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Social Networks: Up And Down The Social Register

For companies that market to niches, one of these specialized social networks may be a better value.

By Max Chafkin, Leigh Buchanan and Ryan McCarthy |  @chafkin @LeighEBuchanan @mccarthyryanj   | 
 

MySpace (with 57 million monthly users in the U.S.) and Facebook (with 22 million a month) are by far the largest general-interest social networks. But for companies that market to niches, one of these specialized social networks may be a better venue:

LinkedIn
An online Rolodex
Users: 5.4 million per month
Marketing options: You can set up a page for free and send unsolicited messages to potential leads at a cost of $10 per message. Advertising rates range from $45 per thousand impressions for ads that run across the entire site to $75 per thousand if you want to reach a specific group--say, accountants in the agricultural industry.

MiGente
A network for Latinos
Users: 384,000 per month
Marketing options: Setting up a profile is free, and small advertisers can buy ads through Google AdWords. More involved campaigns, which include banners and full-page ads, range from $10,000 to $500,000.

Snooth
A social-shopping site for wine lovers
Users: 200,000 per month
Marketing options: When users click to buy a recommended bottle, a wine store will pay Snooth 35 cents for referring the user.

Imeem
An iTunes--social network hybrid where labels and users stream free music and video
Users: 1.7 million per month
Marketing options: You can create a profile and upload MP3 files for free. Marketing campaigns that include ads and sponsored playlists run from $10,000 to $1 million.

ASmallWorld
A tony invitation-only network for global jet setters
Users: 160,000 per month
Marketing options: Because the site is closed to the general public, you can't just sign up and ping the rich. Campaigns for luxury advertisers like Johnnie Walker, Armani, and Mercedes-Benz span the entire site and can run more than $100,000, but ASW also runs locally focused advertising campaigns and will organize small custom events, with rates that start at $25,000 a month.

Source: Nielsen Online, November 2007

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    • Max Chafkin

    Senior writer Max Chafkin has profiled companies such as Yelp, Zappos, Twitter, Threadless, and Tesla for the magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.


    Leigh Buchanan

    Leigh Buchanan is an editor at large for Inc. Magazine. A former editor at Harvard Business Review and founding editor of WebMaster magazine, she writes regular columns on leadership and workplace culture, and she contributes Inc.'s capsule book reviews, "A Skimmer's Guide to the Latest Business Books."


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