Although I normally love exploring new technology and seeing what opportunities it can offer to my business, I was not an early adopter on Facebook. I wasn’t a late adopter, either, but I certainly wasn’t on the forefront.

It’s not that I didn’t like Facebook or didn’t buy into what it offered. On the contrary: I loved the idea of connecting with people in a really social site. But here’s what concerned me: My clients. I have cultivated my positioning very carefully on the web so that when people think of me and my services, they recognize the quality and professionalism that I bring to the job. Now, my Facebook profile – if carefully managed – could still do that. I’d need to be careful of what pictures I posted and what statuses I wrote. But I couldn’t always guarantee that my friends wouldn’t write something that I didn’t want my clients to see. Not only that, I wanted a place I could let my hair down a bit and be myself. And, I don’t always want to talk about work. And what happens if a client and I have a falling out? Or what if I have to vent a little about some frustrations I’m having with my work?

So, when I finally did sign up for a Facebook profile, I set (and have carefully managed) the privacy settings. And since I wanted some aspects of my profile to be available on Facebook so friends could find me, I also had to develop a personal rule of thumb about whose friend request I would accept and whose I wouldn’t. In general, I accepted friend requests from clients with whom I’ve built up a personal relationship of trust. I continue to ignore friend requests from others.

Wise? Unwise? Who knows. Maybe accepting everyone’s friend requests works for some but it didn’t work for me. Do you find yourself in the same situation? Here are some things to think about:

• Don’t be afraid to set some boundaries. It’s unlikely that you will lose clients if you don’t accept their friend request.
• If you’re leaning toward letting clients in, consider the ramifications if you’re really late on one of their projects but they happen to be browsing Facebook and find you doing the same. What will they say? How will you react?
• If you let in some clients but not others, think about who you would let in and why.
• If you add clients as friends, review your statuses and your pictures and your notes and make sure that they all reflect how you are positioning yourself online.
• Another option is to keep your profile private but also create a “business page” for yourself where clients and prospects can connect with you.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t keep your Facebook page private, but that is what has worked for me. I’d like to hear from you, though: If you’ve accepted clients as friends, have you had a positive or negative experience?