Marketing Techniques for your Social Networking Website

October 14, 2008

Web 2.0 has its own unique look and feel, indeed its become a culture unto itself. If you plan to setup your own social networking site, learn from the successes and failure of previous entries. This article examines the characteristics of a successful Web 2.0 website.

On of the biggest coups in Web 2.0 marketing so far has been GMail. Hotmail, owned by Microsoft, found success years earlier by offering free email accounts to anyone. GMail made their free email service available by invite only, at least initially. The fact that you had to be invited created a huge buzz. At one point a GMail account was one of the most sought after items on the internet—I even saw GMail invites being offered on eBay! So, exclusivity, at least initially, can build buzz.

Theme. What is your site about? How are you different than the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of other social media sites out there? Dont try to be the next MySpace or FaceBook. Those niches are long gone. In fact, you may have to create a niche of a niche. Be creative. Being the first in your niche will determine whether youre successful or not.

Invite people to your website as beta testers. Be exclusive. Beta has the cool element that makes participants feel they are part of something new and original. Others simply enjoy being part of a beta—taking part in something meaningful. In fact, you could call your website a beta even if you feel its complete. Having beta participants allows you to get critical feedback before an official launch.

Let users control the content. This is a basic characteristic of almost every Web 2.0 website. Empower visitors by giving them full control. This concept is what made Wikipedia so successful—let the people write the content.

Make it easy for users to invite their friends from other social networking sites. You will have to offer an incentive for users to invite their friends—maybe a free gift or chance to win a big prize. Or, make users want to invite their friends from other sites.

Social media sites are also more name oriented. If youre trying to create buzz, choose your name wisely. Joes Cool Website wont cut it. Look at existing sites. What angles or slants can you use based on your theme? Base your name on your target audience. Cute names may work for some audiences but not all.

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