with them via pictures, notifications, etc.
The 2nd layer is people who I have tangential connections to. They may just live in Dallas Fort Worth. They may be self proclaimed Mavs or MMA or movie fans, or in groups I'm in. For whatever reason there is something about them that I could connect to.
The 3rd layer is emerging as a very unique and interesting network in FB.
Its what I will call "The Power Layer." These are people who in whatever industry they are in , retain some level of power. Having them as FB friends, although very simple and non committal, gives me some level of access to them, and them to me. These are people that if they sent me a FB mail, i would certainly read and respond to , and I think they would do the same.
Its what I could also call the one shot layer. If you have an idea or thought, you get 1 shot, per year to get their attention. Anything more than that probably could and would get me deleted. Everyone at this layer gets pitched continuously. Myself included. If you abuse it, you lose it.
I honestly was shocked at how many people that I really respect in the business world are on FB. It will be interesting to see if big business networking flourishes on FB or if participation on FB is just a way for "the Power Layer" to get a better understanding of, and to keep track of what is happening in the FB universe
My New Facebook Strategy and the FB Power Level
Recent Posts
Reader Comments
(Page 3)42. I just don't get facebook. I don't get social networking sites in general. That must mean they are the future since I don't get iPods either. Oh, I get mp3 players, but not the extra costs and restrictions of iPods.
However, I just want to thank you for your post on IIG. It brought it to my attention and then I shorted it after researching it. I just hope you don't want a commission.
Posted at 10:12AM on Dec 20th 2007 by bill ross
43. With all your due respect, it is a "strategy" (I'd rather refer to it as a tactic, as strategy is a too big a word to be used for the subject matter) common with all sage users of Facebook. Only few stupids would use Facebook without any clear "strategy (if you like)" on how they would utilize Facebook to their benefit.
Facebook and related social / virtual networks are a phenomena precedent to what visionaries foresee and others do not. What some may refer to as a digital revolution is just not there yet.It is just a start.
And I do not care if Steve Ballmer or Bill Gates visit Facebook everyday or if they are in your friend's list or not.
p.s. Nothing personal, I had to post it as I was saddened by the fact that a Billionaire has nothing better to do then write about his Facebook usage tactics.
If I were you, I'd be thinking about "changing the damn world", "creating and designing the future", "Ending poverty in the world" etc.
Posted at 11:05AM on Dec 20th 2007 by Fahad Khan
44. What is great about adding so many friends on FB is the news feed where you can syndicate our anything you add on your profile to everyone is aware.
I have reconnected with some many long time friends!
Posted at 12:36PM on Dec 20th 2007 by PPC Management
45. Happy as a big Mavs fan that I got in before you reached your limit (though I guess I still qualify as a layer 2 person). Any Mavericks related info you put on there is always appreciated.
Posted at 6:50PM on Dec 20th 2007 by Tod
47. Intersting... I had no idea facebook had a limit... I wonder if linked as tzd asks, has a limit too...
Cool way to divide the groups... i have to agree with you... good thing though im not in your 5k conundrum..
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Posted at 8:21PM on Dec 20th 2007 by wrist watches
49. Mark -
I have posted to your blog, I have sent you emails and you have replied to my emails - does that make us "friends"? Although I do very much appreciate you taking the time to email me back - I would have to say "not really" - I'd say more like acquaintances. The meaning of "friends" these days is blown out of the water like the word "love" is. Both words are used so much for everything that I think people have forgotten the true meaning of them. But hey what do I know - I am over the 29 mark from one of your previous blogs - so being 37 I really don't know squat!! :-)
So from an acquaintance I would just like to say Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
James
Posted at 9:50AM on Dec 21st 2007 by James
50. Facebook provides an interesting reversal to the 'norm', allowing us to pay greatest attention to those at the periphery of our concentric 'contacts' rings. Power Level must be like olden days of country church bells, seldom rung but holding a message to hear, translate ('gather', 'danger', 'rejoice', etc), and act accordingly.
Posted at 10:41AM on Dec 21st 2007 by Mike P
51. This is a great post, I've had the same problems. I will use this post in my day to day interaction.
Posted at 6:57PM on Dec 21st 2007 by Amule
54. Mark,
Although the 5K limit can be annoying for famous people or people wishing to "promote" via the facebook platform, I think it makes sense. If you look at one of the reason myspace has become a spam infested mess, it's because of all the robots and friend adders.
The professional image of facebook is so much greater than any other social networking site (except maybe Linkedin). I hope these guys keep it this way too. Great idea on layering your friends.
Jeremy
Posted at 2:36AM on Dec 24th 2007 by Jeremy Enke
55. Mark -- The fighters and the fight community, both boxing and mma, are mainly on MySpace. Amd there is no friends' limit there, either. I rarely use my Facebook account, but am on MySpace a lot. Check it out when you can: http://myspace.com/nhbnews. Thanks, Eddie
Posted at 4:47PM on Dec 25th 2007 by Eddie Goldman
56. Hey Mark,
Merry Christmas! First time reading your blog and wanted to quickly comment that I enjoyed your Success and Motivation series. Hopefully, I'll be in your league soon enough.
As far as FB's layers don't you think LinkedIn has captured that concept especially for business networking? Their use of "degrees of connection" offer that organization that you are talking about. I think it might be a little too late for FB to establish themselves as a one stop for all aspects of networking. Their progression from opening up to colleges to high schools and then to the general public has turned it into a carnival of sorts. I don't think business professionals can achieve the same experience from FB as they can with something like LinkedIn. Don't get me wrong I love staying in touch with old college acquaintances on FB, but it doesn't seem like the perfect setting to pitch an idea to anybody?
Thanks,
Santosh
Posted at 7:18PM on Dec 25th 2007 by Santosh Nachu
57. I was one of the ones you dropped. I can live with that I guess. I mostly just added you as my friend to encourage you to buy the Cubs.
Posted at 8:33PM on Jan 2nd 2008 by Patrick Sievert
59. They should probably have a different term than Friends for people just using Facebook for business I suppose!
Posted at 11:38AM on Jan 4th 2008 by Internet Junkie
60. I think you need a face book or website that is exclusively for fans. They can email you all day but you are a star and do movies, TV shows and have so much media coverage on the MAVS that you can't possibly be friendly to everyone. You probably have 5000 just "friends" that you associate with that fill your face book. The fans need their own page. You probably had bloggers and Mav fans and people who heard of you join your face book just because they though it was a fan site. You could send an automated email to the "fans" when they try to join the Face book page. Then you could post things on your fan site such as pictures, shows such as Dancing with the Srars and movies and never answer anyone. People have their life’s separate when you are that popular. You can't befriend and email the world.
Posted at 2:15PM on Jan 10th 2008 by Laura
41. Mark, you might try a strategy being employed by journalists. See this post: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=133436
Essentially you create a Facebook personal page where you have your true friends--the people who you would like to know where you spent your vacation--and then a second page for business networking and updates on the Mavs, HDNet, etc. The second page can be set up like a corporate page where you collect "followers" instead of "friends." It allows you some more flexibility in terms of access and still keeps you connected with your interested audiences. You can post articles, links of importance, announcements and so on.
Best of luck.
Joanna
Posted at 9:23AM on Dec 20th 2007 by Joanna Singleton