With the war between the world’s major social networks raging on, there’s much debate amongst SEO agencies as to which site will eventually outperform its rivals to become the most popular (and most lucrative) network available, from both an individual user and business perspective. Unfortunately for early entrepreneurs Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, the original founders of Myspace, it’s often a case of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ within this particular web arena – but does the introduction of giant Google Plus and the continued development of Facebook really signal the end for the service?
According to the most recent social media report by comScore, Myspace is still generating a hefty amount of traffic on a daily basis, despite fierce competition and a dwindling reputation. Naturally, Facebook and Twitter top the list of the world’s most visited social sites, but the statistics (which document the number of unique visitors from the US the site receives) indicate that users are actually flocking to MySpace ahead of Google’s much-talked-about Plus platform.
It seems that, despite consistently being described as ‘outdated’, Myspace continues to entice back those who have enjoyed the site since it was launched way back in 2003. And who can forget Myspace’s golden days? Often considered the pioneering social network of the early noughties, this platform was once renowned for its innovative features and was even recorded as the most visited website in the US in summer 2006. It was attractive, it was fun, and above all, it was simple and accessible.
But there are a number of reasons why Myspace has experienced a steep decline in popularity of late. Many people have criticised the network for not expanding to keep up with the demand of users. Although it’s introduced a huge number of layout changes to try and chase its competitors, this has had a huge impact on the load time of its pages, many of which are easily customisable and fairly image heavy anyway. Myspace has always been heavily reliant on ad banners and as a result tends to look a lot more cluttered than Facebook – a major turnoff for those seeking a user-friendly experience!
Secondly, Myspace is lacking a broad strategy. While many users consider it an important hub of activity for the music and entertainment industry, it’s failed to continue to appeal to people outside of this niche for a long time. Simply taking a look at the newly revamped homepage says it all – users are bombarded with banners from up and coming artists and are encouraged to head over to ‘Music News’ and ‘My Music’ straightaway. It’s a great deal for the performers, who get to advertise their tours and releases free of charge, but those who once used the site for communicating with friends and family may be overwhelmed by its current direction.
Then there’s its alleged lack of commitment to web protection. The site suffered a bad rap a number of years ago for failing to produce a decent spam filter, leaving many concerned that kids were able to stumble across adult content at the click of a button. While this is nothing new for social media sites (Facebook and Twitter have all experienced bad press as a result of ropey privacy procedures and security issues), Myspace has always been designed to appeal to teens and young adults, and it’s this demographic that are considered most vulnerable.
While there’s a lot of condemning evidence of Myspace’s shortcomings here and many will still question the relevancy of the site, we’re never quick to judge a platform as a waste of time for businesses looking to advertise on the web. While your company may be eager to join the millions of firms who flock to Facebook and Twitter to sell their wares on a daily basis, ultimately your social media strategy needs to be based on your individual needs, and for many, Myspace still remains an indispensable tool that continues to attract an active audience. The site may never stage a proper comeback, but on the flip side, there’s no reason why it should be considered dead in the water if it’s working for you.
Remember, if you’d like to learn more about the potential of Myspace and social media as a whole, SEO Positive is now offering comprehensive social media management and monitoring services. Feel free to get in touch if you believe a social strategy could boost your business’ online profile.
