Twitter vs Facebook - Why Simplicity Matters

I have essentially stopped going to facebook on a regular basis. I check things when I get a message sent to me. Once I'm done with that message I might spend a minute looking at things, but then I leave. For me, facebook has become an overgrown blob of applications that take up way too much of my time. I just don't have time to fill out every survey or application like mob wars and lil' green plants that get sent to me everyday. If I was still in college, maybe. Being 32, married with 2 kids, a real job, starting a business and trying to golf from time to time means my time is valuable and I don't want to waste it on facebook.

This sentiment seems to be growing among those of us who are social media savvy. Sam Diaz from ZDNet.com shares my thoughts on the subject. Both of us are spending a lot more time on Twitter. In fact, Twitter's growth in the past year was 1,382 percent! That's quite an increase. Facebook isn't hurting though, they saw their growth increase by 228 percent. I don't think they have to worry yet about losing people. However, I do think it is a word of caution to Facebook. Myspace was the biggest social network out there until Facebook came around and they saw a 4 percent decrease in users over the past year.

Seth Godin(who actually doesn't Twitter, but I am sure people wished he did) has a great blog this morning on what is better. He makes a great point that it is up to the consumer to decide which is "better." To me, and a lot of people who are annoyed with all of the junk that comes with facebook, Twitter is better. Granted, I can't post pictures or videos or play mob wars...but really, I don't want to. I like things that are simple, clean and easy to use and so do most people. 

A lesson in communication is a simple one: make sure your message is clean simple and easy to understand. I don't mean simple as in 'dumbed-down.' It means that your message has been stripped down to its core. If you try to put too many bells and whistles into your speech because you think it might help improve your speech or presentation...don't! It is one of PresentationZen's key tenets to presentations - simplicity! Otherwise you might find people starting to leave your speeches the way that they are leaving facebook.

Travis

Comments

[Justin DiRose]

Twitter, #1.Facebook, #20. Really, I use Twitter about 40 times as much as Facebook. Why? I see only the updates I want to. I use the fakebook usually only to play Mafia Wars, send out large messages to various people, or upload my HD videos. No lie there, Facebook has the best HD video upload policy out there (20 min max, less than 1024 mb). YouTube and Vimeo just don't cut it if I'm posting more than one video at a time. Twitter, on the other hand, is my absolute social networking tool. I've connected with more people in various different ways on Twitter than I have in the 6-7 years I've been using Facebook and Myspace, combined.

[Mike]

Much like Justin, I've got the same sentiments between Facebook and Twitter.

To put it most easily in my own terms, take a Saturday/Sunday for me online. I'll typically refresh my Twitter stream more times than I can count, whereas I'll rarely log into Facebook even once over a weekend.

The bottom line is that I've grown accustomed to WANTING (some would say NEEDING) to keep up with the relationships I've formed on Twitter no matter what time of day or day of the week it may be. On the other hand, if Facebook disappeared tomorrow, I'd barely even notice it.

Much like you said, Travis, I pretty much only check Facebook when my phone tells me I have an alert or invite of some sort. For the most part, Twitter covers the bases I need covered professionally and personally, while anyone I keep in touch with on Facebook I can usually see in real life anyway.

Like you said...clean simplicity keeps me much happier. Therefore, Twitter comes out on top for me.

[Travis Dahle]

Justin - I do agree that when it comes to videos or having to send out a mass message (which I don't like to do anyway), facebook is nice.

Mike - Yeah, I never check my myspace account anymore and I think that is what will eventually happen with my facebook as well!

Thanks for the comments!

[Brett Duncan, MarketingInProgress.com]

Though it's natural to compare the two, I think it's a little unfair.

Facebook is great at finding old friends, sharing pics, and really offers the more "social" side of social media. It's a destination site (I think the average time on the site is something ridiculous, like more than an hour or something, but I could be wrong).

Twitter, when used best, is a feed of information. Sure, we marketers and professionals like Twitter more, cuz Facebook still hasn't hit the mark on the professional front. But that's not what it's for.

The sad thing is that Facebook is trying to be more like Twitter.

[Travis Dahle]

That's a good point Brett, I think the reason why I was making the comparison is that Facebook is trying to be more like Twitter and its just not working. It wouldn't surprise me if people spent well over an hour on facebook! Thanks for the input.

[Taylor]

Twitter has its select uses - and is actually a valuable tool for corporate and media brands.

However its greatest asset is its greatest curse - the simplicity. Note its biggest user demo is NOT teenagers. It's not even 20 somethings. Its 30 somethings. A fickle group of people who haven't really "made" any business or medium online yet. Facebook, love it or hate it, already has the status update and most importantly already has an existing network of friends you don't have to re-assemble on twitter.

[Travis Dahle]

Taylor - interesting thoughts. I'm not sure about the tool for corporate and media brands. I agree that there are those people out there, who I try to avoid.

I'm not sure I would agree with you though on the users being "a fickle group of people who haven't really 'made' any business or medium online yet." So you're saying that teenagers and 20 somethings have? I would say that the reason 30 somethings are on twitter more than teenagers or 20 somethings is the fact that we have lives and don't have hours to spend on facebook. Like I put in my post, if I was in college or high school, yeah, I would spend a lot more time on facebook, but I don't have that time now. I don't hate facebook, but I'm just saying I like it better because I don't have the time to spend on facebook and it helps me keep informed on things and be able to banter back and forth with people easier than I can with facebook.

Thanks for the comments though, it will be interesting to see what happens.