There is an infinite number of Social Networks that people flock to daily. Depending on your fancy, if you live in the U.S., then you might be a regular Facebook user, browse for videos on YouTube, and update your status on Twitter. However, around the world there are people on all different types of Social Networks and if brands restrict themselves to only Facebook and Twitter, they are missing the boat.

The ever-blossoming population of mothers online are engaging and playing on CafeMom and MeetUp.com. Hip young artists and emerging technology kids are often found utilizing Tumblr, iMeem, DeviantART, and searching for their daily videos at VideoSift and Vimeo. There is a Social Network for everyone and anyone. From Disaboom (an online community for people with disabilities) to Mobikade, (a mobile community for people in the U.K.) there are endless possibilities for people to interact with others who share similar interests.

Where do brands fit in to all of these Social Networks? That is where the Social Om ℠ theory comes into play. Om is defined as the whole universe coalesced into a single sound, representing the union of mind, body, and spirit that is at the heart (in this case of a brand).  Before jumping into the “chosen” networks, like Facebook and Twitter, brands should consider all networks that might apply to them and their consumer. Being present in all Social Communities that their customers are will improve brand presence and perception control.

Being present on many Social Networks does NOT mean a brand has to contribute to them all. If the brand feels it can communicate best through Facebook, but wants to be present on CafeMom, the CafeMom profile should clearly state that the main community hub is located on Facebook (with a supplied link). A unified presence across all networks should be maintained. This will control the mind, body and spirit of the brand in the eyes of the user in each community. By unifying the brand name, URL, content, tone, and voice across all Social Platforms prior to seeding and maintaining a meaningful level of engagement, the brand’s audience will become accustomed to this presence across the internet.

On Monday, the company unveiled the simpler site design inviting users to try out the improved features, while still allowing them to revert to the current version.  Since the beginning of the year Facebook has been developing the new design, and over 100,000 users have offered feedback and suggestions on the project.  The new design is limited to begin with, but will be available to all of the 80 million plus Facebook users in the next few days.

The new profile design features tabs, “The Wall” tab being the default.  “The Wall” is now incorporated with the newsfeed.  The new design takes advantage of the ability to split up different types of information with simpler navigation.  There are also “Info”, “Photos” and “Boxes” tabs, as well as the ability for users to add own custom application tabs. It seems, however, that the new layout may not mesh well with some of the 24,000 existing platform applications that have been launched in the last year.

Today the fate of those existing applications may change as Facebook is holding it’s second annual f8 developers conference.  Topics include introducing the new Facebook profile, user experience with applications, advanced application building, mobile, and marketing applications on Facebook.  While many rumors have been swirling, some definite news came early.  It’s sure that we will see the Facebook payments platform in one form or another.  Facebook wants to find a way beyond advertising to help developers make money for their applications, and the iPhone App Store proves people are willing to pay for quality applications.  It is also known that Facebook will launch Facebook Connect, allowing third party services to authenticate Facebook users and merge profile data, with Digg as their launch partner.

It has also been speculated that Facebook will also announce a tier system for applications.  Each tier will have different rules for user engagement.  Top trusted applications that have proven themselves to have as good or better user experience as Facebook, such as iLike, will reside in the top tier.  There will be a middle tier, where the majority of applications will fall, followed by a bottom tier of untrustworthy applications.

With not only the new site design but more application developments breaking today, it seems these changes will live up to Facebook mission to, “…make the world more open and transparent by giving people the power to share.”