منطق درآمدزایی شبکه‌های اجتماعی: ارزیابی تطبیقی

هدف: شبکه‌های اجتماعی با بسترسازی برای گفت‌وگوی کاربران و مشارکت آنها در ساخت محتوا، فرصت‌های بسیاری را برای کسب‌وکار پدید آورده‌اند. مانند هر کسب‌وکار دیگر، این شبکه‌ها نیز نیازمند منطقی برای ارزش‌آفرینی و درآمدزایی هستند. با این همه، نمی‌توان برای همۀ آنها نسخۀ یکسانی داشت. هدف پژوهش حاضر بررسی منطق درآمدزایی شبکه‌های اجتماعی گوناگون است. روش‌شناسی: این پژوهش با ارزیابی تطبیقی انجام و نخست، چارچوب دو لایه‌ای برای دسته‌بندی شبکه‌های اجتماعی بر پایۀ ماهیت ارتباط میان کاربران و محتوا و تعریف اجزای منطق درآمدزایی ارائه شد. سپس منطق درآمدزایی شبکه‌های اجتماعی گوناگون با این چارچوب مقایسه و پیشنهاد گردید. یافته‌ها: یافته‌های شبکه‌های اجتماعی بیشتر از راه تبلیغات، اشتراک افزوده، فروش خدمات و محصولات جانبی، و سرمایه‌گذاری بیرونی/ تامین مالی، جریان پول را وارد مجموعۀ خود می‌کنند. هرچند کاربرد و اولویت آنها بر پایۀ حرفه‌ای و/ یا تخصصی بودن شبکه، تفاوت‌هایی با یکدیگر دارند. نتیجه‌گیری: شبکۀ اجتماعی زمانی می‌تواند ارزش بیافریند و از این ارزش درآمد به دست آورد که با ارائۀ خدمات و ویژگی‌های رایگان و جذاب، زمینۀ مشارکت موثری را فراهم سازد که در آن یک گروه از کاربران بتوانند ارتباط و محتوای دلخواه گروه دیگر را پدید آورند.

Revenue Generating Logic of Social Network Sites: A Comparative Evaluation

Aim: Social network sites (SNSs) create many opportunities for businesses by preparing a context for interaction between the users and their participations in generating content. Like any other business, these networks require logic to increase value creation and revenuegenerating. However, not a single logic can be suggested for all. This paper examines the revenuegenerating logic of different types of SNSs. For this purpose, this study attempts to find answers to the following three questions: 1) What are the distinguishing characteristics of different social network sites? 2) How can they create value and generate revenues? and 3) How the differences between them affect their business logic? Methodology: Comparative evaluation is used for analyzing the revenuegenerating of SNSs. Accordingly, a framework was developed for comparing four different types of SNSs. This proposed framework has two layers; a) the basic logical layer of relationshipcontent for classifying the social network sites and b) the business logic layer as the logic for comparing different types of sites. Findings: SNSs can earn money via ads, premium subscriptions, selling additional services and products, and funding. However, considering the nature of these sites, some changes are made to the form of applying revenuegenerating techniques and their priorities to make them consistent with their competitive advantages. Conclusion: SNSs can bring real value and generate money only when they can provide a free and attractive context for effective participation; in other words, when a group of users can provide another group(s) with relationships and content of interest. As the number of users increases in these sites, the attractiveness of ads matched with their types as a source of revenue is also increased. However, as we move toward more professional sites, it is the relationships between the users that have a higher value, and based on that, professional and jobrelated revenuegenerating strategies are more commonly used. But, as we approach more specialized sites, the value of the shared content increases and revenuegenerating strategies change and become more in line with specialized content on the site. Furthermore, although the specialized or professional nature of these types decreases their potential number of users, they can increase the potential of revenuegenerating by developing professional relationships and organizing the specialized and rich content; and use of additional products sales and services and premium subscription strategies (matched with their nature of relationships and content). These types can also earn money via funding due to presenting new ideas in different specializations. The results of this study can be useful for the existing and new social network sites for developing their businesses.