Since a few years, many people talk about web 2.0 without knowing exactly what it is. It is not a new web standard, no new innovative product of Apple, no net movement or revolution. In fact, it is a paraphrase for the new active role of users.
The technological progress makes it possible that users participate in internet actively. Their role changed from a watching to a creating one. New tools and features enabled users to generate content. With other new websites, social community websites came up using these new possibilities.
By now, social communities like Facebook or studiVZ have millions of members. The huge acceptance on users’ side made those websites a real trend in web 2.0. The huge number of users makes social communities to an interesting business. Experts say that social communities are not only a trend, but also an important business in future. Although there are already some established companies acting on the market for social communities, the market will see a lot of new social communities in the next years.
There are only a few general social communities dividing up the market. And there are enough topics which are not occupied as yet. Only those social communities will beat the competition and will remain, which are able to generate revenue and profit.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Methodology
2. What means Web 2.0?
2.1 Definition
2.2 Development
2.3 Internet Usage
2.4 Main Tools
2.4.1 User generated content
2.4.2 Blogs
2.4.3 Podcasting
2.4.4 Wikis
2.4.5 Tagging
2.4.6 RSS Feeds
2.4.7 Mashups
2.4.8 Social Bookmarking
2.4.9 Crowdsourcing
2.5 Effects
2.5.1 Social Effects
2.5.2 Economic Effects
2.5.3 Technological Effects
2.6 Problems
2.6.1 Copy Rights
2.6.2 Personal Rights
2.6.3 Data Protection
3. What are Social Community Sites?
3.1 Social Interactions in General
3.1.1 Social Contacts
3.1.2 Social Ties
3.1.3 Social Groups
3.1.4 Social Communities
3.1.5 Social Networks
3.2 Social Community offline
3.3 Social Community online
3.3.1 Average Members
3.3.2 Geographic Communities
3.3.3 Topic Communities
3.3.4 Demographic Communities
3.3.5 Business Communities
4. How are Social Communities organised?
4.1 Community Purpose
4.2 Community Structure
4.2.1 User Profile
4.2.2 Member Contacts
4.2.3 New Contacts
4.2.4 Profile Quality
4.2.5 Environment
4.3 Attracting new Members
4.4 User Participation
4.5 Social Interactions
4.6 Connectivity
4.7 Chances and Risks for Providers
5. How is the Competitive Environment structured?
5.1 Competitors
5.2 Analysis
5.2.1 Five Competitive Forces
5.2.2 PEST-Analysis
5.2.3 Outcome
6. What are the Factors of Success?
6.1 Sectoral Factors
6.1.1 Market Entry and Level of Innovation
6.1.2 Space for Further Development
6.1.3 Maslow´s Hierarchy of Needs
6.2 Company specific Factors
6.2.1 Number of Users
6.2.2 Objective and Vision
6.2.3 Participation and Activity
6.2.4 Content
6.2.5 Usability and Design
6.3 Technological Factors
6.3.1 User data base
6.3.2 Tracking and Reporting
7. What are applicable Business Models?
7.1 Definition of a Business Model
7.2 Web-based Business Models
7.2.1 Overview
7.2.2 Effect of Web 2.0
7.2.3 Revenue Resources for Social Communities
8. Recommendations
8.1 Set clear Puporses and Objectives
8.2 Enable Growth and technical Development
8.3 Attract and Retain Members
8.4 Utilise several Revenue Resources
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the role of social community sites within the Web 2.0 paradigm, aiming to identify the critical factors for achieving commercial success in a competitive market. The primary objective is to analyze how these communities are structured, how they foster user participation, and which business models are most effective for generating sustainable revenue.
- Mechanisms and features of Web 2.0 technologies
- Structural organization and purpose of online communities
- Competitive analysis using Porter's Five Forces and PEST analysis
- Success factors regarding user participation and usability
- Applicable business models and revenue generation strategies for social networks
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.2 Blogs
A blog or weblog is a diary or logbook. The term is composed of the words “world wide web” and “logbook”. Blogs are very popular. Users writing a blog are called blogger.
Often, blogs are used as a public diary or a travel report. In a blog the user can notify his opinion, write about his experiences and events. Links to other blogs or other sources of information usually are placed in a blog. Even every blog has its own URL. So, it is possible for other bloggers to integrate links to other blogs and creating a network. It is typical for blogs that other users are encouraged to write comments then. The more comments and the more links there are, the more information and the more knowledge is available in such a blog.
If a user wants to write a blog, he can start it on his own website by using a weblog software or use a weblog service provided by websites like www.livejournal.com or www.blog-city.de.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the research objectives and the methodological approach used to study the Web 2.0 phenomenon and social community business strategies.
2. What means Web 2.0?: This chapter clarifies the Web 2.0 paradigm, introduces key tools like blogs and wikis, and discusses associated social, economic, and technological implications.
3. What are Social Community Sites?: This chapter explores the sociological foundations of social interactions, differentiating between offline and online communities and their structural requirements.
4. How are Social Communities organised?: This chapter details the operational organization of communities, focusing on user profile management, contact mechanisms, and strategies for user participation.
5. How is the Competitive Environment structured?: This chapter applies market analysis tools to evaluate the competitive landscape of social communities, including threats from new entrants and substitutes.
6. What are the Factors of Success?: This chapter identifies key sectoral and company-specific success factors, including innovation, user needs, and technological infrastructure.
7. What are applicable Business Models?: This chapter analyzes various revenue streams for social networks, evaluating the viability of advertising, subscriptions, and product-based business models.
8. Recommendations: This chapter provides actionable guidance for social community operators on setting objectives, enabling technical growth, and diversifying revenue sources to ensure long-term viability.
Keywords
Web 2.0, Social Community, Social Networking, Business Models, User Generated Content, Online Marketing, Competitive Advantage, Revenue Resources, User Participation, Digital Society, Market Analysis, Community Building, Internet Economics, Technological Innovation, Personal Branding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The thesis explores the evolution of Web 2.0 and specifically investigates how social community sites function, attract users, and develop sustainable business models to compete successfully.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The key themes include the definition and tools of Web 2.0, the sociological nature of online communities, strategic competitive analysis, and revenue generation strategies.
What is the main goal or research question?
The research aims to determine how social communities can be structured and operated to beat the competition and generate sustainable profit in a rapidly evolving digital market.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The study utilizes a combination of literature review, market analysis, and examination of popular platforms like Facebook, MySpace, XING, and studiVZ to derive its conclusions.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the definition of Web 2.0, the organizational structure of communities, detailed competitive analysis using Porter's and PEST models, and a comprehensive breakdown of business models.
Which keywords define the work?
Keywords include Web 2.0, Social Community, Business Models, User Generated Content, and Competitive Advantage, among others.
How does the author define the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0?
The author identifies Web 2.0 not as a new technology, but as a paradigm shift where the user transitions from a passive consumer to an active producer of content.
Why are geographic and business communities separated in the study?
The author distinguishes them to show how different target group needs—such as regional social ties versus professional networking—require distinct community architectures and business approaches.
What role does the 'long tail' economy play in this context?
The thesis refers to the 'long tail' to explain how Web 2.0 enables niche products to become popular by making them easily discoverable, which serves as a significant opportunity for specific types of online communities.
How is user trust addressed in relation to revenue generation?
The author emphasizes that selling user profiles or heavy commercialization can endanger user trust and suggests that community providers must balance monetization with member experience to maintain loyalty.
- Citar trabajo
- Alexander Roggenkamp (Autor), 2009, Social Community Sites as the Trend in Web 2.0. How to Beat the Competition, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124393
