It advised companies to work on lowering social barriers in order to encourage communication, as well as offering virtual currency that can be used on the site.  Such a tactic was adopted by myYearbook, giving users the opportunity to buy so-called 'Lunch Money' through their credit card and pay for applications and features on the portal. 

Another method that should be considered is using widgets, as these can be integrated with other social media services such as Twitter and Facebook, acting in a similar way to display advertising and helping to draw users from other networks. Last month, a Marketing Sherpa report showed that using social networks to share the content of marketing emails can extend the reach of a firm, helping it to attract new customers.