7 Ways to Start Your Own Social Network Site
By earner
If you're thinking you want to start your own social network, like Facebook or Myspace, then you have to start by asking yourself why you're doing it.
It can seem like a great idea to run a successful social networking site, but to get to that position you need to either have come up with the idea and teamed up with people that could pull it all together, then to be lucky with the marketing, or you need to be able to find a huge wad of cash to throw at the right people.
SO WHY DO YOU WANT TO START A SOCIAL NETWORK SITE?
Maybe you want to start your own social network because it seems like a great way to earn good money - but to get good money you need people to join your new site, and there are quite a few out there, so you need an "edge". Something unique.
Maybe you already have a great group of people, based around an interest or a geographical area and you want to be able to pool that energy and talent - this is always a great reason to start a social network of your own.
SOFTWARE TO START YOUR OWN SOCIAL NETWORK
If you want to start your own social network then you'll need some software to do it. There are a few routes you could take, depending on what you have in mind, the grand master plan and your time and budget constraints.
GET A CLONE OF FACEBOOK OR MYSPACE
You could, for example, have some written especially for you, by employing a freelancer. Simply advertise that you want a clone of Facebook or Myspace and there'll be programmers out there that can do it for you.
Having software written for you though will be more expensive and riskier. You have to think about who will maintain it, who will support it, who will upgrade it. As Facebook and Myspace have a team of developers working full-time it wouldn't be long before your version fell behind their functionality and you'd be left in the social networking backwaters.
Facebook Clone Script
Alternatively, there are one or two Facebook Clone scripts available at quite affordable prices now, that you can simply buy and have running straight away. One facebook clone script is in the list below.
BESPOKE SOCIAL NETWORK SOFTWARE
The alternative is to have software written that meets your needs exactly. In this way you would be creating your own vision of a social network, that works exactly the way you want it to. You could ditch the things that you don't like in existing systems and create new functionality. Get a good team of freelancers working for you and you can have what you want, at a price. Although some people might be prepared to collaborate on the project with you for a profit share.
OFF THE SHELF SOCIAL NETWORK SOFTWARE
Another route to take is to get yourself some ready made social networking software, set it up, configure the choices and settings you want, pick a nice look/colours and away you go! You could have started your new social networking site virtually overnight.
Software that you can do this with include the following, they all have the usual features you'd expect from a social network, so you need to really check them out and work out which one fits your dream:
- Facebook Clone Script
This Facebook Clone Script looks and feels just like the original Facebook site, but allows you to modify the look/layout/colours if you wish to do so - check out this fully-featured Facebook clone script, that costs under $40/25.
Facebook Clone Script
If you want a straight forward Facebook Clone Script, then these are an easy way to have a social networking site of your own, that looks and feels very familiar to you and to people wishing to join it. If people feel something is familiar, it works how they're used to things working, then they're more likely to join and stay with you.
A facebook clone script can cost you less than 2-3 hours of programmer's time! Making it a really affordable entry into the world of running your own social network site.
Buddypress (most recommended)
- Bluehost + Buddypress
Bluehost - Top rated web hosting provider - Free 1 click install For Buddypress.
BUDDYPRESS
Buddypress didn't appear on the original article, but so many people left comments to say how great it is, I investigated and it's now added here. Buddypress is completely free - so it's a free way to start your own social networking site. However, it is just the software that's free, you still need to host it.
The easiest way I found to get Buddypress installed and working was to get a Bluehost account because, once logged into the admin panel, you can find a "one click install" of Buddypress available - making it a no-brainer as it's all done for you and you don't need to get technical at all.
You can add on Buddypress templates, change the look/style and feel of the site - and further extend the basic functionality with a huge array of extensions that are easily added as you need them.
To get started here, get your domain name registered for your new site with reliable, affordable, professional hosting - then just log in and install Buddypress from the admin panel. Bluehost also give you a free domain name.
GRAB BOONEX HERE
- BoonEx - Community Software Experts
Download free software and launch your own social network, dating site or online community. BoonEx is the leading dating software and community software provider.
BOONEX
Boonex is free software that gets your social networking site up and running for free. Boonex Community Software is just one programme from a company that has a collection of open source and premium titles for creating community sites and social networking sites.
Using Boonex, you can create any type of social network site you want, dating sites, social networks, online clubs, or virtual communities. It's very flexible.
This solution is probably best for developers/people who are comfortable poking about inside php and doing mods though, rather than somebody who just wants a solution that works out of the box. Overall, it has a history of being a bit buggy.
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KICKAPPS
KickApps: this is probably the most professional solution, it's "white label", so it really is your look and feel. This works on your own domain name, so it's totally "yours" from the perspective of your members and visitors. KickApps provide a full API and developer kit and everything else you would need to make it do exactly what you want, so this software is something you can really get your teeth into or hand over to your "development team" to sort out. KickApps offer a free trial so you can sign up and give it a go, test drive the features, get some friends invited to run it through its paces. Over 85,000 sites have so far been built on this platform. It is generally highly regarded and robust.
NING
Ning: Ning is probably the most widely known social networking software. Ning is no longer free (since July 2010) and really acts as an extension to your website or blog. It integrates nicely with Wordpress, Joomla and other content management systems, but there are limits in storage space and bandwidth that you have to be mindful of. You might find the minute it starts to take off, you've suddenly got a bigger bill than if you'd stood on your own feet from the start. It is for this reason that you need to think about upgrading your account once your new social networking site is popular, but they have the capacity to keep up with you!
Ning costs from £20/year ($30 or so).
Ning have teamed up with Groupon, which will enable you to make money from your social network site easily.
JINITY
Jinity: This is another social networking software solution, but there is no support beyond their support forum. There are two versions, the free version has adverts on it, or you can pay a small monthly fee and have their ads removed. It is designed as a DIY social networking solution, so is probably better suited to more techie types. They try to provide good support and a stable platform, but it does come with no guarantees.
Grab SocialGo
- SocialGO - Social Network Maker - Create Social Networking Websites, Blogs, Forums & More
SocialGo allows you to create your own Social Network for FREE. Customizable social networks include options such as video chat, messenging, privacy, personal blogs, news aggregators and more. Start your online community today.
SOCIALGO
SocialGo: This British owned company is fairly new to the marketplace. This is a starter level solution and you can have your social networking site up and running in 2 minutes. they operate regular online workshops where you can learn what you're doing. You can use your own domain and remove all their branding and, of course, charge membership fees if you wish. You can also run your own adverts on the site to generate an income. For those techies among you, there's an API available too.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick and easy solution, that just works and is supported, SocialGo is proving to be the popular choice!
Get Pligg Social Networking Software
- Bluehost + Pligg
Bluehost - Top rated web hosting provider - Free domain name and free 1 click installs for Pligg social networking. Unlimited bandwidth.
Pligg (free)
Pligg is a free (open source) CMS system. Simply download the software and you're off! You get user profiles, voting on things that are good, private messaging ... and your members have full control over their content. There are RSS feeds and it's SEO friendly too.
Each user that signs up to your Pligg site gets their own profile page where they can change their settings, send personal messages, add an avatar, make friends and other great features.
There are quite a lot of free templates too, so you can choose the look you prefer most.
Even upgrading is easy - you don't have to fiddle with the files come upgrade time, which is always great to hear!
You will need to get your own hosting, which you can do through them, or use your own. One they recommend is Bluehost, which I personally use for a couple of my sites, so I know they're good! With Bluehost you also get a free domain name and you've also got lots of other instant installs you can choose from - e.g. I use them for their instant Wordpress websites.
Website: http://www.pligg.com/
List of Social Network Websites Around the World
- GooglePlus Social Network Site
Google is now entering the social networking marketplace with their new Google+ (Google Plus) social network site. Like Facebook, Google is now giving users the ability to Add Friends and "Like" websites - but they're doing it better than Facebook as - List of social networking websites - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of social networking websites around the world.
MARKETING YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK SITE
Once you've got your social network site up, you'll find you will have to put most work into marketing it. To come along, people have to know you exist. Think about how you're going to promote it.
Press releases, contacting the newspapers, maybe get onto the Breakfast News or TV. Perhaps you want to do some crazy publicity stunt. But you have to get the message out somewhere.
USP: What is your Unique Selling Point? Why should people join your site rather than others? Think about what you're offering, it has to have something a bit different to the rest. Niche sites are the way to go. A niche could be based on your region or your country - or it could be based on some interest or a grouping of any other demographic. Having a niche and a USP is going to be the reason people choose to join you instead of, or as well as, the more well known sites.
I hope the above has helped get you on your route to start your own social network site. Once you've worked out what you want to do, how quickly and how much you have to spend on it, then you should be able to find the right solution that fits your needs today and in the future as your site generates a good income for you.
I wish you well in your new venture!
Comments
I agree, there are too many generic social sites out there already... annoying us daily.
A niche is the way to go.
Well, I'm learning something new here, had to bookmark it to read. Very informative.
Great hub. I would use Drupal or PHPnuke or some CMS like that because the Ning and all them are not as customizable. I had a Ning for a while. Just getting people in there was the hard part.
Portamenteff
I tried using a CMS before and got completely stuck when it came to doing anything. I use DotNetNuke and unless you're a developer you get really stuck with a lot of those systems because you go to the forums and suddenly find you're the only person who isn't a developer and you can't get straight answers to how to perform tasks you want to, or at least I did.
DotNetNuke put me off using a CMS, even though I started using it because I was specifically looking for a CMS.
For people who aren't coders and don't want to spend their time fiddling with code and how to integrate modules, or how to do the upgrade themselves, using a CMS isn't always the right answer. when I started with DNN I thought a CMS was the God of sites, it's actually hindered me beyond belief and I have a whole site that is producing me good results but is balanced on a knife edge because I can't perform some of the simplest tasks on it. That experience moved me over to Wordpress, which I do at least feel I have some control over.
Sometimes it's just easier for people to buy into a solution that does the job, rather than something modular that can do 1001 jobs in 1001 different ways.
For me it is a case of just wanting to crack on and "do my site", write on it, use it ... not to be the techie with days sucked up chasing down solutions to install, hoping I am just on the cusp of "the fix".
In fact, it is this desire to "just crack on" and do the bits I enjoy that's switched me onto hubpages. I wrote this article in about 1.5 hours... I then tried to get it onto my DNN site and with my ad server and other issues, 4 hours later I still haven't even started to rewrite this article to go on my own site - it should have been a 20 minute job, but you end up getting caught up in all manner of other things.
:)
Hello, earner, and thank you for your hub and great information but I think I'll give this project a miss. I don't think I would be up to it. Thank you for offering the information.
Very good advice. When I get there I shall definitely refer back to this hub. Thank you earner.
Great hub earner...thanks for sharing
Great hub earner...thanks for sharing
Oh, there is so much more that could be said. You have really just skimmed the surface here.
There are some great service providers out there that provide you with all the bells and whistles and all the updates and absolutely wonderful customer service. It takes some digging, but they are there.
Earner- Thanks for the info. Considering a SNS to create more control of the customer interaction with our agents. This could be great for SEO as well.
Great article. I was considering writing on the subject but I'll have to find a different angle now, as you've covered this one perfectly! :)
Hey RP, I've left plenty of room for others to write about how to start your own social network!
:)
Let me know if you do, we can link them together.
I like the Information here . Very Informative hub . I am just afraid If I started my own network nobody would join !
gud info
Great info. However, I am still trying to learn about HubPages. I am a newbie, joined only 3 days ago. I still can not confirm with Ebay and can't find where to write an answer to a comment.
Ebay can take some time before you're approved. You need to build up some hubs first.
If somebody has commented to you and you want to reply, you simply post a comment yourself on your page, just like they did.
One thing that stands out about these start your own social network companies is that one is for starting an adult social network, a very hot and popular niche well covered!
Very helpful. I operate a website and implemented the google friend connect thinking that that would somewhat take off as a social network for my site.....didn't happen. I will look into your links. Thanks. Great hub
If you want to start your own social network site, then once you have chosen your software and you're up and running, the next challenge is to find people who could join it and giving them a reason to.
Whether you can charge a membership and how much will depend upon what they would get for their money - ask yourself if it's really worth what you're charging. Charge too much and nobody joins, charge too little and people perceive it as a low quality option.
Give your members something, maybe create an ebook that they can have - but you need to ensure your ebook doesn't just get copied and handed out for free around the internet. Some ebook software will enable you to lock out individual copies if you can see they're being copied, check out http://ebookcreater.com as one market leading way to protect your ebook. This means people HAVE to pay/join to get their copy! No cheating.
by the way Ning is not a software! Otherwise nice post... thanks!!!!!
Thank You - something to look at for the future. Right now I seem to have my hands full with hubs, blogs, facebook, twitter and a host of other bits and pieces.
I like information what you post, thanq.
If you start your own social network site, it's a really fulfilling and worthwhile way to make money online. Not only are you enjoying the buzz of earning your living the way you want, but you're connecting with people that share your interests and passions.
People love being a member of something, feeling that they belong. If you can tap into their desire to belong, then you'll be building yourself a full-time income quite easily and quickly. But, you do have to think about the quality and experience of your site. Make it good, make it fun and they'll stay!
Provide information, feedback and lively discussions and you'll be beating them off with a stick to join when you start your own social network site.
The best for me - use same engine like identi.ca
I like your article so much.My honor to share cheap ugg boots.
Thanks a lot for this hub earner.
Excellent article and good info.
Thanks for the info dude.
very informative, thank you
good info, found it very interesting, thanks
Great info! But it is better for me to be in my own business andd uses other's established social networking websites.. lol nice hub.. :)
I run a social group website for robotics, and the IT involved is big. Between the maintenance and updates, you have to have a dedicated team to keep everything up and running all the time.
It is far better to use an established site...we have over 3,000 members now though, and all of our data is specialized, so it is imposible for us to move now.
Great hub, I am a beginner programmer, and I am looking to start a few niches of my own, one being a social networking site.....you are right though, alot of the stuff you see out there is replicated and very annoying. THanks for the advice, I will keep it in mind when starting my programming.
voinetwork, maybe you can develop a niche for yourself by specialising in one of the open source solutions and writing modules just for that one social networking product.
Good luck!
Thanks for the imformation. I will be sure to use this! Thank you for sharing!
It's becoming really popular to start your own social network site and with these great social site software choices it's never been easier either!
Interesting,
I thought of the same thing a few years back, but the bottom line is you will most likely not succeed. I have researched them all, but unless you have deep pockets, you will not be able to afford to operate at a loss like MySpace did for years, and all the others, they were not monetized, but look what they sold for, MySpace went for $580M, Facebook is $6.5B and Twitter is already estimated to be going for $1B, so how many people can compete without millions to start.
If you want to have your own social media site, look at MySocialNetwork which is the easiest way to get started, the software is full featured, you can promote your business, plus it is monetized, MSI shares revenues with members, a first. Given it is free, and all the features provided, as well as an income opportunity, why would anyone want to start one from scratch?
www.Social-Media-Income.com
informative.. i m also interested in making my own social website..
how do i earn money online earner
There are many ways to earn money online Zohanaa, but you need to look through the many ways to find one that suits you.
Everybody is different. Some people earn money online by writing here at hubpages (I do), and some by starting a website or blog (I do that too). Others have a product or service which they sell online, perhaps through their own website or on ebay.
You need to really find something that interests you and work out if it is likely to be profitable for you with your location, time and skills.
Good luck!
Amazing info buddy. I was actually looking out for the list of software. I knew about Ning but had no idea about others. Thanks !
Hi Packerpack
I'm glad to have helped.
Good luck starting your own social network site, I know you'll have a lot of fun with it.
It is my dream to have my own social networking sites. Thanks for the resources that you have shared here
Thanks This Is Great Info I Will Look In To!
thx for helping
thx for helping
Thanks for the tips. Don't forget BuddyPress, which is a set of social networking extensions for WordPress MU. It is 100% free and open source.
Thanks for these tips. Well, I agreed with most that starting a social sites this days will most likely fail. Unless you have a deep pocket and a splendid idea, better stay away from it.
Good list!
I would add the BuddyPress. I still have some concerns about it, but I think it will get better. Anyway, it's opensource and based upon the Wordpress MU.
Thanks for the info. I went to the SocialGo site and plan to take a look at the others. It seems everyone is standing up a social networking site theses days! Cheers.
Great hub. Thanks for the info and comparison on software programs available.
I was thinking about using buddypress for a project but I seem to keep only thinking about it. I guess when I get some free time someday I'll have to look into it more.
Isocial is the easiest way to get started, the software is full featured, you can promote your business, plus it is monetized,www.isocial.in MSI shares revenues with members, a first. Given it is free, and all the features provided, as well as an income opportunity
NING has gone nuts. Evade them.
I will just ad for those that want to build their own social network site that an alternative is to build it based on different APIs provided from major companies. It will be some time consuming and it requires an good understanding of programing but it will end up as a unique project.
Actually, I'd support a movement to DELETE most of social networking sites out there, instead of multiplying them... There are so many poeple talking, with so little to say!
very informative hub! I like it.
A very nice take on social network. great hub.
Thanks for this. I posted a similar hub a couple of days ago. BuddyPress is also a good way to go.
Social Network Sites are affecting young age girls and boys because of the open source of the content, photos and Videos. How could be avoid this System?
This is a great hub, have just bookmarked for further reading
Great lens. I started a social bookmarking site a few months ago and it took off for some reason without any promotion at all.
It is based on Pligg software which I find is simple to maintain now the site is operational.
I am achieving over 1500 visits per week and over 8000 opted-in subscribers.
I am really interested in monetizing the site and/or marketing to the subscribers.
ANy ideas welcome!
Hey Wayne
I hadn't heard of Pligg before, so I've added them into the list.
It does sound like they've made Pligg easy to use and get those signups!
For monetizing, you should try Google Adsense in the first instance.
I like to use http://twitter.com and http://voonee.com to advertise my websites
Great ideas. I've used ELGG (as well as PLIGG) which is a free open source software and gives you a great set up to start with user profiles, friends, blogs, and twitter integration. You'd need someone with some CSS skills though to make it look better than the out of the box site.
i have a great idea for a sns & would love your help getting this idea up and running.
BUDDYPRESS Free Social Networking software.
So many people above have commented on how great Buddypress is that I've now looked into it and it's free and easy to install from hosts that have it instantly available with a 1-click install, so Buddypress is now added to this list as the most recommended social networking software based on the comments above!
Thanks guys.
Startimg up a free social bookmarking site is too easy now a days and its too difficult to pull facebook and twitter back to get our site up
It's still worthwhile creating a social networking group for a niche. e.g. if you're in a small town, or small city - or perhaps a rural county with a strong identity.
So there's still a lot of money to be made from starting your own social networking group, if you can identify a group of people that are underrepresented, or who have a niche interest, or who are geographically connected.
Genealogy's a good way to start a social networking group - imagine if you were researching your family tree and could "invite" all your new-found relatives into your social networking group. These days there are a lot of active genealogy websites, but they all lack that "personal" touch that social networking could bring them.
Saw your post on the forums and congrats on the score of this hub. I can see why it is 100 as it is a great hub! Great info.
Thanks Susan.
So many people want to start their own social network site, for their local community, school or club - and so I really wanted to bring together a list of options so people could see what's available to them!
A social network site doesn't have to be huge and compete with Facebook, it just has to be perfect for what somebody wants to set up a social network site for, whether that's for their town/village, or for a hobby/interest.
If you do want to start your own social network site, then once you have chosen your software and you're up and running, your next substantial challenge is to identify and approach people who would be interested in joining it - then giving them a good reason to join.
You need to also know whether you can charge members a membership fee - and how much is the right amount. This will depend upon what they would get for their money on a competitor site. Ask yourself if your social network site is really worth the membership fee you're asking for.
If you charge too much it will be hard to convince people to join. If you charge too little people might perceive it as a low quality option.
But above all - have FUN with it!
earner, this is amazing. I build the social network software, but your hub was on the mark.
I just started following you. Voted up!
Bruce
This is great info,Thanks
Earner, this is something I of thought for awhile now, but didnt have a clue as to what, or where to start. Have bookmarked, and voted up!
nice the great social network already 5 million users now. visit www.oomem.com
I would like to create a social networking site for my town where i live !
I am thinking of beginning a dating a website and i found this hub very useful. Thanks for the links too. Voted up, useful and interesting
Great information! I love social media networking.
this hub has helped me create a popular adult video website
Nice Information Buddy. Answer My Following Question.
Q1.When We Have To Use Social Networking Website And It's Features. We Have To Sign Up First. How To Add This Sign Up Function To Social Networking Website? Do We Have To Buy This Feature?
Starting is not a problem but advertising is a pain ..The main thing is advertising..Well Thanks for the post
Excellent piece of work. I truly enjoyed it. I had a family social network which had all my family near and far participating in it and I also had my seniors participating on an educational forum and social network which got me into trouble with the school but both sites were very successful until geocities dropped me. I was devastated and since then I have been looking for something comparable to geocities. I will look into the suggestions listed here by you and other members. Thank you.
Hi Earner,
Consider the situation if someone creates a social network with the scripts above (^_^). And it leads to have 1 hundred thousand members for him. IS there any possibility with script providers or software providers to take the site or throwing any legal issues for their work??
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SimeyC 2 years ago
Interesting hub - i've seen a few Ning sites in my time and they are OK - nothing like Facebook though! The real way to build something is 'bespoke' but you really have to find a new niche - there's so many similar sites out there that anything that isn't unique is likely to fail! Great hub!