Book Clubs Morph into Online Social Networks
Book clubs have traditionally offered people a chance to find others with like-minded literary interests. But with the rise of online social networking, Bertelsmann subsidiary DirectGroup is attempting to transform its traditional book club business. The company is the early stages of bringing its book clubs online. Where most social networks cater to a younger consumers, though, DirectGroup is working with a customer base that trends toward an older demographic. As with building any community, the key is finding a common interest -- books, in this case -- among consumers and giving them the tools that make it easier for them to communicate with each other.
