Recently I have noticed an increase in the number of people taking issue with other users of Social communication platforms because they are trying to promote, market or sell a product or service. While I can understand the frustration of being inundated with offers of free e-books, get rich quick schemes and other MLM messaging, I think it is worth pointing out that Social Media & Social Networking are two different things.

Social Communication

Not only are they different but they are activities, not tools. Twitter is not a Social Networking tool, nor is it a Social Media tool, nor is Facebook or LinkedIn or any of the other major platforms. While it is true there are tools that are focused more on one or other of these activities (Foursquare, is very focused on Social Networking for example), the tools that people want to “own” for their own uses are in fact Social Communication platforms.

Appeal & Frustration

This is both their appeal and the cause of the frustration. Twitter is a great example of this, I use Twitter for Social Networking, but I also use it as a channel through which to communicate messages about my company – Social Media. I am wrong to do so? Some would say yes, that I should only be using it to communicate with people who I wish to develop a deep & meaningful relationship and with whom I wish to “engage” at a personal level. To that I say, why?

Social Media is about developing relationships, but its about developing relationships with an intent. Social Networking is also about developing relationships with an intent. Where the two diverge is the intent. If I am networking I may have my business development hat in my back pocket and be looking to meet interesting people who I can help as much as I am looking for people who can help me. If I am using Social Media then my business development hat is sitting firmly and squarely on my head. That doesn’t mean it has to be done in a blatant and offensive manner.

So the next time you want to jump all over another user of a Social Communication platform for not using it correctly, think about the intent of their use. The platform being Social means you don’t get to own it or the use to which it is put, anymore than they do.