So you want to invest in the stock market? Before you get started, there is a lot to learn. One of the major things to decide on is which of the two major money-making strategies that you will use - investing or trading.You've probably heard a lot about both of these strategies, and maybe you're not quite clear about exactly what the difference is or sure about which strategy you should be using. To help make the decision a little bit easier, let's summarize some of the major differences between these two strategies.Investing is a term that generally refers to a longer-term strategy that involves identifying quality companies and buying stock in them, and holding onto the stock for an extended period of time in the hopes that it will gain in value as the company's profits increase. Investors generally think that if you thoroughly research a company before you buy its stock, that you don't have to worry about the short-term movement of the stock price. They think that they will be paid off by the upward movement of the stock's price in the long-run.People who use the investing strategy typically do their homework and check up on the companies whose stock they own on a regular basis in order to make sure they are still on the right track. In addition, active investors are constantly researching companies and scouring the news to find new investment opportunities. Some of the richest people in the world are investors.Trading is a strategy commonly used by those who think that they can take advantage of short-term fluctuations in a stock's price. Traders don't typically care as much as investors about the quality of the company that underlies the stock they are buying or selling. They only care that they are able to spot a temporarily undervalued share price on which they can quickly capitalize.In addition, traders tend to buy and sell stocks frequently. In fact, many online stock brokers explicitly encourage trading because they make a commission for each transaction, and it is in their financial interest to encourage as much buying and selling as possible.While we have outlined in fairly certain terms the differences between investing and trading, many people don't follow either of these two strategies exclusively. One common strategy that people use is trading around a core investment position. This involves taking an initial position and then buying when the stock's price goes down to a certain level or selling after it goes up to a certain level. While it may not be possible to always sell at the top and buy at the bottom, using this strategy can help investors gradually take advantage of short-term price fluctuations.So which is better? With all of these strategies, there are challenges. Trading and investing both require a lot of time. Trading involves a good deal of both initial and ongoing time and effort to determine where the short-term opportunities are. On the other hand, investing requires a lot of time up front to research the stock to determine if it is a worthy investment, and then ongoing homework to stay up-to-date.I choose to be an investor because it makes more sense to me. Ultimately, it is up to you which strategy to use. The important thing is that once you find a strategy that works, use it diligently and consistently. If you do this, success is likely to follow.Dan Cappel is an experienced investor and is dedicated to helping other investors learn how to research stocks. You can use the free tools he offers at his website, http://www.smartstockresearch.com, to create and personalize your very own investing strategy. No one else offers tools like this online. Sign up today for a free account and begin researching stocks like the pros!