Virtual Organization Management Institute Repository

Saturday, April 24, 2010

An Update on the Evolution of Social Networks

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

An Update on the Evolution of Social Networks
by Prof. Pierre Coupet

A couple of years ago, I wrote a paper titled "Evolution of Social Networks into Virtual Organizations" which analyzed the different categories and behavioral characteristics of social network users and forecasted the eventual evolution of social networks into virtual organizations as a matter of necessity. Just as companies who started out with just getting internet access and an email account eventually wound up with a permanent web presence out of necessity and as part of a natural process of evolution.

The response I then received from across the entire spectrum of social network users was phenomenal and universal and can be summed up as follows: Yes, I can certainly identify myself as a member of that category and am looking to do better or gain better results. However, for the most part, it was immediately followed by "What is a virtual organization?" and "I sure would like to know more about it."

To digress a bit, I remember the day back in 1993 when I told my son that, one day, everyone would have an email account and a presence on the net in the same way that everyone then had a phone and that no one would think much of it. He turned around and looked at me and said "Papa, you sound like a nutty professor." It was just too hard to believe. Little did I know then that, one day, I would eventually become the founder of Virtual Organization Management Institute and a "professor", again a matter of natural evolution.   In fact, I recall how individuals of all stripes and persuasions, from the smallest to the largest businesses, used to ask me "What's a website?" and a ton of other related questions.

Getting back to our discussion about social networks and my original article about their eventual evolution to virtual organizations, I get the same kind of reaction today from individuals of all stripes and persuasions, from the smallest to the largest businesses, asking me "What exactly is a virtual organization?"; except that, this time around, I also happen to be a professor. They are not sure of what I mean by the phrase "virtual organization." The ones who really try to keep up with this sort of stuff think that I am probably referring to either of the following: "virtual teams"; an organization that has "telecommuters"; an organization that virtualizes certain aspects of its operations; an organization that encourages or actively engages in virtual collaboration; or an organization consisting of one or more individuals that does not have an office space and which operates strictly via the internet. And when I do tell them exactly what I mean by virtual organization, they look at me the way my son did back in 1993, thinking that I must be some kind of nutty professor, or there must be something in the water that I am drinking. After all, you can just look at the expression on their faces that says "Hey, I can't see any of these buildings coming down anytime soon or people not getting on the freeway in the morning to get to work."

However, that being said, it's not all doom and gloom and there is good news to report regarding what kind of progress has been made over the past couple of years toward the gradual evolution of social networks into virtual organizations.

What Has Happened Since?

The social network adoption rate by businesses is close to reaching critical mass, if not oversaturation.   Social networks have been able to penetrate the core and fabric of almost every single business in America and most of the major industrialized countries and, in very short order, the rest of the world will follow.   Here are some of the most striking examples:

TWITTER.   Since that time, Twitter, a relatively unknown company that mostly everyone in the business community thought was a little silly fad, has exploded onto the scene and, to date, has reportedly been able to garner over $160 million in funding from investors and is now a darling of all individuals and businesses alike. Although Twitter is still struggling with the perennial-monster in the closet-monetization issue that almost all social networks struggle with, it has become a global phenomenon; its course of evolution is still unpredictable; and it is well on its way to one day becoming a serious contender for dominance of the web, standing alongside the current Gang of 3: Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Twitter is now a noun and a verb just like Google and, any time a brand reaches that stage, that's a very strong and positive sign of things to come down the road.   But, most importantly, the need to learn how to "virtual organize" this social network is bound to follow once Twitter has figured out a way to monetize it.

NING. Let's put it this way: As a lot of us are already aware of, they were so amazingly successful at getting just about every company and individual under the sun to set up a private social network on their platform that they recently gave notice to all their free account members that the free ride is over and to either get ready to pay up or close their accounts and export their data somewhere else.   It's a case of being drunk with success and time to get serious and make money. I am not sure how well this strategy will work, especially in light of the fact that there will always be some newcomer and unknown competitor who will use that opportunity to fill the gap by either providing FREE service or even a modest $12 fee for a [whole year] for the first year. Just imagine getting 1,000,000 new dissatisfied customers, each paying you $12 for the first year to join your social network. That would be a nice economic boost during these hard times.

FACEBOOK. Facebook has grown by leaps and bounds since 2008; is now both the official and de facto social network for every single individual and organization and government in the world, regardless of size, type or status. It is now almost in the league of Microsoft and Google in terms of phenomenal rise; battling for complete supremacy on the web; wants to be the new sheriff in town; and is recognized as an undisputed member of the Web Triumvirate: Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.    In the case of Facebook, the need to evolve into virtual organizations is being driven by the individuals and organizations themselves instead of a conscious top down strategy by Facebook. Again, these stakeholders are not aware that they are striving to "virtual organize" in the strict sense of the term although their actions are in fact pointing in that direction.

GOOGLE.    True to form and to its genius, Google is quietly ignoring Orkut and has been steadily inching toward conquering a space that 99.9% of all the major web players in the world have either ignored or are just oblivious to due to either simple ignorance, being too busy fighting too many fires, or just lack of foresight: the "virtual organization platform" space. You will notice I did NOT say "virtual collaboration platform." In fact, not even Google executives understand that the Google Apps platform they've been developing over the past few years is a virtual organization platform in progress. But, nonetheless, regardless of what anybody calls it outside of Google Apps, they are smart enough to know that they are on to something that is worth investing into; that this is a market that has significant upside potential; and it is worth capturing and dominating while everybody else is "sleeping at the switch."

They are smart enough to know that all this interaction via social networks on the net will eventually lead to organizations wanting to not just collaborate but collaborate in some sort of "organized" fashion and they are stepping up to the plate to provide that virtual "organization" platform that people and organizations of all stripes and persuasions, from the smallest to the largest businesses, will eventually need to migrate to [as a matter of necessity], just like being on the web now is no longer a fad but a necessity.

But the smartest part of their strategy is that this virtual organization platform--Google Apps--is really more like a "hub" that every virtual organization application developer can hook into. The end result being that this strategy will turn their platform into a sort of de facto "virtual organization operating system" in the cloud.   Just like every application developer has to make sure that their software or application is compatible with the Windows operating system, one day, as sure as I am that the sun will rise in the morning in the east, every virtual "organization" application developer--by the time they do realize what a virtual organization really is--will want to make sure that their application can be plugged into Google Apps.

But there is a more compelling reason why Google executives don't even know that Google Apps--although, in its present state, is a very crude, Stone-Age-type virtual organization platform--is really a virtual organization platform in the making. That's because the development of that platform is really being driven by the needs of its users and Google is just doing a MARVELOUS job at tapping into a huge user base, asking for their input on a minute-by-minute, 365 days a year basis, and LISTENING.   Google has been very patient, relentless, investing capital, trying to develop the perfect platform of the future for businesses even though it's not thinking in terms of "virtual organization."

But what about the users who are driving this trend? Are they aware that they have a need for a virtual "organization" platform? The answer is also "NO". They just know what they want to do on the platform based on need, regardless of what label someone wants to attach to it.   It's a classic case of "form follows function" and a natural process of evolution. As the maxim goes, necessity is the mother of invention.

In the meantime, Google is rapidly giving away the free version of Google Apps--as well as charging for the premium version--to every single organization that wants one, whether they know how to use it or not, or whether they understand the future potential of Google Apps and its significance to their organization.   As well, they are inviting not only their users but also every developer under the sun to innovate and build applications for their platform.   All one needs to do is to take a look at the Google Apps Marketplace to understand what I am talking about.   The end result will be that, one day soon, Google Apps will do for Google what Google Adwords has done to catapult it to its current status as the Lion of the Web.

MICROSOFT. Although it pains me to say this and in spite of the fact that their operating system will continue to be a cash cow for some years to come, Microsoft seems to be like a punch drunk former champion who still has a bit of spark left in him but just keeps getting beaten up or taking unnecessary heavy blows by those up-and-coming young studs with rock solid muscles ready to make a name for themselves.   Yes, I am talking about Google, Facebook and others to come.

Microsoft doesn't really seem to know where it wants to go in the social networking world. They've basically walked away from the browser market--the doorway to social networks--that they had dominated for so long and just don't seem to "really get it" when it comes to social networks.    Does anyone know that Microsoft has a social network called Windows Live which claims to have 500 million users? I think it's more like 500,000 users.   Does anyone know that Microsoft entered the mobile social networking world in a big way in May 2010 with the launch of Kin in partnership with Verizon Wireless?   But the real questions are: "Are they just reacting to Apple and Google's entry in that space and feel that there is room for one more player?" and "How long will they be in that line of business?" I guess only time can tell.

But what amazes me the most is that they have pretty much walked away from the front end stuff. I don't mean the regular front end stuff. I am talking about what promises to be "the sexiest front end stuff of all": The Virtual Organization Platform.   Microsoft Office Live, their version of a web collaboration application, does not even come close to the functionality you find in Google Apps, and seems more and more like an afterthought, with no real push behind that effort.   They have ceded that ground to Google and, one day, a great number of historians and I will write about how Microsoft ignored a number of overtures made to them by Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI) in order to assist in the development of a robust Virtual Organization Platform and how they screwed up big time.   As a result, we at VOMI have reluctantly decided to build our own Virtual Organization Platform. Just as some really smart Yahoo executive walked away from an opportunity to buy Google. Just as another really smart IBM executive walked away from Microsoft. I am amazed at the fact that they don't have a clue as to what a "virtual organization" is even though it's standing right there in front of their noses, staring at them, and saying "Hey, look at this golden opportunity."

Whatever happened to that old MSN search engine? They abandoned that business and now they are trying to get back into the game with the new Bing.com search engine. By the way, they insist it's a "decision" engine and not a search engine. Does the average person really understand the difference or care to do so?

Microsoft has become another IBM and just can't seem to escape from the mindset that normally grips these huge companies and turns them into big, huge, and bloated supertankers.   Do you know that, in this day and age, when you need to find someone to talk to at Microsoft or send them something, they will tell you to SNAIL MAIL your information to them and won't even give you a name and email address?

In fairness, I need to tell you about some of the positive things that Microsoft has done and some of the wonderful and exciting back-end stuff that Microsoft is doing that will help to accelerate the evolution of social networks into virtual organizations. The new MSN is a digital publishing portal, and very nice, I might add.   They have made an outstanding and serious push and huge investments in the virtualization technology field--the back-end stuff--and I commend them for this outstanding move and wish them much success. How many people know they are in the Cloud business with Live Services? Another back-end stuff and another outstanding move. Why is that an outstanding move? That's because this is where the entire virtual organization world will reside in the not too distant future.

In conclusion, when it comes to Microsoft, it's a mixed bag of results.   They are working hard on the back-end stuff that will fuel the future virtual organization world and, therefore, it is a good step in the right "virtual organization world" direction.

MYSPACE. Although MySpace does not belong in the category of social networks that are evolving into virtual organizations, I would be remiss if I didn't mention them in light of the huge influence they had on popularizing the social network. In any case, back in 2008, MySpace was in a state of spiral decline and, sadly, has now become completely irrelevant.   Its new CEO, Jason Hirschhorn, has been given a formidable task of turning around MySpace and to bring it back from the abyss to its glory days of yesteryear, a task akin to the miracle of Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead or the 12 Herculean Tasks. Being a forever optimist, I'll stick to my "never say never" philosophy, however, that being said, seeing is believing.   Jason needs to be knocking real hard on the virtual doors of Virtual Organization Management Institute because we know exactly what they need to do to turn things around.

VAI GLOBAL.   Wait just a minute, who the hell is that and what are they doing on this list? I know you've never heard of them and until recently I didn't either and that's for a good reason: they haven't even launched the company yet. As of April 23, 2010, it's just a web site I wouldn't even call in alpha mode because you can't even sign up for an account and you can't even navigate through it to see its features.   So why am I even mentioning a complete unknown that is not even in alpha mode?    Well, recently I was contacted by the founder and CEO of VAI Global, Dr. Don Oparah, because he wanted to give me a presentation on the inner workings of his soon-to-be-launched social network; wanted to discuss how his organization could partner with Virtual Organization Management Institute; and was hoping that perhaps our organization could be interested in using his platform.   I normally ignore most of these inquiries, not because they have no merit but because time is something that we're extremely in short supply of since we're in constant startup mode. Since he was persistent, I agreed to meet with him knowing full well it would most likely be a waste of time.   After all, how different could his social network be? My attitude was, you've seen one, you've seen them all.

Well, I am glad I did for the following reason: When you compare VAI Global with all the other social networks out there, there was indeed a palpable difference between theirs and every other social network out there. In fact, I call VAI Global "a visually-oriented, next generation social network" that can turn into a formidable competitor to Facebook and LinkedIn if they are able to get some serious investors behind them.   Don't laugh, because in 2004 I am sure that MySpace would have scoffed at the notion that, in the space of a few years, a little unknown like Facebook would one day beat the pants out of them and make them completely irrelevant within less than 6 years.   Based on what I've seen, VAI Global, powered by introNetworks, is a good example of the    "Accelerating Innovation" concept.    It has taken what everyone else out there has done or attempted to do and made it better. I was so impressed by Don's presentation that I have recommended to him that he schedules a set time on a daily basis to give that same presentation to the public at large.   Whether you are an individual, small to large business, an executive recruiter or a global executive search firm, an online university, an investor, or just a corporate executive who wants to organize your social network in a "visual way" and in a seamless fashion, you can stop shopping around.   For what VAI Global provides in an AD-FREE environment, the $10 per month to setup an account is not only a reasonable price but a real bargain.   I am not sure if they also charge per user per account, in which case I believe that would be a big mistake.    By the way, I haven't been paid for this mention and nor am I affiliated in any way, shape or form with VAI Global. When they finally open up their doors and VOMI gets an opportunity to use their service, I'll come up with a follow-up recommendation based on actual experience and then decide whether I want to partner with their organization.

In Conclusion

The huge trend by businesses to formally adopt social social networks is evidence that we are heading in the right direction and that the long and inexorable march of social networks toward evolving into virtual organizations is right on track and on schedule. As well, the rapid spread of mobile social networking is helping to accelerate that trend and close the gap that exists in emerging countries and other remote corners of the world.     Of course, with me being such a virtual organization fanatic, I would love for everyone to pick up the pace a bit because my job is to carry the Luminous Light of Virtual Organization Management Institute to every corner of the globe.

*************

Let Us Manifest!
on The New Virtual Organization World Consortium

Host a Futuristic City-State Enclave Based on a "Civilized World Financial System"

View Article: Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

View Article: Making the Case for Virtual Organization Leadership .... for Everyone

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Stock Photo: courtesy of Pixabay

Copyright 2007-2023. Pierre Coupet. VOMI. Virtual Organization Management Institute. Virtual Organization Leadership. Virtual Organization Advisors. Virtual Organization Executives. Blockchain Executives. VOMI Virtual Organization Academy. Virtual Organization Recruiter. VOMI Global Think Tank. All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced without permission.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Preview of Upcoming Opportunity for Artist and Musician Friends of VOMI

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI) is planning to launch a year-long ongoing art and music contest for its friends and supporters in the entertainment industry. Winners will be chosen on a weekly basis and they will have an opportunity to have their art and music featured across one or more of our web properties for a full week.

Our web properties include:

VOMI Press
Virtual Organization News & Events ™
Virtual Organization Management Institute
Virtual Organization Management blog
Virtual Organization Management Institute blog
VOMI Virtual Organization Show ™ (daily web-media-radio show (M-F))
The Pierre Coupet Motivational Hour ™ (weekly web-media-radio show - every Sunday)
VOMI Virtual Organization Reality Show (™)

I would love your feedback on this effort. If you are interested in volunteering to organize, become a member of, or chair/co-chair this committee, please submit your professional qualifications directly to Prof. Coupet at chairman [at] virtualorganizationinstitute [dot] com

Kindest regards,

Pierre Coupet
Founder & Q of Virtual Organization Management
Virtual Organization Management Institute

*************

Let Us Manifest!
on The New Virtual Organization World Consortium

Host a Futuristic City-State Enclave Based on a "Civilized World Financial System"

View Article: Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

View Article: Making the Case for Virtual Organization Leadership .... for Everyone

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VOMI Launches Virtual Organization News & Events

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI) has launched the new “Virtual Organization News & Events” division, the first Virtual Organization news and event entity that is strictly devoted to the modern virtual organization industry.

The current beta website address can be viewed at https://virtualorganizationnews.com

According to Pierre Coupet, the founder of VOMI, "It’s about time that we finally get a central resource for all news and events relating to virtual organizations. Whether you are a virtual organization neophyte or enthusiast or a virtual organization professional from any field or industry, this is the place to be."

About Virtual Organization News & Events: Virtual Organization News & Events, a division of VOMI, is the world's foremost central resource and destination location for all things related to virtual organizations. "Virtual Organization News & Events" is also a service mark of Virtual Organization Management Institute. Copyright 2010.

About Virtual Organization Management Institute: Virtual Organization Management Institute, a 100% virtual organization based in Encino, CA USA, is the world’s leading and only global educational institute, think tank, professional association, certification and accreditation provider, and conference producer strictly focused on the modern virtual organization management discipline.

Company Website: http://www.virtualorganizationinstitute.com

*************

Let Us Manifest!
on The New Virtual Organization World Consortium

Host a Futuristic City-State Enclave Based on a "Civilized World Financial System"

View Article: Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

View Article: Making the Case for Virtual Organization Leadership .... for Everyone

Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization World Domain Names :::: Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization NFT Domain Names.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Universal Virtual Organization Code of Ethics: A Priori Ethics

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled and Civilized World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

You're probably wondering why we're spending valuable time on ethics; to be more specific, this universal code of ethics we call "A Priori Ethics," and what in the world it has to do with virtual organization management and the functioning of a virtual organization.

The short answer to that question is "everything." That being said, we know you are not going to allow us to get off the hook with such a simple answer and, therefore, here is the long version that provides a brief examination of the ethical issues involved:

Ethical Issues

Leadership Skills and Ethical Skills Are 2 Sides of the Same Coin. Leadership without any moral compass--in other words, without ethics--is leadership gone astray, a ship captain without a compass, a ship that goes wherever the wind blows. Therefore, ethical skills and leadership skills are 2 sides of the same coin.

Ethical Issues Transcend Boundaries. Virtual Organization Management is all about learning how to lead in a virtual environment. Therefore, whether we are talking about leadership in a brick and mortar setting or in a virtual environment, we're still talking about leadership and the myriad number of ethical issues that come with it. Therefore, this is not an issue that can just be ignored or relegated to the dust bin of history because we're now operating in a virtual environment.

Ethical Issues Are Magnified in a Virtual Environment. Ethics, for the most part, is relative to culture. Even the word "culture" is too broad a classification since you can have so many sub-cultures within a primary culture--the American culture being a prime example.

Therefore, ethical issues within just one culture can run so many levels deep and reach such levels of complexity that it would be almost impossible to develop one uniform set of ethical standards that everyone could follow, as is the case in the United States and various parts of the world.

Now add to this formula the global nature of the internet which, all of a sudden, not only allows you the capability to engage live and in real-time with one culture and all its sub-cultures, but also with all other cultures that exist on this planet.

That is mind-boggling, to say the least, and which brings us to this compound question: How in the world do we come up with a uniform set of ethical standards that everyone could follow and is that the sort of monumental task that we should even attempt to undertake? The answer is clearly “No.”

Clash of Ethics. In addition to the impossibility of trying to manage this tangled web of ethical issues in a virtual environment, there exists instances of outright hostility and clashes between different sets of ethics. Co-existence is just not possible due to fundamental differences between purveyors of ethical values.

Deterrent Capabilities Minimized or Non-Existent in a Virtual Environment. Furthermore, we live in a world whereby we're accustomed to being governed by rules that are pretty well laid out for us. We also understand what will happen to us when we break those rules AND get caught. We are also aware of the enforcement mechanisms in place that can serve as a deterrent to breaking the rules (e.g., visual presence, visibility, a gate, a locked door, a camera, other physical barriers, a judicial system, law enforcement, etc.). Therefore, barriers and a high degree of likelihood of getting caught become a significant deterrent to breaking the rules.

in the absence of any

Wild Wild West

Law of the Jungle

In light of the above postulates, trying to come up with one set of ethical values that would accommodate everyone on the internet is tantamount to a dog chasing his tail, hence an exercise in futility.

Need for Reliance on A Priori Ethics

Therefore, we need to rely on a different set of ethical values that are built into each and everyone of us regardless-and in spite-of race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, gender, religion, geography, and demographics; ethical values which are independent of rules and dictates from any particular social order: that set of ethics we call "a priori ethics."

A priori ethics is based on the premise that, deep down inside each and every single one of us, we have this inner understanding of right and wrong regardless of origin or culture. A priori ethics subscribes to only one principle, which is "Do no harm and do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Therefore, if any single action taken by you cannot pass this test, then you do not belong, nor can you be successful, in a virtual environment or virtual organization.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, we ask each and every single one of you to appeal to your inner sense of right and wrong--instead of your acquired notions of right and wrong--as you engage in your dealings with each other and throughout the virtual organization.

That means: leave your rationalizations, prejudices, biases, your acquired notions of right and wrong, your acquired concepts of good and evil, your religion, your politics, your sexual preferences, and your customs behind before you step into the virtual environment or else it will quickly disintegrate into a chaotic and ineffective mess.

And only then will you be able to focus on accomplishing your virtual organization mission, keeping in mind the five most important pillars of a virtual organization: (i) Structure, (ii) Discipline, (iii) Communication, (iv) Security, and (v) Performance.

Related Reading Suggestions: A Global Need for Principled Geopolitical Leaders

*************

Let Us Manifest!
on The New Virtual Organization World Consortium

Host a Futuristic City-State Enclave Based on a "Civilized World Financial System"

View Article: Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

View Article: Making the Case for Virtual Organization Leadership .... for Everyone

Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization World Domain Names :::: Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization NFT Domain Names.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Social Network Monetization Strategy: What's Missing?

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

Social Network Monetization Strategy: What's Missing?
by Pierre Coupet

I believe that partnering with a content provider that informs-educates users on how to leverage the power of the social network is a much overlooked aspect of a social network's monetization strategy.

The primary reasons for that are:

1. The social network provider does not believe that its users will ever purchase content regardless of the nature of the content.

Therefore, from a psychological standpoint, you cannot advance an agenda that you don't believe in and which you feel has no chance of success.

2. The internet graveyard is littered with information providers, including prestigious market research firms, who sought to distribute and sell "once valued" "brick and mortar content" on the web and failed miserably.

As a result, this false logic has developed in the minds of all current and aspiring information providers:

"Internet users will not buy content on the web."

This logic assumes that people are rejecting the distribution medium instead of the content. What it fails to take into consideration is that people are not rejecting the distribution medium, they are rejecting the "value" assigned to the content. Their reason is simple AND correct: This information is no longer as valued as it once used to be since most--if not all--of it can now be obtained via the internet free of charge.

The Challenge

Therefore, instead of lumping all content into one bag and assume that no one will ever pay for it, the challenge for a social network sitting on top of "tens to hundreds of millions of eyeballs" is to either find and develop the sort of not yet available content that their user would be willing to pay for on an "a la carte" basis or partner with such information provider.

In the case of social networks, the most logical piece of "information"--not tools--that all social network members are crying out for is: How do I leverage the power of this social network to my individual or collective benefit?

For the most part, 98% of these social networkers do not have the answer and, for the two reasons previously stated, no major social network is willing to step up to the plate to provide them with what they truly need. Instead they [social networkers] are being provided with more of the same: free tools, advertising, and a variety of fee-based subscription models. It's a real shame and a huge missed opportunity for all.

The Solution

Therefore, the solution for all of us, as follows, since we are all on the same boat, is to begin to step up to the plate in order to fulfill the promise of this amazing collection of tools and individuals we call "the social network":

1. Information Providers. They need to step out of their bunker mentality and begin to develop that ultra premium content that social networkers are crying out for in order to leverage the power of the social network to their individual or collective benefit. As well, they have an obligation to let everyone know that that information is available and not succumb to the false notion that it's a waste of time because nobody will pay for it.

2. Social Networks. They need to take a chance, come out of their shell, reject the false logic that has guided them for so long, and begin offering their members a different menu on their plate. One way to do that is to start asking their members what kind of "information"--not tools--they need and whether or not they are willing to pay for it. What do they have to lose by asking? They can always partner with an information provider if it's too costly for them to develop the content on their own.

Vator.tv is a good example of such social network that constantly seeks to develop and provide "information" in addition to the tools that it provides to its members. Bambi Francisco, CEO and Meliza Solan, Internet Anchor of VatorNews, make a great deal of effort at going out interviewing startups, etc. in order to provide Vator.tv members with relevant information on the pulse of startups, fundings, the VC community, etc. If you are a current or aspiring startup and need "relevant information", in addition to introducing yourself to your peers and the VC and angel community, Vator.tv is the undisputed place to go to or be in. For disclosure reasons, I need to mention that, although I am a member of Vator, I have neither contacted or briefed them regarding their mention in this article prior to its publication, and nor have I been paid or will be paid a fee to promote them in our publications.

3. Social Network Members. They also need to openly come out and reject the false notion that they are only interested in things that are free regardless of the value to them. They need to demand more from their social networks in the form of information instead of only--or mostly--them being asked to provide the information. The idea that social networkers will "step over a dime to pick up a penny" and are either too blind or oblivious to anything that has a dollar value attached to it, regardless of its intrinsic and explicit value, implies that they are morons and lack the intelligence and sophistication to make a well-reasoned decision. I, for one, openly and loudly reject that notion and have indeed purchased "information" deemed highly beneficial to my organization "when such information was not readily available for free" on the internet.

Let's Seize the Moment

In conclusion, "When we miss a big change, when we don't get great people on it, that is the most dangerous thing for us," Gates said. "It has happened many times. It's OK, but the less the better."

As one of my esteemed colleagues on XING, (Frederic) Andre Fortune of nTangible Media, aptly stated, "Let's seize the moment!"

*************

Let Us Manifest!
on The New Virtual Organization World Consortium

Host a Futuristic City-State Enclave Based on a "Civilized World Financial System"

View Article: Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

View Article: Making the Case for Virtual Organization Leadership .... for Everyone

Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization World Domain Names :::: Exclusive Premium Virtual Organization NFT Domain Names.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Content Monetization Strategy for Social Networks

The New Virtual Organization World

It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized

Content Monetization Strategy for Social Networks

by Pierre Coupet

Overview of Our Content Monetization Strategy for Social Networks

Our content monetization strategy is geared toward both Social Networks AND Social Network Members. But before we start talking about the strategy, it's extremely important that we're all very clear on the definition of the terms: "Social Networks" and "Social Network Members."

Definition of Social Networks and Social Network Members

A social network includes not only a primary commercial social network, e.g. XING, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., but also social network platform providers that enable individuals, groups and businesses to form their own "private social networks" on-the-fly--organizations such as NING, Wikidot, Wetpaint, etc.--and also each individual group and subgroup within the primary commercial social network or social network platform provider. Why do we categorize a group as a social network? Well, the membership of some of these groups can number in the thousands to hundreds of thousand members.

With respect to the definition of a social network member, a social network member is an individual who is either a member of a primary commercial social network or one of the individual groups and subgroups within the primary social network; or a member of any private social network, group and subgroup within a social network platform provider. However, that being said, technically speaking, a case could be made that anyone who is a member of a primary commercial social network or social network platform provider can be classified as a social network member. Which is the reason why I've gone through the painstaking process of making the distinction between the two.

Current Monetization Strategy for Social Networks

So what is the current state of affairs for social networks with respect to a monetization strategy? The following scenario pretty much sums it all up:

Borrow or Acquire Funding from Investors

Spend 100's of thousand or millions of dollars to build a platform and develop a strong membership base - better known as "generating a lot of eyeballs"

Social Network Members, for the most part, generate the content for the social network

The social network is then used as an advertising platform in order to generate revenues

Revenues Do Not At Least Equal Expenses and, therefore, they either go back to Investors for more money or look for an exit strategy

The exit strategy is either going public OR go through an acquisition

In most cases, even after going public or having gone through an acquisition, Revenues Still Do Not At Least Equal Expenses and they're back to step 1, which is Borrow, Acquire More Funding from New or Existing Investors, or Recapitalize

It's obvious that something is definitely missing from this process, but what exactly is it?

Innovation Is Only One Side of the Coin

The primary reason that social networks are facing this dilemma is that they keep trying to purchase goodwill from their members with a One-Sided Coin. What would any of you do if someone tried to purchase something from you with a one-sided coin or one-sided dollar bill? If you wanted to be kind to that person, you would politely reject the coin or dollar bill and just walk away; or take the one-sided coin or dollar bill and not give back anything of value; and if you didn't suffer fools gladly, you'd probably be furious and/or call the police.

In a sense, this is exactly what is happening today with most social networks. Innovation in and of itself is not enough; it is only ONE SIDE OF THE COIN.

Why is that? It's because your competition is fierce and Mister or Miss Innovation is coming at you Fast and Furious without taking a breather. The minute you come out with the latest fancy tool, gadget and widget---right when you are beginning to get some traction---10 other competitors pop up out of nowhere and start to bite and nip at your heels, trying to develop a better tool, gadget and widget in order to grab some of your market share.

The latest tools--although we all love them dearly and want more and more of them--should only be seen as the means to an end, whatever that end is, instead of being the end in and of itself for your social network members.

The Other Side of the Coin: Ultra Premium Content

So what is the other side of that coin? Hold on to your horses! I am getting there. I am sure you have all heard of the old expression, "Content is King". Well, when it comes to social networks, we need to make a slight modification to that expression and, that is, "Ultra Premium Content is King."

Why is that? That's because "Content" or "Premium Content" is widely available for FREE over the internet and no one in their right mind want to pay for it, however, "Ultra Premium Content" is rare and not widely available. There are plenty of reasons why that is so, however, they do fall outside the scope of this discussion.

In any case, let us proceed with this relevant question: With respect to social networks, what exactly is that Ultra Premium Content?

Ultra Premium Content is the information and knowledge that your social network members truly and desperately need in order to leverage the tremendous power and potential of this amazing collection of tools and contacts that are available at their disposal--the social network--to their individual or collective benefit. Which explains the reason why I've been approached by thousands of social networking groups, requesting that I contribute my expertise in order to leverage the tremendous power and potential of their social network.

Sorry for the long wait--I hope it was worth waiting for. As you can now see, we can all answer the question about the other side of the coin: The OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN is that Ultra Premium Content your social network members need in order to leverage the tremendous power of the social network to their individual or collective benefit. That's what we call Real Empowerment.

Source of Ultra Premium Content: Virtual Organization Management (VOM)

So where do you get that Ultra Premium Content from? I thought you'd never ask! It's from the modern Virtual Organization Management (VOM) discipline. However, before we proceed, let us quickly tell you what Virtual Organization Management (VOM) is all about.

What is Virtual Organization Management (VOM)? The modern VOM discipline specializes in the development of best-next practices, policies and procedures for operating in a virtual environment and for managing a virtual organization and social network.

Please keep in mind that Virtual Organization Management (VOM) is technology-agnostic and platform independent, therefore, its application is not restricted to any specific tool, gizmo, gadget or widget or, for that matter of fact, any specific social network. In a real sense, this is exactly what happens once your social network members learn how to virtual organize and manage their social network. They are no longer bound by, and nor do they care about, any specific operating system, tool, technology, or social network. They only care about freedom, flexibility, and substance in the form of Ultra Premium Content that leads to Real Empowerment.

Here is a perfect analogy: Generally speaking, once you've learned 1) how to drive, 2) the rules of the road, and 3) how to read maps and use a navigation system, you can travel to any location and distance without regard to the make and model of your car. Any car will do. The make and model of your car then becomes a matter of personal preference subject to your economic status and overall taste. I hope that made sense to you.

Composition of Ultra Premium Content AKA Other Side of the Coin

So let us now resume our discussion regarding this Ultra Premium Content derived from VOM. This Ultra Premium VOM Content comes in the form of a series of Ultra Premium White Papers on how to virtual organize and manage social networks.

But there is more! Each Ultra Premium White Paper comes bundled with the Video Presentation version.

But we're not done yet, each Ultra Premium White Paper also comes with a registration to a 3-Hour Live Interactive Audio-Web Presentation on that exact topic--which includes a Q&A session with the author who currently also happens to be yours truly, the founder of the modern virtual organization management discipline.

And for the ultimate in convenience, these live interactive sessions with the author are conducted twice a week on an almost indefinite basis. That way, each Ultra Premium VOM Content purchaser can select the most convenient time to attend the live interactive session.

And, last but not least, this entire package is sold at a price that everyone can afford---from the small fry to the big fish.

In essence, what we've done here is pile up value on top of value so that [everyone]--instead of just a few--can afford to reap the benefits of the social networks, especially during periods of severe economic crises.

Now, please indulge me a bit as I digress a little, however, there is a great deal of similarity between what VOMI is now doing and what Bill Gates-Microsoft did in the 80's. Bill Gates-Microsoft's mission and vision was extremely simple: Make the PC affordable to the masses so that there would be a PC in every home and business. The first question was: How do you do that? And his answer--although brilliant, revolutionary and a stroke of genius--was equally simple: License the operating system. What is the end result of that simple mission, vision and strategy? Well, since my 7-year old granddaughter has her own laptop computer and is constantly on the internet, I am sure you all know the answer.

However, let's stop and think for one second. What was the logic behind Bill Gates' idea of making the PC affordable to ALL? Again the logic was very simple: the value of owning a PC--in terms of both its current and future potential for all of mankind--was and still is something that transcends all demographics. As you can see, brilliant ideas don't have to be complicated. In fact, what makes them brilliant is their simplicity.

Well, in essence, we -- meaning YOU, once you partner with VOMI, and I -- are doing the exact same thing: We are making VOM knowledge affordable to the masses so that VOM can be practiced by everyone in every home and business anywhere in the world. And our logic is the same: The value of virtual organization management--from learning how to virtual organize and manage your social network all the way to learning how to virtual organize and manage a team, group, department, division, region or entire company---in terms of both its current and future potential for all of mankind is indeed something that transcends all demographics.

Each day that passes by, our world gets virtualized more and more and, eventually--there is no doubt or question about it--everyone will need to know how to virtual organize and manage in a virtual environment. Make no mistake about it, within the next 15-20 years, my "future" 7-year old great-grandson or great-granddaughter will be able to virtual organize and manage (VOM) in a virtual environment. God willing, it would be exciting for all of us to be around then.

Benefits of 2-SIDED COIN to Social Networks and Social Network Members

So what are the benefits of the 2-SIDED COIN to both the Social Network and the Social Network Member?

First, let's talk about the people that really matter since you can't have a social network without people: your social network members.

To a Social Network Member. A 2-SIDED COIN represents "real currency" that a social network member can gladly accept in exchange for the goodwill and economic benefit the social network seeks in return. The social network now really has something "exclusive" and "highly beneficial" to offer that differentiates it from all the other social networks out there using the typical One-Sided Coin.

As stated earlier, the social network member is now Really Empowered to leverage the tremendous power of the social network to his/her individual or collective benefit. The 2-SIDED COIN now becomes the means to an end for them instead of the standard 1-SIDED COIN message that says "here are my latest and most exciting tools, now go ahead and use them and tell all your friends about it."

The social network member now finds purpose and stability, can now focus on one or more key objective(s), no longer has the urge--and nor can he/she afford the time--to hop around all over the place joining 1000's of social networks [just a figure of speech, folks] and making a bunch of so-called friends and contacts that they will never even have a conversation with, let alone the time to get to know each other long enough to engage in something that could be remotely called constructive or mutually beneficial.

Now let's talk about the social network.

To a Social Network. Once you empower your social network members with a 2-SIDED COIN, guess what happens next: they will give you what you paid for. In other words, they become a loyal, active, captive, and satisfied audience and, most importantly, revenue-producing members. After all, isn't that what almost every social network wants?

The icing on the cake for your social network is that the cost of developing and providing this Ultra Premium VOM Content to your social network members is ZERO. Your Ultra Premium VOM Content Provider does it all.

The second layer of icing on the cake for your social network is that your partnership with VOMI, the Ultra Premium VOM Content provider, does NOT, and will not, cause any kind of interference in your current business activities; and nor will it cause any sort of disruption to your existing revenue-generating activities. This means you can continue to use your social network as an advertising platform for BOTH your social network and your clients without any sort of conflict of interest. This will drive your competition nuts. But the best is yet to come.

The third layer of icing on the cake for your social network is that since the SECOND SIDE OF YOUR COIN---this Ultra Premium VOM Content--is "technology-agnostic", that means you don't have to worry about your social network members getting bored and jumping ship each time your competition comes out with the latest and fanciest tool, gadget, or widget. Even when your social network members go to your competitors once they release a better mouse trap, they will always come back to you in order to learn how to make effective use of this new mouse trap for their "individual or collective benefit."

Once your members gain an understanding of VOM, it will NOT be necessary to hop around like a bunny rabbit on 10,000 other social networks. In fact, it would be totally counterproductive for them to do so since that would create a virtual organization management (VOM) nightmare for them. With VOM, the trend is toward consolidation of activities at a central location instead of "hopping around all over the place" and getting to be everybody's friend. After all, you can only have so many friends.

The fourth and final layer of icing on the cake for your social network is that the SECOND SIDE OF THE COIN comes with the highest possible level of credibility in the industry. VOMI is the world's leading and ONLY global educational institute, think tank, professional association, certification and accreditation provider, and conference producer solely focused on virtual organization management. The founder of VOMI is the founder and pioneer of the modern virtual organization management discipline.

Currently, every single Ultra Premium White Paper is authored by the founder of the virtual organization management discipline to insure authenticity and value. In the foreseeable future, once VOMI has trained a sufficient number of VOMI academics, each single Ultra Premium White Paper will either be co-authored or reviewed and approved by the founder of the discipline in order to insure continuity and consistency in authenticity and value.

According to Google, VOMI and its founder's profile were viewed by over 100 million internet visitors in 2008. Therefore, your association with the most prestigious and only virtual organization management institute in the world--headed by the founder of the discipline--means that you don't have to worry about the long-term viability of our standing in the industry and the value of your offerings. The quality and value of your offerings will always remain in the foreseeable future the very best that the industry has to offer.

How Do We Deliver This "Ultra Premium VOM Content?"

These Ultra Premium White Papers bundled with the Video Presentation version and the 3-Hour Live Interactive Audio-Web Presentation with Q&A session with the author, collectively referred to as this "Ultra Premium VOM Content", are strategically released and delivered to your social network members in such a relevant and timely fashion so that each new Ultra Premium Content release not only builds upon, but also adds tremendous value to, the previous one.

Here is how it works: .......................>>>>>

To purchase this entire white paper as well as participate in a 3-Hour Live Interactive Audio-Web Presentation with Q&A session with Prof. Pierre Coupet, the author of this document, as well as to receive the Video Presentation version, please sign up at the following location:

http://www.virtualorganizationinstitute.com/ (No longer on sale)

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