Help on how to advertise a new social networking site

I need some advice on how to advertise a new social networking site

I have a few ideas and want to know what you think and how much users each one will get

Idea 1: start a contest that lasts a month or 2 and is basically about the person who gets the most users in there account e.g. friends will win a nintendo wii or similar price. Then get other people to post about it in blogs, forums etc

Idea 2: Just post about the site in forums, chat rooms etc

Idea 3: Pay a bunch of people on dp a few $'s to join each and then to get 10 - 20 new friends each and do this about 50 times. Then hope some people actually start to like it and invite there own friends

Other way is to buy loads of cheap links from adbrite on arcades, myspace resource sites and teen forums and then hope to get visitors that way

I feel the problem with social networking sites is to get the initial group of users but once you have say 500+ it should start growing on its own with people bringing in other people

Thanks

 

Oldbudy did a page with scam in the URL and then sig linked and forum promoted it to top google. He claims he has brought in 1400 into the social network.

It is the old controversy theory. And in a way he is using inoculation theory.

 

Can you explain a bit more what he oldboy did as i dont understand at all, sorry

Thanks

 

You can pay DP members to refer users onto your site, like $1 per user or something.