Blogging and social media, are they different or are they the same thing? Many patrons of the world wide web would say they are completely different things. Before you pick a side to this ongoing battle, hear me out first. I found two articles online that discuss the different sides to the argument. In, Since When Are Blogs Not Social Media?, Copyblogger author Brian Clark discussed the many reasons why blogs are a form of social media. And in, Blogging: Social Media is Not Only About Social Media Sites, Techipedia author Tamar Weinberg discusses how blogs can create traffic for your organization.
Social Media and Social Networking
Social media and social networking, are they just synonyms for each other? No! They are completely different and are completely dependent of each other for web survival. Let me break it down for you. Social media as defined by Wikipedia is: “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” Whereas, Social Networking is defined by Wikipedia as: “an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities.” As one can see, they both are similar, kind of like how blogs and Facebook are similar, yet are very different.
Blogs
Blogging is “in” and does not seem to be going away anytime soon. Blogs give people a voice, a way to express themselves that did not exist 20 years ago. Long gone are the days where everyone got their news from Walter Cronkite on the CBS evening news. People are hungry for information and most importantly, fast information. Blogs are unique, unlike traditional websites, in the way that readers can comment and discuss about what is posted. Blogs are a form of social media, there is no way around it, it is the core of every blog. Along with the social aspect, a blog needs to have quality content. Content is crucial, nobody wants to read rubbish. People want to share what they know and what they have read. Give people a reason to read your blog, give them quality content. Having quality content will drive traffic to your blog. Do not just limit yourself to blogging. Use social media websites to promote your blog.
Conclusion
I believe that blogs are a form of social media and social networking. They may not be structured like traditional social networking websites, but they serve a similar purpose. Blogs give people a place to discuss, learn and share, no different than what Facebook and Twitter offer its users. Excluding one form of social media because of its form is absurd. Being connected and posting quality content is the name of the game when it comes to blogging. Have a strong online presence that is full of quality content and well managed.
I like your style of writing! It makes sense and lays out the issues in a clear format. I like this argument because sometimes I don’t think of blogging as social media. Good job!
I can only comment on wordpress blogs so…looks like I’ll be commenting on here pretty much every time. Good post and organization….I also “like your style”.
I only comment on wordpress blogs too.. so get used to hearing my feedback
I think you did a good job. I liked that you categorized each topic.