社交网络泡沫正日益膨胀，而像MySpace这类一度尤为抢眼的网站也已开始走向没落。行业观察者指出，网站功能的易用性、绑定的其他服务、独特的应用优质内容，以及增值服务这几者是决定社交网络生命周期的关键因素。

BBC引用comScore调查数据称，MySpace在今年1月至2月间流失了1000万独立访问用户，该网站在1月份的用户约6300万，比一年前的1.1亿用户减少了将近5000万。

MySpace在五年前是个促进用户与好友交流，分享音乐的社交网站，但Facebook等新晋力量的崛起改变了世界社交网络的格局。

据市场调研机构Ovum数据显示，MySpace在过去两年中的财政亏损十分惊人。在2010年第一季度（截止3月31日），该网站亏损达到1.5亿美元，而2009年同期的亏损则是8000万美元。

Facebook-MySpace

保持创新才能吸引用户

Ovum首席分析师伊登·佐勒（Eden Zoller）认为，社交网站若要增强用户黏性，虏获新用户，就必须具有富有吸引力的应用以及更多增值服务。

据Frost & Sullivan高级行业分析师Adeel Najam所称，社交网站并没有“典型的生命周期”，但它们的寿命可取决于其是否能提供诱人而强大的功能，“即使是不成功的的网站也可以苟延残喘一两年，而人气极旺的网站也有可能逐渐陨落。”

他认为，其他社交网站若要保持市场竞争力，避免步入MySpace的后尘，就应该把用户放在第一位。这里面就包括增强网站的易用性，通过不断创新，提供最出色的用户体验，同时支持用户控制自己的个人隐私。

除此之外，社交网站还得绑定其他关键服务，同时又要避免植入过多会干扰用户体验的广告。

重新定位的社交网站

Friendster网站的首席执行官Ganesh Kumar Bangah指出，社交网站的核心在于“社交版图”，即用户通过互联网建立的关系。虽然这种社交版图的生命周期是无限的，但由于Facebook在全球社交版图势力范围的日益扩大，许多社交网站都开始在其光环之下丧失竞争力。

Bangah认为其他社交网站要在这种社交版图中站稳脚跟，就应该向用户提供一些不同的价值定位，并称Friendster现在正采取行动保持自身竞争力。

据他所述，Friendster将使用Facebook的“Connect”功能，以社交娱乐网站的新面目示人，它会成为Facebook的一种补充而非竞争对手。

在他看来，Facebook是一个支持用户相互沟通，了解彼此生活动态的社交网站，而Friendster则将成为一个让人们结识新友，并与之共同体验游戏、分享音乐的平台。Friendster将继续保持创新，走在社交网络领域的前沿。

重新起航的Friendster将锁定亚洲地区，成为其母公司MoL Global（游戏邦注：该公司是亚洲最大的端到端内容发行平台之一）发展战略的重要一环。

但这些正沦为边缘社交网站的服务究竟能否成功培养用户的忠诚度，并通过改头换面赢得新用户，却仍然有待观望。

据BBC报道，默多克的新闻集团在2005年以3.3亿美元收购了MySpce，之前已打算定位为音乐社交网站，但从持续流失的用户来看，MySpace的这次变身并不成功。

在今年1月份，MySpace宣布进行业务重组，裁掉了大约500名员工，几乎占其总人数的一半。

Bebo是这轮社交网络竞争大潮中的另一个牺牲者，但在母公司AOL（游戏邦注：AOL在2008年以8.5亿美元收购了Bebo）去年以1000万美元的价格将其出售给Criterion Capital Partners后，Bebo才算是幸免于难，躲过了倒闭的噩运。

Bebo在上周也宣布进行业务调整，意将通过添加新功能吸引年轻用户。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

New is king for social networks

The social networking bubble is growing day by day, but once-popular sites such as MySpace have begun to falter. Industry observers point out, however, that the lifespan of a social networking site is determined by factors such as ease of use, integration with other services and compelling content such as applications and value-added services.

Citing comScore, BBC reported last month that MySpace lost over 10 million unique users worldwide between January and February this year. There were around 63 million MySpace users as of February 2011, a drop of nearly 50 million from the 110 million users a year ago.

MySpace, said BBC, was the place to talk to friends and listen to music five years ago but the arrival of the likes of Facebook had changed the nature of social networking.

Figures from Ovum also indicated that the social media site has been bleeding financially in the last two years. In a report published in May 2010, the research analyst firm noted that MySpace’s losses had mushroomed to US$150 million in the quarter ended Mar. 31, 2010, from US$80 million during the same period in 2009.

Innovation to keep users happy

In the report, Eden Zoller, principal analyst at Ovum, noted that social networks need to have attractive applications and value-added services so that their sites can drive engagement and usage, attract new users, and convince existing users to be loyal.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s senior industry analyst Adeel Najam, there is “no typical lifespan” for social networking sites, but their longevity depends on whether there are attractive, compelling features for users.

“Even unsuccessful sites can linger on for a couple of years or [the] popularity of successful sites can wane,” he said in an e-mail.

To stay relevant in the market and avoid following in the footsteps of MySpace, Najam said social networking sites need to put their users first. This includes making the site easy to use, creating the best possible experience for users through constant innovation, and allowing users to exercise control over their privacy.

In addition, social networks have to integrate with other key services and avoid having “too many ads” on their sites as users may be irritated, he noted.

More than social networking

Over at Friendster, CEO Ganesh Kumar Bangah pointed out that the core asset of a social network is the “social graph”, or the relationships that connect people on the Internet. While the social graph “does not have a limited lifespan”, social media sites are increasingly being made irrelevant because the global social graph is increasingly dominated by Facebook, he said.

Alternative sites, therefore, have to offer a different value proposition to users in order to be integrated into the social graph, Bangah noted, explaining that Friendster is adopting this approach to remain relevant and competitive.

Friendster, according to the executive, will be re-launched as a social entertainment site that will leverage the global social graph using Facebook’s “Connect” feature, and that Friendster will not compete with but instead will complement Facebook, said Bangah.

He noted that while Facebook is a site where people can communicate with and find out what their real-life friends are doing, Friendster will be the place where people can meet new friends and play games and enjoy music with them. The pioneering social network will continue to innovate and be at the forefront of the social networking scene, he said.

Bangah added that the newly-launched Friendster will focus on Asia and be an essential part of its parent company, MOL Global, one of Asia’s largest end-to-end content and distribution platforms.

But whether social networking sites can win user loyalty and new adopters with new moves, remains to be seen.

BBC, in its report, noted that MySpace, which was acquired by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. in 2005 for US$330 million, had introduced changes to make the site more music-oriented. However, the continued user attrition may indicate the attempts have not been successful, the news agency said.

Earlier this year in January, the company announced a reorganization that saw around 500 layoffs, nearly half of its workforce.

Bebo, another victim of the competitive social networking landscape, narrowly escaped a shutdown last year, when parent company AOL–which bought the site for US$850 million in 2008–sold it off to Criterion Capital Partners for US$10 million.

Last week, Bebo announced a revamp which includes new features targeting its youthful base, BBC said in a separate report.（source:zdnetasia）