Martin sent this around the office this morning, pretty interesting reading…
_ Technology Review: Social Networking Is Not a Business*
Social Networking Is Not a Business*
Web 2.0–the dream of the user-built, user-centered, user-run Internet–has delivered on just about every promise except profit. Will its most prominent example, social networking, ever make any money?
I keep going back to this with what we’re doing - you have to offer real value to your users over and above the quick thrill, social pull, or fleeting curiosity that most social stuff offers. Why do people go back to Starbucks? It’s convenient and the coffee is mostly good. Why should people come back to your site? Cos it’s easy to use, and there’s something there that they want/need/desire, that you can give them now. Advertising is not a silver bullet for scaling a business.
