Facebook has become the poster-child for social networking sites and is an excellent microcosm of the effects of a creative and engaging social networking site. Online social networking and the ability to build a widespread online community has exploded in popularity for internet users. As a result more and more companies are committed to maintaining and even increasing their investment in social media and online communities. Social networks have not only given us new ways to communicate and share information but also give us greater access to a wider range of people.

Whether a user is interested in social network sites for personal reasons such as keeping in-touch with friends and families or as an innovative business approach for disseminating information to a broader audience, the power of these sites is only beginning to be discovered. Certainly, as far as marketing is concerned, social networking sites will continue to be exploited in the business world. The ability to reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of users via a creative and engaging social networking site has therefore garnered the attention of some of the world's biggest companies.

The number of companies already using social media and networking sites is almost too many to count. You shouldn't be surprised to hear that major companies from Accenture, Dunkin Donuts and Ernst & Young to Ford, Ikea, Kraft and Xerox all rely on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in order to reach a large audience. We are well into the technological era and as such more and more consumers are using the internet to access the information they need about products and services. Without question, social networking sites and social media marketing are here to stay. This means that new companies are always trying to come up with ways to access the potential of social networks. The best sites are inventive, engaging, and socially relevant so the problem for businesses is how to tap into an established market. Creativity is the key and certain cites employ this creativity in order to stand-out in the crowd.

Again, Facebook is probably the prime example of a social networking site that matched a creative design that targets a wide audience. By paying close attention to the needs and wants of its market, Facebook developers have created a site that is well organized and engaging to users. The necessity of inventiveness is based on the fact that internet users are a fickle bunch. While social networking sites began appearing long before Facebook, none have had a similar meteoric rise in popularity. The key for successful sites such as this is that they offer something new and creative that is able to capture the attention of their audience. As creativity has always been crucial in the success of entertainment ventures like television, music, and movies, the same holds true for social networking sites. By developing a unique site that caters to some specific need, your audience should come to you. On the other hand, formatting your social networking agenda so that it mirrors already successful sites doesn't allow you to make your own name in the marketplace.

Successful social networking sites share a few qualities. First of all, they are immediately relevant and useful to the user. Facebook allows friends to share photos, stories, and important headlines (among a wide range of other services) and lets users interact in a controlled environment. Also, new sites attempt to be exclusive. Target a particular audience with a relevant networking site. Thinking globally isn't always a good thing. Attracting a small loyal audience that can directly benefit from the services on a social networking site sets the stage for expansion to a larger audience while trying to reach everybody from the beginning often leads a site to be without focus or control so it may never build a sustainable audience.

It would be like a brand new player trying to compete with Facebook. It's very unlikely you would catch enough attention to sway that many people even if you had the superior product. But all around there are flourishing niche's of various creative communities on the web. Facebook has made itself a great personal tool but is very cumbersome when it comes to commercial efforts. Compare this with online communities like Crafster or Zhura that fill a particular business or personal niche that people are passionate about. This concept is key to creating an effective social networking site. Social networking sites are great tools but unless you have millions to throw around it's unwise to try to be the next Swiss Army Knife of the web. It is generally best to start with one or just a few specific and well crafted tools in your arsenal that will stand out before filling up your toolbox.

Notice that Twitter hasn't tried to compete with Facebook. But it has taken one thing Facebook does with it's status update feeds, and done it better. So much better that despite it being a one trick pony for the time being, Twitter remains such a useful, uncluttered and un-cumbersome tool. One that continues growing exponentially. A little re-thinking, and a little creative twist improving upon what's out there can make all the difference in the success and effectiveness of your Social Networking website.