Comments for 2008 Web Predictions

Hitwise: MySpace Takes 3/4ths of US Social Network Traffic

2008-05-06T22:02:07Z

According to web measurement firm Hitwise, MySpace commands 73.82% of all social networking traffic. The data comes from Hitwise's special social networking category, which tracks US traffic 57 leading social networks. MySpace took nearly 74% of all traffic to those sites in April, with Facebook second at 14.8% and MyYearBook third with 1.33%. Overall, social networking traffic is down 16% year-over-year.

]]> Compared to April of 2007, MySpace has seen traffic decline 5%, while Facebook has seen a 32% bump. Even so, MySpace still controls the lion's share of social network visits in the US. General social networking in the US is clearly a two horse race, and MySpace is ahead by a couple of furlongs.

Hitwise also noted that MySpace has seen an increase of 73% year-over-year in average time spent. So while they may be losing a small amount of total social networking traffic to Facebook, MySpace is better engaging the visitors it has retained. Interestingly, competing web metrics firm Compete paints a different picture, suggesting that year-over-year average stay has fallen 9.9%. Differences in how each stat is measured could explain the dissimilar results, however, though they are strikingly different.

Comment from MrCooker on 2008-05-06

2008-05-06T23:21:32Z

Holy cow, never knew MySpace was that huge.

Somehow, I never liked MySpace.

Comment from sea on 2008-05-06

2008-05-06T23:33:04Z

MySpace is still in control, do not think facebook can catch up in one or two years

Comment from Kyle James on 2008-05-06

2008-05-06T23:35:36Z

I don't know anyone that really likes MySpace, but it seems to continue to dominate social networks with all those people I don't know... Go figure.

Comment from Michael Gracie on 2008-05-06

2008-05-06T23:40:49Z

Are the feature sets, demographics, and future targets different enough to merit co-existence. Or will one eventually mis-step in it's chase of the other, and have to be put down at the end of the race?

If the latter is the case, which wins...Sheer Mass, or Expanding Elegance?

Comment from Jon Gos on 2008-05-06

2008-05-07T01:23:48Z

As Google or Microsoft will tell you, once you're king of the hill in one area, it's incredibly hard to get displaced. Unless of course you make some royal mistakes like Friendster did, whoever's got the momentum usually sets the pace and right now MySpace still controls the game.

Comment from The Masked Millionaire on 2008-05-06

2008-05-07T02:05:11Z

Incredible lead.

Jon Gos is right when he says in his comment, "Once you're king of the hill in one area, it's incredibly hard to get displaced."

Live From Las Vegas
The Masked Millionaire

Comment from Travis Retzlaff on 2008-05-06

2008-05-07T03:00:27Z

MySpace is a leading platform for virus distribution. I wonder how much all the hacker traffic pads MySpace's stats?

MySpace has media content to offer from it's roots as a vehicle for artists to promote their own content. I think that's one big advantage it has.

Comment from MyMesh on 2008-05-07

2008-05-07T07:21:46Z

Impressive results... ;-)

Comment from Ghaus on 2008-05-07

2008-05-07T13:27:09Z

Do u think Friendster failed. These traffic is mainly for US and UK. Friendster is very popular in Asia and Asia Pacific

Comment from Dr. Bardou on 2008-05-07

2008-05-07T14:45:46Z

MySpace are good fellows, though kept at the first position in the ranking. They deserve this.

Comment from socialspace on 2008-05-07

2008-05-07T15:29:00Z

Friendster is the fastest growing social network, especially in Asia, according to comScore, as reported by CNET:
http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/geekonomics/post.htm?id=63002914

Comment from Avatar on 2008-05-08

2008-05-08T08:50:22Z

yeah, this only shows the USA in specific but if you want to know things stand out elsewhere in the world, i got you a little breakdown

Fastest Growing Social Networks with their turf:

1.-Friendster

THE social network in most of Asia,

2.-Hi5

Super close #2 in Mexico (myspace is #1) and #1 in most of Latinoamerica

3.-Orkut

#1 in Brazil and in India

4.-Bebo

#1 in the U.K (for now)

Fastest Growing and biggest Social Networks in global terms of (registered/active) userbase:

#1 MySpace
#2 Facebook
#3 Friendster
#4 hi5
#5 Orkut
#6 Bebo
#7 Tagged
#8 Linkedin (huge considering linked in is a all biz)
#9 Buzznet (also huge since buzznet is one of the weirdest social networks)
#10 Live Spaces (no, not a joke. but it is the odd entry since it is still more of a Blogging-Photo sharing platform than a social network. and with the most dramatic registered users-active ratio 100-105 million registered but only counts with 10-15 million active users)

*From #6-10 the numbers are all over the place and the spots move around every bimonthly.

I base this list from the sum of all the social networking lists capturing data up to February. the numbers may have already changed but should still hold true for the first 3 places in each list.

Comment from Julia Bradley on 2008-05-08

2008-05-08T18:18:51Z

I'm not surprised that MySpace is so huge, since the majority of high school students in America use it. I do wonder, however, at what point websites like Twitter will grow enough to reach a top ten spot in this list of social networks in the US. Do you consider Twitter to be a social network?