MySpace is getting older
Last year's growth was phenomenal: a 243 percent increase in visitors. However, if we take young people as a barometer of trends, it could be that MySpace has already passed its peak.
Last year's growth was fabulous: 243 percent more visitors. However, if you take young people as a trend barometer, then it could be that MySpace has already passed its zenith.
The trend is clear: while the proportion of teens aged 12 to 17 fell from almost 25 percent to around 12 percent within a year, the percentage of 35 to 54-year-olds - not exactly the trendsetters of the virtual world - increased by 8.2 points to a total of 40.6 percent of all users. The pattern is repeated: there was also a slight decline of 1.7 percent among 18 to 24-year-olds, while there was an increase of 6.2 percent among 24 to 34-year-olds.
Whether MySpace can survive without the teens is unclear. But branding experts agree: if MySpace doesn't manage to stay hip among the young trendsetters, it will be difficult. And so the question already arises: Has Myspace already passed its zenith? Older visitors are demonstrably less active in the community, as last month's figures show: 12 to 17-year-olds spent an average of 260 minutes on MySpace and viewed 808 pages. In contrast, 35 to 54-year-olds only spent 179 minutes on MySpace and visited 560 pages.
The owner, News Corp., is not yet alarmed, as it counted a total of 79.6 million visitors in August - an increase of 243 percent compared to last year. MySpace managers also anticipated the age trend and have started to use the platform for everything from films and TV shows to advertising for soft drinks and cell phones, for the usual mix of service and content - but this also means that the platform is being sold off.
The trend is clear: while the proportion of teens aged 12 to 17 fell from almost 25 percent to around 12 percent within a year, the percentage of 35 to 54-year-olds - not exactly the trendsetters of the virtual world - increased by 8.2 points to a total of 40.6 percent of all users. The pattern is repeated: there was also a slight decline of 1.7 percent among 18 to 24-year-olds, while there was an increase of 6.2 percent among 24 to 34-year-olds.
Whether MySpace can survive without the teens is unclear. But branding experts agree: if MySpace doesn't manage to stay hip among the young trendsetters, it will be difficult. And so the question already arises: Has Myspace already passed its zenith? Older visitors are demonstrably less active in the community, as last month's figures show: 12 to 17-year-olds spent an average of 260 minutes on MySpace and viewed 808 pages. In contrast, 35 to 54-year-olds only spent 179 minutes on MySpace and visited 560 pages.
The owner, News Corp., is not yet alarmed, as it counted a total of 79.6 million visitors in August - an increase of 243 percent compared to last year. MySpace managers also anticipated the age trend and have started to use the platform for everything from films and TV shows to advertising for soft drinks and cell phones, for the usual mix of service and content - but this also means that the platform is being sold off.
