Social Media Platforms Vs Social Networking Platforms: A Comparison Outlook

Majority of the people are confused between LinkedIn and Instagram.

Are you among them?

Well, it’s not the point of concern. Learning about the difference is all you should do next.

Now, the question arises “What is the difference between social media and social networking platforms?”

We won’t let you wait anymore. Here you will find all your answers.

Let’s clear out the confusion all at once starting from the concept to distinguish factors.

What are Social Media Platforms?

Before we proceed to the differences and factors helpful to finding it, let’s understand the concept first.

Social media platforms can be defined as online platforms along with the tools that assist people to create, share, and exchange information with others.

These platforms are developed to build social relationships with people who are engaged in sharing similar personal or career-related activities and interests.

This is a digital tool that allows people to create engagement by sharing content with friends and their loved ones.

“Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage”- Amy Jo Martin

What are Social Networking Platforms?

Well, when we come to understand social media platforms, let’s look at how it will break into.

Social Networking Platforms can be defined as the type of online media platform that assists people in building social networks with ones who possess similar interests.

It is primarily focused on creating relationships and networks through online mediums.

This platform is used for communicating with other people who seek similar points of interest in a particular area.

Difference Between Social Media and Social Networking Platforms?

Now, Let’s jump to “How to distinguish b/w social media and social networking platforms?”

Here, you will find the factors on which the points of difference between the two concepts are found.

1. Current Market Dynamics

Current market dynamics comprise competitive forces in the market, current status, economic trends, etc. Certain market research can help you to find out information about social media vs social networking platforms.

Social Media Platforms

• Based on social media statistics, the reach of these platforms is increasing globally. This can be analyzed through the time spent on these platforms.
• The average daily social media platform usage worldwide amounted to 143 minutes per day in 2024.
• Social media platforms have become the largest marketing mediums used by marketers. As per the survey, it was found that 89% of marketers use social media platforms to promote their businesses.

Social Networking Platforms

• The total revenue within the social networking market is estimated to reach US $129.60 billion in the year 2022 and this volume is projected to reach US $189. 50 billion by the year 2027.
• Facebook has become one of the first social networking platforms to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently has three million active users monthly.
• It is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide. In the year 2024, northern and western Europe were the regions with the top social network penetration rates.

2. Purpose and Usage

Purpose defines the real goal of the platforms and usage determines their use through target audience.

Social Media Platforms

• The major purpose of social media permit the sharing of ideas and information that comprises any kind of text and visuals that is through virtual networks and communities.
• It is a kind of platform that broadcasts the information to others.
• Sharing is the primary and ultimate purpose of assisting the users in disseminating the information.

Social Networking Platforms

• Social networking platforms can be defined as apps that assist users and organizations to communicate and connect to sharing information as well as forming relationships.
• It is a kind of platform that allows communication with one another.
• This is used to build and maintain relations that majorly focus on personal and professional networking.

3. Target Users

This is a group of specific audience who wants to use the specific service offered. These are distinguished on the parameters of demographics including age, income, location, and gender.

Social Media Platforms

• The target audience over social media is people who share similar interests on the platform that has been offered by it.
• Moreover, the target audience of the platform is diverse and comprises individuals, brands, along organizations who aims to reach as many people as possible.
• The size of the target audience can be as large as possible and cannot be limited based on the desired purpose of developing a social media platform.

Social Networking Platforms

• Here the target users are individuals who seek to maintain and build professional and personal connections and focus on specific user groups.
• These user groups can be professionals, hobbyists, students, or any other who desires to interact within the community.
• Social networking platforms are designed for people who belong to the same area, friends, and families the similar interests.

4. Features and Functions

Features can be stated as an individual element that gives value to the users. Features can be stated as the functionality of the app. You can decide on the social media features after understanding the minor differences stated below.

Social Media Platforms

• The features and functionality of social media platforms focus on different elements including articles, status updates, videos, and photos.
• It contains broadcasting tools such as live streaming, feeds, and stories for broadcasting the content successfully.
• These platforms have their own algorithms and search functions for discovering trending content along with new content. Here is the use of integrated tools for creating ads.

Social Networking Platforms

• Compared to social networking platforms, it contains connection-building tools comprising features to add, connect, and follow with individuals for designing the network.
• Direct messaging, group chats along with forums for interactive communication are used here to connect users across the globe.
• Social networking platforms comprise detailed user profiles with professional and interest-based information. Here users can create groups and communities based on their fields.

5. User Interface

These are the systems through which the system interacts with the user. Here you create UI/UX design for your app to engage the target audience.

Social Media Platforms

• Social media app design depends on multiple factors comprising users’ interests and current market demand, etc.
• The interface is designed to attract users to share or broadcast the information.
• These platforms focus on content creation and emphasis on layouts to grab attention quickly. Here features display popular content that is trending to encourage users.

Social Networking Platforms

• When it comes to social networking platforms, these features help the users to connect with others who share a similar kind of interest.
• Here tools assist in group management completely focused on building discussion and collaboration among people.
• The interface has a professional look to attract people seeking jobs, internships, or employers seeking skilled employees.

6. Monetization Strategies

App monetization strategies determine the ways and different models to make money from the platform. Lets’ discuss the comparison based on monetization among social media apps vs social networking apps.

Social Media Platforms

• The primary and important source of income of social media platforms comprises sponsored content, partnerships, subscriptions along data monetization.
• There are many diverse areas to earn money from social media platforms and influencer marketing is among them. Here you connect the brands with influencers with lots of followers.
• Advertising through affiliate products and links is among the important social media monetization strategies.

Social Networking Platforms

• For social networking platforms, there are multiple frameworks to consider including the freemium model where basic features are free and premium features are charged for increasing connection.
• These networking platforms provide tools and effective features that promote paid online and offline events that are hosted by the communities. Social networking platforms also offer data analysis patterns and prioritize the privacy concept.
• Such platforms connect with the e-commerce communities and stores that provide them a source of income.

7. Regulations and Policies

Policies and regulations can be detailed as the norms and rules that are designed by the organizations for achieving the goals. These are made to provide security to the user’s data and provide them protection over their sensitive information. Let’s learn about regulations within social networking vs. social media.

Social Media Platforms

• Social media platforms are created to follow the internal guidelines for outlining user behavior, platform usage policies along content limitations.
• These are designed to maintain a safe, engaging environment that may restrict hate speech or any kind of misleading content.
• Here platforms can define the content that is to be considered as wrong and inappropriate.

Social networking Platforms

• Here government can impose enforcement over social networking platforms which aims to address broader societal concerns related to social media use.
• All the networking policies are designed to address the issues comprising data privacy, the spread of misinformation, and hate speech.
• Over the social networking platforms, the government can impose fines and block the access to the platforms that spread misinformation. Connect with a recruitment app development company for more info.

8. Scope of Innovation

The scope of innovation is one of the major differences between social networking and social media platforms. This is the practical implementation of the ideas where new goods and services are introduced. Let’s look at the difference.

Social Media Platforms

• Social media platforms contain a higher frequency of updates that comprise new features, algorithms, and new features to keep users engaged.
• The platform owners have constant experience with the new features for keeping the users engaged by including features such as live videos, stories, etc.
• These platforms are highly trendy and also focus on long-term value by fostering professional and genuine connections.

Social Networking Platforms

• Social networking platforms require less frequent updates and also focus on stability for facilitating long-term connections.
• Along with this, such platforms introduce features very carefully and are more selective about them. They prioritize features based on connection-building and community management protocols.
• They do not adapt to trends very frequently. These platforms focus on delivering long-term value for building a community management landscape.

9. Messaging and Communication

For messaging and communication, which can be the best platform- social media or social networking? Well, it totally depends on the purpose of starting a social media business. Let’s learn the difference.

Social Media Platforms

• Social media platforms are just like busy town squares where direct communication is not the main focus. Here everybody shouts out the messages.
• Here group chats may exist but tend to be smaller compared to social networking platforms. A sense of urgency is created through disappearing messages.
• The communication can happen in a public forum where anyone can see it thoroughly and content is quicker that is focused on reactions and quick exchanges.

Social Networking Platforms

• On the other hand, social networking platforms are more like private room meetings that focus on private communications and building connections.
• Here the communication happens in private chats and with the targeted groups who pursue similar interests.
• Within these platforms, feature-rich group chats, where groups can be large are followed to enable media sharing for facilitating discussions with the communities.

10. Examples

Here some of the examples are discussed to clarify the comparison b/w social media and social networking platforms.

Social Media Platforms

• Facebook– It is one of the most used platforms that have its unique feature as a news feed that keeps engaging users in the long run.
• Instagram- It has become the favorite platform of marketers to keep users engaged and build a vast user base. You can build a platform like Instagram with easy steps.
• TikTok- TikTok is among the best social media platforms that attracts users with its feature of short video formats.

Bonus Read: Apps Like TikTok

Social Networking Platforms

• LinkedIn– LinkedIn is one of the most accurate examples of social networking where people connect to form professional relations.
• Ziprecruiter– Apps like Ziprecruiter are built to facilitate people who search for jobs and internships and for employers to find suitable talent.
• Glassdoor– It is one of the social networking websites, where employees can review companies anonymously.

Also Read: Cost to Build a Job Portal Like Glassdoor

Okay, let’s discuss one analogy here.

Think of social media platforms as fast-food restaurants, who require to update their menu regularly. On the other hand, social networking platforms are just like fine dining restaurants whose primary focus is to get perfection of the dishes.

Let’s summarise the above factors of comparison for social media vs. social networking in the table below.

How To Choose the Suitable Platform?

After learning the difference, the next milestone is to choose a suitable platform for social media and social networking.

Let’s look down the series of steps below.

Step 1: Look for the Purpose

The foremost step is to look for the purpose of creating a platform. Here you should note all the points that describe users’ needs and preferences.

You need to learn about the target audience and detail the issue that you want to address by going through an app development process.

Step 2: Finalize the Target User Base and Market

Now, you have to finalize the target user base by conducting market research.

You should research the competitors and the methods they are adopting to achieve the users’ needs.

Step 3: Analyse the Required Content Format

You should know the type of content format required in the app. Here you can hire mobile app developers to help you in this area.

Comparison between different content formats can also be helpful here.

Step 4: Place All the Alternate Options at One Place

You can go through the above-mentioned list to find out the details related to the comparison between social media Vs social networking platforms.
It can assist you in putting all the alternatives together with their pros and cons parameters.

Step 5: Select the Best Alternative

This is the last step, where you all need to select the right alternative by comparing all of them together, respectively.

Now, you can head on to a suitable and trusted mobile app development company.

Connect With Nimble AppGenie to Build Your Platforms

A team that can fulfill all your demands of app development and knows the current market scenario is priceless.

Switch to Nimble AppGenie, we are the best social media app development company, with expertise in creating your dream platform.

With the expert panel, you can resolve all your queries related to it and we are ready to help in every way possible.

Conclusion

Social media platforms and social networking platforms are two different concepts that focus on diverse ways.

Social media platforms are built to share and exchange information with a larger audience base. On the other hand, social networking platforms are designed to build relations and networks.

Social media focuses on broadcasting the messages, on the other hand, social networking focuses on private communications. One of the examples of social media can be Instagram, while social networking platforms can be LinkedIn.

FAQs

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.