The 5 Steps to Creating a Social Network

Facebook turned the social network model into the default format for collaborative communication, and the urge to build a social network has taken root in plenty of minds since. The model itself isn't new, though: a social network is basically an extranet bringing together multiple users, with one real novelty on top — advanced features for dialogue and sharing.

If you are tempted to share your ideas through this mode of communication, here are some steps to follow to successfully create a social network.

1. Define the identity of your community

The starting point for creating your social network: rigorously define its identity. What will be the foundation of your community in which members will recognize themselves? A hobby? A shared history? A way of being? Defining the identity of your future social network is the best way for its future members to join it in the long term.

2. Integrate the existing community

Strictly speaking, you don't create a community. At most, you unite a pre-existing community. The second step to follow in order to create a social network is to unite its members by meeting them where they are. This could be on a Facebook page, a discussion forum, a blog, a YouTube page, etc. First, you need to introduce yourself, adopt its codes and best practices, and finally, you can share your project and generate engagement. This integration phase is necessary for the co-optation of your social network.

3. Create the website for your social network

Take advantage of the integration time with the community to create your social network's website. This is an opportunity to think about the features that community members expect. Do they want private spaces? Sharing capabilities? Instant messaging? An announcement area? These are the functional questions you can address with step 2.

Write the specifications

Once these features are defined, they need to be formalized in a specifications document. This document will list all the functional requirements of your project and explain their purpose. If you are hiring a service provider to design your social network, the specifications will allow the professional to provide a quote.
This step is crucial even if it may seem tedious. Too often, projects start without any preliminary framework document. These projects often fail: an idea is not enough to make a project. It needs to be formalized.

What budget to create a social network?

The budget depends on the number of required features and their complexity. It is sometimes difficult to establish a clear budget for a large-scale project, as it contains many unknowns.
A solid approach is to start by scoping a prototype that includes only the essential features of your project. In startup land, this is called an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). The prototype lets you test your idea and figure out which features really matter. It's a recurring pattern: out of every feature you ship, some end up barely used and probably shouldn't have been built in the first place.
The advantage of an MVP is that it also helps limit the initial budget. To design a social network MVP, you can expect a starting base between €10,000 and €15,000.

4. Communicate with the existing community

Now that your website is created (step 3) and you have made yourself known within the community (step 2), all that remains is to communicate about the creation of your new social network. For this, nothing is simpler than sharing it on the platforms where your community is located (Facebook pages, forums, blogs, etc.). Since you are part of it, you will not fail to highlight the benefits of your platform and how it meets the aspirations of community members.

5. Appoint leaders

The final step in creating a social network is to give it autonomy. The network has to keep running without you. To get there, you'll need to delegate moderation rights, especially to your most active users. These "Power Users" are the ones who participate the most, calm down debates, and occasionally remind others of the network's guidelines and boundaries. Don't hesitate to recruit them by making them moderators who back you up. They'll feel valued, and your social network will end up with far better moderation than if you stayed the sole captain on board.

Now that you know these 5 steps, all that's left is to get started. And if some of you have already embarked on this adventure, feel free to share your experiences in the comments.