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5 reasons why social networks can succeed
June 22, 2006
Welcome to TNL.net. If you like this content, you may consider subscribing to the RSS feed.After exploring why social networks fail, I also have to consider why people are still joining them, in spite of their failures. So, going along the same approach, here I am with 5 reasons why social networks can succeed:
5. Viral Nature
They key to social networks quickly moving up in size is their viral nature. Because people who get on those need to expand their network, they invite their friends. And those friends, in turn, invite their friends. The viral nature of a new social network is an important part to making it succeed.
Some networks have taken the model one step further by being “by invitation only”. Initially, this represents a certain level of exclusivity, with people then trying to get in. This exclusivity breaks down, though, if the social networks do not have a mechanism to slow down or limit the number of new invitations going out. All it takes to tear down that sense of exclusivity is for one person to start inviting hordes of people.
4. Online Identity
Not everyone has a personal website. It may come as a shock to most of my readers but, for some people, social networks personal pages are the only place where people maintain an identity. Some, like MySpace, have capitalized on that effect by providing tools that allow to enhance those profiles in ways that make them indistinct from personal sites, beyond the fact that the URL is on the service instead of being a personal one.
3. Enhanced Knowledge
When used properly, social networks can be a great way to enhance knowledge. Tapping into one’s social network can allow for people to fill an information gap if members of their extended social network have deep subject matter expertise in a certain area. At the current time, few social networking sites have used that capability but, I believe this is one of the most useful aspects of social networking sites.
2. Basic human need to share
The proliferation of blogs have shown that people love to share their opinion. The proliferation of the open source movement shows that some people love to share their expertise. I think there is a deeply rooted need among human beings to share, whether it is information or opinions. Social networks appeal to the altruistic side of people by allowing them to share their connection and introduce friends to other friends.
1. Basic human need to connect
Most of all, though, human beings are social creatures. As such, the root of all success from social networking sites is based on a need to connect and expand connections. For most of history, connections were largely limited by geographical or economic considerations. Social networks allow people to expand their connections around interests. This first appeared with the rise of Usenet and bulletin boards, where members formed communities around specific interests and has now expanded into the social networking realm, where people can find out more about people who are most like them.
Tristan, really nice posts. I thought you might find interesting situational relevance in social networking - here’s a link.
Tristan, great summary… Note that what you’ve described is the essence of social networks… yes why they would succeed, but it is more than that. Very good.
ceo
[...] I stumbled upon two interesting blog posts during my morning reading. The first titled “5 reasons why social networks fail” and the second “5 reasons why social networks can succeed“. These are two well thought out lists of ideas. I am not sure that I concur with each of these conclusions, but here is the lists. [...]
[...] 5 reasons why social networks can succeed (tags: social networks succeed reasons) [...]
[...] Ora, tornando ai punti di forza e debolezza di un social network, tra gli elementi che possono determinarne il successo c’è la loro natura virale, la possibilità di sviluppare la propria identità online, accrescimento del proprio sapere (su questo aspetto discordo in quanto generalmente in un social network non si approfondisce nessun tipo di topic specifico), la necessità di un individuo di condividere e relazionarsi agli altri. [...]
Yes, I’ll agree with all these. Now let me state this. These are all soft returns on investments and focused on external usage. The real social networking benefits will come when corporations start leveraging social tools internally. But how do you sell these to a VP? Its definitely a trust me on this menatility but when you are at a company where ROI is key how do you sell?
[...] Bastante interesantes los artículos que escribió Tristan Louis sobre las redes sociales, uno es 5 reasons why social networks fail y el otro es 5 reasons why social networks can succeed (noten el “pueden” que usa en esta parte) [...]
[...] Essay Two: 5 reasons why social networks can succeed –Tristan Louis 5. Viral Nature (Jeremiah, Agreed) [...]
ROI has been elusive in the social networking arena except of course for Ad based and membership sites. As more and more companies adopt social networking as a tool for customer service, enhancing the membership experience, internal communication, and other applications, we will begin to see more and more written about ROI.
valuable new ones. they can show how people in your extended network are related to each other but with a lack of information - the quality of the connection. tristan louis recently posted some continuative thoughts how social networks can fail or succeed. an very interesting topic and i’m still anxious to see what is going to follow … (via a friend’s email and guy kawasaki) update: some interesting papers on social networking by danah boyd
5 reasons why social networks can succeed
Gerrit Visser dalle pagine di smart mobs riporta la classifica stilata da Tristan Louis dei 5 fattori che fanno vincenti le reti sociali e le 5 che le fanno perdenti. Ve le riportiamo: Reasons for failure 1. Privacy concerns 2. No real reward or penalty system 3. Not granular enough 4. Not integrated with other apps 5. Walled Gardens
W temacie social networkingu warto zwrócić też uwagę na dwa ciekawe linki (jeden podesłany przez kubusz’a w poprzednim wpisie o SN). Artykuły to “why social networks fail” i rozwinięcie tematu “why social networks can succeed” (nie można z jakiegoś powodu wejść na tego bloga, ale treści artykułów można wygrzebać w google cache). Podaję w skrócie: Why social networks fail: Walled Gardens - sieci networkingowe nie są otwarte - co rusz powstaje nowa sieć, ale
Tristan Louis publica un par de posts en su blog al respecto de las redes sociales: 5 reasons why social networks can succeed y 5 reasons why social networks fail. 1. Para los humanos es esencialmente necesario de conectarse entre ellos. 2. Hoy en día es necesario compartir el conocimiento para hacer progresos significativos.
Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès Les 5 erreurs à ne pas faire Technorati Tags: networking, réseaux, social, sociaux 25/07/2006 dans Lu sur le web, Social Networking | Lien permanent | Commentaires (0) | TrackBack (0)
Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès Les 5 erreurs à ne pas faire Technorati Tags: networking, réseaux, social, sociaux 25/07/2006 dans Lu sur le web, Social Networking | Lien permanent | Commentaires (0) | TrackBack (0)
Cela fait presque quatre ans que le networking social est un phénomène de masse (aux US tout du moins). Tristant Louis fait le point en listant ce qui marche et ce qui ne marche pas… Une lecture indispensable. Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès Les 5 erreurs à ne pas faire Mr Boin | Social Software | [IMG Date:] samedi 1 juillet 2006 à 10:19 | [IMG Commentaires:] 0 | [IMG Trackbacks:] 0
Cela fait presque quatre ans que le networking social est un phénomène de masse (aux US tout du moins). Tristant Louis fait le point en listant ce qui marche et ce qui ne marche pas… Une lecture indispensable. Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès Les 5 erreurs à ne pas faire Mr Boin | Social Software | [IMG Date:] samedi 1 juillet 2006 à 10:19 | [IMG Commentaires:] 0 | [IMG Trackbacks:] 0
[...] Why social networks can succeed [...]
5 reasons why social networks can succeed 5 reasons why social networks fail Top Ten Underserved Web 2.0 Markets Posted in Social Networks, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment
[...] 5 reasons why social networks can succeed [...]
Tristan Louis gives us 5 reasons why social networks fail and 5 reasons why social networks can succeed. I would add that social networks can fail or succeed depending on whether they attract the right type of crowd at the first place, then balance members quality and quantity. Example: if you and your friends joined a social network, only to find out
redes sociales son el individuo más característico de la nueva edad digital donde el cambio y la relación gana-gana es la reina porque de otra manera sería imposible. Las características de éxito de las redes sociales se basan en, según tnl: Por la naturaleza viral de la información, por que no todo el mundo tiene una identidad digital y necesita una forma de entrar en juego, porque hace aumentar el conocimiento, porque los seres humanos necesitamos compartir y conectar.
[...] Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès [...]
Cela fait presque quatre ans que le networking social est un phénomène de masse (aux US tout du moins). Tristant Louis fait le point en listant ce qui marche et ce qui ne marche pas… Une lecture indispensable. Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès Les 5 erreurs à ne pas faire Publié réflections, social networking, analyse, vie privée, social software, Réseaux Sociaux | Modifier | Aucun commentaire »
[...] Les 5 pistes pour aller au succès [...]
[IMG iStock_000000413234Small.jpg] Here are three interesting essays about how social networks work. Highly relevant reading for anyone in a social networking company—or investing in one. 5 reasons why social networks fail 5 reasons why social networks can succeed Situational Relevance in Social Networking Websites Original Post: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/06/social_networki.html Posted by Futurelab at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Top 10 opportunities in virtual worlds (in 2007, I actually did some projections on the growth of Second Life, one of the more popular virtual world). In parallel, I examined opportunities in social networks, reasons for their success, and potential for failure. One of the issue I see as potentially arising is surrounding what happens when virtual and real world collide? Along with all the other entries I listed here, I started to develop a new view of the future, which I
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To put the main focus on making money, especially in the infantile stages of a social network’s development, misses the true essence of what a social network thrives on. Information Week with 5 Keys To Social Networking Success and TNL.net posting5 Reasons Why Social Networks Can Succeed. Both point out important traits and aspects of social network sites that are important to their success, but neither directly identify the one aspect that believe is the cornerstone to a successful social network site.