There was a time when starting a social network from scratch would have cost thousands (if not millions) of dollars. Don’t get me wrong. Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have humongous costs associated with their operations. But the up-front startup costs for social networks is not that high these days. Software solutions such as Elgg and BuddyPress can turn any website into a social network. If only running and growing a social network were that simple. Building a loyal following for a blog can be hard. Starting a social network and making it a viable business can be doubly challenging.

Making your social network a success overnight is expecting too much. But there are steps you can take over time to grow your social network and take it to the next level. Here are 7 ways to do just that:

1. Add unique tools: just because you are using an open source software to run your social network does not mean you can’t hire developers to add unique tools to your social networks. Every social network needs to have promotional tools such as badges, widgets, sharing tools and more. Tools that can make your members’ lives easier are must have too.
2. Develop superior reputation system: your social network’s reputation systems says a lot about your business. If it is easy to game or ineffective, you are not going to have a lot of success with your social community over the long run. Don’t forget to count your members’ feedback towards setting top members apart from the rest.
3. Embrace social media: social network owners can always make everyone sign up for a new account. There is nothing wrong with that approach. But wouldn’t it be easier for everybody involved if, let’s say, Twitter and Facebook logins were supported on your website? Setting up these systems is quite easy. Having them enabled can get more people to join your community and start contributing.
4. Empower users: in order for your social network to grow, you need to give your community members freedom and the tools to share in and contribute to your community. It never hurts to feature your top users on the front page of your site from time to time. You should also give your visitors the freedom to interact freely with other members of your community and the content on your site.
5. Reduce spam: this goes without saying. No software system is hack or spam proof. You don’t want to end up having thousands of fake accounts in your community’s database. Do yourself a favor and take the appropriate security measures to protect your website. Use services such as reCAPTCHA to keep spammers at bay. Finally, give your users the option to report spammy posts. That could save you some time.
6. Reward your community: one of the best ways to get your community even more engaged is by giving away freebies and rewarding your top users. Throwing contests and giveaways can excite your community members and help generate buzz for your website. You don’t want to go broke doing this, so stay on the reasonable side.
7. Encourage user generated content: every social network owner should allow their community members to blog, vlog, or add content to their site. You should also invest some funds in developing sharing tools (vote counter, bookmark button, …) for your community. Don’t forget to offer your visitors import and export tools for their content.

Creating and growing a social network from scratch can take a bit of time. The above tips should give you some ideas on how to generate some momentum for your social network going forward.

BuddyPress: BuddyPress is very dear to my heart as it’s created by the people behind WordPress. It’s very similar to what we have come to see with WordPress and can be enhanced with themes and scripts. It’s open source, so you have a lot of flexibility there as well.

Elgg: Elgg is a very powerful social networking platform that enables you to create your very own Facebook-like social network fast. Your users can create their own blogs, forums, and groups. It also helps that you can take advantage of third-party enhancements to offer even more features to your visitors.

Pligg: Pligg is another powerful social networking platform that enables you to create your own Digg-like website fast. It’s a bit tougher to customize and the code is not as easy to figure out. But the platform does save you money and can be enhanced through third-party themes and plugins.

Ning: Ning does not need any introduction. The platform is designed to help you create your own social network online fast. You can use the free option to create a social network quickly. The premium option allows you to use Ning on your own domain and gives you more control as well.

WordPress MU: very similar to WordPress, but it comes handy if you are planning to create your own blog network. Your visitors can start their own WordPress blog and have you host it for them.

Social Go: another social networking solution that has a little bit of everything. There are plenty of widgets and themes that you can pick up to give your social network a different look and feel. It’s mostly designed for those who are new to this business. But you can always go with its advanced plans.

There you have it. 6 powerful social networking platforms that enable you create your own social network service fast.

Everyone has a talent. We may come from different backgrounds but we all have something that we are passionate about a talent to build upon. These tough economic times have made people think about ways to utilize their talents to pursue their dream careers. But you don’t have to be on America’s Got Talent to showcase your talent these days. Social network sites such as Talent Trove let you express yourself and share your talent with the world and get hired in the process.

TalentTrove is one of those social communities that is more than just about meeting people and making random contacts. It’s about giving the artists and those who deserve a break a shot at making it big. The site is built to let you share your talents with the world and learn new things that can help push you to the next level. Talent can go only so far if you don’t nurture it and pick up new ways to better utilize it. TalentTrove allows you to do just that.

Whether you’ve got talent or looking for talent for your small or big business, with TalentTrove you have access to the work of a community that is full of talent. The resources available in this community can help you hone your skills and take your talent to the next level. If you are looking to hire a journalist or a TV model, TalentTrove provides you with the tools you need to identify candidates for your project and select those who fit your plans.

The community is growing but I am very interested to learn more about those already sharing their work and talent in this community. It’s always good to know that there are businesses out there that aspire to give others a shot at making the best of their talents. TalentTrove certainly sets the bar high.

Are you on TalentTrove?