I remember my first experience with web surfing in the 80s.  It was through a closed network called Compuserve.  You would install their program on your PC and you could browse through various channels of content.  Some of it was free and some you had to pay for.  If you wanted to venture out into that uncharted world of the “internet” they dinged you a premium fee for the privilege.  This was built as a central network where you could navigate through various channels of content.


Fast forward to today.  Facebook has become the standard social network.  The center of your online social life and a jumping off point for many forms of content.  Their mantra is to create an open and connected world.  This means they want to be in the center of everyone’s lives.  Let me repeat that.  Everybody!  Now, at 1.1 billion strong they certainly seem to be well on their way.  However, a funny thing happened on the way to the social store.  Somebody realised that we all don’t like the same things.  Facebook is really the “Generic” or “Mainstream” social network.  Much like Twitter has become the standard micro-blogging platform and LinkedIn serves your standard business social flavours.  As a general platform they can not be everything to everybody.  They have created a stage where you can perform in front of a potentially large audience.  However, if you have specific skills or requirements you need to find the tools that best serve your personal interests.  A painter can communicate with a brush, a musician can communicate with a guitar and a writer can communicate with a pencil.  The results of all of this content flows beautifully through the generic social networks.  However, the online tools needed to help create or format this content for social can be very, very different.


Social Networks - Facebook, Twitter, Home Adnet, Pinterest, FlickrHere begins the segmentation of social.  The majority of us have accepted the amazing advances these massive social networks have made.  They have connected an unprecedented number of people worldwide and have created incredible opportunities for individuals and organisations alike to reach more and more people.  However, as people discover the power of this opportunity they have also realised the need for niche services.  Social sites that cater to specific needs, functions and interests have been popping up all over the place.  And through the power of these social opportunities they have created their own communities by focusing on a niche service that connects to mainstream social.  You’ve got sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo that deliver crowdfunding.  AirBnB helps you find places to stay around the world.  Quora helps you acquire and share knowledge.  And our very own HOMEADNET caters specifically to a Realtor’s needs.  All of these sites leverage the massive opportunities that mainstream social provides while creating focused experiences that utilize very specific tools.  In all cases they have not abandoned mainstream social sites.  Quite the opposite.  They all encourage direct links to your main social accounts and the sharing of your content.  Facebook and Twitter are integral components to this experience.  And both encourage this activity by supplying the tools necessary to connect to their networks.


For businesses this is even more critical.  Your time is valuable and wading aimlessly through these large social networks is not always the best use of your time.  Utilizing tools designed for your specific industry that connect you to mainstream social provides you with the best of both worlds.  HOMEADNET is providing this service to Realtors by supplying the tools necessary to create a dynamic web presence while maintaining a vibrant social connection.  No matter what industry you’re in it’s worth researching what options you have for your social solutions.  Chances are there is something out there designed just for you.


Thanks for reading!