How to promote your Social Website
Hi Everyone.
I am trying to figure out the best way to market a General Social Networking Website.
Some ideas which come in my mind are
Put banners on your earlier established website
Advertising on other websites
Trying to market on other big social networks like Myspace, Bebo, Facebook by creating a few groups or other method (please add your ideas)
Create some applications for other social websites.
Offering something pretty unique that all users invite their friends also.
I guess it won't be easy to SEO a general social network
It will be good if we all can discuss this in detail. This will give an idea to other webmasters who wish to jump into social space.
Lets discuss and comments on different ways of marketing a social website.
Regards
Gagandeep
How to promote your Social Website
First of all, I don't think that there is any such thing as a "General Social Networking Website".
Every successful social network has a niche or target audience that makes them grow:
MySpace - Niche was English speaking U.S. teens/pre-teens - now going global and opening up to more general population.
Facebook - Niche was English speaking U.S. college kids - now going global and opening up to more general population.
LinkedIn - Niche is/was English speaking business professionals.
Veteran.com - Niche is U.S. Military Veterans.
You have to figure out what niche you are serving. It could be as big as India, or as small as members of a specific organization. Then figure out what that niche needs that no other social network provides.
For example "India". What do popular social networks in the U.S. provide to U.S. residents that they are not providing to residents of India? It could be a social, ethnic, language, religious, patriotic, etc view point.
Then make sure your social network fills that need.
Then to publicize the website, I would:
a. find every social network I could and create a group for "India", (even if there are already groups for that niche on that social network)
b. find publications and websites that cater to "India" and advertise, and/or participate in their forums,
c. get "free" publicity from news organizations as the Social Networking Website for "India". Especially news organizations that concentrate on your niche. They are often hungry for news to fill their publications.
d. contact community leaders and social organizations that match your network - I don't know anything about India, but for my website, I contact as many veterans organizations as I can and try to get them to post my Social Networking Website info in their newsletter, websites, bulletin boards, etc.
No one want to network with the "General" public. People want to network with people with the same interests. Connect with people through their interests and you have found your niche.
.
Starting a general social network is really hard, even if it has somewhat of a niche. My site has a niche in that it's local community based but I've realized that just isn't enough. People get passionate about subjects and want to talk about them and social networks with no real subjects are difficult to pull off.
Michelle
See my Drupal articles and tutorials or come check out the Coulee Region
Very nice ideas Mr.
Very nice ideas Mr. Jack.
Things are looking more clear to me now and i will try to confine my social website to one niche.
This is a very good point that People will not like to be a part of General Website. << New Social networking start ups should not this.
Looking for more professional ideas from experienced members in this Group
Thanks once again to Jackezel
Regards
Gagandeep
Hi, dam it, i searched but
Hi,
dam it, i searched but didn't find this, so sorry for the duplicate topic posting.
i just started a similar post here http://groups.drupal.org/node/13706 maybe i can merge my post into this one.
sorry again i'll search better next time.
Tom
http://drupalsn.com/user/thomjjames