Creating your Own Social Network Craze

With the fame and popularity of large social networks, many have sat and asked “Why didn’t I think of that?” Some may feel it is too late to capitalize on social networking but that is false. The reason Facebook dominated MySpace, and Twitter dominated Facebook, is simple: they have their own niche. You may use Twitter to keep your followers constantly updated on day to day life, but you won’t post your latest photo album, for that you need a site like Facebook. Each site brings their own niches and features. So how can you get aboard the social network money train? How about creating your own social network? Here are a few things to consider when you choose to throw your hat into the social network ring:

Be Innovative:

The market for a great new social network isn’t closed. There are still many themes, features, and niches that have not been met yet. If you have an idea to create a social network that will combat the greats, there is still time. You can be the next person to bring the social network experience to an untouched group of followers.

In the world there are a few subjects that many will follow. Love, money, religion, and friendship are only a few. With every sport, every holiday, and every interest, there is a possible fan base. If you decide to create your own social network you need to take into consideration what you will want the network to be about. Having the general friend theme such as Facebook won’t get you anywhere. You need to reach a following of people that have never been reached before.

Research:

Once you have an idea of what you want your network to be about and the target user in mind, do some research. Try taking a look at the market that closely resembles your audience, for instance, sports, religion, politics. If you find that the amount of people who share the same interest is vast, then you may have come across a great theme for your network. If you find your audience is small based on the marketing possibilities, you may want to go another route.

Other ways of researching include polls, surveys, and exploration. If you take a poll of current members on Facebook or Twitter, asking what niche they would be more likely to join, it can give you a great idea for the network. Surveying people that match your target audience will also provide valuable information. For instance if you were to start a dating network and surveyed the people attending singles bars, you might find their opinions helpful.

Choose your Platform:

Everyone believes it takes years of learning programming code to create a social network; however that is not true anymore. Since the rise of the social networks, many companies have developed that offer social network platforms that are easy to install and customize. Elgg and Boonex are two companies that offer free social networking platforms to install on the web host of your choice. They are fully customizable and available for use in minutes. Their free version does include their ads, however if you want to brand your own you can upgrade and have them removed.

The other option is to create your own. If you do not have the knowledge in programming to create a social site you will need to hire outside assistance, which can get expensive. If you are capable of programming your own code, this will allow for you to have exactly what you want and how you want it.

Features:

The final aspect of creating your social network is features. This is your bread and butter, your piece de resistance. You will want to make sure your site is full featured and offer your users a vast array of possibilities and activities. One absolute is to create a feature that no other social network site has. That will be your defining feature and can make or break a network. Nobody should be on your site and think “This is just like Facebook”. Although that sounds like a compliment it will not be enough to draw them away from their Facebook page and onto your site.

 If you are planning to join the social network market, now is the time to do it. With the popularity of the sites bringing people together you can utilize the craze and offer your feature rich and unique network. Once you have completed the research, chosen your platform and created your one of a kind feature, the only thing left is to advertise it. That can be done easily on Facebook and Twitter.