Create a Social Networking Site and Monetize it

According to the new Nielsen Co. report, the shift to social networks for communication is changing how internet users spend their time online. We already know it but this is one more confirmation in how social networking websites and software is affecting how people interact online. With Facebook leading the pack, social networks now account for 22.7 percent of the hours spent in front of a computer, a leap of 43 percent over last year’s figures.

The shift to social networks for communication caused a precipitous drop in email and instant messaging. Time spent emailing was down 28 percent and instant messaging dropped 15 percent.

Given a typical hour, Nielsen says the average user will spend 13 minutes on Facebook and other social networks, six minutes playing games, five minutes with email, 2 minutes each on browsing Internet portals like Yahoo, instant messaging, watching videos, conducting searches, and reading software information for a total of 36 minutes. The balance of the hour is spent on 77 additional categories measured by the firm, all of which take 2 minutes or less.

I can only see this trend continue to grow as more and more unique social networking sites and other kind of online communities are developed to cover more topics and users interests.

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.

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.”