Social Networking Journal » Facebook

Is Myspace Losing It’s Edge?

Heather — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:25:48 +0000

Is Myspace having a difficult time losing it’s edge in the competitive vertical of social networking? It’s hard to say. MySpace has its share of users who simply won’t leave no matter what, because they’ve spent a lot of time to design their user pages, write journals and gather online friends. The crew of MySpace is continuing to add new features, but will their need to expand while keeping their remaining audience succeed? Only time will tell.

There’s definitely something that MySpace team has to do in order to stay alive.
Compete.com says that the arch nemesis of MySpace, Facebook, has already overcome MySpace in terms of traffic received. It happened somewhere around December 2008. However, MySpace didn’t witness any dramatic decrease in visitor numbers, as the monthly traffic has declined by only 8% since May 2008. The statistic is quite good for them, as Facebook has grown an astonishing 250% during the past year.

Statistics are nothing without proper interpretation.
Actually, these statistics show that MySpace is stagnating, nothing more and nothing less. The soaring numbers of Facebook users show that Facebook have targeted whole new audiences that MySpace couldn’t conquer without drastic changes to their site. Facebook is with a more flexible audience, as the pages of MySpace look plain ugly for the first time visitor.

User statistics also don’t mean anything, at least if the companies can’t profit from them.
The monetization of MySpace is clearly going better than the one of Facebook. The users just generate more cash than the ones at Facebook do. That’s the downturn of the popularity that the #1 Social Network in the world has – Facebook can’t target their users very well because of the tremendous age differences of members there. However, the main rival of MySpace has its advantages (e.g. a cleaner look) for attracting potential advertisers. Contrary, MySpace has no problems with its teen to twenties user base, because it’s easy to target. That is why they can cash in more, even from their shrinking user base.

What should be done?
MySpace has implemented a micro-blogging feature following what Facebook did. Well, you can disregard Twitter, but it’s bad for business if people find features that are offered on other sites and go to those sites, instead of putting up with what MySpace has. New features will be introduced undercover, in order to sustain the shrinking pool of MySpace users. It’s difficult to predict what some of these features might be.

MySpace is on a crossroad. One way, there is the golden crown of music that MySpace has successfully implemented, it still can be polished, and if they choose to do it, they’ll probably squeeze everything left out of the music niche that can possibly be taken.

The other way is taking risks to make MySpace more appealing to audiences other than teens trying to get in touch with the bands they like. Generally speaking, MySpace has to choose whether they want to fight Facebook or try to sustain their user base. It’d be interesting to see if they can do both, but only time will tell. Long gone are the days when MySpace first appeared and raised to heights no other Social Network can rise to again, they finally need to work with an attitude of a market shark, otherwise MySpace could be a fad that’s as popular as yesteryear’s parachute pants.

The Reign Of Facebook: Will It Ever End?

Heather — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:01:30 +0000

Facebook can be called an internet phenomenon. Its rapid growth since it was introduced as a service made exclusively for Harvard students in 2004 is a spectacular example of a successful social media project. While its closest competitor, MySpace, is stagnating and struggling to sustain its user base, Facebook continues to attract new users. In this article, we’ll try to look to the reasons behind the tremendous success of Facebook.

Brief history:
Facebook was founded in February 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates – Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It received its first large investments 2005, while Facebook was still not available for the whole public. Facebook was opened to anyone aged 13 and above only in late 2006. It is currently valued somewhere between $1.3 and $10 billion and is the leading social network in the world with more than 200 million registered users.

Reasons for success:

The success of Facebook arguably comes from its appeal to the older demographic. The fact that there are very little customizations one can do with their Facebook page/profile may actually appear more attractive than the tuned-up user pages of MySpace, especially for older people who continue registering at Facebook at rapid rates. The company continues to receive a lot of free advertising both for its sudden popularity and the innovative features it adds to attract new users.

According to Google Trends, Facebook is much more popular than MySpace in every European country. The reason for this is probably the availability of Facebook in almost every language in Europe. Conquering the user base in the U.S. still remains a close battle, however, if MySpace don’t act soon, they’ll eventually lose the battle of the most popular social network in the U.S .

What needs to be done:

Facebook has a lot of areas to expand in, starting from the already-growing 35-54 year old segment, to the teen demographic which might migrate from MySpace. It also has a lot of potential in advertising alcohol, as the 21+ age group accounts for more than two thirds of overall Facebook population. The expansion of Facebook is international, for example, in Denmark, two thirds of the population is classified as active Facebook users.

While the company is busy gathering new users, there is a bigger problem Facebook has to face – how to monetize the traffic they receive? The idea of Facebook virtual gifts worth $1 didn’t work out, and although the company is earning quite a deal from advertising via Microsoft, there is a lot of work to do to make advertising more efficient. Perhaps the targeting of ads is missing something big, or maybe they just don’t want to push advertising in too early, as it could drive away potential users. We’ll certainly see a new strategy of monetization on Facebook in 2009, as it is nearing the physical limit of its users in most of Europe, Australia and other countries. Time will tell whether or not the popularity of Facebook will make it a great business power like Google, at least in social networking terms.

Mobile Social Networking

Heather — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:32:36 +0000

With social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter gaining popularity every day, it’s no surprise that mobile social networking is on the rise, too.

A number of today’s mobile phones and devices are now equipped with internet access so people can now gain access to these websites with little or no barrier. In fact, some cell phones are even designed to make visiting a social networking website easier.

Advantages of mobile social networking

Freedom to stay connected no matter if you’re enjoying a day at the park or waiting for a flight at the airport.
Ease of use. Now you don’t have to be tethered to a cumbersome desktop computer to update your ’status’ online.
The ability to send and receive quick messages to family and friends without logging into an Email program.

Disadvantages of mobile social networking

Cost. Wireless plans don’t come for free, so be sure that your calling plan isn’t going to cost you a small fortune for accessing your favorite social networking website.
Social Networking addiction. With no reason to log out, you might end up spending an inordinate amount of time “Twittering.”
The truth is, social networking is fun to do and the ability to upload photos and video from your mobile phone makes the experience more interactive – it’s almost like bringing your friends and family with you wherever you go!

Netflix Ratings Via Facebook Connect

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:06:57 +0000

Netflix has announced that you can use Facebook Connect to update ratings on the movie download website. You need to optin to the service first. Once that’s complete, the two services will be integrated.

Once you’ve linked your Netflix and Facebook accounts, you’ll have a number of new options that you didn’t have before. You can share your ratings with whomever you like.

This would seem to indicate that Netflix is finally moving towards a more integrated online experience. Their by-mail service still has a lot more offerings than the video on demand, which is a crying shame. “Instant Play” movies have all the advantages in the world over using the mail to get the job done. Digital movies leave a much better carbon footprint and are better for the customer.

MySpace Demographics Changing

admin — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:45:46 +0000

It’s easy to think that Facebook has been badly whipping MySpace for some time, but is there any truth to the idea that a wholesale mass exodus has begun? MySpace, the king of slow pageloads and annoying background music is clearly losing members, but the numbers aren’t as cut and dry as you might initially guess.

But what’s happening looks more like an online demographic shift than impending doom. MySpace — at least for the time being — continues to be the best way to reach teenagers and young adults. As you can see from the Hitwise table, above, MySpace has actually grown one percent among users ages 18 to 24. The sharpest drop-off has been in older demographics. Facebook has already self-reported extensive growth among those older than 30. Likely as a result of that growth, the proportion of its users ages 18 to 24 has actually fallen 27 percent, from comprising 40.14 percent of its site to 29.22 percent. Specifically, Facebook has previously said that one of it’s largest growth areas is among women over 55.

Having used both websites, it’s easy to image why this shift is happening. MySpace has a much more chaotic design and has always been the home to music fans. Facebook is a bit cleaner and more corporate.

For now it looks like MySpace has maintained their hold with a certain demographic.

Facebook Debuts In Arabic And Hebrew

Heather — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:22:45 +0000

Social networking website, Facebook.com has extended their offerings
by adding Arabic and Hebrew language versions of the site.

“It’s the first time Arabic speakers will be able to use Facebook in their own language,” Ghassan Haddad, the Facebook director of localization, told The Guardian. “It’s potentially huge.”

Currently Facebook is available in 40 languages and plans to add 60 more languages in upcoming days. Nearly 200,000 people helped to translate the website, according to Facebook.

The Arabic and Hebrew versions of Facebook are accessible now.

Facebook Unveiling Real-Time Front Page

admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:56:20 +0000

Facebook is unveiling a new front page redesign that will give users access to “real-time” information. Real-time updates are to Facebook what Tweets are to Twitter.

“What are doing right now?” greets you when you login.

You can then enter 140 characters in such a fashion that they’ll clearly convey your attitude to anyone on your “friend list.”

I guess Facebook used the “If you can’t beat’em join’em” philosophy to come up with this new feature.

Football Fan Fired Over Facebook Post

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:40:12 +0000

Sometimes you forget when you post on the internet just how public that information is. For one football fan, a posting he made on the popular social network has ended with him being fired.

Dan Leone says he was fired from Lincoln Financial Field after expressing anger over the Philadelphia Eagles’ failure to re-sign free agent safety Brian Dawkins in a Facebook post.

Leone has run the front gate at the stadium for five years since working his way up from the guest services gate.

The post was only up for a few days when Leone was fired. He said the boss indicated displeasure at his post and he immediately apologized.

Apparently his answer wasn’t good enough and he was terminated.

Even though he’s been canned, Leone remains a fan.

Facebook Is Loved By Middle Aged

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:51:13 +0000

Middle aged users are getting into Facebook in a big way. The service, which used to be just for college students and alumni, is catching on with the masses. A new report from Nielsen looks at numbers on the social network giant and find they’re gaining ground.

Social networking has become a fundamental part of the global online experience,” said John Burbank, CEO of Nielsen Online. “While two-thirds of the global online population already accesses member community sites, their vigorous adoption and the migration of time show no signs of slowing.”

Not only that, but people are spending more “time on site” on social networks, meaning they’re finding the tools to be an integral part of their daily lives.

Koobface Variant Wreaks Havoc On Facebook

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:08:03 +0000

A new variant of the dangerous Koobface worm is wreaking havoc on Facebook. The current worm uses the same tactics of social engineering as the last one. Users are prompted to click on a link which takes them to a YouTube clone website where they’re told they need to download an Adobe Flash plug-in.

Of course the link to the “Plug-in” is fake. It will instead install malware on the user’s computer. Once it’s safely installed, the worm will merrily make its way through your contact list, doing the same thing to your friends. It’s easy to see why these worms spread so quickly using these tactics. It’s because they’re “social.”

What makes Koobface so pernicious, is that the code code can be easily modified, which could render the worm even more dangerous.

“It is able to download new instructions on the fly, so that if the author desires, they can sniff credit card or banking transactions, install keyloggers, send spam or any of a number of other malicious activities,” Argast explained.

“Not to mention the social faux pas of being the source of the infection to your friends — it’s the equivalent of being the source of mono that takes down everyone in your circle of friends. This particular piece of malware spreads via links which entice users to install a codec to view a video — this is always a bad idea. Fake codecs are a major threat vector today,” he continued.

The best way to avoid this worm is to not install it. Pay attention to the links you click on and make sure the site you’re at is the one you think it is. Beware fake YouTube pages at all costs.