GrendelKhan_TSU - 5:39 am on Jun 24, 2009 (gmt 0)

I have to go against the general grain here..

everyone is stuck in the adversting text and banners as the only potential revenue model.

And why is FB a fad? That's like saying social networking is fad.

THat's like SNS in general is a fad. Sure, there may another SNS that rises up over FGB... linkedin or whatever, but I don't image social network sites are going anywhere soon.

Google won the SEARCH war.
FB won the SNS war.
Twitter is inbetween with MICRO-blogging.

Are ppl really saying SNS is a fad in general? +_+ I don't see why that would be so.

I'm mystified that Facebook can remain online. I mean where do the $$s come from? None from myself... though I'd pay 15 or 20 GBP a year for it.

FB can make it so many apps have to share profits with FB.
(not too unlike apple with iphone app.... apple gets 30% off the top and DEVs pay it gladly). Maybe they do already.

Few realize many games on FB, for example, are already making millions.... NOW.

No reason FB can't support that community of devs more and get something back for the trouble.

===OR====

do "one-off", micropayments for stuff to jazz up ones profile (FB fast becoming THE default social profile). What is the default blog of choice? wordpress, blogger, other? is blogging a fad? Do people pay for blog skins? or add ons? Sometimes...yes.

So...pay monthly ...yearly... whatever... subscription? Maybe not.

pay 10 cents for 2 weeks where of being able change the background color of your profile or cool SET of default rotating avatars?
Maybe yes.

(Cyworld does similar now in korea to the tunes of millions in profit). I'm sure paypal folks wouldn't complain.

ie: it can make at least a good portion of itself a wall-garden economy.

not saying that is the best way.. just saying there are other options.

check out any internet cafe in Asia and it's facebook on every screen.

actually... no. that's too broad. Its completely not so in Korea (which has a totally wired and has a MASSIVE pc room and cafe economy).

FB (and Google for that matter) is almost non-existent in Korea.

Cyworld dominates with like...over 90% penetration for the Social Network market and 20+ million unique members. Its ranked 3rd overall with 72 penetration for the entire Korean internet market. Google... has less than 3%. Who is the fad in that case?

But there is no obvious revenue stream from them - and with so many other free social networking sites biting at the heels - how could they move to subscription?

So...
Like I said, who said subscriptions was the only option? you said "no obvious revenue" stream. It doesn't HAVE to be obvious.

Again, cyworld is very successful and doesn't have any subscriptions, per se.

Pass the cost off to those that want a piece of the game, not to the players. Monetize those that monetize FB. Let the users site back and benefit.

ie: everyone is only thinking that advertising is the only hope for monetizing.

Its not a 1-to-1 comparison with Google. They are two completely different beasts. IF facebook figures out how to leverage is data and keep google out of it... no reason they can't be the next 500 pound PROFITABLE gorillla in the room.

In contrast, I'd think TWITTER is more a DIRECT competitive threat to google SEARCH. Just look what Skittles did.

The twitter SERP is exactly what google does--but live. And its good.

so sayeth GrendelKhan{TSU}

[edited by: GrendelKhan_TSU at 5:45 am (utc) on June 24, 2009]