Social Media and Networking Mysteries

Oh my, this topic can be just so daunting. Today I will be uncovering the Social Media and Networking Mysteries. I will include a brief list with definitions of the most familiar. In addition, I will provide guidance on how to get stated using one of them. There is a huge list of different types from which to select. And I am sure you are faced with many questions. Some might be:

Which one should I use?
Which one is the best?
What does each one do?
Should I use more than one?
Should I use all of them?
What is social media?
What is the difference between social media and social networking? Are they not one in the same?
How do I select which one to use?
Which will give me the most leads?
Which do I not have to do a lot of work?

As you can see, the list of questions can be endless. So we need a place to start. The best way to do that is have a good understanding of what social media and social networking are and how they differ.

Most of you already have a good idea of what each are but we need a starting point.

What is social media?

Social media are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content. It is a place where you can also participate in social networking. Social media is passive. You are engaged by reading the content.

What is social networking?

It is the use of dedicated websites and applications. People interact with other users who have similar interests to oneself. Social media and networking is active. You are engaged with others. You get into a dialog with someone.

As you can see, they are both using the same structure of dedicated websites and applications. So, what is the difference? It is based on what you are trying to achieve. Decide what you are trying to achieve will dictate the type of content you use.

The type of content you use in social networking is based on rich conversations and questions, basically the engagement of communication with others about the subject. You could argue that social media is the same thing. However, the difference is that in social media you are trying to drive engagement, whereas in social networking you are doing the engagement. Ask yourself if you can drive engagement with 250 word posts or less?

Another difference is that in social media tools are available to automatically post your content. You can schedule it days in advance. In social networking there is no automated way grow the relationships. In each interaction, you have to focus and provide attention to each conversation or engagement. One could go so far as to say that social media is the combination of social networks and publishing.

Dedicated websites and applications

social media and networking

Facebook – site where users can upload photos and videos, send messages, and keep in touch with friends, family, and colleagues. It has a marketplace where you can place ads, groups which allow members of common interests to find each other, events where you can publicize, invite guests, and track who plans to attend
Google+ – it is an interest-based social network. Similar to Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram – mobile photo-sharing and video-sharing, it is all about visual sharing, you can configure Instagram to have photos posted on Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, or Flikr.
Linkedin – the “go to” network platform of professionals, it is a place where professionals can gain advice, industry insights, and exchange ideas. It is not as casual as places such as Facebook and Twitter.
Periscope – It is a streaming video app that you can load on a smartphone. It can be used to broadcast unfolding news stories
Pinterest – content shared here is driven entirely by visuals, when posting something here it is called a pin, if you share something it is called repin, you group pins together by topic on various boards called pinboards. It mimics a bulletin board
Stumbleupon – it is like a discovery engine that finds web content to its users based on the users tastes and interests.
Tumbler – It could be described as microblog. It is a cross between social networking site (like Facebook and Twitter) and a blog.
Twitter – it is microblogging. It is considered an “in the moment” platform, instant dialog with immediate audience
Youtube – It is a free video sharing website. People can watch each other’s videos.

The list of available social media apps is huge, but my goal was to introduce you to a few and hopefully help you become more familiar. You may be familiar with this list but you may still have some questions such as:

Which one should I use?
Which one is the best?
Should I use more than one?
Should I use all of them?
How do I select which one to use?

So many choices!

Are you still in the same place, deciding which to use. The answer is simple pick one you are most familiar with and you would enjoy the most. Select one you feel you will most often use. Notice that I say select one. This is the best decision you can make. The key is learn one at a time. The next thing you do is master it! And the last thing is you become an authority on it! Once you have reached this level, then it is time to add another to your arsenal. You follow the same steps of learning it well, mastering it, and becoming an authority. While adding these different social media apps to your arsenal, you also want to gather statistics.