Launching my social network?

[dan]

Hello everyone!
I'm just about finished making my social network. I've basically finished all the programming and I'm getting ready to launch it. I'm not entirely sure how to make it, well, successful (Isn't that what we all want?). I want to make it for my friends and fellow classmates and if they like it then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I just want to launch it as something that's cool. I doesn't even have to remain cool for a long time. I want people to be like "Oh, that's that guy who launched a social network from the CS lab." instead of it being a complete embarrassment and people would be like "Oh, that's that idiot who thought his website would be the next Facebook or Google+." I'm not trying to make a Facebook copy (I do have my own cool features). Should I start small with only a few of my friends or should I just put it out there and let society say it's good or bad? I need to know the best way of advertising it. I'm on a tight budget so preferably cheap ways. By the way, this is a solo project. I don't have anyone helping me with programming or marketing strategies.
Thank you Zim and thank you Harris! I would choose a best answer but your answers were equally helpful. I understand the risks I'm taking with this social network (even though it doesn't cost much) because people don't want to leave their friends for another network. I think starting with a few friends is a great idea and I'll see what they think. Thank you for everything!

[jazz flute]

You'll never find out if you don't try

[Zim]

Start small with your friends and let the virtue of your product win out. If it's good, your friends will spread the word about it and it will grow.

I will caution you, though. The market for social networking is already saturated. Most people already have all their stuff invested in, and organized through facebook. Google + is batting clean-up for them. Many people don't want to change network sites when everyone else is still on the old one.

[Some Dude]

Let the society rate it

[Harris]

Start with your friends. If it's cool, they'll start inviting their friends, and so on. That's the best way you can control growth, if there is any. It'll be far easier to talk to a small group and implement their cool ideas.
If you put it out there for the world, you may not be ready for the load it will place on your servers, or all of the support emails and such.

[Darlene Tysinger]

One of the best cheap way to promote a site is to hire providers off of fiverr.com. There are a ton of people who will create buzz on the web, post your link their own network of sites, or even manually submit your link to forums, blogs, etc.

Best of all each gig only costs $5