A Secret Worth Knowing About CGM

It's not a social network per say, yet most social networks have allowed it to be part of them. Photobucket, which is a site that allows users to search, upload and share pictures and videos, is a relative unknown in the social networking world, unless one perused the likes of MySpace or Facebook.

These sites allow users to link photos stored in Photobucket and place them on user pages. The secret to Photobucket's current success of 38 million members is linking, according to a Fortune article. Linking shelters the site from fads because if one social network falls the photos are still stored on Photobucket, and users can just place them on a different social network.

This brilliant business model has allowed the site a niche foothold in the consumer-generated media realm. Instead of competing with mega-sites like Facebook, Photobucket adds value by allowing more freedom to the user. Companies' sites need to find a way, like Photobucket did, to ward off threats of changing consumer preferences.

Social Network Garners Reputation for Advertising

Although television and print are the usual advertising media that companies use to spread the word about their product or services, many companies have turned to less recognizable but more innovative methods to deliver their message. According to an article from Media Post, Anheuser-Busch is one taking this route, opting to promote its "Here's to Beer" campaign on the new social networking site MingleNow.com.

Although partnering with a new start-up site is risky, the youth of MingleNow will actually provide a benefit for A-B. Since the partnership began at the start of the site's development, A-B's campaign can be completely integrated into the social networking service. A-B will be the only brand to appear directly on the site. The idea behind this exclusive campaign will be to ask visitors to post pictures of friends toasting with beer bottles or mugs.

There's a new kid on the social networking block

It is obvious that consumers are enamored with the ability to create and post personally created videos on the web for everyone in cyberspace to see. However, just when consumers thought sites like YouTube and MySpace where the newest form of user generated media, a new, unpredictable option was unveiled.

In an article from mediapost,a new site called Stickham has taken the idea of social networking and morphed it into something not even the CGM giants imagined. The site is based on allowing users to connect with others through webcams. Users post profiles and go online to chat with anyone from anywhere with the added benefits of being able to see them.

The site also provides users access to live video feeds of celebrities, musicians, and many other popular personalities. On a recent live chat with comedian Jamie Kennedy an astounding 10,000 members watched. This interest shows consumers approval of the site's new services. However, there are some pitfalls to the added fun and freedom provided by this site.

The site's webcam component makes the job of filtering out obscene or indecent behavior rather difficult. Even though Stickham bans offensive material, with live feeds, it is impossible to enforce. With more freedom comes more danger. Users will have to decide if they are willing to deal with the possibility of viewing obscene content. Either way, it seems that the options this site offers definitely have the potential to surpass the success of sites like MySpace and Youtube. This site may be the beginning of social networking evolution with consumers reaping the benefits of improved communications.