You may have never thought to compare a Listserve to Twitter.
(Oh sorry….”X”. I can’t keep up!)
After all, Listserves are on old-fashioned email (and yes….email is still useful). Twitter (X) is one of those newfangled social media platforms. But both have similar goals. They’re both about communicating with a group of people and trying, ultimately, to build a community. So, they’re worth comparing. What then are the important differences between Listserve and Twitter (X)?
Comparing Listserve vs Twitter
Listserve
- A Listserve broadcasts email to a group of people who volunteered to receive it.
- Reply to an email message and it sends to the entire group.
- Forward an email message you like to friends or another Listserve.
- You have to find and join a Listserve that specializes in the questions and answers YOU want to know about.
- Information on a Listserve with a public archive can be found via Google.
That means it should be around for a very long time. - Write as many words as you want.
Although, many successful Listserves also have short questions and short answers, too. - Good for asking questions and broadcasting “on-topic” information.
- Listserves are great for following members who always post good information and have good answers to others’ questions.
Twitter (now known as “X”)
- Twitter broadcasts short messages (280 characters or less) to a group of people who have volunteered to receive them. They also are in the Twitter live stream, where anybody might find it.
- Reply to a tweet and it goes back to the person who sent it….but not to any of your followers.
- You can retweet a Twitter message you like to your followers.
- Twitter is like one big Listserve, with every message mingling with every other. Hashtags can help you find tweets about a particular theme.
- A tweet can be found via Twitter Search, using either the words from the tweet, the author, or the hashtag that might have been included.
- The 280-character limitation of Twitter can be both a strength and a weakness.
While you can’t fit a lot of words in one tweet, that limitation forces people to think about what is important and to carefully construct what they want to say. Many tweets include a URL and THAT web page can be packed with lots of words, graphics, etc. - It’s good for asking questions that your followers know the answer to.
Sometimes, it’s good for questions that some stranger happens to see and can answer. - Twitter is synchronous, in real time, and it’s difficult to join the conversation after it’s happened.
- Twitter is good for following the thought leaders in your industry, who can distill down the always-changing environment into succinct tidbits of knowledge.
Listserve and Twitter Both Have Their Place
When comparing Listserve vs Twitter, you’ll find they are similar yet different. Different enough for both to be useful, even in this social media age. For instance, Listserves are great for growing communities based on a shared interest or topic. Twitter is great for leading a group of followers who are interested specifically in what YOU have to offer.
How do you use these tools for maximum knowledge? What do you think are the advantages of Listserve vs Twitter? Let us know in the comments below.
Are you considering a Message Board? We’ve also compared them to Listserves.
