Is there a difference between social media and social networking sites? There is a big difference in the terminology of social media and social networking. Although many people use both terms interchangeably, you can isolate them, as well as websites that successfully embody one or the other.
When you remove the word social from both terms, you’re left with media and networking. For this reason, we can suggest that social networks are a strategy and a channel for dissemination, while social networks can be considered as a device and a utility to connect with other individuals. Basically, you can bring the two terms together under a single umbrella known as Web 2.0.
When you look in a dictionary, you will find the meaning of each of the words. However, the difference does not end only in semantics. There are also differences in features as well as functions placed on these websites by their developers or creators, which dictate the way they are supposed to be used. The argument of which came first is also present; many believe that social media came first, and then became social media.
LinkedIn, for example, is a great tool for social media. You, the companies you have worked for, the schools you have graduated from have become links to other people who share the same story as you. It is perfect for business reasons. It allows you to recommend other people’s work and is also great for job hunting. Today, many small businesses use sites like LinkedIn to reach a broader range of potential customers. Social networking sites like LinkedIn act as functional websites to connect individuals, as well as businesses, with others who might want to do business with each other or share similar interests.
On the other hand, YouTube is a good example of a social networking website. Websites like these allow people to better express themselves visually. It is a medium that gives people the opportunity to share their experience, knowledge, opinions and experiences through video presentations. YouTube has become an excellent marketing tool for many companies that want to expand their reach in cyberspace. Websites like YouTube also offer one of the easiest means of video distribution, from the videocassette known as Betamax. You’ve no doubt heard of people getting recording contracts because some Mr. Big caught their performance on YouTube.
However, there are 2.0 websites that offer the complete package: social networks and social networks in a single website. Twitter and Facebook are such sites. Facebook, for example, gives you plenty of space to broadcast your images, links, and everything else. It is perfect for people looking for friends, relationships and work. It is also perfect for companies to post their products and let consumers decide if they are good or not.
The bottom line is that social media and social media work best hand in hand. One cannot reach its potential without the other. In other words, they need each other.