Facebook was the new kid on the block; the capabilities were better and the structure was cleaner. The ability to share digital photo albums was a big draw card for users of all demographics. Facebook grew and so too did its functionalities. Today9.1 million Australians visit Facebook each month and spend an average of 8.1 hours on the site. We are officially the most Facebook-addicted nation in the world.

One would think the days of MySpace are well and truly over. According to MySpace, they’re not giving up yet! Late last month the “new MySpace” was launched. The revamp focuses on music and entertainment and the social network has a whole new look.

Presenting the new Myspace

Myspace | Myspace Video

Video is featured heavily in all areas of the network. After the re-launch this month, subscribers will be offered tailored recommendations for video content and live music performances, and the site will push further into areas such as movies, TV and celebrity news. This is one thing they have nailed over Facebook. According to the latest Nielsen Social  Media report, online video consumption is one of the fastest growing statics in social media:

• 57% watched an online video involving a product or service they were thinking of buying
• 51% downloaded and/or streamed video – two in three of these people viewed amateur video clips
• 40% shared video online

MySpace president , Mike Jones revealed that “the goal is to be relevant to 13- to 34-year-olds and help them discover new people and new content”. MySpace are carving out a new identity and ensuring they are not seen as a rival to Facebook, but in fact, a platform that provides a different experience to Facebook and answers a different set of user needs.

Will I go and create a new MySpace profile? Probably not. Will I go to a MySpace page to find information on an artist? Definitely. Will I consider using MySpace as part of a social media strategy for a client? Quite possibly.

What do you think about the new MySpace?

Australia has jumped to the top of the leader board ahead of the USA, Britain and Japan. The research found that almost ten million Australians are spending time on at least one social networking site. With a population of 21 million, this figure equates to almost half the country.

Facebook topped the list as the most popular of all social networking sites, with over 8.2 million unique visitors per month, followed by YouTube, then MySpace and with Twitter coming in fourth.

So, if Facebook is the most commonly used social networking site and Australian’s are spending 7 hours a month interacting on social networking sites – How come there are only 357,871 fans on the Australia Facebook fan page?