Robin Blandford [ ByteSurgery.com - Digital Media Engineering ]

29/02/08 Be The Best In The World At…

SINGAPORE - I am not interested in being in the game of creating a social network. Social networks are for social groups. That’s great. Great for being social.

What about making money? Unless you’re offering a ’social service’ forget it - its like doing business in the pub… great for introductions, talking to people, lots of enthusiasm, more talk and often forgotten commitments in the cold light of day.

Business is done when people in the same industry with inverse goals meet (I want to give money, I want to receive money). Doing business at a niche conference, will have far higher probability of success than trying in your local bar (no matter how many of your old school pals hang out there).

Generic networks will ebb & flow but it is going to become about creating a niche business networks where like minded people bump into each other. You should be the best niche network in the world for these people - the best place to find their personalised news, commentary and to create & track their industry connections.

Reflect that by becoming a niche centric experience, Ning.com is no good. Ning is about having the same features with niche content & community (2/3!). When I sign up I want it to feel different, really different. I want to be asked about my niche, my profile in this niche, hot topics and research areas in this niche. The niche network should give me specific tools to operate in my industry.

This is not a social network, this is a business one. It should become the premium place to see what your industry network is absorbing.

-Robin.

(Image Credit: Vietnamese village toilets near Cambodian border. No complaints about being a man heard. By Author.)

Tags: best in the world, business networks, communities, networks

5 Comments

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01/03/08 gregory

ran across your blog, maybe from a comment you left on a tech blog somewhere, and pay attention to it, one, because i love singapore, and because you are interesting….

i live in south india, (american white guy), trying to keep up with the world vie the nets…

will be in singapore the 25th of march, one of my favorite gurus ever will be there for four days, this one, http://www.amritapuri.org, and i need a break for sushi and am bringing some of my art to a gallery there…

might enjoying connecting with you… today, wi-fi in a coffee shop in bangalore, woo, normally on a realllly slow dial up in tiruvannamalai..

ok, enjoy, and social networks, yikes

gregory

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01/03/08 Robin Blandford

Hi Gregory,

I will be away travelling until April 1st… maybe we could meet then?

-Robin.

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01/03/08 gregory

thanks for the reply… in kl 1 and 2, back to sing for several days on 3… happy to connect, get your take on things

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01/03/08 Mark Dowling

You just won the Best Tech blog in the Irish Blog Awards - your mum has just finished her acceptance speech on your behalf :)

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10/03/08 Anton Mannering

Hey Robin, I think you’re spot on here too. I think i’m gonna subscribe to your blog now. :)

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