Framework for Doing Business in Social Networks

Summer 2007, as part of managing a portfolio of internet emerging technologies I became interested in exploring social networks and virtual worlds for business purposes.

Second Life was the buzzword back then (just like now everyone is talking about Twitter) so in collaboration with IBM partners we conducted a POC in Second Life. My goal was to test virtual worlds as a viable solution for internal collaboration for distributed teams of employees. The name of my avatar was Noemi and all avatars met at the IBM Business Center.

My ENTP mind always has the tendency to conceptualize things and created a framework to classify the different type of business opportunities within social networks. I wanted to use the framework for a conference but at the last minute the topic of my presentation changed and never used it.

Yesterday, I was cleaning old files when I found this framework. The classification still as relevant as it was in 2007. Perhaps even more relevant now when we look at the success with Twitter gaining broad media popularity and micropayments becoming the backbone of World Warcraft like gaming sites.

Just like the User-driven World matrix helps organizations to understand the behavioral motivations behind the consumerization of emerging technologies, the following framework will help organization in the identification of business opportunities to leverage and monetize social networks.



Let me know if the framework was helpful. And I will embrace the practice of checking my old files for new sources of information.

Social Networking Personality

We all have many dots2connect but we connect our dots in a different way making multidimensional connections.

I wrote about social networking personality types last year in a blog discussing the top 6 reasons why people join Linkend. Since then I have been observing social behavior in the Twitter community and found the same 5 social networking personality types.

Who are you? Do you hide your network / tweets from the broad community? Are you just a Spectator? Or do you fall into Malcolm Gladwell's categories? Are you a Connector with million of connections in your network? Are you the knowledgeable Maven who provides helpful insights but doesn't really spend much time connecting, or the Salesman with the perfect profile and persuasive recommendations?

Controllers are typically those with a few protected connections / messages and no additional engagement outside their own network. Even more extreme are those that I call Spectators with a lonely profile and no connections at all.

So, what is your social networking personality?

Are a Connector? Maven, Salesman, Controller or a Spectator?

What is the connection between your social networking behavior and your personality type?

Are active Twitter Connectors always Extraverts?

Take this online version of a personality test and find out what is your personality !