20 Viable Social Network Ideas

Pat Kitano, MediaTransparent.com

What Makes a Viable Social Network?

Participants Need to Network and Collaborate with Others in their Field

1. Common Purpose

Make it Scalable

2. Critical Mass of Users

Networks are more Viable when there are a

Lot of Participants 12,000 Beekeepers in the US

don’t scale… over 2 million involved in the Real Estate

Industry does scale

Make it Attractive

3. Networks Need Leaders

Do-It-Yourself Networks Started by Unknowns Rarely Gain Traction

Use Celebrity

3. Networks Need Leaders

Marc Andreessen, Founder and Ning and Netscape has built Ning into a leading DIY social network platform

High Profile Works to Attract Followers

Make it Indispensable

4. Networks Need Data

Networks Should Leverage User-Generated Data that Fuels the Context of the Conversation

Give it Integrity

5. No Participant Spamming

Networks Don’t Work if Participants Use It as an

Advertising Platform

Make it Easy to Use

6. Networks Need Simplicity

Twitter Simplifies Broadcasts to your Network

In 140 characters or less

Certain Verticals Scale WellSelf Expressive

Verticals

Consumer Advocacy and Opinions

General Social Networks

Cultural Verticals

General Social Networks

Too Many to Count

Friendfeed Profiles all these Networks

Cultural Verticals

Social Networks based on Cultures Evolved Early

Academic

PoliticalCulture

Dating

Age

Some Networks Grew Up

Self Expression Verticals

Video, Music, Sports and Travel are Highly

Personalized and Emotional

“Porn can be included, but very few (except those with

webcams) want to identify themselves”

Opinion Verticals

Online Shopping Sites have Well

Developed Consumer Communities

Local Review Sites have Become Big

Brand Names

What Doesn’t Scale

Small Industries

HVAC Network

Hobbies

Specialist Occupations

What Doesn’t Work

“Health Care Professionals Can’t Contribute Advice Online

without Liability Issues”

Litigious Industries

So They are Forming their Own Closed Networks

Few Industries have Social Networks

Real Estate is a Unique Industry Vertical that

Uses Social Media for Lead Generation

Some Big Industries are too Arcane for Networks

What would a Community of Pharmaceutical Workers Discuss?

Ten Industries that can Support Scalable Social Networks

Restaurants

Travel

Retail

Fashion

Hollywood

Academia

Food

Global Trade

Green

New Age

Restaurant Industry Network

FohBoh.com is a Good Example of a Restaurant

Industry Network that Connects Restaurant Workers

Foodies Network

Recipes have been Exchanged for Centuries

“Great Synergy with Restaurant Networks”

Travel Industry Network

TripAdvisor.com is for Consumer Content, a Travel Industry

Network Discusses Travel from an Industry Perspective

“And Consumers would Peruse for Deals”

Retail Network

Retailing is a Vendor Intensive Industry that will

Support Diverse B2B Conversations

Film Industry Network

The Ultimate Networked Industry

icewhole is a first, but Celebrities could Ignite a New

One

Global Trade Network

Potentially Multi-Lingual, Participants Discuss

Import/Export and Market Opportunities

“…but they have to contribute substance, and

not spam deal flow”

Academic Research Network

Academic Research is Opaque and Siloed behind

University Gates… a Collaborative Network can

Open these Walls

Green Network

Green / Clean Living Social Networks for the Betterment of Humanity

and the Earth

“Buzzword du Jour”

Self Help / New Age Network

Highly Personalized Content Inspires Loyal

Participation

Ten Occupational Social Networks

Car Mechanics

Law Enforcement

Truck Drivers

Paparazzi

Case Study Network

Lawyers

Insurance Agents

Teachers

Consumer Advocates

Performing Artists

Car Mechanics Network

Leverage the Popularity of NPR’s Car Talk to a

Community of Car Mechanics Describing How-To’s

Law Enforcement Network

The Popularity of Reality Cop Shows Translates into a

Reality Community that Talks about their Life Work

Truck Drivers Network

CB Radio Fueled the First Occupational “Network” in the

70’s… Mobile Devices and Wifi Truck Stops Should Fuel

this Community

“…unless they die crashing while thumbing”

Paparazzi Network

Celebrity Flickr? Gain Notoriety!

“This is a No-Brainer”

Performing Artists NetworkBringing Performers, Pro and Amateur, into Conversations and Videos about

the Arts and Production

“Schools especially Need Resources for Amateur Productions”

Insurance Agent Network

Insurance of All Kinds Confounds the Consumer

Like Real Estate Bloggers, Insurance Agent Bloggers don’t have to Discuss

Boring Insurance Issues, They canTrack their Neighborhood

Lawyers Network

The Diversity of the Law Promotes Knowledge Sharing and Networking for Resources

Legal On Rmap is a Closed Invitation Social Network… an Open Network would Benefit the Masses with General Advice

(under Blanket Disclaimer, of course)

Teachers Network

Teachers Network for Jobs, Curriculum Ideas

and Self-Marketing

Teachers.net Comes Close, but its Forum-based Community doesn’t

Profile Participants

Consumer Advocates Network

Consumer Reviews are Currently Ensconced in

Shopping Sites

Consumer Reports Online doesn’t have Community because they still

want to Charge for Content

Develop a Massive Product Database and Let Users Rate

and Review Them

Case Study Network

For Managers Everywhere, Create and Upload Case

Studies for Distribution and Feedback

“Case Studies are Effective Resume

Supplements”

MediaTransparent.com Documents the Future of Social Media as it Converges

with the Mainstream Media

From the Author of Transparent Real Estate

Domus Media Builds Social Media

Pat Kitano, Domus Media, pkitano (at) gmail