Design and Launch an Online Social Networking Business in a Week

by Julien Sharp

Overview

Are you a virtual social butterfly? Captivated by the buzz of new media? Interested in setting the online social scene for others? And making a profit doing so? Tap into the millions of MySpace users and Facebook friends to create your own specialized social site! In just seven days, identify your network niche; develop an inviting, interactive website; drive traffic and membership; build profitable online advertising relationships; and more! • Design an attractive, interactive social networking website using inexpensive, turnkey solutions that require no programming knowledge • Define your community and set the tone • Offer interactive features including profile pages, member search options, media add-ons, and more • Generate traffic and membership using search engine optimization, viral and social marketing, and other techniques • Cash in on your site with proven, revenue-generating solutions • Use included resources to stay on the cutting-edge

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613081105
Publisher:	Entrepreneur Press
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Series:	ClickStart Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	182
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Julien Sharp is a freelance writer and business communications consultant. She has more than18 years of entrepreneurial, training, writing, and communications experience and has worked both nationally and internationally, providing consulting and coaching services to executives in small to midsize businesses.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Foreword by Ted Rheingold, Founder of Dogster.com and Catster.com xiii

Preface xvii

Why This Book Is for You xviii

The Easiest-and Quickest-Business You'll Ever Start xx

Introduction xxi

Section I Building Your Virtual Empire

Chapter 1 Online Networks and What People Do on Them 3

Way Beyond Color Schemes 6

Chapter 2 Features of an Online Network 9

Chapter 3 Defining Your Community 17

You're Now a Member of the Media! 20

The "Buzz" Factor 22

Planning Your Community: Open vs. Gated 22

Host of a Party for Thousands 22

Chapter 4 A Small Fish in a Sea of Networks, and Why Bigger Is Not Always Better 25

Networks with a Purpose 27

Focused Markets Draw in the Ad Dollars 31

Chapter 5 Software to Get You Going in Much Less than a Week 33

Ning, "Social Networks for Everything" 36

Konnects, "Get Your Own Professional Space Online" 46

webNetwork™ by Web Scribble 47

ONEsite, "Industry Leading Social Network Software" 53

Leverage Software, "People-Centric Social Networking Solutions for Business" 55

It's So Easy 56

A Final Note Before You Decide 58

Chapter 6 Getting It Right the First Time 59

Section II Building Your Community While Building Your Bottom Line

Chapter 7 Setting Up Shop 65

Equipping Your Office 67

Planning for Startup Costs 68

Don't Forget Your Operating Budget 69

Business Deductions 70

Classifying Your Business 71

Chapter 8 Protecting Yourself and Your Business 77

The Statutory Landscape Is VERY Favorable for Operators of Social Networking Sites 78

Chapter 9 Promoting Your Network Creatively and Inexpensively 85

Identifying Your Audience 86

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 87

Search EngineAdvertising 88

Cross-Linking 90

Keywords/Tags and Tag Clouds 92

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds 94

Invitations 95

Tracking What Works 95

Don't Forget About PR 107

Final Thoughts 109

Chapter 10 Earning Revenue from Your Network 111

Subscriptions 112

Donations 114

Targeted Advertising on Your Site 115

Affiliate Programs 117

Branding Campaigns 117

Ad Federations 119

Merchandising 120

Thinking About a Loan 121

Venture Capital 122

Section III Online Networks: Run on the Internet, Driven by People

Chapter 11 Outstanding Customer Service: Let Your Members Be Your Guide 127

Community Manager: The Sooner the Better 128

Two-Way Communication Is Key 130

When to Report or Ban 131

Benchmarking 133

Chapter 12 Face-to-Face and Online Networks 135

A "Walled Garden" Network Community 136

Build "Street Cred" for Your Online Community with Face-to-Face Networking 140

Chapter 13 Launching an Online Network for Your Existing Business 143

Afterword 149

Section IV Appendices

Resources 155

Must-Visit Websites 155

Two Must-Read Links to Two Articles in Two Must-Read Magazines 156

Must-See Advertising and Marketing Sites 156

Must-Consider-Attending Industry Conferences 157

Must-Have Books for Your Reference Library 157

Glossary of Terms 159

Index 175