Facebook vs. Twitter: Battle of the Social Media Moguls

Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly two of the most widely used forms of communicating and sharing information in society today. Despite their many similarities, however, the two social media platforms differ in many ways.

I have come to find that Twitter is my place to dabble and have some fun. I can make a funny joke or post about what kind of mood I’m in without worrying if anyone is going to take what I’m saying too seriously or if my grammar is perfectly correct. The people I follow on Twitter reflect this mentality, most of who are friends, family members, comedians, etc. I find that my Facebook usage differs slightly. Anything I post on Facebook, be it a comment on a friend’s wall or a tagged picture, I know will stay there forever. It is a timeless page that now, thanks to Timeline, allows you to check back on your high school days when I still had braces and was being carpooled around by my parents. In other words, I am much more careful and mindful of my Facebook content than I am my Twitter.

My experience using Twitter is mostly on my phone in on-the-go situations. Rarely am I sitting at my desktop reading my Twitter feed. This changed when I studied abroad in London last semester and had next-to-no cell service, and was forced to use the computer as my main consumption of Twitter. In doing so, however, I mastered many of Twitter’s features, primarily the hashtag. This came into play during the Lehigh vs. Duke game when #Lehigh and #LehighbeatDuke trended. Never before had I felt so connected to what was going on around the world on an international level. Even though I was on a different continent I felt like I was in the streets of Bethlehem chanting Lehigh’s name with the rest of the student body. In my experience, Facebook does not have that same affect. It would not have allowed me to see what all of the NCAA viewers were saying about the Lehigh vs. Duke game, only what my friends on Facebook were saying. Twitter has no bounds for dialogue and conversation. Facebook does.

Recently I’ve noticed how Facebook and Twitter have become interchangeable and impact each other’s usage. Shortly after Facebook introduced the “like” button, Twitter came out with a “Favorite” option. Many of my friends also utilize the hashtag on Facebook (a feature introduced by Twitter) when it comes to a picture or wall post. Not to mention the entire creation of Twitter made obsolete the need to make status updates on Facebook. And both allow you to link to friends, companies and other accounts with the “@....” option in order to expand your network and get others involved in the conversation. Clearly Facebook and Twitter play off of each other’s strengths based on their audience’s wants and needs.

Professionally, Facebook and Twitter have done wonders for companies trying to expand their business. Twitter allows companies to quickly and directly respond to customers’ requests, questions, suggestions, etc. It also allows them to advertise promotions, post photos and retweet. If managed right, Twitter can increase participation and engagement of its followers to get feedback that helps them improve their business and potentially increase sales. In a similar and possibly more effective way, companies on Facebook can reel in customers by posting pictures of new merchandise and advertising a current sale going on. Also, the ability to “like” and “comment” on Facebook content allows viewers of a company’s Facebook page to see a certain post that may be receiving a lot of activity and jump on the bandwagon and “like” or “comment” on it as well. Overall, Facebook and Twitter have changed the way businesses do business these days by adding an entire new dimension to the field. Whether you like it or not, Facebook and Twitter are here to stay so we might as well take advantage of all they have to offer.