A 'network' of social networks...Weblogs Inc meets Ning
Back in what I now refer to as the "good old days" of business blogging (2003-2005... and I know, nobody cares about the past...I seem to revel in it), there was a proliferation of blog networks, Weblogs Inc, b5media, Creative Weblogging, Gawker, Shiny Media and others.
Many of these mimicked each other in terms of topics covered. I mean, what's a respectable blog network without a gadget blog, right?
Though I'm fond of taking backward glances, I also look forward (maybe one has to do with the other) and here's what I see: Networks similar in scope to those just mentioned consisting not of topical blogs, but of niche-specific social networks. A gadget social network, weight loss social network, reality television social network, etc.
Take the Weblogs Inc or b5 model and lay it over a social networking platform and there you have it. A "network" of social network sites. Get the idea?
We're already seeing an accretion of niche-market networks:
- Segway Social - targeting Segway owners and those that would be
- Redken Shades EQ - a hairstylist social network (sort of)
- Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty
- Shine - Yahoo - Social site for women ages 25-54
- FastCompany - a business social network
Of course, all these are big-brand socnets. What I'm referring to is more along the lines of what you see at Ning, which now has over 200,000 individual social networks covering every topic imaginable. In fact, they're growing at over 1,000 new networks per day!
If you think about it (and don't mind taking yet another look back) thanks to user-friendly platforms like Ning, what happened in terms of blog growth in the past is now happening with social networks. They're popping up everywhere, most of them down the long tail.
Blogs then...social networks now.
With that in mind, it makes sense that we'll see a build-up of the types of networks such as described above. It's bound to happen.
You might think that's what Ning is, but it's not. Ning is a platform upon which individual social networks are built. It is to social networking what Blogger is to blogging. What I'm referring to is not a platform, but a media company. Again, the Weblog Inc/b5 model applied to social networks.
Am I making myself clear, or clear as mud? Let me know what you think. What does social networking's future hold?
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