With all the hype around Facebook, it’s easy to forget that MySpace is still a major player in social networking. I’ve written on this topic before, but I thought it might be good to have a quick refresher on the subject. I ran across an article earlier that describes how Timberland launched a new initiative using MySpace to reach out to 18-34 men by aligning the brand with a popular ‘sports rapper’ – check out the article here. I was particularly drawn to the quote about MySpace not getting the credit it deserves. I share that sentiment and continue to encourage our clients to explore opportunities on MySpace. Last month, we launched a MySpace program for Zoo Atlanta, and there has been an incredible amount of engagement just one month into the program.
Earlier this morning, I went onto the site to see if the new David Archuleta album was available on MySpace Music yet (yes, I admit it – I like the kid’s voice), and although the whole album is not available to stream on the site yet, what stuck out to me was the volume of comments on his MySpace page. All of the visible comments are from today only and the page has over 45,000 comments total! Granted, he almost won American Idol and his album came out yesterday, but the point is that there is still a huge contingent of people who are active MySpace users despite the explosive growth of Facebook. This is especially true when music is factored into the equation. I have yet to discover a new band on Facebook, but on MySpace it happens all the time.
Keep this in mind as you are planning your social media initiatives for 2009. I wouldn’t leave any stone left unturned. Some opportunities for engagement are just too important to pass up.
