We’re now on Part 3 of the 7 Part Series on Elements of a Successful Social Network.

If you’ve missed the previous 2, you can find the first part here and the second part here.

We’ve already covered some great insights into “ownership” and “user customization” as well as “getting and giving feedback.”

Today, we’ll focus on an element that I believe is even more powerful than those two.

Element #3 – Exchanges and Gifting

There is just something interestingly powerful about the ability to “give” and “recieve” things online. I think it has a lot to say about the human condition and for our desire to give of ourselves and appreciate when others do on our behalf.

Sometimes just giving the opportunity for users to practice this intrinsic and felt need and desire is more than enough for some to stick around. Perhaps there is a basic and human desire for altruism. Perhaps not. But in any case, it has proven to be a worthy addition to many social networks.

And the wild thing about it is that the exchanges and gifting that might occur sometimes have little to no “value.” Take for example the “SuperPoke” in Facebook:

Do stuff to your friends and see what they do back. Hug, slap, kiss, poke, even throw sheep. Choose from hundreds of actions!

The ability to just “do” stuff in this form is a form of giving. Like “Throwing Sheep” at someone is, at it’s core, an act of giving. It’s a digital exchange that occurs, and it’s fun, exciting, exhilirating, and keeps the users coming back for more.

Of course, there are more “effective” and “affective” social networks where giving can cause even greater things to occur than a “superpoke” and those websites have their place too on the web.

So as you build out your Social Network, highly consider building in an offering of gifts and exchanges. Perhaps you can begin to do this on and in other mediums as well, like your blog?

The possibilities are endless.