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.

[...] Tool Analogies for the Online Impaired Jeremiah Owyang uses clear terms to explain the differences between forums, blogs, and social networ… Forums are like social mixers, where everyone is at equal level, milling about and discussing with [...]

Posted by Internet Tool Analogies for the Online Impaired « The MindOH! Blog on January 28th, 2008 at 8:29 am

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

Posted by Dan Schawbel on January 28th, 2008 at 8:38 am

Exactly Dan ( I alluded to that in the description)

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on January 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am

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

Posted by Wayne Mulligan on January 28th, 2008 at 9:15 am

Wayne

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

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on January 28th, 2008 at 9:37 am

[...] side of the cutting edge (not my quote, but I love it) Jeremiah Owyang does a great job of trying to differentiate between blogs, forums and social [...]

Posted by The Social Media Toolbox « ConfessionsOfAnITGirl.com on January 28th, 2008 at 10:38 am

Love this J.O. Concise enough to share liberally

Posted by Scott Bauman on January 28th, 2008 at 11:26 am

Yep, another post to point folk at…

Posted by Steve Ellwood on January 28th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

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-are-conferences-forums-are-barcamps/

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

Posted by Mick Liubinskas on January 28th, 2008 at 2:17 pm

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

Posted by Mark Harrison on January 28th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

Thanks Mark, that means a lot!

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on January 28th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Great analogy

Posted by Stan on January 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm

[...] Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks [...]

Posted by Random Thoughts 01/29/2008 - New Comm Biz - New media strategies for business on January 29th, 2008 at 1:36 am

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?

Posted by Marco on January 29th, 2008 at 3:48 am

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)

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on January 29th, 2008 at 4:20 am

Reichweiten in Reichweite…

Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks
Forums are like social mixers, Blogs are like a keynote speech, Social Networks are like topic tables at a conference luncheon.

Besserwerber-Archiv: Best money can b…

Posted by Besserwerberblog • Marketing für Besserwerber on January 29th, 2008 at 4:46 am

[...] Networks? Jeremiah Owyang hat sich auf seinem Blog Gedanken dazu gemacht und den Beitrag “Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs and Social Networks” verfasst. Darin schreibt [...]

Posted by Der Unterschied zwischen Foren, Blogs und Social Networks « Das Kulturmanagement Blog on January 30th, 2008 at 1:16 am

[...] en un post del gran Jeremiah Owyang, que es el que ha propuesto esta discusión, voy a adaptar sus opiniones, y a complementarlas un [...]

Posted by Diferencias entre "foro", "blog", y "red social" on January 30th, 2008 at 7:23 am

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

Posted by Deepika on January 31st, 2008 at 8:52 pm

[...] Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks (tags: strategy socialmedia blogs socialnetworking) [...]

Posted by links for 2008-02-01 « The Refine+Focus Blog on February 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm

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.

Posted by Carol Ross on February 2nd, 2008 at 8:32 am

[...] Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks - Et par udmærkede definitioner på blogs, forums og sociale netværk og forskellene herpå. [...]

Posted by poso.dk - om portable sociale netværk » Interessante links fundet d. 3. February on February 3rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm

Der Unterschied zwischen Foren, Blogs und Social Networks…

Häufig bekommt man die Frage gestellt, ob man nun sein Forum zu einem Blog oder Social Network umbauen muss, um dem Web 2.0 Trend folgen zu können.Keineswegs…! Vielmehr haben alle 3 ihren Stellenwer……

Posted by document.write("Markus Tressl"); on February 4th, 2008 at 5:42 am

[...] a “RESEARCH” firm and perhaps that’s why they don’t have blogs but “Newsletters“. But not sure what I get every week is a actually a newsletter, but more blog like, here [...]

Posted by spatially relevant » Blog Archive » AMR has a blog - they just don’t want to admit it on February 5th, 2008 at 4:44 am

[...] article i came [...]

Posted by Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks - GridLock - Just another KM / Tech Blog on February 9th, 2008 at 8:39 am

So where do Wiki’s fit in?

Posted by Steve on February 13th, 2008 at 7:05 am

Wikis are the collaborative white boards or the libraries.

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on February 13th, 2008 at 8:09 am

[...] 14, 2008 by drewbernard Jeremiah Owyang’s analogy of a blog being like “a keynote speech where the speaker (blogger) is in control of the discussion, but allows questions a…“ really strikes a cord with me. I have been thinking a lot about the role blogging can and [...]

Posted by Understanding the difference between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks « Drew Bernard on February 14th, 2008 at 3:58 pm

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.

Posted by Samuel Driessen on February 27th, 2008 at 3:27 am

[...] post can respond to the replies. And so it continues… I really like the way Jeremiah Owyang describes the blogger as being the “keynote speaker” of the blog. It’s a simple definition that makes a lot of [...]

Posted by Blogging Basics | Geeky Girl's Teaching and Technology Tips on March 13th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

More definitions to help understand Web 2.0 - forums, blogs, social networks oh my!…

Understanding the differences between Forums, Blogs, and Social Networks…

Posted by Internet Marketing Insights on June 12th, 2008 at 7:59 am

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

Posted by Manisha Shahane on August 26th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

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

Posted by Manish Sharma on November 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 am

This one is nice and helps me what is what

Posted by laks on March 15th, 2009 at 2:28 am

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

Posted by Margus Waffa on April 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 am

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.