Cre8Buzz Takes It Public

Posted by Leslie Poston on March 31st, 2008

We first covered fledgling social network and user generated content site Cre8Buzz a few months ago while they were in private beta. Since they started out way back then, they have altered their focus to meet the demands of their target demographic. At first only a social network, they now want to become a destination for user generated content as well.

After joining the site to evaluate it and writing the initial review of Cre8Buzz here at Profy, I was invited to get a glimpse of the behind the scenes action by joining their BuzzBoard. The BuzzBoard is comprised of active members of the site who have been nominated by their peers and invited to serve, and the founders of Cre8Buzz use it to direct where the site is going and how it gets there.

While I have not always remained impressed with the site's growth pace (often slow), I have consistently been impressed with the founders' drive to make their site a success and desire to keep their user base both happy and involved. They constantly approach not only the BuzzBoard but the other active members of the site for feedback and feature requests, and frequently users will see their wish list appear in the form of new features that weren't even part of the original business plan for the site.

Cre8Buzz is opening its doors to the public today, and is no longer invite only. It still has a few kinks to iron out, such as the need for a new forum interface and some other minor issues. With an internet accustomed to fully functional site launches, it will be interesting to see if this fledgling network can compete once it is operating out of the comfort of its private beta.

Even though it lacks the polish of sites like FaceBook and MySpace, I'm rooting for it. It is a network with heart, and much of that heart comes from its user base. Cre8Buzzers are truly friendly, welcoming people. They are open to making new online friends in a way that you don't see anymore on MySpace, FaceBook or other destinations. Interestingly, many Buzzers credit Cre8Buzz with driving significant amounts of traffic to their own sites, and that may be Cre8Buzz's ace in the hole.

Not only does Cre8Buzz give users a place to make and share content (podcasts, videos, blogs and more), it gives people a team of Buzz friends that root for their success. Each member works to promote every other member, and that is rare. Can this team spirit push it into the limelight? I think it can. Part of the reason why stems from its ranking system - only the content voted worthwhile by its users makes it to the top of the pile (and that includes the users themselves). By sorting the content by value, more valuable content gets seen, and users are driven to make better and better content for the site. One of the founders says it best:

“Finding anything in a Social Network is a daunting challenge, but if you’re trying to find something specific, forget about it” says Keith Collins V.P. of Marketing. “By focusing on the CONTENT in a social network as much as the connections, Cre8buzz is changing the entire value of a social network.”

You can visit or join the Buzz at the main site, or read the company blog.

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