Many perceive Twitter to be the next big social network giant, many state at the expense of Facebook. Questions have also been raised of which social networker will be the next Google. Remember, Twitter is still relatively new (in Canada, while Twitter has been mentioned, many still don't know what it does, where it came from, how it's used and what its benefits are). Users who I've talked to state that "I'm already on Facebook. I don't want to have to maintain yet another social network account." This blog post will help address those questions, from a personal and business networking perspective, and show that, if you find a need to be on Facebook, you need to be on Twitter, especially if you're a professional.What is Twitter?
If you know what Twitter is, you can skip this section. Twitter is a message-sharing service that allows you to concisely send updates on a network-wide scale answering the question of "What are you doing?" From a quality of content perspective, Twitter has defined how to get great messages across with a 140-character limit. You can search for people who share similar interests to you, whether they include "social media", "network marketing", or "music", for example. One can then form their own circle consisting of people they want to follow. The power of conversations inside that circle then take on a much greater meaning when people with common interests contribute to a common topic. People can also search for conversations about any topic, so they can find out what people all over the world are saying instantly about any topic of interest.
Twitter and Facebook are Different Animals
The first major point we want to make is that Twitter and Facebook are two very different entities. They have their own niches and exist for two different reasons. That's why we were shocked when Facebook made yet another profile change in March 2009 to apparently give their response to Tweeting that has seemingly taken over the world. We ask, why did Facebook have to do this? If you know or have an idea, reply us @eBargainBuddies on Twitter.
In our opinion, Facebook never had to because they do something completely different from Twitter: they are a social framework where you can talk and communicate with your friends and family, and send messages to people inside your social circle. This is the pre-application age of Facebook that everyone loved. Then came the moment that enraged the majority of users when Facebook released the application platform which lead to thousands of applications being created. This not only cluttered people's Facebook profiles but then required a response from Facebook to make their first major profile layout change which angered users more. Don't get me wrong - at SoCreative, we're greatful that Facebook opened up their API because it allowed us to create our eBargainBuddies application, where thousands of people all over the world can share deal and sales information from retailers. But from a user's perspective, we can definitely see where their displeasure comes from. We're not concerned with the application backlash because we have a very clear purpose that is to save people money by letting their friends tell them What's On Sale while they're on Facebook. Ah, but, I digress.
Was Facebook's March 2009 Update Really Necessary?
Because Facebook and Twitter are different animals, they cater to different audiences. Facebook didn't realize that they are less of a networking tool than Twitter and more of a place for friends to just hang out. This is where their strength lies and they should stick to it. The second they opened up their API to Facebook applications, they moved away from their strength and, from the users' perspectives, made a change that was never necessary. Remember they began as a student-based network. This is why Facebook's "What's on your mind?" newsfeed change in March 2009 was never required. The Facebook status was already that.
Why is Twitter the Better Networking Tool?
Twitter and Facebook exist for very different purposes and, in our opinion, Facebook can never be as great a networking tool as Twitter. The reasons are the following:
1) The first major reason is personal information. How many times have you been reluctant to add somebody on Facebook that you didn't know? How about being asked by a friend how you know somebody who tried to add them as a friend? It's become instinctive: "How do I know this person?" and "Who do I know this person through?" There is a major reluctance there because you risk providing personal information to someone you don't know, or giving somebody access to your friend conversations. This severely hinders the power of networking on Facebook. On Twitter, if you see someone you want to follow, you follow them and, most of the time, if they're interested in what you have to say, they'll follow you back. And the willingness to network with other users starts from the personal information you provide when you sign up.
2) The second is the core market that Facebook attracts compared to Twitter. As Charlene Li presented, only 34% of Facebook's user-base is compromised of business professionals. As correctly pointed out by Tom Raftery, this is because Facebook started off as a student-based network. Twitter, on the other hand, has not and, as Tom has correctly noticed, at least 90% of Twitter's audience is made up of business professionals. So if you're a professional and want to network, get on Twitter immediately if you haven't done so already.
3) The third major reason is, regrettably, the Facebook application platform and the Facebook profile changes. Why, do you ask? With the backlash that Facebook faced, they opened the door to Twitter to grab positive media attention. More people see the benefits of Twitter, hence having a greater willingness to try out the service.
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If you own a business, check back for Part II next Sunday, May 3, 2009, where we discuss whether your business should be networking on Facebook, Twitter or both, and why.
