The answer to this question is a resounding yes, blogs are considered social media.
In fact, blogging is one of the most popular forms of social media, with over 409 million monthly active bloggers on WordPress alone.
Think of Twitter, for example, it’s a microblogging site, and it’s one of the many powerful social media platforms.
Characteristics Of Social Media Networks
Enable conversations & create communities
It’s no secret that social media has the power to connect people from all over the world. But what many businesses don’t realize is that social media can also be a powerful tool for building relationships and creating communities.
User profiles
User profiles are the public face of social media. They are how we present ourselves to the world and how the world gets to know us.
A good user profile is essential to building a strong social media presence. LinkedIn is a professional social networking site where you can create a user profile.
A user profile should include a clear and concise bio that tells people who you are and what you do, a profile picture that is professional and represents you well, a cover photo that is eye-catching and relevant to your brand and a link to your website or blog.
Post in real-time
This means that users can post and receive information in the moment without having to wait for a scheduled update. This has a number of implications for businesses and organizations that use social media.
It means that you need to be prepared to respond to inquiries and comments quickly. Social media users expect prompt responses (within 60 minutes), so if you’re not able to provide them, you’ll quickly lose their interest.
Entertaining
Social media is a great way to keep people entertained, and it stimulates dopamine. There are tons of funny videos, memes, and other content that people can enjoy on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
This is one of the main reasons why social media is so popular.
Attention-grabbing
In order for a social media platform to be successful, it needs to be able to capture the attention of its users and keep them engaged.
Two of the most common ways are through the use of notifications and algorithmically-generated content.
Characteristics Of Blogs
Structured and focused (content strategy)
Blogs are typically structured around a specific topic or theme, with each post focusing on a specific aspect of that topic.
This helps to keep the content focused and on-topic, making it more useful and interesting for readers.
Regularly updated
Most blogs are updated regularly, with new content being added daily or weekly.
This helps to keep readers coming back for more and also ensures that the blog remains relevant and up-to-date. Search engines love content that’s fresh and engaging, and so do readers.
Visual
A good blog should have plenty of images, videos, and other visual elements to keep the people who are reading engaged by breaking up the text and adding visual interest.
People tend to find a blog that is heavy on text difficult to read and boring.
Promote discussions
By allowing comments and providing a forum for discussion, blogs provide a space for people to share their opinions and debate topics (social interaction).
This can lead to some great conversations and help promote understanding between different groups of people.
Personal blog
This means that the blog is about the writer’s own life, thoughts, experiences, or feelings. Some blogs are very personal, almost like a diary, while others are more focused on specific topics. Blogger profiles are where users can set their tone.
Similarities Between Blogs And Social Media Sites
Both can be used for content marketing
Blogging and social media posts are great ways to connect with potential and current customers, build a rapport, and share information about your products or services.
Both platforms offer the ability to share photos, videos, and other forms of content that can help promote your business.
You can respond to comments and questions, run giveaways and contests, and provide exclusive content or deals that will encourage people to follow or subscribe. This creates link sharing and drives engagement. Both have come a long way and are not the same as traditional media (media that originated before the internet).
Both can generate sales
Marketing agencies can use blogs to share product information and announcements. This can help to generate interest in a product or service and lead to sales.
By providing valuable content and engaging with readers, businesses can create a relationship with potential customers that can lead to sales down the road.
Both platforms are excellent for sharing information and promoting discussion
If you’re looking to share blog posts or articles, Twitter is a great platform to use. You can share links to your content and start a discussion by tagging other users in your tweets.
If you’re looking to promote discussion around a certain topic, Facebook groups are a great place to do that.
Verdict: Is A Blog Post Social Media?
The jury is still out on whether blogging is social media. Some, like Kate The Professional, say that they are, while others, like The Creative Edge, argue that they’re not.
On one hand, blogs can be seen as social media because they provide a platform for people to share their thoughts and ideas with others. They also allow readers to interact with the author by leaving comments and feedback. Adam Singer at The Future Buzz says that “all content on the web can be social.”
On the other hand, some people argue that blogs are not social media because they are not interactive enough (they are typically static). Also, a social media post is around 140- 280 characters, whereas blogging is an entire article and the word count is much higher.
Conclusion
A blog is a form of social media, as the posts are essentially social media posts, except longer. It just means there’s more room to go into detail. The definition of social media is any web platform that allows users to share information, pictures, ideas and network – and this is exactly what blogs do.
Social media can take on different forms, including social blogs (shorter word count than traditional blogs), internet forums, microblogging, podcasts, photographs, social bookmarking sites, videos, wikis and weblogs. If you are quitting social media but continuing on your own blog, that would mean you are still using social media.
One thing is certain: blogging is a powerful way to reach an audience and share your ideas.