Mark hit more keys, changing the page to the opening screen that you’d see when you went to thefacebook.com. . . It was extremely simple- and clean-looking.

“So to log on,” Eduardo [Saverin] said, his hovering shadow covering most of the screen. “You need a Harvard.edu e-mail, then you choose a password.”

“Correct,” [said Mark].

The Harvard.edu e-mail was key, in Eduardo’s mind; you had to be a Harvard student to join the site. Mark and Eduardo know that exclusivity would make the site more popular.

They were right. Within hours, the majority of the Harvard student body was a registered member. Within a few short months, students from colleges across the country were petitioning for Facebook to grant access to their school. And today, well, we all know where the site stands internationally.

Exclusivity was the key to Facebook’s initial success and several other social networking sites have followed suit. Since then, several online entrepreneurs have been trying to recreate the success Zuckerberg is now enjoying. Here is a quick snapshot of some of the most exclusive sites currently available – to those who make the cut.

Path: Former Facebook executive Dave Morin recently launched this site that allows members to connect with only 50 friends at a time. According to a recent interview with Morin, the idea for this social network stems from research done by a professor at Oxford University who found that the human brain is only capable of sustaining 50 personal relationships at a time. Known as “The Personal Network,” Path may be more cutthroat than high school cheerleading.

CollegeOnly: CollegeOnly is – obviously – only open to students currently enrolled in college. The site was created in response to the backlash Facebook received when it opened its social networking to anyone of any age, thus dropping the .edu log-in requirement mentioned above. Here, students can rest easy when posting pictures from last night’s kegger knowing potential employers and parents will never see the results.

Affluence.org: Yes, it is just like it sounds. Affluence.org is a private social network for wealthy individuals. Membership is free, but participants must prove their annual income is more than $300,000 and/or their network is over $3 million. Once approved, members can connect, share information on their personal and business ventures, and receive “high quality content and advice from experts on subjects such as art, technology and travel.” The next New York Lottery Jackpot is $34 million – you never know!

These sites are in their early stages, aiming to attract a code audience base. Still it is unlikely that any of these sites or others like them will ever be able to hold a candle to Facebook. Sure, the exclusivity was one of Facebook key factors of success in its early stages, but it has been the site’s ability to deliver a universal network that has made it sustainable.

Old Spice Guy: One of the most talked about social media campaigns this year was certainly the Old Spice Guy who created unique videos in response to Twitter @-replies. To achieve this look, fellas, grab a towel and, well, that’s it. Now you are the best smelling man in the world for Halloween.

iPad: This costume may not be the most comfortable, but it will make you the most sought after trick-or-treater (at least among early adopters). To create your own iPad, just grab a tall and wide – but thin- box, cut out holes for your head, arms and legs, and have Kinko’s print out a life-size version of this image for the front:

Foursquare Player: In 2010, local-based social networking took off thanks to Foursquare. This Saturday night, consider going out as a Foursquare player by wearing your most competitive-looking athletic apparel – including sweat bands, of course – carry around a red rubber ball, and hand out different badges to your friends.  If you like this costume idea, give us a shout out!

Mark Zuckerberg: ‘The Social Network’ is one of the top movies in the country and we are expecting Mark Zuckerberg to be one of the top costumes this Halloween. To get the look, throw on a gray GAP sweatshirt, fill your pockets with money and wear this lovely cut-out mask prepared by our friends at Gawker. With this costume, it should be easy for you to make friends.

Happy Halloween!

As an adult, I prefer low-key birthday celebrations, usually with a small group of friends going out for dinner. I tend to follow the philosophy that says it’s the people you are with, not where you are the counts (yes, I think that is a Dave Matthews Band lyric).  So when I read this article about Nick Cannon’s birthday plans, I found it hard to relate.

The New York Post reports, “Nick Cannon is looking to make a killing on his 30th birthday — reps for Mariah Carey‘s husband have sent out a mass e-mail looking for corporate sponsors to pay $25,000 for three tweets from next month’s bicoastal bash.”

OK, I get it. In today’s world of ‘My Super Sweet 16,’ over-the-top birthdays are becoming more of a staple than a spectacle. But if you have pay checks coming in for your albums, movies, and television hosting gig – not to mention you are married to a pop star who has sold over 200 million albums – do you really need to turn your party into a cash cow?

Aside from Cannon’s bold move to bring on birthday sponsors, I’d like to pose a larger question. Are three tweets from a B-level celebrity worth $25,000? Moreover, can we really price the value of a tweet?

I’m sure we could come up with a formula that would calculate the value by looking at messaging, sentiment, audience reach, influence, etc. But the truth it, it doesn’t really matter – if the offer is out there, someone will pay for it. Just as a number of brands like Pixar and Starbucks have shelled out the $100,000 for promoted tweets, it’s a logical next step for brands to start paying key influencers to tout their messaging online.

While it seems like paying for tweets will dilute the organic discussion online, I won’t fight it – as long as the brands and the paid influencers are transparent. While Nick Cannon may seem like a total sell-out after this open call for birthday sponsors, I do appreciate his full-disclosure.

So here’s to you, Nick. Happy birthday.

Define Your Brand’s Personal Style

Whether or not you dig his shutter-shades and graphic Ts, Kanye’s unique personal style sets him apart from other artists. Just as there are always new musicians trying to make it big, hundreds of consumer brands are hopping on the social media bandwagon trying to get noticed every year. To cut through the clutter, find the online medium where your target audience is already engaged. There, showcase the personality of your brand and highlight the product/service offering that differentiates your company from others.

Be Unapologetic

No one can forget the infamous Taylor Swift incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards where Kanye upstaged the Best New Artist. While many found his behavior disgraceful, he has taught us two important lessons here. First, Kanye has shown us that being unapologetic for who we are can strengthen a reputation, for better or for worse. While he may have issued an apology to Swift after the fact, many believe it was too little too late. When it comes to marketing a brand online, keep in mind that actions speak as loud as words. Second, he taught us what not to do when trying to showcase a brand’s position on a specific issue. When interacting with your audience, be true to the personality of the brand and emphasize transparency, but adhere to political correctness. And avoid running on stage at an industry awards ceremony to make a point at all times.

Generate Strong Content

If you are going to be unapologetic, then make sure you can back it up with strong content. While Kanye’s foot has been in his mouth more times than he’s been nominated for a Grammy, fans are able to look beyond his behavior when they hear his music. A strong brand personality is a great way to attract an audience base, but once they arrive they’ll expect the brand to deliver. Whether you are launching a Facebook contest, hosting a webinar, or promoting a company microsite, make sure the content is fresh, showcases strengths or core offerings, and reinforces the company mission.

Give the Audience a Taste to Keep Them Coming Back

To grow your audience base, give them a reason to continue coming back. Kanye has done just this with his new “Good Fridays” program. In August, Kanye announced that he would offer fans a new, free MP3 download every Friday until Christmas. This tactic has not only encouraged a broader audience to give his music a try, but gives them a reason to return to his site each week. Taking a cue from Kanye, marketers should consider ways of offering consumers a taste of their brand’s “secret sauce” through an online portal. For example, mommy bloggers might be interested in a coupon to try a new baby product. These sneak peeks don’t need to be anything over the top, but should resonate with the target audience.

Kanye might not be on the top of your list of roles models, especially when it comes to digital communication. However, by paying attention to what he has done right and what he has done very wrong, you might learn a thing or two about launching a social media campaign.

Paris Hilton disagrees.

The celebrity gossip train was in full force this morning as reports of a burglar with “two big knives” found his way into Paris’s California home. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for TMZ to break the details, as the celebutante has been sharing her experience via Twitter.

Maybe the accused will live tweet his sentencing. I’ll keep you all posted. . .

But lately, we’ve seen a new breed of celebrity: digital business leaders.

As Robin Leach has proved, we like to see who is making money, how they make their money and what they do with their money. But as we flip through the Forbes 100 Wealthiest List we likely recognize only a handful of names and even fewer faces.

As a twenty-something PR professional, I have a limited understanding of hedge funds, tech VCs and manufacturing conglomerates. But when it comes to Facebook, that’s something I can certainly relate to. This brings me to the latest and greatest poster child for the ‘new celebrity’: Mark Zuckerberg.

Bill Gates may have been one of the first to hit the mainstream celebrity news wave, and The Donald certainly pulled business savvy into the spotlight with ‘The Apprentice.’ But never has there been such a fast and furious rise to success and fame as Zuckerberg, sparking news interest from People Magazine to MSNBC.

As evident by the success of the book The Accidental Billionaires and the pending release of the film, “The Social Network” hitting theaters this October, we are looking to people like Zuckerberg in the same way we’d crave the back story behind the Jennifer-Brad-Angelina love triangle.

Zuckerberg isn’t the only one. Hundreds of people waited in line at SXSW to play Four Square with Dennis Crowley, founder of the geo-locating social network by the same name. The blogosphere went wild when Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable, was spotted in Vancouver with his new girlfriend. And it was recently reported that Hollywood producers are looking to develop film based on the book Googled: The End of the World As We Know It about the team behind the development and launch of the search engine giant.

While we might not fawn over Zuckerberg’s good looks in the same way we might with Robert Pattinson or Zac Effron, there is no denying that he and other digital business leaders are playing a huge part in the way those interested in celebrities look at business and the way those interested in business look at celebrities.

Let’s see if she takes the time to tell us how she plans on spending her $100,000 salary!