Social Media Means
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What is the key difference of social media from traditional media and new media?

Way of Communication Traditional media only support one-way communication. On the contrary, social media lets people communicate in two-way. It means unlike traditional media, social media users can leave reactions, comments, etc.

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Traditional Media vs. Social Media Similarities and Differences

Traditional media and social media are not new terms for us. However, the question is:

Do you really know the difference between both of these types of media?

Well, some of you would say yes, why not!

Traditional media means newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, etc. On the other hand, social media means social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. However, the fact is different. The real meaning of social media can be understood only if you divide the word into two words:

Social implies people socializing with each other (professionally or personally)

Media implies a platform(s) on or using which people socialize.

It means traditional media and modern media aka social networking sites, both can be considered as social media to some extent. However, each type of traditional media is not social media. To clear the confusion, we are articulating this blog on the topic of traditional media vs. social media. Social media sites can be referred to as modern media. However, for better understanding, we will refer to social media sites as social media in this blog.

Let’s explore the similarities and differences between both types of media:

1. Both are Mass Media

Both media types can reach massive audiences. Therefore, both of them are considered as mass media. The difference between these two is social media can reach more people compared to traditional media.

2. Center of Attention

The common point between both media types is disseminating information to massive audiences. The traditional media vs. social media consideration brings us to a major difference between both. The center of attention of social media is to let people or users of it connect with known and unknown people. On the other hand, traditional media focuses on keeping people aware of various things such as politics, international affairs, etc.

3. Way of Communication

Both social media and traditional media spread information is the similarity between both types of media. Traditional media only support one-way communication. On the contrary, social media lets people communicate in two-way. It means unlike traditional media, social media users can leave reactions, comments, etc. Traditional media usually come in only one format. For example, the newspaper cannot show a video. Social media supports all types of files such as documents, text, video, graphics, etc.

4. Reliability of Information

All information disseminated on traditional media goes through multiple layers of fact-checking. Also, the information gets produced by authorized journalists or reporters only. Therefore, all information shared on this type of media is absolutely true and reliable. Information on social media is often generated and disseminated by users. Therefore, the reliability in terms of truthfulness is dicey. It can be true and it can be false. Spreading rumours and mocked pictures are common on social media nowadays.

These are the major differences between traditional media and social media.

20 Oct 2020 Post by : NIMCJ

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Why new media is better than traditional media?

Unlike traditional media, the results you receive from new media are often in real-time. That allows you to make instant changes to your creative in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. It also gives new media a leg up over traditional, where it often takes time to see the results of a campaign.

Relationship between Traditional Media and New Media

In spite of the way it’s often positioned, traditional and new media do not have to go head to head. These mediums can actually be used together to make your advertising campaign stronger than ever. Traditional and new media can complement one another, with each playing a vital role. To help that concept hit home, let’s look at an example. Say, for a moment, that you own a hair salon and are trying to grow your business. Your target demographic is women ages 18+, and you would especially like to reach mothers whose children need a haircut. You are currently using your entire advertising budget on print and radio, and have seen some return on your investment, but would like to see more. One way you could achieve that is to spread out your advertising dollars. Imagine your advertising budget as a pie. Each form of media is one piece of the pie, so right now your pie has two pieces: one for print, and one for radio. What if you cut the pie into six pieces, however, and added in a couple of other forms of media. New media, as we’ll get into a little later, tends to be much more affordable than traditional advertising. You could take some of the radio and print dollars and shift them into targeted mobile ads, sponsored social media posts, and banner ads, and you would exponentially increase your reach.

(Download Whitepaper: Why Digital Channel Marketing Benefits Traditional Media Buyers)

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