There are many social networking sites around which you can join. But if you want to start one on your own for a select group of individuals, you can make one yourself and the only thing you will need is open source software.

Open source software for social networking is free. It can be downloaded into your computer and then set up in a matter of days or weeks.  To help you get started, here are some of examples which you can try out.

Pligg is an open source content management system. Its features include individual profiles, multiple authors, article rating, private messaging, advanced comment system, RSS feeds as well as the ability to import it as new articles, module system, smarty templates, spell check, support for multiple languages, live Ajax newsfeed and a URL blocklist. For you to use this, you will need PHP and MySQL.

Next is NewsCloud and from the name itself, you can already tell what it does and that is gives you the news. It doesnít always have to be about current events happening around the world but other matters which revolve around your life which you choose to write about. You can even join discussions with other readers. continue

Stay active
Make sure you participate in groups, make comments and post new information often.  Do not let people see you are neglecting your page.

Add target content
Make sure that you still think about your target market.  Make sure that you stay targeted.  You can still pick up search engine rankings through this page so think smart.

Link your site
Do not forget to put up your link.  You can easily get caught up in meeting people and fixing up your page that you forget to add in your link.

Choose a theme
Try not to make your page too flashy or cluttered.  Go with some theme and make everything coordinate.  It will be more pleasant to view and people will be more likely to stop and read what you have to say.

Learn how the site works and how to use it
Make sure you explore the site.  Find out all the features.  Visit the FAQ page and make sure you understand everything before getting started.

Don’t be afraid to share
Be open.  Let people really get to know you.  Do not be afraid to share, but at the same time know what is proper to share and what is not.

Be honest
Do not lie about yourself or post a false photo.  Be honest because people will find out when you are not and that can hurt your reputation.

If you’ve previously resisted invitations to join social networking sites because you regarded them as mere trends, then you should consider the other benefits to be had from these sites.

One of the most obvious benefits that these sites offer is the ability to keep in touch with friends and family anywhere in the world. With the bulletin board updates, you could read about how your friends and relatives are doing. You can be quickly informed if they’re getting married or if they’ve gotten sick and need a friendly call to wish them well. You could also find long lost classmates and acquaintances and drop them a message to see how they’re doing.

Can you use a social network for your work or for business purposes? continue

When you think of social networking sites, there are some obvious candidates that may immediately come to mind. It may be surprising to know how many different social networking sites are actually out there. Here is a basic list of social networking sites online, but this list is by no means exhaustive.

Blogging – These are social networking sites that either center completely around communicating through blogging, or put a large emphasis on the concept of blogging.

- Blogger, http://www.blogger.com
- Livejournal, http://www.livejournal.com
- Twitter, http://www.twitter.com
- Windows Live Spaces, http://www.spaces.live.com/
- WordPress, http://www.wordpress.com
- Vox, http://www.vox.com
- Xanga, http://www.xanga.com

General Social Networking – These are the core of the social networking concept, with names like MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and Facebook leading the pack.

- ClassMates, http://www.classmates.com
- Bebo, http://www.bebo.com
- Deviant Art, http://www.deviantart.com
- Facebook, http://www.facebook.com
- Flickr, http://www.flickr.com
- LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com
- Meetup, http://www.meetup.com
- MySpace, http://www.myspace.com
- YouTube, http://www.youtube.com
- Gather, http://www.gather.com
- imeem, http://www.imeem.com
- Itsmy, http://www.itsmy.com
- My Yearbook, http://www.myyearbook.com
- Webshots, http://www.webshots.com

International Social Networking – These sites are especially popular in international countries, or are intended to cater to residents of a specific country. Friendster, for example, is a worldwide social networking site but it is especially popular in countries other than the United States. Biip, on the other hand, is a social networking site designed for the Norwegian community.

- Friendster, http://www.friendster.com
- Face Party, http://www.faceparty.com
- Friends Reunited, http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/
- Biip, http://www.biip.no/
- Cloob, http://www.cloob.com/
- Cyworld, http://us.cyworld.com/
- Fotolog, http://www.fotolog.com/
- Fr¸hst¸ckstreff, http://www.fruehstueckstreff.org/
- Grono, http://www.grono.net
- Habbo, http://www.habbo.com
- hi5, http://www.hi5.com
- Hyves, http://www.hyves.nl
- IRC Galleria, http://www.irc-galleria.net/index.php
- iWiW, http://www.iwiw.hu/
- Profile Heaven, http://www.profileheaven.com/

Niche Interests – These are social networking sites that are geared toward certain interests like music lovers, bibliophiles, coffee enthusiasts or pop culture.

- Advogato, http://www.advogato.org/
- Amie Street, http://www.amiestreet.com/
- ANobii, http://www.anobii.com/
- CafeMom, http://www.cafemom.com
- Buzznet, http://www.buzznet.com
- Broadcaster, http://www.broadcaster.com
- Cake Financial, https://www.cakefinancial.com/
- Care2, http://www.care2.com/
- Eons, http://www.eons.com
- TravBuddy, http://www.travbuddy.com/
- Travellerspoint Travel Community, http://www.travellerspoint.com/
- BlackPlanet, http://www.blackplanet.com
- Elftown, http://www.elftown.com
- Flixster, http://www.flixster.com
- Geni, http://www.geni.com
- Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com
- Gossip Report, http://www.gossipreport.com
- Guild CafÈ, http://www.gamerDNA.com
- Hospitality club, http://www.hospitalityclub.org
- Last.fm, http://www.last.fm
- Library Thing, http://www.librarything.com/
- Lifeknot, http://www.lifeknot.com/
- Live Mocha, http://www.livemocha.com
- One World TV, http://tv.oneworld.net/
- Plaxo, http://www.plaxo.com
- Ravelry, http://www.ravelry.com
- Sci Space, http://www.scispace.net/
- WAYN, http://www.wayn.com/

Social Media – These sites specialize in sharing media and news with other members of the community.

- Digg, http://www.digg.com
- StumbleUpon, http://www.stumbleupon.com
- Del.icio.us, http://del.icio.us
- Reddit, http://www.reddit.com
- Fark, http://www.fark.com

Younger Generation – These are social networking sites that are best suited for younger generations and students.

- College Tonight, http://thequad.com/
- Gaia Online, http://www.gaiaonline.com
- NeoPets, http://www.neopets.com
- Student.com, http://www.student.com
- Reunion, http://www.reunion.com

Each one of these sites can be a good solid way to drive targeted traffic to your articles or your website. Before you ask, yes, you have to be careful not to do and outright sales pitch on your post. But with a little thinking on your part you will be able to make a useful post that is directed to your target market, without coming across as spam.

Some of the sites will not lend themselves to this marketing strategy, unless you are very creative in your post. Consequently you will find yourself being banned and your post being deleted if you violate the terms of service of those and others reflected on this list of social networking sites.