Facebook vs Twitter

There is an interesting conversation going on today over at All Facebook comparing the top users of Twitter and Facebook. This conversation stems from Facebook’s redesign last week, a redesign that many people have think positions Facebook to become more aligned with Twitter. Since Facebook is more mature and already has a much larger audience, the usefulness of using both sites simultaneously had come into question.

With well over 180 million users, Facebook has a much broader reach which explains why the top public profiles are a better indicator of worldwide popularity. While Twitter currently has a much smaller reach, the site will increasingly become a better barometer of what’s popular in the world…While most Twitter users are on Facebook, most Facebook users are not on Twitter. As such, Facebook’s top public profiles are a better indicator of world wide trends whereas Twitter’s is a better indicator of trends within the Twitter community.

The article and comments get into some interesting points about the reach, purpose, and direction for both of the sites. Yet, how people interact with, and the kinds of interactions they expect back still remain different. One might notice that the top Facebook profiles are not real people, just fan clubs. If I message a facebook account of a celebrity, there is little chance that I will receive a response. But if you look at some of the top Twitter users (for example) you’re seeing authentic communication. Currently, Twitter is most successful as a news source, while Facebook remains largely centered around entertainment.

I follow several news outlets and industry professionals on Twitter, but my Facebook friends are almost exclusively people whom I have met in person. Event invitations, announcements and reviews are archived and broadcast over Facebook. But during events I’m tweeting.

Although the comparison could have gone more in depth, it does raise some good questions. Join in the conversation here http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/03/twitter-facebook-comparison/