Social media and social networking have been instrumental in many major events around the world.
And a lot of people have this misconception that these two are the same and therefore can be used interchangeably.
Knowing the difference between Social Media and Social Networking will help you gain a better understanding on how you can use them for your brand and business as well as how you can be able to position your business going forward.
These two is certainly not the same.
So as to erase your confusion, here are some comparisons of the two.
By definition, Social Media is a strategy for transmission or sharing information with a broad audience.
Everyone is given a chance to create their own and distribute it.
It is more likely a communication channel.
It's not a location where you can visit and just leave; it's a system that distributes information to others.
When it comes to timely response, Social Media is hard work and will take a lot of time.
It is definitely not a sprint but rather a marathon.
Unless you're a well-known organization and have successfully established a brand, you do not have a chance on automating individual conversations.
You are not allowed to skew or manipulate comments for your own personal or business benefit.
Building followers don't just happen overnight.
And if by chance, word leaks out about your dishonest practices, you'll be in big trouble and your PR will be affected.
On the other hand, Social Networking is a tool and is considered an act of engagement.
This is where people connect with each other, share common interests, and build relationships through the community.
Communication here is two-way.
People gather to join others depending on the topic, subject matter or atmosphere.
This is where they share their similar experiences and backgrounds.
And through this, relationships are developed.
Conversations are richer, more purposeful and more personal between you and the people you choose to connect with because there is a direct communication.
Thus, your network will surely grow as you meet and get in touch with other people in the community.
Compared to Social Media, Social networking can be used to promote your new business or blog.
You can tell all the people you know about it and discuss how to make it a success.
Those people involved will soon be likely to become your loyal fans.
So investing your time will be worth it on this one.
One thing that these two have in common is that they both depend on viral marketing to become truly successful.
Both increase the importance of a business.
Being viral depends on the tactics being used.
Like for example, if the content you made goes viral, more and more people will be paying attention to it and at the same time your online traffic will increase.
Let's put it this way, social media is the one who helps people to make a connection and social networking is responsible for enhancing that connection.
The main reason why a lot of people continue to use these two practices is because they have common interests, passions, including causes and they want to enhance and strengthen their relationship as they get to know each other over time.
For you to be able to have a greater success on your business, it is important to know and understand that though these two have some overlaps they surely aren't the same thing and each one plays an important role in your business.
By taking full advantage of their features, you're in for a greater success.