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Top 5 Green Social Networks

Well over half of Americans ages 15-34 are actively using online social networks (e.g., Facebook, MySpace), spending on average more than seven hours per week on such websites and driving the growth of overall time spent online.

For those 35 and over, the percentage of social network users drops, but still represents tens of millions of people. Participation in social networks continues to grow, though more slowly than in prior years, as more people seek to connect, share and collaborate with sometimes far-flung family, friends, business colleagues and other likeminded individuals online.

Today, hundreds of millions of online users have already joined at least one social network, with an increasing number belonging to more than one. About 40% of all social networkers say they use social networking sites to learn more about brands or products they like, with 28% saying that a friend has recommended a brand or product to them.

For green* marketers, social networks represent a unique and potentially more personable way to communicate with green consumers, and those open to learning more about the issues. Those users can be found across a wide variety of social networks, including both general interest and vertically focused networks that connect people interested in environmental and social responsibility.

SRB Marketing, Inc. has identified and verified a list of over 50 notable green social networks; and that’s not counting the hundreds or more that pop up with the term “green” in their names that use platforms, like Ning, that allow anyone to create their own social networks. Probably hundreds more with terms like environmental, sustainable, eco, etc.

SRB has also ranked the top 15 of those networks and provides a list of the top 5 here, by Alexa Traffic Rank, accompanied by each network’s Google PageRank.

The Top 5 Green Social Networks by Alexa Traffic Rank
Compiled June 25-27, 2008

Social Network Alexa Traffic Rank Google PageRank
Yahoo! Green 1* 7
Care2 4,343* 7
Treehugger 4,484* 8
Gaia Community 7,524* 5
Kiva 22,304 7

* Represents overall site rank, though social network and/or green component is only a part of the site (Alexa does not rank subdomains, but Google’s PageRank does).

There are a number of ways marketers can integrate social networks into their marketing mix. Among them are to (1) create profiles or pages, and start groups on existing social networks; (2) integrate marketing campaigns with social profiles and tools (e.g., video, podcast, fanbase); (3) associate with celebrities (though due to skepticism, there’s a need to tread cautiously here); (4) start their own social network; and (5) advertise on social networks.

With any of them, some real effort and/or budget are required for success. That’s why rather than a scatter shot approach, it’s important to choose the right social networks for your organization, brand and objectives, and then commit the time to give your efforts a chance to work.

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