If your business depends at all on attracting consumers age 18 – 34, you should already be thinking about social networks. Examples like Flickr, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook abound, and now command nearly 7% of all traffic on the internet. If you haven’t already, it’s time to ask yourself whether you can create a social network that will attract true market influencers with compelling content (yours or theirs), a simple interface and a unique experience that can’t be found elsewhere. That may sound like a tall order, but with insight and planning, it can be done. Best of all, it’s wide open territory, since few companies, especially small businesses, are moving in this direction. (But be aware: 50% of marketers say they plan to use social networks in 2007.)
