I can only second what SilkSkull said.
General communities without a "gimmick" are a dime a dozen.
Does your social club have a certain demographic, a hobby or subculture or aesthetic you all have in common? Capitalize on that if you can. This will help you stand out.
Even this forum, as general-use as it is, I keep coming back to because it has a unique look and feel to it, and I like the community and its focus on the small/indie/oldrevival web, technology and expression. If it was just some forum without a "gimmick", I'd probably have forgotten about it.