Archive for March, 2010
(10) Comments
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

Funny stuff coming from the kings of social networking, according to the Washington Post article “Hiring Of New MySpace CEO Settles Many Old Scores”
<<MySpace parent company News Corp. continues to leak, off record, that Owen Van Nattais in the final stages of becoming the new CEO of MySpace. Van Natta certainly has the experience on paper to run the company – he was a business development executive at Amazon, the chief revenue officer at Facebook and most recently the CEO of music startup Playlist.com. If the leaks are correct, he’s in the final stages of contract negotiation and his hiring will be announced shortly.
He knows social networking, music/media and the Internet in general, and will certainly be able to get his hands around MySpace’s business. But his hiring is leaving many scratching their heads nonetheless.
Van Natta owns a significant percentage of Facebook stock and is of course intimately knowledgeable about their business. At the very least it’s bad form for him to join Facebook’s primary competitor. At worst there may be legal issues since it will be extremely difficult for him to continue to protect confidential Facebook information in his new job. But it’s widely known that Van Natta feels betrayed by Facebook for not making him the CEO and has a deep dislike of Mark Zuckerberg. The revenge factor in taking the top job at Facebook’s biggest competitor must be making him feel somewhat vindicated…..>>
Good stuff!!! Do you think Mark Z. like to have Van Natta as direct competitor??
The Washington Post article questioned Van Natta ethics for taking this new job due to the potential conflicts of interests and confidentiality with Facebook and Playlist.
In my opinion and to Van Natta defense I should said that Van Natta left Facebook after securing a really big funding from Microsoft that value Facebook at $15B. Do you think Microsoft would pay so much if Van Natta was not behind the deal? Don’t think so….Van Natta worked, contributed and learnt from the best company in internet: Amazon.com, he got a great funding deal for Facebook and Mark Z. didn’t value him enough so he left. This is what brought Van Natta to the current situation, there is no ethics dilemma here. Other question is Playlist but I will not be surprise if he brings Playlist as part of deal and it will be acquired by Myspace (let’s see…)
Van Natta is going to be a great asset for MySpace and I can’t wait to see how these big social titans will play their next hand.
My final point, I ‘m still amaze how naive big companies are regarding their big executives. Why the spend so much money in lawyers?? Just a couple of years ago, the biggest Marketing exec from Toyota US Jim Farley left Toyota to join Ford. No noncompete agreement was signed with Toyota and he left will all the new car development plans for the next 5-10 years in his head. Can you believe it? Sure, it’s happening again…
Funny, Funny, Funny…

(7) Comments
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

It has been a long time without posting here. At rSitez, we have used this time to cotinue improving our product (the more flexible and robust out there) and developing all the custom applications that our customers have been demanding…. busy and fun times!
It seems as if everyone is talking about social networking these days, whether it’s using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, just to name a few.
These networking sites are answering a need that people have to connect with others and share news and information.
Although many individuals have taken advantage of social media, companies are also finding that social media can provide efficient ways to target and build a relationship with their customers.
While most companies have websites, particularly large and medium sized companies, the information on websites is often static. It doesn’t change often, and it doesn’t offer an opportunity for interaction. Some companies have added blogs, which can increase readership. But even blogs don’t always encourage a robust two or multi-way conversation between interested parties.
Businesses are also putting up Fan Pages on social networking sites like Facebook, which does allow for more of a free-for-all conversation, but doesn’t allow a company to really target and market to a specific group.
One new type of program that has a leading edge is what www.rsitez.com is offering.
By combining the attributes of a traditional website and the fluidity of a social site, rSitez lets businesses build a community of interested consumers. The consumers can then talk with each other (and company members), share events, blog, participate in forums and in general, form a group of members that build an interest in your product.
Another benefit rSitez offers is the ability to monetize the site. Businesses can get paid for using ad words. They can make money also by charging fees for membership, for special reports, or for products. Nonprofit organizations can set up their site to accept donations.
For a growing young business, rSitez provides a way to start a viral marketing program that involves your customers and creates a strong following; all while helping your business make money.

(4) Comments
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

By now, most people have heard of Twitter, which is a microblogging tool that allows people to broadcast short updates of 140 characters. It’s used by celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, who challenged CNN to see who would be the first to get 1 million followers. (Kutcher won.)
It’s been banned by the NFL for use by players during the game.
It’s being used by every Tom, Dick and Harry with a (little) something to say.
But is it useful for small businesses?
Think about this: according to the New York Times, more Twitter accounts belong to small businesses than to large companies. And it makes sense, really. So much of a small business’ success rests on word of mouth marketing. And that’s what Twitter helps provide.
But here’s another reason to enter the world of tweeting: Twitter also lets you as a small business owner or entrepreneur tap into a wealth of resources.
When you look at some of the active tweeters out there, you’ve got a real-time encyclopedia at your fingertips. Social media experts like Chris Brogan, entrepreneurial advocates like Guy Kawasaki. Experts from businesses that work with small businesses like Business Week’s Entrepreneur or Dell Small Business. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to see what some of these folks are thinking, would it?
When you first log onto Twitter, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is figuring out how to find the people you want to get tweets from, or follow. An extremely useful application that can help is Tweetdeck, which can be downloaded for free. With Tweetdeck you can categorize your list of people to follow. Whenever someone from your list sends a tweet, you can see it on your deck.
Check out Small Business Trend’s Ultimate Small Business Twitter list for an excellent start.
You can also set up a search for a phrase, such as “social media for small businesses” or “independent grocery stores” or even your name or the name of your business. Whenever someone makes a comment, positive or negative, discusses a trend or proposes a problem, you’ll be in the know.
Look for people in your industry or community as well to create a network of information that benefits you both.
Keep in mind that, despite the PR, Twitter is just one tool in your arsenal for communicating with your audience. There are still plenty of others.
Small businesses can find success connecting with customers by setting up their own social networking sites, like those offered by rSitez.com. There, businesses can create a community that encompasses a specific audience with similar interests. Members can communicate through blogs, forums, articles, videos, photos, and chats about important issues.
So don’t think of Twitter as being an all or nothing proposition. Instead of feeling the pressure of creating brilliant 140 character posts, think of how to funnel the up to the minute information on Twitter in a way that is convenient and useful for you. And consider it one more tool to help your business grow.
Eventually, the rest will come.

(6) Comments
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

That’s the question Citibank asked in a recent survey and the answer it got? No. Many small business leaders said that they did not see results from their efforts on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Over 60% of the 500 respondents said that social networks did not help generate leads. Only 12% found social networks somewhat or very helpful, and 13% said they were not very helpful.
Why does it seem to be all the rage for larger organizations, but not so much for smaller ones? Here are some of the stumbling blocks that small businesses may have when it comes to social media.
1. It takes time to get results. The whole aspect of social media is about building relationships, and that can’t be done over night. If a small business starts a Facebook Fan page or a blog and hopes for immediate results, she will be disappointed.
2. It takes up time. Small business owners have a lot to do just in running their business. Building and maintaining online social networks takes time and consistency. And, unlike larger organizations with more staff members to delegate to, in a small business, it’s hard to let someone else convey the corporate message.
3. It takes resources. Not only do small businesses need manpower to handle the online communication, they also need sources of information and research in order to establish that role of a “thought leader.” Large companies can do surveys and hire researchers to write innovative white papers, but with their limited budgets and staff, it’s more difficult for small businesses to offer new and fresh information.
4. Some businesses may make a half-hearted entry. For the businesses that are doing social media because they are “supposed” to, it won’t take much to convince them it won’t work. The company president may have a LinkedIn.com account, but has few connections and doesn’t strengthen those or build more.
5. Lack of hard results. It’s true. Most of the stories of success using social media are anecdotal. Factual, but not always in hard numbers. So it’s difficult sometimes to show the actual benefits of using it. How do you know, for example, that a potential customer decided to call you because he saw you on Facebook? Can you measure the amount of people who developed a favorable impression of you after reading your blog?
Despite the negatives from this survey, social media experts are sure that small businesses can benefit from this form of marketing.
Mashable, a website specializing in social media, countered with several examples of small businesses that have seen sales growth and increased brand recognition through their social media efforts.
Other examples abound throughout the Web, from the success of Chicago’s Sprinkles Cupcakes on its Facebook fan page to the non-profit organization Epic Change and how it effectively used social media for fundraising.
But maybe there’s another option. Maybe small businesses could use a different type of social networking system that’s more tailored to their size and need for flexibility. rSitez, a software development company, helps entrepreneurs and small businesses create their own social networking sites by taking the best attributes of the popular sites and blogs and tailoring it to the individual company’s needs. In effect, they create a community for each company, making it much simpler for businesses to reach their target audience.
Where are you on the social media spectrum? Have you been using it for years? Thinking about testing the waters, or somewhere in between? What results have you seen?

(1) Comment
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized
When we start marketing and networking on social media sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, we sometimes forget some of the simple rules of engagement.
In his book, “Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten,” author Robert Fulghum reminded us of the basics of getting along with others. Although it was originally published in 1989, his observations are timeless.
Even in our high tech world, we can look back at some of the lessons we learned in elementary school, and see that it applies to establishing successful relationships online.
1. Don’t be bossy. If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, chances are you are bursting with excitement about your product or service. You want to shout its praises from the rooftops. But when you are building tenuous relationships with others, especially across the Internet, you need to take a more subtle approach.
Instead of delivering a heavy handed sales pitch, focus on your customers and what they need. What problems are stumping them? What is costing them time, energy and efficiency? Then, let them know how your products or services can help.
2. Don’t say anything you don’t want your mother to hear. Although social networking has a casual element, keep in mind that you are building a reputation online for your business. Be careful before disclosing too much personal information or getting caught up in controversial discussions. If someone posts a negative comment on your blog, don’t immediately shoot back a flaming response. Mom wouldn’t like that.
3. Listen to others. The whole purpose of social media is to get others to interact with you. That means you have to create an environment where people want to respond. If you have your own blog, you can do this by asking questions. You can visit other blogs and find out what others are thinking and join that discussion.
If you have your own social networking site, like ones offered at rSitez, you can start a community discussion through blogs, forums, and chats. Once you’ve gotten your readers talking, listen to them and let them know you appreciate their interests.
It sounds simple, but how many times have you clicked on a website looking for information and been inundated with heavy sales copy? Or read a blog where the author dismisses comments that contrast his? Or see where someone says something completely inappropriate on Facebook that diminishes your view of him?
By remembering the basic social rules that you would use in establishing face-to-face relations, you’ll have success in creating relationships online.
(6) Comments
Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

When the competition comes out with a new product or service, it’s easy to feel a little defensive. Will our customers be so impressed with the idea of a new, updated version that they’ll dump us like the proverbial hot potato?
One company in that situation recently took a different approach.
When Microsoft released Windows 7, rival computer maker Apple decided to be aggressive with a new commercial. In it, a woman is deciding whether to stay with her current PC and upgrade to Windows 7 or switch over to a Mac. Her dilemma? While Windows promised wonderful new abilities, the last upgrade, Windows Vista, had provided PC users with more headaches than solutions. In contrast, Mac had a proven reputation for reliability and simplicity. In the end, the woman decides to go with a Mac, despite the newness of Windows 7.
What lesson can small business owners and entrepreneurs take from this? If your product or service is good enough, you can go toe to toe with any new competition. Don’t allow your competition’s positive publicity be the only thing your current and prospective customers hear. Know what your value proposition is, and make sure your customers do too,
Since most of us don’t have Apple’s advertising budget, we may not be able to put ads on TV, but we can get our message across by marketing through social media.
Use Facebook fan pages to talk about your product and services. Make sure your website has clear, updated information. In each case, make sure you tell your readers how your product or service can solve their problem.
With Facebook fan pages, however, you are competing with all of the other companies on the site. You can differentiate yourself by developing your own social networking site, like the ones offered by rSitez. It’s a way to stay ahead of the competition, reach your audience directly, and not get lost in the fan page crowd.
Be sure you don’t neglect your current customers in your quest to attract new ones. If you already have a community of customers, fans or followers built up, remind them of how you can help them do business more efficiently. If you have established customers on your own social networking site, like rSitez, it is easy to develop blogs and forums that are tailored to their needs and that encourage their interaction.
Remember, though, that establishing relationships through social networking takes time. It is not something that can be done as a quick fix. But the benefits of making connections with your customers are also long lasting.

(4) Comments
Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

Imagine a luxury yacht heading into the open seas. The wind is calm; the weather is mild. Best of all, a well trained, reliable crew is expertly handling the boat with care.
Finding the right crew, whether for one trip, or for one year, is a result of diligent recruiting and networking. For the crew, finding the right position is just as important. A mismatch on the high seas can lead to long-term misery.
Captain Sean Blaise understands how essential it is for crew and captains to find each other. He created a way to help that process with his company, Yachtcircle, which is a placement service that uses social media to match employers and employees.
“We saw a demand for low priced crew placement for the yachting industry, and furthermore we were pioneers in taking social media and adapting it to meet the varied and diverse interests and needs of the international yachting community,” Captain Blaise said.
One of the most essential aspects of Yachtcircle was to give both the employers and employees an opportunity to talk with each other, and become comfortable with each other before making a long-term commitment.
Although Yachtcircle business concept was sound, it was difficult to find a software application that fulfilled the company’s needs.
“We were unfortunately misled by a software company that claimed to have the social media chops to meet our complete requirements,” Captain Blaise recalled. But undeterred, he continued to look for vendors who could incorporate social media into his site in a very dynamic way.
Then, he found rSitez.
“What initially appealed to us about rSitez was their extensive and robust social media platform,” he said. In order for Yachtcircle to be successful, it had to first provide a network for yacht crew. From this, recruiting services could be developed.
Like its competition, Yachtcircle provides a resume and job listing site but it also provides opportunities for members to network through blogs, forums, email and chats. Members can stay updated about current events in the yachting world, share videos and photos and issue invitations to upcoming events. By working with rSitez, Yachtcircle.com was able to build a community.
While the quality of rSitez exceeded Captain Blaise’s expectations, the price did not. Although he had previously invested in a software product that didn’t meet his needs, the great price points and reasonable start up costs that rSitez offered made it easy for him to try again. And since rSitez version of Yachtcircle.com went live, results have been impressive.
“With our first website, we barely gained a few hundred members in our first six months due to the poor software conceptualization. With rSitez, we have grown to over a thousand members in a very short period of time,” he said.
If the captain has any regrets, it’s that he didn’t use rSitez sooner. “Had we discovered the strong platform of rSitez, we could have invested a substantial amount more and have had a successful initial launch.”

(24) Comments
Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

The Market
Social Networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin and others are the buzz of the day. But more than being the buzz of the day, they are the faster growing segment on the internet today. Additionally, the founders of these companies seem to enjoy unprecedented wealth valuation in only a few short years.
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, at age 25, is now worth an estimated $2 billion and is now placed at #158 on Forbes list of wealthiest people in the world, according to Forbes.com. He’s the youngest self-made billionaire ever since Forbes has started publishing this list.
According to Nielsen, a respected consumer and business research organization, in their March 2009 Social Networking Global report – Social Network grew twice as fast as email, search and any of the other popular online sectors. Just think about that … I (and everyone that I know) use email and search everyday and cannot live without them on a daily basis. But Social Networks grew twice as fast last year.
Nielsen also reported that ‘Time spent on Social Networks and blogs grew over 3 times the rate of overall internet growth’.
But is Social Networking mainly for crazy American teens, as some would suggest. No, Nielsen reports. Their report further concluded that ‘The greatest growth for Facebook has come from people aged 35-49 years’. They also found that ‘The number of unique visitors who are 65 or older on social networking and blog sites has increased 53 percent in the last two years alone.’ Facebook is the #3 most visited destination for people who are over 65 years old, according to Nielsen.
I make these points to illustrate that we’re at the beginning of a global phenomenon… not the end. That this could be a significant shift in how we communicate, network, and interact with each other on a local as well as on a global basis. But this is not just an American phenomenon. Germany had the ‘strongest growth’ for online communities according to Nielsen. The UK, Spain, Italy and Switzerland also had very strong growth, according to Nielsen.
The Opportunity
Given the above facts, one may ask themselves, ‘is it possible to create a similar site or business to take advantage of this trend?’ And, is it possible to still create a successful business from this technology or is it too late? Because, make no mistake. Myspace is not just a website. It’s a business! Facebook and Linkedin are not just places to network, they are global businesses. Both rSitez.com and Ning, social networking website providers, announced over 150% percent growth in 2009 – that’s more than doubling the business they did before the recession. These are businesses expanding at an incredibly rapid pace in a global market, even during the worst economy in our lifetime.
Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn are some of what we consider the ‘first wave’ sites. They paved the way for other sites and benefit from this by having tens or hundreds of millions of members. These mega sites will most likely be around for a long time and will continue to grow globally as long as they continue to provide value to their audience.
However, we’re now seeing what we consider the 2nd wave of social networking sites. These sites are niche social networking sites. They cater to specific groups and niches, instead of a general product like Myspace or Facebook. To be successful, sites like these will need to cater to the specific needs of a targeted group or audience. They will need to provide more than technology. They will need to provide true value and hopefully solve specific problems faced by this niche or affinity group. In many cases, providing technology will not be enough. They may need to provide related services as well. By providing the appropriate technology and targeted services, these sites will be able to prove value and as well have options to monetize this value.
For members of these niche sites that provide real value, it will not be a choice of Facebook or this targeted niche site for consumers. It will most likely be Facebook AND one or more targeted niche site. The reality is that no one particular site will serve ALL our needs. We will most likely belong to multiple sites that serve different needs. A musician, for example, may use Facebook to keep up with friends, but may go to a site like GenNextMusic to listen to or sell his own tracks, but then post and manage his business profile in LinkedIn.
Therefore, entrepreneurs who understand this opportunity and create a specific niche social networking site to target a specific audience that they can add value to, still has the ability to create a successful online social networking business even today.
In Part 2 of this article we will discuss the technology and leading vendors that you can use to create your own niche social networking site and the advantage and disadvantage of the different ways you can create your site.
About the author
Rohan Hall is the Founder/CEO of rSitez, Inc. (www.rsitez.com), a technology firm that helps entrepreneurs create unique revenue-based social networking sites. He is the author of Stop Working, a book that teaches entrepreneurs how to use technology, globalization, and networks to build a global business. He has developed technologies for a wide range of entrepreneurs and Fortune500 clients including HP, Corning, Oracle, Honda and various others.

(6) Comments
Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

In part one I discussed the market and the opportunity that still exist to create niche social networking sites. With this post I will discuss the technology required to create these sites and the leading vendors you can use to do this.
The Technology
The problem with creating a social networking community site or business is the complexity of creating a site like Facebook or Myspace. How can you do this? Is this only for techies or can anyone do this?
Can you make money from this type of online business? For the answer regarding monetizing these sites, please see my other blog post How to Make Money Online like Myspace and Facebook.
The fact is anyone can now create their own social networking site and a surrounding business from it. There are basically 4 different approaches that you can use to do this. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. The level of technical knowledge you need vary based on the vendor and product. Here are the 4 main ways you can go about creating your own social networking site and the current market leader with each method.
SaaS Sites
SaaS means Software as a Service. Vendors that provide these products will automate the creation of the social networking site for you. The sites are typically point and click to create and completely managed online from a browser. You will be able to upload logos, banners, and content based on different payment plans offered by the vendor. Some sites will allow advertising and possibly membership fee collection as revenue options. The features of the sites will vary depending on the vendor that provides the technology. Your main job will be to put your own branding on the site, do minor configuration, and invite members to start using the site. These sites are often white label social networking sites, meaning that you can put your own brand or label on the site to hide most or all of the vendor’s own branding. In most cases you can do this within a few minutes or a few hours. After that your main job will be to market the site and manage the site members and content.
Advantages: You can literally have a social networking site up and running in minutes. Typically, they have an established and stable architecture. You never really have to worry about the technology; everything is taken care of for you. You don’t have to worry about servers, IT staff, backups or other related issues because this is normally included with the service or there may be a cost for some of these items.
Disadvantages: You may not be able to completely have your own branding, depends on the vendor. You may not be able to use your own domain name or there may be an additional cost. You will not have ownership of the code. You may not have ownership of the content uploaded to the site. Normally does not include software development services to modify the standard application, therefore all sites will have the same basic structure and features based on the selected plan.
Primary Vendor: http://www.rsitez.com/, Ning.com
Premium SaaS Sites
These social networking sites offer the same advantages of other SaaS sites. You are able to create a complete social networking site in minutes. You can upload your own banners, logos, content and configure the site as you like. These sites can often be 100% white labeled, meaning that you can completely remove the vendor branding and label from the site and replace it with your own. Your site can be up and live within minutes or hours. They will have all the same features or sometimes more features than some SaaS sites.
In addition to the SaaS model, these vendors also provide premium software development services to their customer base. These services include the development of new site features, the modification of existing features and modules, the development of custom themes and widgets, custom developed revenue models or payment options, custom logos and banners, or even major site rewrite. The goal of these vendors is to provide SaaS sites then surround the site with various software development services to create unique products for their customers.
Advantages: You can literally have a social networking site up and running in minutes. Typically, they have an established and stable architecture. You never really have to worry about the technology; everything is taken care of for you. You don’t have to worry about servers, IT staff, backups or other related issues because this is normally included in with the service or there may be a cost for some of these items. Plus, you can have new premium features developed by the vendor that none of their other customers have, or features changed or written to your specifications to create a unique product offering.
Disadvantages: There may be additional cost for premium features developed by the vendor or to own the code.
Primary Vendor: rSitez.com
Downloadable Software
Some vendors provide complete social networking applications as a download that can be installed on a server. Once the site is installed and configured you will have similar advantage of their SaaS counterpart.
Advantages: You and your IT staff have full control of the application and code. You may be able to customize the site yourself or hire software developers to make changes to the site for you. You may be able to change the code to add more features, if the vendor permits this.
Disadvantage: You will need to pay IT resource to install and support the application. You will need to pay for servers or hosting, backups etc. You will need to pay server admins to protect the application from hackers and malicious individuals and programs. You will need to rely on software developers that may or may not have expertise on the particular application. You will need to be responsible for the ongoing upgrade, maintenance, and support of the application and their related cost.
Primary Vendor: SocialEngine
Write your Own Code
You may be able to hire a team to build a social networking site for you. They would write all the software code needed to create the site. Since Social Networking is still a relatively new type of software application you will need to find individuals who specialize in this. Your local website designer or corporate IT programmer may not have the required experience to build the architecture needed for this kind of application. The site could be built to your exact specification and once completed can be launched online like any of the other options above.
Advantage: You will have full ownership of the code and site content. You can have the site built to your specification. The site can be branded or targeted with features to any group or audience.
Disadvantage: There is an extremely high risk of finding experts in this area to develop these products. There is a very high cost in developing a social networking application from scratch, even if outsourced. The time to develop a full social networking site and take it to market can be 8 – 12 months or more with an experienced team or longer with an experienced team. The product could have bugs that are not discovered until after launch and the team may no longer be available to fix the issues. You will need a development team, design team, server admin team, servers and other ongoing overhead cost to support and maintain the application long term. With the long development time, you may lose your early to market advantage by time the site is launched.
Primary Vendor: No clear market leader
Summary
Anyone can create their own social networking site today. You can use any of the above options and make that choice based on your research, cost, risk, and value. Most importantly, if you plan to take advantage of this market you will need to clearly understand how your site will create value for your members, and this value will need to be a part of your offering.
Please let us know of vendors in any of these categories that you would recommend to other readers to create their social networking product.
About the author
Rohan Hall is the Founder/CEO of rSitez, Inc. (http://www.rsitez.com/), a technology firm that helps entrepreneurs create unique revenue-based social networking sites. He is the author of Stop Working, a book that teaches entrepreneurs how to use technology, globalization, and networks to build a global business. He has developed technologies for a wide range of entrepreneurs and Fortune500 clients including HP, Corning, Oracle, Honda and various others.

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Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Rohan Hall in Uncategorized

It was late 2008, and Shawn Hyland was contemplating a change. As president of Move the Earth, a faith based ministry, he wanted to establish a separate organization that could bring people together who were eager to make a difference in their communities, but weren’t sure how to get started.
“We wanted to connect people who have personally experienced ‘change’ in their life (former drug addicts, prostitutes, criminal offenses, etc)…. and now wanted to reach beyond themselves and change their community and change the world,” Shawn explained.
Historically, grassroots organizations have sprung up through word of mouth, as people from all over unite to work for a cause. Shawn decided to take that idea and expand it through technology and social media by creating a netroots organization called YOUmovetheearth.
“We see a need to empower passionate people who wanted to know one another based upon the desire to make a difference in certain social problems,” he explained.
But in order to bring–in essence—strangers, together, Shawn needed a site that had the right components to help people find and communicate with each other.
Fortunately, he found rSitez, a social networking site that uniquely fit his needs.
“In other social media sites, you have to personally know people to connect with them online or you search for people based on career, education, and pop culture,” he remembered. “There was no social media site where you search for people based upon their passions to take on certain causes i.e. pro life, environment protection, religious persecution, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.”
The search component that rSitez offered also allows users to perform a geographic search. For example, once a member has identified a cause, he can then search geographically to find other members near him who are also interested in that cause.
“This was the perfect way to connect LIKE MINDED people around a cause as an individual,” Shawn said. While major organizations may have mailing lists than can be sorted by state and cause, the average person who wants to make a difference doesn’t usually have access to that information.
Of course, the best site in the world won’t help if it’s not user friendly. And with the potential for so many individual users, YOUmovetheearth.org had to be easy to navigate.
While Shawn had a clear idea of what he wanted for YOUmovetheearth.org, he didn’t have web building technical skills. rSitez’ combination of a pre-built site that also allowed for customization was the answer.
A bonus: the pricing. As a new organization, money was tight.
“Many other people wanted $10K to build a great site,” Shawn recalled. “rSitez allowed room for growth in their program and a small start up fee.”
Now that his site is up and running, Shawn is very pleased. The ability to use the site’s web 2.0 tools has really allowed members to reach out to each other. In fact, his site has been effective in reaching a new generation of members that his mailing list campaign did not.
The tools rSitez provided, along with great pricing and ability to customize gave Shawn Hyland just what he needed to make the right change.
To learn more about creating and monetizing your own unique social networking site please visit www.rsitez.com.

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