Scrapbook. That's my impression of all these many social networks.
They're all scrapbooks. But hey - the scrapbook business is pretty big.
It's about $2.5 billion, according to Andy Halliday, founder of
OurStory, which is one of the many social network sites focusing on the
family and intimacy. Well, if you can't be MySpace, you may as well try
to be different. And, that's what OurStory is trying to do. Now,
unfortunately, it's what many sites are trying to do, including
Friendster, TypePad's Vox, and Geni.com, which just unveiled recently.
In many ways, there are even media parenting/family sites that are
blossoming that also incorporate social network features. They all
compete with one another in some fashion. And, they all have money to
compete against one another. OurStory.com raised $6 million since it
started about a year or two ago. The company will be looking for a
B-round soon, and on Tuesday, it will be launching at Demo. But these
social networking sites have their own special something. OurStory has
a nice timeline graphic whereby each entry is posted on a timeline.
Stories can then be printed out into books. That's a nice touch.
Pictures and videos are easily embedded as well, as they are in most
sites. But the ability to share and communicate is especially
interesting. For instance, there is a way for emails to automatically
be posted as entries into OurStory. So, what's the model? Halliday
thinks that subscriptions - premium subscriptions are $39.95 per year
-- will account for 50% of revenue. The advertising/sponsorships and
print/DVD packaging will make up the rest.
Steven Loeb