Myspace vs Facebook: Is Myspace Still Relevant?

It seems like it was just yesterday when Myspace was the rave. Users could customize their own backgrounds, add music and videos and write on each others’ pages. Yet with the rapid growth of Facebook and now Twitter, it seems that Myspace has just been left in the dust. This begs the question, is Myspace still relevant? Should you even consider deleting your Myspace account? 

Like all social networking sites and especially new startups, Myspace has come up against some bumps in the road, including how to deal with spammers, inappropriate content, privacy and most importantly for their creators, how to make money. Two of the biggest turnoffs recently for Myspace users has been advertisement and spammers.v

Advertisements have been a sore spot for many Myspace users because they’ve claimed that it takes away from the experience and makes Myspace cluttered. When going to the home page to log in, there’s often big ad banners or movies that can seem overwhelming for the user who just wants to check his messages or comments. Although other social networking sites have ads, it certainly seems more “in your face” on Myspace.

Many users also complain about spammers, and not just those saying they can’t wait to wire money into your bank account. Myspace spammers often come dressed in skimpy two-piece bikinis asking you to view their pics at another site. This has been frustrating for legitimate users who login to see they have new messages, only to find that it’s just another attack of the bikini brigade.

Despite these problem areas, Myspace still be a relevant tool for users and businesses.

No matter what you use it for, whether for personal or business use, it’s important to find the best tool for your purposes. If you’re using social networks for personal use , then go where your friends are. If all your friends actively use Facebook, then it’s time to close your Myspace account. If however, your friends are loyal to Myspace, then there is no point in making the migration to a new platform.

The same is true if you use social networking for business. You need to determine where your target market resides. If your research shows that a large percentage of your target demographic uses Myspace, then explore the best way to capture these users. If you’re going after an older demographic then Facebook is probably a better choice. A recent study shows that women over 55 are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook. 

If you’re not yet convinced that Myspace is still relevant, then just look at the numbers. Although Facebook might be the most popular, there are still millions of people who sign into Myspace daily. Recent reports still puts Myspace at around 150 million active users. Are any of these 150 million users people that you’re reaching? Are they people that you could and should be reaching?

Like any social network Myspace has its downfalls (Haven’t you heard the complaints about the new Facebook design?), but it still has relevancy. It all comes down to which social networking platform best fits your needs.

So what do you think? Is Myspace still relevant? Do you have a Myspace success story to share?