Are they just terms or is there a difference? Some would say the difference is black and white, with something so new, how are we supposed to know? Hopefully the points below will help you gain a better understanding of the whole concept of the online social scene and how it can benefit you.
1. Difference Defined. Social Media is a means to connect people on the internet. Method is provided to transmit data between people who are online. On the flip side, Social Networking is simply the act of engaging with others on social networking sites. Talking online with others in groups, building relationships with a common interest of focus.
2. Style of Communication. Social Media acts on multi-levels of communication. It is broad and reaches people through many channels delivering a message to others. Social Networking has two way communication between people, most often many people within some sort of group. Conversations drive Social Networking.
3. How to Communicate. Social Media does not allow for pushing your own agenda directly by telling people to do things to benefit you. It’s future and integrity level are based on this rule. Social Networking is the perfect arena to ask, say and do what you like (however, it’s best to lean on the professional side of things if you are trying to promote your personal brand or business. That doesn’t mean you can’t throw in a bit of personality; that is key to gain followers; real people adding value to one another. You are the boss with how you portray yourself.
4. Tangible Benefits. Social Media takes time and it is not always straightforward. If you are in for the long term then it is worth your time to build a following in Social Media. Think of it as starting out your career all over again and making a name for yourself. It takes time. Social Networking grows as you interact and how often you interact in the groups you choose to interact in. Again, more personal and direct communication so the ball is in your court so to speak. You still have to solicit the desired response from your network to get what you need from Social Networking.
5. Bottom Line for Decision Makers. The dreaded ROI, return on investment….Social Media is more like traditional advertising in the sense it is more difficult to measure the results. To understand the pay off you can’t look at hard numbers alone. It is all about what is in those numbers; brand buzz, internet hype towards your brand and how deep those go in terms of how many people repeat and share the information (that’s where the tracking gets tricky). Social Networking is exhibited by your participation as it will directly result in increased traffic to your website. Don’t wait for the traffic. It will be immediate or you better keep talking!
Hopefully this helps. Would love to hear feedback.
Come back to learn how to be in the right places. There are 100’s if not 1000’s of places you can enter the world of Socializing Online. Time is a huge investment, so you want to be in the right places to achieve sales and be successful online.
