InfoAnda - Niche social sites seek growth under Facebook's shadow

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Taste Receptors On Lungs May Help Fight Asthma | 26 October 2010
Robot flick Real Steel wins weekend box office | | 10 October 2011
Al Qaeda convicts break out of jail in Iraq | | 29 September 2012

In U-turn, Egypt's Brotherhood names presidential candidate | | 1 April 2012

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Niche social sites seek growth under Facebook's shadow | Technology |

My Profile Top News Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day. Subscribe You are here: Home > News > Technology > Article Home Business & Finance News U.S. Politics International Technology Internet Entertainment Sports Lifestyle Oddly Enough Health Science Special Coverage Video Pictures Your View The Great Debate Blogs Weather Reader Feedback Do More With Reuters RSS Widgets Mobile Podcasts Newsletters Your View Make Reuters My Homepage Partner Services CareerBuilder Affiliate Network Professional Products Support (Customer Zone) Reuters Media Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Niche social sites seek growth under Facebook's shadow Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:57am EDT Email | Print | Share | Reprints | Single Page [-] Text [+] By S. John Tilak BANGALORE (Reuters) - What do you do when you're a small online social network trying to compete against a behemoth like Facebook? The answer may be to try to carve out a separate path by becoming a niche website for a specific audience base that advertisers, hopefully, want to target. While this is no easy challenge -- given Facebook's intention to become everything to everyone -- some small social media sites appear to be finding their footing and growing at rapid rates, albeit from a very low base. Ning.com, which allows users to build their own social networks, opinion aggregator Sodahead and fansite Fanpop have shown triple-digit growth and notched up a few million users very quickly. "There will always be a place for niche sites that have a focus, whether the focus is gaming, or a regional focus, or a functional focus like Twitter, or a vertical or demographic focus," Gartner analyst Ray Valdes said, though he added that does not see them becoming as big as Facebook. Facebook's popularity with professionals and older users might be putting off some younger users, according to Chuck Schilling, a director at Nielsen Online. "The original people who were on Facebook -- those of college age -- are becoming a bit disenchanted and will soon find their own outlets, now that their parents are coming to Facebook in droves," Schilling said. "People are branching out from the popular sites. They are exploring," he said. "There's a lot of room in the game." Advertisers are spotting an opportunity with smaller sites. "The promise of niche social networks and social networking applications is a more targeted audience around a specific interest that will be extremely attractive to advertisers seeking relevant content and conversations against which to place their ads," IDC analyst Caroline Dangson said. BIG GAP Clearly, the gap between the biggest social networks and the rest is huge. Facebook had about 77 million U.S. users in June. With the exception of Facebook, News Corp's MySpace and privately held Twitter, only a couple of social media sites had more than 10 million U.S. users, comScore data shows. But there are many rapidly growing sites with 2 million to 10 million users, including Ning, Sodahead, Fanpop and Funadvice. And steadily growing in double digits are older sites like Hi5, Digg and LinkedIn. "The fact that this is such a growing space overall does enable other players in the space to ride the coattails of some of these bigger sites," comScore analyst Andrew Lipsman said. Continued... View article on single page Share: Del.icio.us Digg Mixx Yahoo! Facebook LinkedIn Next Article: Sprint to buy Virgin Mobile USA also on reuters Blog: The next generation of pot entrepreneurs American love lives worst hit by economic woes: poll Video Video: Partying against the recession More Technology News Sprint to buy Virgin Mobile USA Apple working on digital albums, tablet PC: sources Britain publishes Twitter guide for ministers Aussie film festival website defaced amid Uighur row EBay to highlight top sellers to galvanize retail More Technology News... Editor's Choice Slideshow A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow Most Popular on Reuters Articles Video U.S. releases unclassified spy images of Arctic ice U.S. turns off Havana news ticker that angered Cuba Japan's "herbivore" men shun corporate life, sex ANALYSIS-Iran turmoil takes new twist as hardliners fall out Naked girls plow fields for rain Southwest flight grounded by coffee maker aroma Stocks off nine-month high; dollar at 2009 lows | Video American love lives worst hit by economic woes: poll | Video Pakistan rescues boys trained as suicide bombers Bank of America to pare branches, but not 10 percent | Video Most Popular Articles RSS Feed Video Healthcare reform at an impasse Nigeria death toll rises US seeks closer ties with China Housing hope Jackson autopsy result due this week London Olympics takes shape Iran hits out at aviation sanctions Zelaya's waiting game U.S. eyes Canada on health reform Obama opens US-China talks Most Popular Videos RSS Feed Reuters.com: Help and Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Mobile | Newsletters | RSS | Labs | Archive | Site Index | Video Index Thomson Reuters Corporate: Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Professional Products | Professional Products Support | About Thomson Reuters | Careers International Editions: Africa | Arabic | Argentina | Brazil | Canada | China | France | Germany | India | Italy | Japan | Latin America | Mexico | Russia | Spain | United Kingdom | United States Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Tuesday, 28 July 2009
CORRECTED
Teamwork vital to fighting cyber crime: Microsoft
Mitchell tells Palestinians no deal yet with Israel | International |
Obama calls for US, China to shape future
US-TECH Summary
Ryanair returns to profit in first quarter
Music streaming service Spotify eyes Apple's iPhone
Revolutionary choreographer Cunningham dies
SKorean firms to jointly develop new chips
U.N. backs alternative Iraq war reparation schemes | International |
H1N1 flu spreads to remote corners of the world: WHO | International |
Arab human rights group barred for year by U.N. | International |
De facto leader says there was no coup in Honduras | International |
Seven Palestinians die in Gaza tunnel accident | International |
Indonesian presidential vote contested in court
Pandas face uncertain future after China quake
Nortel and RIM held wireless patent talks: source | Technology |
Indian court finds 3 guilty in 2003 Mumbai bombing
EBay to highlight top sellers to galvanize retail | Technology |
Gates warns of tough sanctions if Iran rebuffs US overture
Japan's opposition launches election manifesto
Report: 22 die in flooding in southwestern China
Records preservation sought in Pa. judge scandal
Putin's hard man image targeted by spoof Web song | Technology |
State media says 22 killed in flooding in China
US presses for concessions in Mideast peace drive
Erotic Madonna tapes, Hendrix contract in NY sale | Technology |
Suspect in deputies' deaths allegedly choked mom
Hong Kong fans in flash mob tribute to Jackson
Maine EMT struck by monster truck, saved by mud
Malaysia confirms 2nd swine flu-related death
Israeli officials: No option off table on Iran
Bus blast kills 6 paramilitary soldiers in India
Canon to streamline design, product data systems: report | Technology |
Missing toddler, baby found crying in OH trash can
Blasts hit Tajikistan ahead of high-profile summit
Tech distributors look forward to late 2009 bounce | Technology |
3 in Wyoming family found dead
Jury in favor of hospital that deported immigrant
Obama calls for US, China to shape future
India's Tata Motors Q1 profit leaps
'Girls Gone Wild' lawyer: NV bribe claim bogus
China, US officials see global economic recovery
Dragon Quest IX game sells 3m units in Japan
India's Tata Motors says profits up 57.5 percent
Japan to order Qualcomm to stop unfair practices
Indonesian twins born in single body with 2 heads
Erotic Madonna tapes, Hendrix contract in NY sale | Entertainment |
Hundreds of Vietnam Catholics march after arrests: priest
Choreographer Merce Cunningham dies at 90 | Entertainment |
IAC in new venture with NBC's Ben Silverman
Katharina Wagner's 'Meistersinger' booed in Bayreuth
Fans get first look at star-studded Iron Man 2 | Entertainment |
Fans get first peek at `Iron Man 2' at Comic-Con
Shakespeare's Globe to tour United States
TV panels at Comic-Con kept fans intrigued
CORRECTED: Tim Burton explores Alice in Wonderland | Entertainment |
Israeli FM calls for UN sanctions on Iran
Europe beats back wildfires, fears revival
US-TECH Summary
Britain ends Afghanistan offensive
Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN
Lawyer gets last chance to argue Suu Kyi innocence | International |
Most want troops out of Afghanistan: UK survey
Time Warner informs SEC of plan to spin off AOL
Court rules guardian to study 'Octomom' kids cash
Court finds Iran minister guilty of fraud
Taser unveils multi-shot stun gun
Reform party makes gains among Iraq Kurds
Rare Angolan antelope tracked by research team
Aussie film festival website defaced amid Uighur row
Another upbeat sign: new US home sales up 11 pct
Agilent buying Varian for 1.5 bln dlrs
Haiti, Dominican Republic add troops on border | International |
Apple working on digital albums. tablet PC: sources
Tech distributors look to late 2009 bounce
Canon to streamline design, product data systems: report
U.S. charges seven with plotting attacks overseas | International |
Honduran Congress puts off vote on Zelaya return | International |
Putin's hard man image targeted by spoof Web song
eBay to reward top-rated sellers
Apple working on digital albums, tablet PC: sources | Technology |
Aussie film festival website defaced amid Uighur row | Technology |
Canada to take seal ban fight to WTO
AP source: Jackson doc gave him drug before death
State declares Obama birth certificate real, again
Mistrial declared in trial of child psychologist
Verizon Wireless seeks U.S. court judgment on ads | Technology |
Calif. mother to stand trial in toddler's death
Prosecutor: Dad killed girl to avoid child support
2 Minn. neighbors found dead in murder-suicide
Canon profit tumbles, nudges forecast higher | Technology |
Prosecutors: Wiretaps show mobster still dangerous
AirAsia X denied rights to Sydney, Seoul: report
Geithner, Wang say ties key to global recovery
Korea Hot Stocks-Doosan Infracore, shipping firms, Korea Zinc
S.Korea Aug corp sentiment hits over 1 yr high
S.Korea treasury bonds steady in cautious trade
Compal seen winning PC order from Acer -paper
Seoul shares open lower, take breather after gains
SAG votes to oppose Hollywood hospital closure
Top US officials seek to reassure Chinese
NZ stocks push through 3000 level to 9-month high
EU hits China with anti-dumping duties on steel wire rods
Apple working on digital albums, tablet PC: sources | Entertainment |
Rodents move center stage as cool new superheroes | Entertainment |
Choreographer Merce Cunningham dies at 90 | Entertainment |
Mariah Carey, Diddy, Lil Wayne albums delayed | Entertainment |
Fifth, Last Spacewalk Ends With One Task Missed
Paper Company, California Cities Top "Green Power" List
Gillibrand Convinces Senate Panel To Hold Hearing On "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Avril Lavigne ready to mellow out and sing | Entertainment |
Lifestyle change the way to beat US obesity: experts
Corzine Chooses Running Mate In Wake Of NJ Corruption Sweep
Publicist: Mischa Barton 'out of the hospital'
Cricket on the front foot, on the frontline
Shas Denies Links to New Jersey Money Laundering And Public Corruption Scandal
SAG votes to oppose Hollywood hospital closure
Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty Elected To Republican Governors Association Post
LA Police Arrest Man In Murder Of Teen
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Update: Obama Calls For Beijing To Open Markets, Support Climate Change Efforts
Avril Lavigne ready to "mellow out and sing"
Obama Welcomes Detroit Shock To White House
Plus-size dating show offers "More" emotion
Gates: U.S. Offer Of Talks To Iran Only Until September
Mariah Carey, Diddy, Lil Wayne albums delayed
AP NewsAlert
`G-Force' tops box office with fur-raising $31.7M
Insurgent bomb 'kills eight Afghan guards'
Deutsche Bank profits soar in firmer global climate
Gates in Iraq, says U.S. urban withdrawal going well | International |
Close Iran jail holding protesters: Khamenei orders
China's military cautiously tries out new openness | International |
"Ugly Betty" Actor Tony Plana Sued By Former Manager
Chris Tucker Owes California $3 Million In Taxes
U.S. envoy sees progress with Israel on peace push | International |
Kelsey Grammer's Plea Helps Keep Sister's Killer In Jail
Thousands shelter in barracks after Nigeria unrest | International |
Driver Charged In "American Idol" Wannabe's Hit-And-Run Death
Hezbollah sees progress on Lebanon government | International |
Iran's Khamenei orders closure of detention center | International |
Dance Choreographer Merce Cunningham Dies At Age 90
Over 120 rescued from Haitian migrant boat wreck | International |
Migrants to Italy face a kind of slavery: OIM | International |
Honduran Congress puts off vote on Zelaya return | International |
Pakistan rescues boys trained as suicide bombers | International |
Niche social sites seek growth under Facebook's shadow | Technology |
Sprint to buy Virgin Mobile USA | Technology |
Apple working on digital albums, tablet PC: sources | Technology |
Exiled Uighur leader visits Japan, angering Beijing
Britain publishes Twitter guide for ministers | Technology |
Indonesian identifies husband as terror suspect
American father, sons accused of plotting jihad
AP sources: Only 1 in 7 agencies to get police aid
Suu Kyi verdict set for Friday in Myanmar
Testimony: Sens. Conrad, Dodd told of VIP loans
Japan's politics often a family business
Australia vows crackdown on Indian student rip-offs
China bans online games which glamorize gangs | Technology |
Senate panel to approve Obama Supreme Court pick
US pulls plug on its Havana news ticker
Lesbians in China petition to donate blood
Study: Texts while driving even more dangerous
Toxic chemical found in killer Bangladeshi drug
Man pleads not guilty in stolen violin case
China could rival England on pitch, says Scudamore
Suu Kyi trial enters final day
NZ judge rejects drink driver's swine flu defense
Seoul shares end firm, helped by banks, airlines
China probes plant manager's death: govt
Japan's Hitachi posts first-quarter loss
China bans 'mafia-style' online games: state media
S.Korea large firms' sentiment at 19-mth high -FKI
Erotic Madonna tapes, Hendrix contract in NY sale | Entertainment |
Rodents move center stage as cool new superheroes | Entertainment |
AP source: Michael Jackson's inner sanctum chaotic
Apple working on digital albums, tablet PC: sources | Entertainment |
France's Gamma photo agency on brink of collapse | Entertainment |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01