Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks

Categories: Social MediaPosted on January 28th, 2008

It’s easy to get the tools mixed up, but it’s important to know the differences. Quite often (usually by executives) I’m asked the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks, here’s usually how I explain it (focusing first on usage and benefits rather than technical details):

Forums are like social mixers, where everyone is at equal level, milling about and discussing with others. These many to many communication tools allow anyone to start a topic and anyone to respond to one. Members are often at equal level, and content is usually segmented by topic. (rather than by people).

Blogs are like a keynote speech where the speaker (blogger) is in control of the discussion, but allows questions and comments from the audience.
Blogs are journals often authored by one individual, and sometimes teams. In the context of business communication, these are often used to talk with the marketplace and to join the conversation that existing external bloggers may be having.

Social Networks are like topic tables at a conference luncheon. Ever been to a conference where different lunch tables had big white signs inviting people to sit and join others of like interest? It’s like that. Social networks allow members to organize around a person’s relationships or interests, rather that just focused on topic. People that know each other (or want to meet each other) will connect by a variety of common interests. These are great tools to get people of like interest to connect to each other and share information.

It’s important to know the many different tools in your tool chest as every type of accessory fulfills a different need. Before you jump to tools, you should first understand who your community is, where they are, how they use social technologies, and most importantly, what they’re talking about. To learn more about the many forms of web marketing, see this updated list (now in Italian, Indonesian and French).

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 6:22 am and is filed under Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Comments

jeremiah_owyang

Exactly Dan ( I alluded to that in the description)

Dan Schawbel

I like how you used the analogy of blogs as keynote speeches...what about comments as the Q & A session?

ahmad

hi
what i have to do so that my site will be in Google search.

Tawseef

Wayne Mulligan

Not to be nit-picky but I'd argue that social networks are more like the lunch tables in high school - different cliques at different areas of the lunch room.

-Wayne

jeremiah_owyang

Wayne

That's not nit-picky. I agree, there's some affinity and relationship preferences with both lunch tables and workshop tables.

Scott Bauman

Love this J.O. Concise enough to share liberally ;-)

Steve Ellwood

Yep, another post to point folk at...

Mick Liubinskas

Hey Jeremiah, I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but didn't include social networks;

http://www.liubinskas.com/blog/2008/01/15/blogs...

I agree re: forums (which are making a comeback) and blogs, but I think social networks as you've described them are only one of the types that exist. Your description fits 'Dogster' or 'Minti' but not Facebook.

I'd describe facebook as more of a rolling reunion festival. A week long event where all the people from your life drop in and out and you get quick glimpses in your life. Sometimes at the festival a clump of old baseball buddies gather together and the topic turns to the World Series, but it's fleeting.

I'll see if I get a chance to write more about this today.

Cheers

Mark Harrison

Jeremiah,

Long-term readers of your blog will know that I don't always agree with you.

On this post, however, I think you've done a FANTASTIC job of finding a metaphor that just works.

Yes, I know that other commenters have wanted to tweak the edges, but the detail isn't the issue here - it's the big picture that you'd nailed as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks tremedously!

Mark in West Sussex, England

jeremiah_owyang

Thanks Mark, that means a lot!

Stan

Great analogy :)

Marco

Blogs seems to be the less democratic tool…
Can we expect that in the long term, people keeping personal blogs will shift massively towards social media? That could be an opportunity for Blogger or Wordpress (content portability, social media features...)
If so, will the long tail get shorter or will just change its nature?

jeremiah_owyang

Marco

Yes, blogs are more of a one person in charge, a form of representative monarchy --except that feedback will happen, even if they don't want it. (trackbacks can indicate other thoughts, even if comments are not enabled)

Deepika

Pl clarify what are the main differences between Web Forum and Social Networing (logicaly & technicaly)

Carol Ross

Thanks, Jeremiah, for that clear explanation using metaphors that everyone can relate to. I'm curious as to whether you'll add on to this post with metaphors for other tools. For example, I've been trying to figure out the value and essence of Twitter. I'm starting to get it from some of your postings, including your one on rating ads for the Superbowl. And a metaphor would anchor the concept even more.

In any case, thanks for boiling things down to their essence so that I can start to apply in my world.

Steve

So where do Wiki's fit in?

jeremiah_owyang

Wikis are the collaborative white boards or the libraries.

Samuel Driessen

Great post. I agree with Mick's comment that the definition of "social networks" does not fit all kinds of social network tools, but it's a good start anyway. As soon as people understand what a social network (tool) is, we can start telling them about the different flavors.
I still find the "visual definitions" of wiki's, rss, blogs, etc in short video's by Common Craft also say it all.

Manisha Shahane

Hey Jeremiah,
I found you because I was looking for what some different folks were thinking about these differences in the various online tools, etc. The post above is my first introduction to you and I really liked your blog analogy which got me thinking more about what would clarify the distinctions for me.

I've been writing my business plan and explaining my own view on networking. I actually made a graphic to address what tools I was using to connect with what groups and how. So the idea is that when you are clear about how you are reaching out and/or drawing the attention of each group, then figuring out how to use online media tools and real world activities is less overwhelming.

I thought I'd share this with you because of some distinctions that I make which I feel were a bit more clarifying for me in terms of the overall online networking communities and forums. I referenced you when it came to blogs:keynote speeches, though!
: )

Here is the excerpt from what I'm writing:

A key to understanding how to navigate the online world is to identify the analogous real world construct. Online networking sites, such as Facebook (which is for anyone), may be analogous to cocktail or dinner parties, whereas a site that is devoted to a certain kind of group, such as Savor the Success (which targets female entrepreneurs), is more like attending a conference or convention. In both cases, you can browse the exhibits (profiles), listen to and comment on presentations (blogs), and strike up or contribute to discussions (forums). Forums enable the audience to connect with each other in a room full of roundtable discussions. Anyone can start up their own roundtable discussion in a forum, but you must be registered as a user. In contrast, blogs are open to anyone (unless the author restricts commenting) without having to register (usually you just put your name and something to identify you). Unlike forums where each user has the ability to start his or own topic of discussion (string), a blog typically has only one author (or a small group of authors) who makes a series of posts over time. Although there might be a forum administrator who keeps a watchful eye on things, the blog author exerts more control over what happens on his blog. As suggested by one online marketing expert, Jeremiah Owyang, blogs are akin to keynote speeches in that someone speaks from a podium, possibly on an area of his or her expertise or just to share some ideas, and the audience is able to ask questions or share comments in the form of posting responses.

-Manisha Shahane

abhijeet

yup........
but everyone is trying to provide the platform to discuss your view with your group members
in that mostly r confused with arrangement of topis and people

Manish Sharma

Analogy was wonderful and helped me to understand the concept better.

laks

This one is nice and helps me what is what

Margus Waffa

Nice start but the things do way deeper. On the business side of issue, social networks bring in usually millions of dollars and most of the forums just try to stay alive or make little income. Forums are more about issues and posts social network are more about how many people there is and random content that often does not matter (or family, friend pictures etc) - it's place to go entertain yourself.
In ´most successful forums you will get banned for posting retarded things in social network you will get your own fan club for posting crap.

etc, i could go along in ages

That sayd, i own 12 different pages in facebook and 2 groups, 250 friends and i am connected whit many games/applications that facebook offers :)

cartman

based on his replies to peoples messages, jeremiah seems like a really nice person, so i feel bad about saying that i still dont really get the difference. except the thing about blogs being like a keynote speech with one main speaker.

sapience

Difference between blogs ,forums & social network is very clearly defined here & also nice definitions for all.

===================================
samrick

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