Twitter or Facebook – which wins for you?

Way back in 2010, I asked which you would rather have: Twitter or Facebook. There was quite a mix of responses at the time, and I was clearly in favour of Twitter.

I’ve changed my mind since then, though, and now spend much more time on Facebook than Twitter.

Why? Well, here are some of the reasons I like Facebook:

• Pages: I think having a place where you can showcase your product, business, website, or community through a page is really useful. I wasn’t making use of pages when I asked the previous question, and this might be a big part of my change of heart.
• Timeline: Yes, I know many people dislike it, but I think the timeline is great. It lays out what you (or your friends) have been doing in a nice way – and those cover images can be put to great use with a bit of imagination.
• Photos: There’s something about being able to see photos right there in your news feed that works better for me than clicking a link. Laziness? Convenience? You decide.
• Community: This is the big one for me – and I recognise that this may be why Facebook works best for me, but not for other people. More of the people I know in real life are on Facebook than on Twitter. So, if I want to find out what an old school friend is up to, Facebook is the place to go. If I want to see the latest product from another friend’s home business, Facebook again. If I want to share with people who I will meet at the school gate, or in the town… well, you get the point.

There is one thing I don’t think Facebook is as good for, however, and that’s interacting with large brands. Sure, O2 have a page, as do Honda, but I always have better luck getting a response from large companies such as these on Twitter than on Facebook. Not sure why that is… but them’s the facts.

What do you think? If you could only have one out of Facebook and Twitter, which would it be? I’m curious to know if the balance has shifted one way or the other since the last time I asked. Let us know your thoughts in the comments – including your reasons if you feel like sharing.

Thanks.