The rise of Social+ networks

A Brief History of Social Networks

Despite its global success and film adaptation, Facebook is not the first example of a social media platform. In fact, a brief search will reveal that a company called Six Degrees was responsible for the origins of the world’s most popular form of communication. For those who don’t know, Six Degrees was formed in 1997 and amassed an incredible 3.5 million members. While its closure in 2000 was unsurprising given its avante-garde nature, its resurrection a few years later was slightly more unexpected. This reactivation is perhaps more relevant given the rumours that Bebo, one of the first social networks which stands for Blog Early Blog Often, could be staging a comeback of its own, a full 8 years after it went bankrupt.

Between the start of the millennium and 2010, we saw the meteoric rise of instant messaging, with platforms bursting onto the scene, dividing millions of users between them. In fact, it wasn’t long before MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Instagram all became staple names and multi-million dollar enterprises to boot.

While some still have dedicated user bases, the more recent emergence of video-focused content platforms has threatened the traditional mediums. For context, TikTok now has over 1 billion users. Meanwhile, businesses in a variety of both mainstream and niche sectors have begun exploring and integrating their own social networks. As a result, we have seen a significant upsurge in the use of targeted social networks. These networks appeal to users by offering membership within a community based on their interests, rather than the popularity of the platform.

Legacy Social Networks

Social media has become a lucrative world filled with fierce competition. In the last two-decades we have witnessed the rise and fall of countless networks such as Freindster, YikYak, Vine and Meerkat. However over the last decade, only a few platforms have remained dominant. Given their age, these long-term thrivers and survivors are what one might refer to as ‘legacy’ social networks; and whether they like it or not, Facebook and Twitter certainly fall into this category.

So, what defines a ‘legacy’ social network and is this a good or bad thing?

Yes, the term ‘legacy’ has connotations of antiquity, but it is also used to compliment too. This is an important distinction, especially as Facebook and Twitter deserve credit for helping amplify the voices of billions of people around the world through their technology. Subsequently, and as the word ‘legacy’ suggests, these early adopters have etched their names permanently into the history books.

In order to achieve the status of a ‘legacy’ social network, platforms have had to build enormous user bases. Meanwhile, the implementation of advanced algorithms has been necessary to oversee and retain their daily users. In the case of Facebook, this unfathomable growth has come with many headaches, and ironically shifted the focus away from the community and towards survival. Victims of their own success, advertising, politics, legislation and monetization have put the brakes on the ability for ‘legacy’ social networks to innovate.

As users migrate to more bespoke social networks, ‘legacy’ platforms are under increasing pressure to stay relevant and practical. Especially considering users are looking for more innovative and creative ways to communicate. Fortunately, even with an ageing user-base, ‘legacy’ social networks are not yet dead and buried. But with the rise of more intimate and interactive platforms, the writing may soon be on the wall. 

Social+ Networks and how they work?

A recent article published by venture capital firm and recent Clubhouse-backers Andreessen Horowitz, defines social+ networks as, any company which “combines the community and network of a social product with a specific category, form factor, or experience”. For example, Fishbrain is a purpose built social+ network focused on building connections between users within the angling community.

Social+ networks are all about designing a space that enables authentic interactions. Interestingly, if you compare Facebook with Strava, you can identify which users are more like audience members waiting for the odd moment to chime in, and community members interacting regularly with one another. Spectating in this context rarely beats participation. So, naturally, our value as active members is far greater in networks that revolve around a shared common interest, like gaming, sport or movies, than those that don’t. 

While social+ may sound relatively simple, the process of developing a model that ticks all the boxes is much harder. In order to succeed, a social+ network needs to create a natural environment for social interactions to take place, this is easier said than done. For example, if the interaction requires too much effort or lacks the information needed by both participants, it becomes counterproductive. Therefore, it is vital that the design of the network enables intuitive and bespoke interactions from the beginning. For example, Fishbrain is deliberately curated to allow users to log a catch with just one tap. This way, users can quickly share and start a conversation, and immediately begin interacting with fellow anglers.

The future of Social Networks

While much of the future remains uncertain, there will always be a place in the post-pandemic world for social networking. During the pandemic, we have closed the gap between the physical and digital, and in so doing, streamlined the way we live, work and play. When it comes to social interactions, users expect to be able to switch between the online and offline worlds without having to sacrifice their freedom of expression. If anything, Fishbrain’s own user growth during the pandemic (recently reported by ZDNet), indicates that users are opting to join more social+ networks to enable them to connect and share with a larger pool of people.

When it comes to social networks today, users are spoilt for choice. Now, it is up to the emerging social+ networks to give users a reason to join their community, and not the other way round.

Unlike the ‘legacy’ social networks that were able to initially rely on user demand and their fear of missing out, now it is the users that are picking the line-up. So, if Bebo and other past social media players are to return to their former glory, they will need to update their approach, model and strategy to succeed in the 2020’s.