To any entrepreneur who is skeptical about today’s social media
enterprise, you have to be totally connected with everyone who sees your
brand. Previously, we would look at some TV commercial and think “It
looks like a great product, let’s go buy it.” But now we look at some TV
commercial and think if the product is as great as they say it is.
Today, we don’t buy it; instead, we do our research, we go online and
seek out things like comparisons and reviews before taking any decision.
This is the power of social media. But today’s social media scene is
very different from what it was a few years back. This says a lot about
how we have evolved so much over the years. We live in a digital era now
where the Internet has made publishers of anyone with a laptop or
mobile phone. But is the traditional media already dead? Let’s take a
look at the differences between social media and traditional media.
What is Social Media?
Social media is a form of electronic communication that enables users to
create and share information, ideas, messages, and content via social
networking websites and applications. However, the term ‘social media’
is often used interchangeably with ‘social network’. In fact, social
network is a concept that was around long before the advent of the
internet. Social network refers to a group of people who know each other
or connected in some way. Today, the terms ‘social networking site’ or
‘social networking service’ are a little outdated, but they essentially
refer to the same services as ‘social media’. Social media is now
mainstream media, but it is difficult to define it accurately because
there are exceptions to every definition. It differentiates itself by
being interactive – a two-way communication. Social media includes
websites that are available for social networking.
What is Traditional Media?
Traditional media refers to everything that runs via traditional media
channels such as television, radio, newspaper, magazine etc. When you
look at a TV commercial or listen to the radio or read a magazine or
newspaper, you’re experiencing marketing through traditional media
channels. Traditional media are predominantly push media where the
message is broadcast from company to customer and other stakeholders.
Traditional media has been a part of our culture for over half a
century. Traditional media proved to be a powerful tool in the process
of making learning and teaching more effective and interesting. In
traditional media, the sender usually decides what to publish, broadcast
or telecast, while the receiver always receives the information. In
private organizations, the owners are usually responsible for the
content or material published.
Social Media vs. Traditional Media
Definition
Traditional media refers to everything that runs via traditional media
channels. It includes contemporary modes of communication such as
television, radio, newspaper, magazine etc. In traditional media, the
sender usually decides what to publish, broadcast or telecast, while the
receiver always receives the information. Social media, on the other
hand, includes websites and applications that are available for social
networking. It is a form of electronic communication that enables users
to create and share information, ideas, messages, and content via social
networking websites and applications.
Communication
Traditional media delivers a single message through one-way
communication to as many people possible to reach over blanket networks
like television and radio. This means only the sender or the source of
the information decides what to publish, telecast or broadcast, while
the receiver always receives the information. On the contrary,
communication is two-way in social media; in fact, two-way conversation
is the heart of social media marketing. Social media gives a lot of
freedom over creation of information and in information sharing.
Engagement
Social media is all about engagement whereas traditional media is about
reach. Social media requires actual interaction and response. For that,
you need to create eye-catching, compelling content which is unavoidably
engaging. Social media is a great platform to engage with your audience
and thereby marketing your product or spreading your message out loud.
The aim of social media is to start conversation by getting involved.
Traditional media, on the contrary, is a one-way street which includes
contemporary modes of communication. It simply means broadcasting your
message to as many people as you can.
Marketing
Traditional media is designed for mass consumption which means they are
targeted at mass consumers while social media involves targeted two-way
communication which means the message can be addressed to targeted
audience or individual users. Thus, the marketers need to understand
their target audience and the message is tailored to each individual.
Any user can start communication on any topic and anybody can
participate. Social media is one of the most effective ways to build
your brand and drive sales traffic.
Summary of Social Media vs. Traditional Media
Traditional media includes contemporary modes of communication such as
television, radio, newspaper, magazine, newsletter, etc. In traditional
media, only the sender or the source of information decides what to
publish or broadcast, while the receiver always receives the
information. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way communication
platform through which users create online communities to share
information, ideas, messages, and other content (as pictures and videos)
via social networking sites or applications such as Facebook, MySpace,
Twitter, Instagram, etc.