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We have all heard the term Social Network in recent times. You probably know most of the major brands e.g. AOL, Bebo, Facebook, Google, Live, MySpace and Yahoo.
You have probably even heard the most popular technical terms e.g. Bulletin Boards, Chat Rooms, Forums, Instant Messaging and Profiles.
Essentially, social networking is about like minded people communicating electronically. All groups contain like minded people. They may be people who:
- are looking for a soul mate,
- want to keep in contact with friends,
- hold the same ideals,
- like a particular rock group,
- are mad about certain things e.g. Eddie Stobart vehicles, trains or airplanes.
If you think about it, your customers are like minded people too; they buy your products, they may work in a similar industry e.g. builders. We can supply and install a social networking system that will not only help build brand loyalty amongst customers but will also enable you to generate revenue by offering special deals to "club" members and advertising.
If you think that Social Networking isn't for your business, that in business terms it doesn't work, then you may be right. Here are some of the organisations that use the Open Source social networking system that is our favourite:
- Great Ormond Street Hospital
- hedgehogs.net
- Hill and Knowlton
- NASA
- Oxfam
- The World Bank
- UNESCO
- Australian, British and Canadian Governments
- numerous universities worldwide.
Most of the above use social networking systems to enable a private club of like minded people and organisation to keep in contact and colloaborate. You don't have to be a large organisation to have your own social networking system though the more members the merrier. Having your own social networking system has many advantages over one of the major brands particularly in terms of privacy, copyright and revenue generation.
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