Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision.
When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social sites. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Depending on the website in question, many of these online community members share common interests in hobbies, religion, or politics.

Social Networking Features -

•Profiles– Allows users to register and customise their area / space / account content.
•Messaging – Private or group messaging systems can allow individual or collective communication with mailboxes and notifications
•Content sharing, Galleries – Multimedia support and file sharing has become increasingly popular; examples include YouTube and Flickr.
•Forums – Users can discuss topics within specific areas of interest. Since the forums are normally viewed and moderated by the site administrator.
•Blogs – regular blog entries allow users to keep diary style records as well as boosting Search Engine Optimisation.
•Comments, Rating & Polls – Once content has been shared online, comments and rating features facilitate interaction on the site.
•Groups – Within online communities, smaller more focused networks are often created organically. From a client point of view, these enable detailed profiling of users.
•Language translations, Geo-targeting, Localisation – the global nature of the internet means reaching and connecting people all over the world is possible. The next step is making the content that they see relevant, location specific and available in their languages.

Our Steps to Establish a Powerful Social Network Sites-

1. START WITH STRATEGY
Because of its relationship-building power, social networking could become a brave new tool to help achieve a number of significant goals.

2. CREATE A POWERFUL NETWORK BUILT ON USER-GENERATED CONTENT
The key to understanding social media is to remember that content matters most with all transactions in this world.

3. GIVE THE NETWORK CONTENT A FOUNDATIONAL IDENTITY
Allowing for user-generated content is a worthy first step but is not enough to make a network powerful. Defining what that content will be and what form it will take is the crucial next step.

4. MULTIPLY THE NETWORKS POWER
The bulk of social media tools and technology—RSS, blogs, podcasts, video—don’t only facilitate conversation. Their predominance has created the expectation—especially among millennial—for member engagement on a much deeper level. Without this kind of action leading to growth, your network will ultimately fail as a marketing tool.

5. MEASURE THE NETWORK'S POWER
The social web favors communication and interaction over traditional messaging You must empower your users to tell your story through member postings on blogs and message boards and elsewhere.