Is it too late for Justin Timberlake to bring sexy back to Myspace?
The one-time titan of social media and really the social network that started it all, Myspace, is coming back from the dead. In 2011, Specific Media and Justin Timberlake bought Myspace from News Corp. for $35 million. This September, Justin Timberlake tweeted a slick and very attractive demo for the new revamped service.
“There’s a need for a place where fans can go interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place,” said Timberlake at the time.
But is it too late for Timberlake to bring sexy-back to Myspace and capture the hearts of social media users? Gartner Research director, Michael Gartenberg, told ABC News in an interview about the move, that it takes more than a pretty face for a social media network to succeed. And given the traction Facebook has with consumers and the center of gravity it has achieved, Myspace will have to offer a very compelling reason to get users who have abandoned the site to return, as well as entice new users.
So far the social network’s comeback is slow but steady with 25 million users as of June 2012, according to Wikipedia. The new site uses a horizontal scrolling through a newsfeed with a heavy emphasis on images. There’s an even heavier emphasis on music, including playlists, artist news and interviews. What has always separated Facebook and Myspace were the sites’ differing friendliness when it comes to music. It looks like Myspace is looking to capitalize on its ability to emphasize music.
But the new Myspace isn’t pulling away from Facebook all together. Instead, Myspace is integrating Facebook. The demo shows that users can connect to Myspace through Facebook when they sign up for an account. Users will be able to bring more information and details from their Facebook profile. Currently, those who sign into Myspace through Facebook automatically import their profile photos, as well as basic information such as birth date, current city and relationship status. The new format pages look like a mix of Pinterest and Facebook, and allow users to connect, like or share content. Users can also share updates to Facebook and Twitter automatically. Myspace also does Facebook-like analytics, showing where an artist’s top fans are, along with their demographic breakdown.
Justin Timberlake is also trying to start a trend within the music celebrity community. He said in an interview with FUSE.TV recently, he not only has a Myspace profile but he will personally manage the page. He hopes other artists will follow after being exposed to the new site layout that is structured to be a place where artists, musicians, writers, photographers, filmmakers and hobbyists can come together to represent their works “in the best possible light.”
Do you think the new Myspace has a chance against all the competition?
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Photo Credit: egg™