Why would anyone create a social networking site when Facebook and Twitter are already so popular and widely used?
Just because these large businesses succeed, it doesn’t mean that smaller players cannot compete. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be any entrepreneurs or small businesses in operation! Social networking is just like any other industry. It is important to have competition as well as serve users that may not be satisfied with Facebook. Think of how many people are on Facebook and Twitter. Before that it was MySpace. Although many people flock to these sites, believe it or not – there are those that do not want to sign up.
Besides these facts, you could find a niche group and make a smaller community. Large social networking sites many have a lot of users, but that is also a downside. It is much harder to really become acquainted or get to know new people through Facebook. Most “friends” are people you already know. Because of this, Facebook can also be used to peek in on others lives and not really for the purpose of connecting or expanding social circles. For those looking to meet new groups or friends, this can pose a problem. where do they go when social sites usually involve first meeting in person before being “friended” and dating sites that are focused on romantic relationships? It is important to serve the minority while picking up on Facebook’s limitations.
For those that have a business, it may be beneficial to create a social community for customers. This would compliment your online and social presence instead of work against it. Your social site could instill an emotional sense of community within your customers – which would help your business much more than attempting Facebook ads or managing one simple page.
There is also much more flexibility with having your own social community. You could offer a huge range of features and services that Facebook itself doesn’t even offer! Products like iScripts SocialWare come with a wide range of optional features like a blog, forum, chat, gift shop, job portal, album creation, built-in point system and more.
With your own social network, you can effectively increase authority and traffic for your business. These are normally challenging areas to drastically improve. Don’t depend solely on Facebook, ads or other sources for your online success. Create your own and generate more sales. Why wouldn’t you create your own social networking site with valuable benefits like that?!
