Graduating - from the super poke

Getting in early on the new industry-specific social networking wave is DesignMind.co.za, a local site launched just this month to allow professionals in the same industry to network. In its first two weeks, the Web site attracted 200 subscribers who are generating their own content.

IN THE BEGINNING

DesignMind.co.za is a niche social networking Web site for design professionals in the building environment. It is the brainchild of Virtual Works, a 10-year-old marketing agency that uses technology to solve marketing problems.

Agency COO Andy Hadfield, says when the site was initially conceived it was a news source for industry professionals that also doubled as an e-mail service. It has already been in operation as such for the past four years. However, a need arose for collaboration between the many stakeholders in the building environment.

"We saw that there was a definite need for professionals like architects, quantity surveyors, interior designers and other to talk and collaborate on projects," says Hadfield. He adds: "As mainstream sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bibo dominated social networking, we saw that people were getting bored with getting poked and wanted something with more substance and that would bring business value." Hadfield says members are already finding synergies and some are even partnering on projects.

DON`T TAKE IT AT FACE VALUE

Hadfield points out that unlike conventional social networking sites that get launched and depend on a large user base to join the site, Virtual Works already had a database of the roughly 10 000 industry players in the local building environment. "The site is not aimed at everyone, were not looking to get a million subscribers. We are looking to be of service to professional in the built environment," he says.

Aside from users generating their own content, DesignMinds.co.za has a team of journalists who contribute up-to-date industry news. The site does have similarities to Facebook, concedes Hadfield. Users must create a profile, and once this has been done, the users can invite other professionals to link to it.

According to Hadfield, the goal for the site is to double its subscriber numbers in two months, and two months later to have a thousand members. "The goal is to get most of the industry players subscribed, he says.

SERIOUS NETWORKING

Hadfield says though DesignMind.co.za is the only site in SA that services the building industry, niche social networking sites are a growing trend. "Niche networking sites make for excellent collaborative business tool as they are automatically closed networks for business people."

So prevalent is the trend that in December last year, global consulting firm McKinsey predicted that business social networking and collaboration would profoundly impact business this year and beyond.

Hadfield points out that with niche social networking, business people can now meet, share ideas and do serious business without being harassed by "super pokes".