Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Top Social Networking features I hope someone makes in 2009

I've been buried in research over the last few days, and I've got a few ideas of features that I think would make a tremendous difference to social communities - and consumers- and um...me. This is the 'if I were in product at X social networking site, this would be on my roadmap.

1. Social Network epicenter. I'm lazy. I don't like to have to login to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning, Plaxo, etc, just to post the latest product trend I just found. Think of it like a consumers social networking mini-CMS with a few shared features. Post once, and select where to publish. Phew! My life just got alot easier.

2. Google-like social network search. Why do you have to do a "#" in front of something on Twitter to track it well? (So much for 'Don't Make Me Think!) You should be able to search social networking sites exclusively as well as search multiple social-networking sites at once. Like Google Images and Video, you should be able to search *just* social media sites for things like "Twitter+Virus." Right now, many of the social networking sites don't communicate effectively at all the key asset they have - buzz.

3. My Groupies. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, - you know about me. I've published it (and published more). Can't you use that content to suggest groups that make sense to categorize people, rather than just leave it to us? Like "Would you like to create a Product Management" group?" Who knows? You might even find better revenue streams for advertising if you do. At it's social networking - you could suggest other people I might be interested in.

4. Tag the Influencers - and spread the word. There are people out there that say some pretty smart stuff - on everything from how to eat (well) locally in January, to the best way to do behavioral profiling. Right now finding those influencers is like going fishing, and a continual follow and unfollow. Yuck.

5. Share the love (and my contact lists). Social Networking sites are used by different people for different things. Many have APIs that are open - and I'd like to sync my contacts in each website. So how about using my contact on Twitter to extend to Facebook and vice versa. I don't have email addresses. I have www.twitter.com/lotsofpeople. Make it easier to link them.

Eh-hem. Stepping down from my soapbox. Somebody make these? Please?

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