Letters to the Web Strategy Editor: Social Networking Usage numbers, Facebook and MySpace

Categories: Social Media Measurement, Social Networking, Web UsagePosted on July 29th, 2007

I’m getting a few more great letters of folks asking for info, if I know the answer, I’ll often blog it. I track a lot of info and put onto this blog, often you’ll find it under the ‘web usage’ category tag on the right navigation. Here’s a letter I got in from a friend who’s speaking on the subject soon. Hopefully this will aid him:

The current installed base and rate of increase for FaceBook?
July 07 numbers from Business Week say it’s at 26 million.

Comscore (also this month) show that growth over past 12 months has been 89%.

I don’t have any prediction numbers for the next year, but I’ll expect it to be in the thousands of percent.

The number of people under 30 on FaceBook?
I did the math on the same Comscore report and 60% are under 35. Sorry, I can’t accurately break it down to age 30, but you can make some guesses.

Also, for MySpace: “half of the users are age 35 and older, while users age 18-24 make up only 17%. On Facebook, older users make up 40%, with college students (29%) being the next biggest group.”

It’s interesting to note that same BusinessWeek article differentiates MySpace as being blue collar, and Facebook being White collar.

The current installed base for MySpace and the rate of decline?
68 million unique users logged on to MySpace in the last month, says the same Business Week article.

Myspace’s younger demographic rates are decreasing says this Business Week’s July 07 report: “but U.S. visitors under 18 to MySpace dropped 30 percent over the past year, while Facebook’s rose about 2 1/2 times”

Any statistics or facts related to b to b and blogging or social media?
Oh yeah, here’s what I think is the most important report this year regarding social media and IT decision makers (B2B): “Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe that social media content and user-generated tools have made for a more informed purchasing decision, and more than three-quarters believe they have made their lives more efficient.”

I was lucky to have recent reports in my mind (all from this month) so these are pretty up to date. Data is important, as it controls where the money goes.

By the way, I don’t use myspace, but my Facebook profile is here, if you add me, I’ll add you back. But please, whatever you do, don’t zombie bite me.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 29th, 2007 at 7:33 am and is filed under Social Media Measurement, Social Networking, Web Usage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Jeremiah whats your take on how social media is becoming very important and yet many big firms are locking down and out the access to those same social media platforms ? I am asking in respect to the following article in the Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/27/nface127.xml

Thank you, oh and this post was posted with the coComment firefox plugin

Posted by Nik Butler on July 29th, 2007 at 10:44 am

Nik

Oh, it’s going to happen, I know many companies that block myspace.

There are business tools like linkedin that can aid marketing and sales.

I was often the guy at my companies that would get websites unblocked. You simply give business justification and tell those who block (IT or websense)

People find a way around things, or they’ll use them at home.

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on July 29th, 2007 at 11:10 am

I expect apps to help drive a lot of the younger crowd to Facebook. I wonder what MySpace is looking at doing?

Blocking sites: I think it depends. If some people are abusing it by excessive amount of time, then I would think it best to have a discussion with the individuals involved.

Posted by Damon Billian on July 30th, 2007 at 3:10 am

Jeremiah,

Why did you join facebook but not MySpace? You’re very active in facebook and your groups are one of the most active ones. Why didn’t you feel it necessary to do the same things you’re doing in facebook over in MySpace as well?

Posted by Chhandomay on July 30th, 2007 at 12:20 pm

That’s a simple answer Chhandomay

My network (friends) were not in Myspace and they didn’t invite me.

When Facebook opened up to the masses, a few early adopters started to join.

Once they made it an application platform, much of my network joined and we moved together.

MySpace doesn’t have many of the application and API hooks that Facebook does, it’s much more closed.

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on July 30th, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Hi Jeremiah,

I’m a presentation on basics of online tools and found your article very helpful, thanks!

On an unrelated note, I’m curious is there any data on ethnic breakdown in these social communities and adoption by ethnic groups?

Posted by Elena on August 21st, 2007 at 1:57 pm

I’m preparing a presentation…

I don’t have any numbers based on ethnic breakdown, but I do know that myspace is supposed to be more blue collar. if such an ethnicity exists between white and blue collar then go there.

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on August 21st, 2007 at 3:11 pm

I’m particularly interested in Hispanic numbers. There are about 16 million Latinos online. If you have any data about English dominant, bilingual or Spanish dominant Hispanics use of social communities, it would be helpful. Thanks!

Posted by Elena on August 21st, 2007 at 5:00 pm

[...] there’s this from the essential Jeremiah Owyang: Myspace’s younger demographic rates are decreasing says this Business Week’s July 07 report: “but U.S. visitors under 18 to MySpace dropped 30 percent [...]

Posted by Old school marketing makes MySpace launch music tour & clothes line « Collateral Damage on August 29th, 2007 at 3:08 pm

[...] Business audience, not just 20s: When Facebook opened up to the whole world, it extended it’s reach past college, this may have been due to many of the original Facebook users graduating and moving the workplace. Many of my contacts and friends within Facebook are senior managers, directors, VPs, and CEOs, this is not child’s play. Recent research indicated that the fastest growth segment was 35+. See my Facebook demographic and audience analysis. [...]

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