Online Communities
Online networking is nothing new, but online communities and social networks have exploded in recent years. Depending on your perspective, this either means too much of a good thing, or endless opportunities to make a positive connection. How do we make sense of it?
Simple. When I went off to college, like most kids, I was overwhelmed. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to be a member of the track team and live in a fraternity. Add to that the classmates I had in my major, and I had at least 3 distinct groups of friends- the group I lived with, ran with and went to class with. Throw in a smattering of clubs and other groups, and you can see my point- I was no different than most people in college, with groups of friends defined by common interests and activities. In this way, a large community becomes very small.
The internet community has evolved the same way. The biggest communities (facebook, myspace), like most colleges and universities, provide ways to connect in the broadest sense, around user-generated content, interests, friends or spur of the moment activities. But among these broadbased social communities are a new generation of online communities that represent, in my opinion, an evolved and more specialized state of online networking.
One such advance in online networking is Linkedin.com, built around a simple common interest: professional networking. Think myspace at work. It works because there's relevance in its specificity (connecting employers and employees), asking users "what do you do?" and "who do you know?" (view my page here).
Companies like Nike are ahead of the curve, building communities around innovative products, like Nike Plus, enabling runners to track their workouts and compete against a virtual community of runners. This camaraderie, a critical element in sport, is finding relevance online through social networking, as Nike Plus allows users to share and discuss routes, music playlists and running-related topics.
Universities are following suit as they look to engage alumni and donors through affinity networks, such as inCircle, whose clients include everyone from Stanford University to the University of Phoenix, as well as Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin, Georgetown and Kansas. Within a common interest group (university alumni) can live specialized groups (cross country runners, business majors, fraternity members, etc.). Makes sense.
Non-profits are taking advantage too, as communities rally around a cause. Purpose-based groups will use these networks for advocacy and event planning, fostering very real engagement in a virtual environment.
Improving the signal to noise ratio, these affinity, permission-based groups represent the best evolution of the web, and they define, for me at least, the very concept of an online community. Hardly rocket science. The best connections are those allowing for mutually beneficial exchanges and stronger relationships. Proving, as always, the best ideas are usually the simplest.
