The Creation of an Online Investment Community

People are talking, collaborating and sharing information in a digitized age that is perfect for the introduction of an online investment community. If you’re not part of the conversation, then you’re missing the opportunity to listen and participate in ideas that will benefit you and your company. Social networking provides published conversational and educational content, site visitors can participate in the conversations and share their experiences, best practices, opinions and talk about the products and services our site has to offer. It’s that user-generated content that makes a community so powerful and keeps visitors coming back for more.
What services does a great site contain? Well, let’s start off with what you’re on right now; a blog. Got opinions? Problems? Answers? Use the blog functionality. Forums: these have robust user profiles that contain a “wall” that other users can post notes to you. Groups: create micro communities! Messaging and Social Streams: send and Instant Message to a friend, an individual or an entire group…micro blog! Ratings and Comments: users can comment on group posts and encourage collaboration. Wikis: searchable knowledge repository. Media Gallery: file storage and sharing. RSS/Email: allows to pull people into the community.
So? A lot of bells and whistles? Not really. Using a site that has these functionalites allows the users a rich experience and creates communities that foster education and commentary and gets the investor and capital seeker alike closer to one another in a lot less time than it takes to drive down to your local neighborhood angel group or venture firm looking for the “next best mousetrap” and/or expecting it will get funded in the next week. Cast the net, learn about the business of doing business, share experiences and collaborate, from both sides of the marketplace. If you’re not online, you’re offline and spinning tires without gaining any of the overused word: traction. Help yourself and get social!