In my last blog post, I discussed the different approaches of “inclusive” and “exclusive” platforms and their implications for telco providers and internet companies. As I started thinking in more detail about this post, I realized that I should expand on the business case of the internet companies, to better explain the origins for my thesis.

The business case of social media companies is based on the “winner takes it all” principle, where the biggest marketing platform gains maximum reach for promotional partners. They are the global marketing partners for the companies of the world. They are the shopping window everyone has to pass on their way home and you have to pay If you want a place in it.

The telco companies of the world offer you their services for a different reason: communication is the business model. I should say: communication for the purpose of communication. The social media platforms also offer you communication, but for the purpose of selling ads. Communication is just a clever trick to keep us on their platforms. The longer we stay, the higher the chance to raise the click rate.

Source: guteksk7/Shutterstock and Synca GmbH

Where will swync fit in? –  stay with me for another thought!

One of the great benefits of social media is the fact that we can stay in touch with friends or colleagues we have not seen for a very long time. The reason I started my Facebook account was an exchange student program. And I know a lot of people who are just on Facebook so they don’t have to explain why they are not –  but forget the pros/cons debate – it’s just very handy to add a friend and know that you can get in touch with them for the next trip to Sydney in X years time. Even if this guy decides to move to Shanghai, we stay in touch. That’s perfect! And it’s a trick social media and business networks are doing for us.

Let me say a word to business networks like LinkedIn and Xing. I love them! I am a user of Xing (formerly openBC) since Feb. 2005… so very early stage user! Something I don’t like is that they are trying to become social media companies with timelines and news/media overload. They are trying to trick me into the same communication/ads ratio but just for business users. Facebook is the ads machine for my private life and Xing does the same for my business life. Both lost the focus on their main purpose for me: to stay in contact with friends and colleagues.

That’s what I want to return to with swync: being able to stay in touch without the social media ads machinery around it. So if I don’t want to sell ads with swync, how will I make my living? -> next blog post to come 😉