Can't wait to tell you about a group of people we have recently been introduced to.  We have started a project with them and over the next few months it will be fascinating to see how things pan out.  

They are all singularly impressive, each having very engaging "life stories" and not one is a shy in saying what they think.  We met through a referral and the person who introduced us, sold us in as "people who knew everything about social networking".  Clearly that is not true for so many reasons, but is did afford the luxury to, shall we say, the "loudest" member of the group to ask the question that was on everyone's mind from the start..."So if you're so F.....G good at this stuff, why haven't you done it yourself?"  He clearly underlined the fact he wanted Mark Zukerberg to be there in front of him and he got US instead.  

Still, the point is a good one.  Everyone can think of an idea for a social network that on the surface may have merit, but it is the dominance of early movers (not first movers) that currently holds sway.  

We contend that the raw ingredients for creating a social network are clear and quite straight forward.  Between us we have build and run enough online presence to know the basic do's and don't for getting a web entity out there and to give it a shot at finding traction.  But what will always define the success or failure of a concept is whether it hits a mood within the market and whether it answers / addresses a need.

In truth, communities are not created, they form.  The skill surely is to give the concept enough "juice" to ensure that it is reaches enough of the target audience to get traction.  Everyone knows that what you conceive on day one will not be the final version that gives you the entity that will trade successfully in future.  That is not say that you start with A and after 5 years you actually have Z.  But it is highly likely that the format of the concept will change as the market defines what is important and what is not.

Our ingredient list is very straight forward and again everyone knows it.  

• Defined/Target/Position
• Build
• Test
• Repeat endlessly
• Content
• Market / Promote
• Maintain / Enhance

What we believe makes things successful, at least from the elements that are broadly in your control, are the promote and market bits to get the first visit and the maintain and enhance for the oh so valuable second, third and forth visit that also tie to a referral.

What this group has in spades is "PROMOTE"...be interesting to see, if we do all the other bits right whether that will make all the difference, if that is what makes all the difference.

Will let you know.!!

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