How to start a collaborative platform

I want to start a website, but its success depends on users.

So how can I launch it, knowing that without content, there are no users, and without users, there is no content ?

One way to get it done is to start with a small batch of users who are close to the founders and their connections. Because you're closely connected to these users, you'll be able to help them understand how your platform provides value, and they will be more forgiving of any technical problems you experience in the early days. They can help you become aware of any issues that will only appear when your platform experiences high user volume, and when you finally decide to go from closed beta to open beta, they will be your advocates. The last thing you need is to run into volume-related issues for the first time when you're trying to get media attention to grow your user-base.

Also, partner with medium- and big-time drivers of social media traffic. If you can get a dozen bloggers, vloggers, and power Twitter-ers to direct their followers to your platform at the same time, you might be set. That's a networking challenge, and involves figuring out what kind of value you can provide to them through your platform. Think: what kinds of motivations determine what these drivers of online activity agree or disagree to do?

Study up on social media marketing. There's a lot of out-of-the-box thinking to draw on that you can use in conjunction with whatever your plan ends up being.

Whenever you get your site up and running, be sure to send me a link! I'd be happy to see what it is that you've been up to! :)