Social networks such as MySpace and Facebook aren't a U.S.-only phenomenon; they are being adopted and promoted all around the world. For a savvy brand manager considering leveraging these new platforms, it is crucial to understand the impact of culture on the essence of social networking: communication. Failing to grasp how people interact in different places can lead to catastrophe. This article will explore the global nature of social networking and talk about some constraints imposed by language and culture. Then, by comparing Facebook to other prominent social networking sites around the world, we will discuss how cultural context shapes social networks, and outline a few key tools that can help global brands succeed when considering a campaign on social networks.

Social networks are not just for English speakers
In the beginning, Facebook and MySpace were developed for and delivered to an English-speaking audience. Given that the percentage of English-speaking users on the web hovers around 30 percent, this clearly did not meet needs around the world. As the social networking buzz spread across the globe, entrepreneurs realized that there was profit to be made in creating these applications for other languages. Mixi, a Japanese site, was launched in 2004, and has an IPO valuation of just under $1 billion U.S. dollars. Cyworld, a hugely popular Korean social networking platform, has about 20 million accounts in a country with a population of 50 million -- 75 percent of all 18-25-year-olds have an account!

Social networking is a phenomenon that enables brands to engage users in conversations all around the world, and all over the demographic map. There is ample opportunity here, but there is a significant challenge if the enterprise does not carefully consider that a social networking campaign is entirely dependent on its resonance with the end user. It's much more than foisting a brand message onto every banner ad in reach; it's about creating space for a dialogue that users will be willing to adopt and sustain. To do this, an intimate understanding of the constraints imposed by language and culture is a key requirement.

Some of these considerations become clear when one compares Facebook, a popular U.S. social networking site, with other similar platforms around the world.  Facebook clones exist all around the world, from Germany to Turkey to Russia to India. Not all of these sites are targeted toward the youth demographic generally associated with social networking. For example, feierabend.de is intended for a much older audience and boasts membership in the hundreds of thousands.

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