We consult on a huge amount of web projects and increasingly they all have some sort of social Web 2.0 element.  The interesting thing is that in all of them I find myself saying the same things: in any website that some sort of socialness goal they are two key factors which, without both, are essential to the success of the site:  quality and social currency.

A key element in a website with social functionality is stickiness.  To evaluate the stickiness of your social site answer these two questions: Why will a user stay on your website? and; Why will a user return to your site?  In other words what is in it for your user?

One of the first things to think about is that there are a lot of websites in the world and for yours to not just grab users attention but to actually hold their attention needs something pretty special.  You need a hook to keep your users returning again and again - and please don’t say keeping touch with friends - that’s what they are doing on Facebook and Bebo!

The answer I don’t hear enough of is “quality”.  Whether that be the quality of the content, the travel planning software or even the ads being served.  The quality of your sites functionality is a very important factor in retaining your visitors.

Let’s assume you do have a site that is easy to use and offers functionality that your users want, how do you grow it?  By it’s nature social Web 2.0 functionality necessitates more than one person - it means people communicating with one another.  It is the process of connecting your users to more users.  For me achieving connectivity entails answering exactly the same questions as stickiness: why will one user tell others about your site? or; what is in it for your user?

In achieving both stickiness and connectivity I believe there is one solution - social currency!  That is, the value a user perceives themselves to be for using or sharing your site.  The more value a user feels they are earning by using your site the more they will return and the more value they feel they have the more likely they are to share your site with others.  Moreover, if a user feels they are going to earn esteem, points, a true thank-you from others for sharing your site then the more likely they are to share your site.  No one will risk recommending something that is not good - which comes back to the importance of quality of functionality.

Therefore in thinking about your new web project with that all important Web 2.0 social loop ask yourself “what is in it for your user?”  Why will they use and why will they share?  Make sure the first reason is because of the quality of the site; and finally devise some sort of rewards system as part of the user feedback loop of your site.

Following my earlier questioning post regarding advertising on social networks it is interesting to see the sponsor partner direction of Bebo as it moves to outgun TV channels and online broadcasters in luring mass audiences to web-specific programmes.

I first saw about The Gap Year programme at a Backpacking Queensland committee meeting earlier this year.  The Gap Year is an online reality series in which 6 travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Britain, Canada and the US travel the world for 6 months filming and uploading regular 5 minute clips for the social networking site Bebo.  The Gap Year is being produced by Endemol - the name behind the Big Brother TV series.

This is not unlike the site OE.TV which combines professionally produced travel videos with user generated stories.  But the very limited activity on OE.TV (no comments on the home page community since late May) pales in comparison to the 44 million Bebo users.  In fact, it is predicted that The Gap Year will generate 100 million video views.

And these sorts of predictions are generating some amazing sponsorship partners.  It is understood that the likes of Tourism Australia, JetStar and Proctor and Gamble have invested over AUD$1 million between them in sponsorship of The Gap Year.  The is some big advertising money!

Will it fly?  I think it is quite likely to.  The viral loop nature of social networks is that friends will see other friends watching the series.  Sure you can do this on You Tube - but it does not have the same stickiness.  The potential for advertising and new mediums is pretty exciting.

The advertising potential within social networks is enormous but there is a fine line between what is deemed acceptable and what is intrusive.  One site that does it very well is Facebook.  Some people I talk to say they have never even noticed the small ad appearing on the left hand side of their profile.  Others have said how pertinent the ads are and in fact some have said they even clicked on the ads; Michael Gall from Wakeless even recited the last three ads he saw to me - all music to the advertisers ears.

Obviously Facebook has massive user numbers and page views and therefore can still be making great money from less advertising, but how much advertising is too much?  Bebo once tested Google ads within profiles and was met with outcrys of NO!  What would be the reaction if Facebook started showing two ads or more on your wall - would it be considered intrusive?