What Is Microblogging?

You’re probably microblogging and don’t even know it. If you’ve sent a tweet or host a tumblr account, then you are a microblogger.

But what is microblogging? What’s the difference between blogging and microblogging? Is there a difference at all between microblogging and social media? What are examples of microblogging websites?

Here’s what microblogging is (as explained on a blog).

So, What Is Microblogging?

A microblog is a blogging broadcast medium that allows users to publish microposts, or short messages. A micropost can be short sentences, images or video links. It’s considered a blend of blogging and instant messaging because it allows user to post a message on their profile as content.

What’s The Difference Between Blogging And Microblogging?

In many ways, blogging and microblogging are alike. Both provide a platform to create and present content, be it in words, images or video. Both are accessible across all smart devices and update in real-time.

It’s also important to note the differences between blogging and microblogging.

Think of microblogging as blogging on a smaller scale. Blogging allows content to be thousands of words and many megabytes of images and videos, while microblogging limits the amount of words and images a user can include in a micropost.

What’s The Difference Between Blogging And Social Media?

The reasons why it’s difficult to define the difference between blogging and social media or social networking systems is because of strong overlapping between the two.

The focus of social media is for social networking, which occurs when you create, build and maintain personal and professional relationships by meeting people, finding opportunities and discovering new conversations and topics.

In other words, social media or a social networking system is defined as allowing a user to create and maintain a profile and a connections list as well as allow the user to see another user’s connections list.

That’s it.

Many social networking systems incorporate microblogging into their platform to enhance the social networking experience. In turn, many microblogging websites support social networking to help users build an audience. However, a true microblogging website restricts the amount of characters or an image file size a user can publish on the platform and in communications (such as direct messages) with other users.

What Are Examples Of Microblogging Websites?

If you’re still not sure what microblogging is, check out these examples of microblogging websites:

• Twitter
• Tumblr
• FriendFeed
• Plurk
• SpotJots
• ImaHima
• Solaborate
• Soup
• GNU Social
• Tout
• Twister
• Weibo

Now that you know what microblogging is, do you microblog? If so, where do you microblog? Share your microblogging platforms below.