African Americans on Facebook or Twitter: Which is Better?

At
press time, there were 250 million people on Facebook and 22.5 million
people on Twitter. Based on the numbers alone, Facebook should trump
Twitter. It’s interesting to note that Twitter has grown a staggering
1,382 percent since 2008. However, at least in the media, Twitter
appears to be the winning social networking medium. MSNBC, CNN and Fox
constantly reference their tweets from followers. Twitter account
holders Oprah (@Oprah), M.C. Hammer (@McHammer), P. Diddy (@iamdiddy) and Shaquille O’Neal (@The_Real_Shaq) each have over one million followers on Twitter.

When
I posed the question “Why do you love Twitter or Facebook?” to my
followers, 70 percent of the respondents indicated a preference for
Facebook.

Here are two of the Twitter responses:
1. @Free2Bee:
“I enjoy both. It’s just that FB feels more personal, I only associate
with those I know. Twitter allows me 2 follow people.”

2. @KayfromNJ:
“Facebook is preferred by most of my friends. They love to post photos
and update their wall. I love Twitter because you can receive quick
updates of the people you follow, celebrities, new organizations, etc.
It is short and quick. You can respond and sometimes get a response.”

When I posed the question to Dee Stewart (@deegospel) of DeeGospelPR.com,
publicist and social media adviser, “Facebook vs. Twitter?” she
responded, “Do not ignore either one. Wherever the people are you need
to go there and engage them.”

It’s fairly easy to assume
that Facebook is for people looking to reconnect with old friends and
family members or find new friends online. Twitter helps you create
conversations and grab ideas in 140 characters or less. Also, it allows
you to update others, letting them know what you’re doing at any given
moment.

So who wins the social networking battle royale?
It remains to be seen if Facebook or Twitter will be crowned king of
social networking. But with the tools and applications being developed
for both social networks, the real winner is US. –l. martin johnson pratt, [email protected], twitter.com/iluvblackwomen, facebook.com/iluvblackwomen

Our
next topic: What is the best way to use, promote, market, organize,
fundraise and reach your customers using Facebook and Twitter?

Listen to me live on Mondays @ 7 p.m. EST on 90.3FM WHCR-NYC or via the Web at www.whcr.org as I host “Technocolorradioshow,” talk show.