When you think of digital marketing, what do you first imagine? Do you think of shiny social media posts, with a heavy emphasis on social networks like Facebook and Instagram? Or do you think of blog posts, and a company’s online presence as a whole? Although blogging and social platforms often cross paths, there are some important differences between them, and they each tend to serve a specific, different purpose. 

To help you get the most out of your blog and your socials, I have put together a guide to each of these content types. I will go over blogging and socials, how they are different, and how to effectively use them separately and together. First, I want to discuss the ins and outs of blogging strategy and use, and how this type of long-form content can be used. 

Understanding the Blogging Landscape

Twenty years ago, a blog was something that might connect family members, or offer a means of expression for a teenager in need of an outlet, but blogs have become standard for companies and brands, in order to put out different types of content than you might find on socials like Instagram Stories. The blogging landscape changes periodically, but its current iteration often focuses on highly shareable content and snippets of content marketing that are too large, complex, or nuanced to pop into short-form content like a caption or video description. 

So what exactly is a blog? 

What is a Blog?

The term “blog” is short for “weblog,” or an online log of information. This is a broad definition, but typically describes long-form content that focuses on delivering information in digestible ways. Key characteristics of a blog include internal and external links, a commenting system, social sharing, social integration, and calls to action. 

Different industries and niches make use of different types of blogs. There are personal blogs, business blogs, blogs dedicated to niche interests, and even different topic types (think listicles, versus informational posts, versus how-tos, and more). Ultimately, what all of these blogs have in common is a purpose: to bring in traffic, impart information, and establish the company or brand as an authority in their field. 

Blogging can successfully drive traffic, establish authority, and deliver information, but blogs are also beneficial because they can offer more complex visual elements and explanations, organically prompt joining an email list, encourage relationships with new or existing customers, and generate leads. Blogs are also frequently used as a vehicle for organic affiliate links that help bring in revenue, and may not come across as overtly sales minded as posts on social platforms or dedicated ads. 

The Evolution of Blogging

Blogging was not always a significant source of content marketing; instead, blogs were initially used as an online journal, of sorts, or a way to document personal experiences and journeys. Blogs were used to detail family trips, offer insights into certain education paths, or even document forays into cooking. Traditional blogging was personal rather than professional; it was not until much later that blogs became a significant part of companies’ marketing strategy. 

As blogs became more popular, they became something far more similar to current social media marketing practices. Blogs ventured into writing, essentially serving as social proof of a writer’s ability, and were used to showcase photography skills, as well. In these early days, food blogs, fashion blogs, and far more began to monetize through the use of banners, or static advertisements lining the sides of blog pages. As ads evolved, everyone from food bloggers to family bloggers began to make use of monetization via ads in far more overt ways, including pop up ads, ad banners, and even video ads. 

As blogs continued to thrive, influencers stormed the blogosphere, using this particular type of long-form content to engage with fellow bloggers, promote their social media marketing efforts, and more organically embed links for affiliate partners, Amazon storefronts, and more. Professional blogging can be found just about everywhere; tech companies, clothing companies, and even fashion companies alike use blogs as a vital part of their business strategy to reach a wider audience and maintain that audience’s attention. 

Blogging Platforms and Tools

Although the early days of blogging focused on sites like LiveJournal and Xanga, popular blogging platforms today include WordPress, Blogger, and Squarespace. These platforms have years of use behind them, and many business owners rely on the familiarity and ease of use present in these blogging platforms. Thousands of people use and browse through these popular platforms, whether they are in search of the next big food blogger, or a blog discussing the ins and outs of engine mechanics. 

Once you have selected the platform that best suits your needs, bloggers can move on to identifying the best tools. Content management systems, SEO tools, blog analytics, and blog schedulers are just some of the common tools used to make the process of developing blogs more streamlined and efficient. Blogs often more effectively help establish a sense of community, which many social media marketers are eager to capture. These tools can help divert some of the minutiae involved in blogging, to more thoroughly foster that community. 

Selecting the best analytics tools, management tools, and platform can initially seem daunting. To do this effectively, browse some of your favorite blogs and websites, and look closely at the platforms and tools they use. This can be a great starting point to help develop your own systems and base of operations. 

While blogging might help nurture a personal connection through community, social networks are used to reach a broad audience, and focus on growing recognition and authority. From Instagram Stories and Reels to TikTok to YouTube Shorts, there are a plethora of different formats and fields from which to choose. While blogs are largely simple in their overall design or intention, social platforms can be all over the map. 

What is Social Media?

Social media is defined as interactive technology, which is used to share content, whether that content comes in the form of images, videos, or text. Key characteristics of social platforms include profiles, engagement practices and metrics, content sharing, networking, connection, and some form of notification or alert system. These characteristics make social platforms the powerhouses they have become today, connecting everyone to people they know (friends and family members) to influencers and brands that can be around the world. 

There are different types of social platforms, each with their own unique approach to developing and sharing content. Facebook is among the largest, with the ability to create events, images, text, and video, and profile options that range from a grandmother to a massive company. Instagram, part of the Facebook family, is similarly large, and although it is primarily used to share images and video through posts, Stories, Instagram Reels, and carousel posts, it is also known to be a powerhouse in its own right with regard to captions. Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok all have their own unique platforms that can serve as a blogging alternative or a complementary platform outside of blogging. 

Social media marketers recognize the immense benefits of social platforms and profiles, both for individuals and for businesses. Individuals can use these platforms to connect, to share their own work, and to search relevant hashtags to find new influencers, new products, and to connect with likeminded people. Businesses can use socials to reach new audiences, foster connections with potential customers, and encourage customer loyalty through sharing, marketing campaigns, engagement campaigns, and more. 

The Growth and Impact of Social Media

Social media usage and growth have seen substantial increases since the inception of these platforms. Social media marketers take note: from 2012 to 2023, alone, daily social use has nearly doubled, from 90 minutes per day on average in 2012, to over 150 minutes per day on average. Consuming social posts on a regular basis has a massive impact on sales and brand recognition, so it is vital to utilize socials to their fullest potential. 

Although social platforms were fairly small within this same time frame–Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter largely reigned supreme–growth has exploded. In 2015, for instance, social platforms boasted 2 billion active users. In 2023, only 8 years later, those same platforms brought in 4.950 billion active users. This kind of growth can demonstrate the immense value of using social platforms on a regular basis as part of your content marketing strategy. 

Over time, social networks have completely transformed how we communicate, market, and operate as a society. Once a small group of people–young college students, perhaps, or middle aged adults looking for a place of discourse–socials have come to include virtually anyone, from great-grandparents to the youngest of kids dancing on TikTok. Communication is often immediate and even reactive, marketing is done not only through billboards and favored celebrities but through your cousin, your neighbor, and your friends. Society as a whole has embraced social platforms, and they are thoroughly ingrained as a part of daily life. 

That is not to say that socials are without their ills; many question the pitfalls of these platforms. Privacy concerns, growing misinformation, and even addiction are all frequent points brought up by educators, concerned parents, and concerned social scientists. Nevertheless, social media continues to thrive, with little to no barrier to entry and a slew of fresh content ready to be served up at a moment’s notice. 

Social Media Strategies and Best Practices

While you certainly can hop onto a social platform and start posting without a definitive goal or strategy in mind, it can quickly become difficult to maintain your presence in a consistent, relatable way. Set goals and define your target audience from the start to prevent burnout and provide a clear direction for your social strategies. 

As you use those goals and your target audience to create text or visual content, make sure you are creating content that is engaging and shareable. While hashtags, tags, and other features specific to your platform are important, do not underestimate the value of simple shares from your audience in increasing your reach and ultimately reaching your goals. 

Once you have established a consistent posting rhythm, regularly go over your social performance. Measure important barometers like engagement and analyze your posts to determine which posts seem to garner the most interest. If it seems to be user-generated content, lean into sharing more. If infographics are your bread and butter, place emphasis on developing more. Recognize your strengths as you post, and continue to develop them. 

Further Reading: 9 Steps to Build an Effective Social Media Strategy for 2024

Blogging vs Social Media: Key Differences

Although people frequently think of bloggers and social media influencers or content creators as being carved from the same stone, the two do not always go hand in hand, and the formats possess some very important differences. Formatting, length, engagement, ownership and control, and SEO practices all differ between blogs and socials. I will go into greater detail on each of these differences below. 

Content Format and Length

Blogs and social posts differ substantially both in terms of content format and in length. Blogs are typically used to dive more deeply into a given topic, and as such are longer form. The amount of blog traffic will differ from niche to niche, but a standard blog is much longer than a caption or social post, and includes content such as articles, tutorials, and detailed reviews. 

Social posts, conversely, are short-form pieces of content. They are considered “snackable” content, or content that is faster and easier to digest. Social strategies typically focus on quickly capturing attention and holding it only for a few moments. As such, these posts are typically used for quick posts, updates, behind-the-scenes, or even directions to go to long-form content. This is one of the most effective ways to increase blog visitors: by sharing about a post or topic on your socials. 

Audience Engagement and Interaction

Audience engagement and interaction also differs substantially between the two. Blogs have comment sections and email newsletters to keep authors and readers connected. There is far more community building on a blog, encouraging readers to engage with blogs or share their own experiences. Socials use likes, shares, comments, direct-messages, and more, which provides more real-time engagement, but a less robust sense of community. Both are valuable. 

Further Reading: Writing for Social Media: 15 Tips to Increase Engagement

Content Ownership and Control

On a blog, whether it is a parenting blog, lifestyle blog, or another type of blog altogether, you own both your content and your platform, and you have far more control over the presentation of your site and monetization. This aspect of blogging is often the more preferred aspect: you can tailor your blogging experience to match exactly what you want. 

Social media differs considerably here, as users are subject to the platform’s rules, algorithms, and any changes that arise. As social platforms continue to evolve and shift, these changes can be numerous, and users have very little (if any) control over them. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization differs from social media platforms and blogs, primarily because blogging relies more heavily on SEO practices, while socials may not need as heavy a focus on SEO. Blogs rely on SEO to drive organic traffic, and long-tail keywords and backlinks are vital to ensure high rankings on Google searches and ideal numbers on Google analytics09. 

Social platforms require less focus on SEO, but different social signals and shares can help boost visibility on searches. Rather than focusing heavily on SEO, most social media marketers focus on relevant hashtags, user-generated content and tags, and social-specific content for social media posts to increase visibility and drive traffic. 

Integrating Blogging and Social Media

Although blogging and social platforms are different in many respects, they can work in a complementary relationship. Integrating blogging and social media is a great way to increase your reach on both, grow your email list, and encourage brand loyalty. I have put together some of the most effective and straightforward ways to integrate the two types of content below. 

Promoting Blog Content on Social Media

Sharing blog posts on relevant social media platforms is a great way to integrate blogging into your socials. You can also adapt the content you have created for your blog for each platform–think images, headlines, excerpts, etc. You can also use your platform to encourage social sharing and further improve engagement on your blogs. 

Further Reading: 25 Effective Ways How to Promote Your Blog in 2024

Embedding Social Media on Your Blog

Social buttons and widgets are common accompaniments on blogs, and can help connect readers and followers. Social posts or feeds can be visible directly on your blog using these widgets. Social login options can also be placed on your blog comment areas, or on subscriptions, making it easy for followers and readers to integrate their own socials. 

Cross-Platform Content Repurposing

Cross-platform repurposing is an excellent way to tie everything together. Social media posts can take on the information in a blog post by using infographics, videos or video snippets, or even just quotes. Conversely, you can create blog posts based on different social media discussions or trends you have engaged with or come across. You can also leverage user-generated content from your socials on your blog, further linking the two. 

Further Reading: Repurposing Content: 15 Specific and Popular Methods

Building Your Brand with Blogging and Social Media

Blogging offers a great way to build your brand, as do your social profiles. Both bring different elements to content marketing, and both possess different conversion rates, audience intake, and more. Nevertheless, both can function as powerhouses in building your brand. I have put together some of the most important brand-building practices below. 

Defining Your Brand Voice and Identity

Develop a consistent tone, style, and visual brand across your platforms and your site. This will help set the tone for your social audience and your readers, and make it far easier to transition from going through one and looking over the other. Your socials and blog should also align with your brand values and your mission. Ultimately, the goal is to create a memorable enough style and tone to be recognizable as a brand. 

Further Reading: How to Network Effectively for Your Personal Brand

Establishing Your Expertise and Authority

On either platform, share valuable, informative, and insightful content to help establish your expertise on a given subject, and your authority within your niche. As you create content for your blogs and socials, reach out to industry peers to help build credibility and engage with your audience–answering questions, entering respectful debates, and more–to demonstrate your knowledge. You can also collaborate with other experts in guest blogging posts, or work with influencers in your niche. 

Growing Your Audience and Community

Promote your blog and your social media presence in any way that you can: through email marketing, through collaborations and partnerships, and by featuring your blog on your socials and your socials on your blog. Engaging with your audience will go a long way on both your blog and your socials, so make sure you engage via comments, messages, and both encouraging and entering into discussions. Ultimately, you want to foster a clear sense of community around your brand, and craft a sense of belonging for readers and followers. 

Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Blogging and Social Media

Blogs possess long-form content, with robust comment sections and a more developed sense of community. Social media offers short-form content, for the most part, with a higher emphasis on capturing attention. The aspects of blogging that set it apart from social platforms are the same aspects that make it valuable, while the ephemeral nature and fast-moving pace of social media make it similarly indispensable. By integrating both, you can develop a truly comprehensive content strategy to drive interest and engagement and develop brand recognition and loyalty. 

Now that you have a firm grasp of the ins and outs of both blogging and socials, you can begin developing a strategy for the future of blogging and social management in your own content and marketing practices. If you are just getting started blogging, I have a simple resource to help you learn how to get your blog off the ground. If you have yet to develop your own social strategy, I have gathered some ideas to develop content, and strategies to develop your personal brand. 

Do you use social media and blogging in tandem? Do you have any strategies to share? Let me know in the comments!