Twitter is a vibrant real-time conversation. The free-wheeling nature of Twitter has made talking online fun. I feel more connected to my daily news sources via Twitter than I do via their email newsletters. The multi-way conversation helps add context and nuance to information. I check Twitter before I check email.

In all the excitement accompanying Twitter, it’s easy to forget there’s a whole ‘nother world of conversation out there. Despite recent changes (and resultant user frustration), Facebook remains a vibrant, active social network. Even though Twitter’s growth is phenomenal, don’t forget about Facebook’s massive and engaged user base.

I’ve found there is some overlap between my Twitter and Facebook gangs, but not enough that I feel like I’m duplicating effort or energy. I use both services differently, meaning I communicate differently. My engagement is equally deep, but my Facebook friends, by and large, are personal friends. When it comes to communication via my personal profile, I’m not doing a hard sell (read this article, do this, do that!) as much as I’m dipping in and out lives (great photo, happy birthday, good job).

Twitter has a cocktail party feel; Facebook has a reunion feel. They fulfill different needs. They serve different audiences. They rely upon different tools.

While we advocate limiting your promotional activity to doing one or two things really well, it’s important to understand how various tools work together, how they serve different constituencies, and how you can leverage their strengths for your own purposes. Oh, and remember: just because one service is garnering headlines, don’t assume last year’s poster child has been abandoned!