The proverbial million dollar question is how to monetize.

It’s relatively easy to build some lightweight app, like sending a virtual beer to your buddy in Facebook. Clever and popular, but ultimately pointless and empty in terms of devliering value.

I’m more interested in meaningful business uses. One interesting example is the “business case” of progressive philanthropies’ use of Facebook to increase awareness and ultimately philanthropic giving.

I posit that the next round of social network innovation will be the seamless integration of transactions into apps, carrying all the branding components of ‘viral’ marketing, along with some additional value (the company’s core value, optimally) that saves time over the previous mode of interaction.

Viral just means the value is so compelling it is willingly shared with other users for no other reason than it is valuable to them at first view or contact.

A truly organic campaign, ideally is about the relationship. Instead of trying to push the user, the provider pulls them with high gravity ideas and solutions, and then surrenders control to the user – which all providers hate to do. 1) because control is power, and 2) power is close to money, which is usually why the solution was provided in the first place.

Facebook worked without qualifications, as did YouTube, when it was truely 2.0 – controlled by the user. Trouble starts when you try to force advertising, or fees, or some other control, power or finance issue down the throats (and eyes) of those who believed the original bull about them being in charge.

Organic relationships are respectful and truly allow the user to be, or not to be viral. That is the question, and the answer.