Niche Social Networks have been a hot topic on this and many blogs for a few months now. Their popularity has been increasing exponentially to the point that businesses who are normally behind on the internet are now starting to take notice and find out “what is social networking and what can it do for my business?”
It is in the wording of the question itself that the problem lies.
First, here is a brief explanation of what a social network is done Twitter-style in 140 characters or less:
Niche social networks are websites where people with shared interests can network with each other, share thoughts and ideas, contribute resources, and be a part of a virtual community where they can interact with people anywhere in the world.
Social Media Marketing isn’t new. 2008 is simply the year that it emerges as THE thing to do if you want your business, charity, or blog to be “in” instead of “out”.
MySpace, Facebook, and the other large social networks need not worry. The small, niche social network sites that are popping up faster than poker rooms in the 90′s are not going to hurt the big boy’s bottom lines. They’re just going to draw more people by the end of the year because of one fact.
This really isn’t a question of Facebook vs. MySpace. It’s a question of Alexa.com vs. Compete.com.
