The difference between Facebook and Twitter can be described in many different ways. If you prefer any of the services, you may not agree with all my points and defend your preferred social network. Whichever you choose to use, if not both, it all depends on your personal preferences and the purpose for which you use it.

Friends – Followers

The first point of difference is that Facebook is a network for reconnecting with friends and family. The people you connect with are primarily people you know, either personally or through other channels. By default, friends must be approved on their personal profile page.

Twitter is a network where anyone can follow anyone. People who like what they see on your page can simply follow your tweets and you don’t need to approve anyone by default. This means that your network is less personal and has a much wider reach.

Characteristics

Facebook offers features like email, instant messaging, image and video sharing, etc. and it feels familiar. It’s easy to orient yourself on Facebook when you first join and it can get quite addictive as you can browse your friends’ pages, their photos, etc.

Twitter, on the other hand, offers 140-character microblogging for sharing, private messaging, and has started using affiliate sites and apps to upload and share photos; however, they are not stored on your page. Twitter is more of a portal to jump to other places by strategically placing the right links.

Personal business

While Facebook is more about sharing on a personal level with people you know (just looking at the personal profile page), tweets are especially used by anyone with something to promote – bloggers, online marketers, etc.

Twitter is also used to ask questions and get instant answers from people with whom you would not otherwise have any connection. Twitter is a platform for going out and promoting yourself, while Facebook is primarily used for chatting with old friends.

Facebook versus Twitter

As mentioned in the first paragraph, you most likely have your favorite. The truth is that both have their advantages and disadvantages and it totally depends on what you use it for. In the end, both are social networks, which will develop over time, using user feedback and updating with new inventions.

If you’re using them for more than personal pleasure, you’ll be looking for a return on your time investment, whether it’s via Facebook or Twitter, or potentially a consolidated version of the future.