Last night I attended one of the most amazing, ongoing, networking meetings available in the world. No this is not an exageration--it is the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs aka SVASE. Last  night's panel has incredible substance factor and track records of success:

Patrick Chanezon, API Evangelist, Google; Jyri Engestrom Co-Founder Jaiku; Konstantin Guericke, CEO jaxtr and Co-Founder, LinkedIn; Ramu Yalamanchi, Founder and CEO, hi5

One of the big "Ah-ha" discoveries was what the panel described as "Social Objects" and the need to find a Social Object in order to build your business.

What Is A Social Object?

The examples given of Social Objects are the best way to describe what they are in business:

Ex.1-Youtube has video as it's social object. People come to youtube to watch video, they add their own videos, and they utilize other people's videos for their blog or website. This created the critical mass viral marketing we now see for youtube

Ex.2-Flickr has photos as it's social object. People post their photos, share with the network, they take away photos, and they virally spread the word about other people's work.

Do You Have A Social Object?

A great example of someone with a social object is America's mortgage broker Brian Brady. Brian's social object began as "the American Dream" aka home ownership aka money. People need funding to own a home and mortgage brokers provide that access to many new homeowners.

But Brian took it a giant step further. Brian became THE go-to source of information about mortgages on the internet. He socially networked everywhere, he commented, he spoke as a keynote speaker, and he built online recognition through blogging that has positioned him today.

How Do You Find Your Social Object?

What differentiates your business as a Realtor? Do you dominate a particular area? Are you perceived by consumers as the expert in that area-region? Or are you an expert in a area of real estate knowledge ie. Buyer's Agent, 1031 Exchange specialist, Seller's agent, or relocation expert

Tip: Remember a Social Object is something people revolve around, talk about to other people, continue to follow, and have an ongoing interest in maintaining a level of knowledge about in their lives.