ABSTRACT

Online social networks (OSNs) (including sites such as FaceBook, LinkedIn, Orkut, and messengers such as Skype) are among the most popular sites and communication tools on the Internet. The users of these sites and tools form huge social networks. These social networks provide a powerful means for sharing, organizing, and finding contents and contacts. Businesses have been harnessing the behavior of their participants and the social structures among participants. OSNs are a very powerful tool for many reasons. By using social networking is not about traffic, it’s about influence: our influence on others and leveraging the power of others’ influence. Social networking, when we actually take the time to participate on a meaningful level, has tremendous power in helping us influence others. More than just broadcasting our ideas in general advertisement channel, social networking provides us an unique opportunity to influence people in a person-to-person environment.