One of the frustrations with social media platforms is that each focuses on filling one or two particular needs in the marketplace, requiring users to set up accounts or pages on multiple sites. This creates inefficiencies for the busy executive or entrepreneur, so it was only a matter of time before one site set out to incorporate them all into one. Enters Whosend.

Smedio recently had the opportunity to interview Whosend founder Fatih Aydin to get his take on why Whosend is important.

AG: Why Whosend?

FA: Whosend tries to meet the numerous needs of people easily, from one place. People use multiple Twitter accounts and Facebook to communicate with friends, to introduce ideas and businesses. Some people also use blogs to tell their story to the world. Still others, like college students, use Yahoo and Google to share course or project materials. Others prepare small websites to introduce research findings to the world. Whosend seeks to combine all social media needs, both business and personal, into one easy to use site.

AG: How difficult was that given the broad spectrum of uses for social media?

FA: Very difficult. It required a lot of thinking and redevelopments. The hardest part is simplifying the process of defining or changing the shape of particular channels.

AG: That’s an interesting point. You use the word “Channel.” Could you explain what a channel is in the context of Whosend?

FA: You could think of a channel like a Facebook “wall,” only it’s different in that it’s more of a collaborative workroom. It’s a sharing space where you can share entries, files, photos, video, and links. A channel is essentially like a blank sheet of paper that you can allow people to fill and view. You can collaborate on projects but be on different parts of the globe. Each channel has it’s own name and can be distributed for the world to see, or privately if you choose. And there’s no limit to the number of channels you can create. And they’re free! Also, users can choose a different theme for each channel, making it unique.

AG: On your site, you talk about “foldable spaces.” What do you mean?

FA: By “foldable” I mean that, structurally, the same spaces can be used for different purposes. For instance: one channel can be used to collaborate on a school project, to share research data and findings with the world, search results, source codes, etc. In addition, you can solicit reviews and feedback from others for future enhancements. The application of each channel is established or limited only by you. In order to “fold” a channel according to your needs, you establish three properties: Type of channel—global, standard, friend, or invisible; Privacy settings—by confirmation, invitation only, immediately (to everyone), secret key; Permission—who can write content for the channel.

AG: How can businesses take advantage of Whosend?

FA: Whosend has the same business application as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Myspace, Blogger, WordPress, and others, only you can do it all from a single site! You don’t need multiple Twitter accounts or Facebook pages for different businesses or products and services. Manage all of your e-marketing from one manageable platform. Just like other sites, you can offer select discounts to devoted channel followers, make them aware of upcoming product releases, and interact one-on-one with your customers for instant problem resolution and feedback. Another key feature is you get statistical analysis of channel traffic to better target your market.

AG: What’s in the pipeline for Whosend? What does the future hold?

FA: Wow! A lot. We’ve got a mobile App coming out the first part of this year so you can stay connected from anywhere. We also understand the growing desire for geosocial networking, so we’re incorporating a “checking-in” feature, similar to Foursquare, sometime this summer. We’re excited about the possibilities! We’re young, but we’re growing globally at a rapid pace.

AG: How does someone go about setting up an account on Whosend?

FA: You register just like you would Facebook or Twitter, only there’s no need for separate personal and business accounts. And it’s free!

AG: Thank you for your time, Mr. Aydin.

FA: My pleasure.

For a quick tour of Whosend, visit whosend.com.