According to Hitwise, MySpace and Bebo continued to dominate the UK social networking category in April 2007, with 67% of category visits. Whilst MySpace maintained a slight lead over Bebo in April (less than 1%), Bebo looks sure to overtake MySpace in share of UK internet visits in May, ranking #1 each of the past three weeks.
The two social networking leaders continue to grow at a rapid pace, with UK Internet visits to MySpace increasing nearly two and a half times from April 2006 to April 2007 and visits to Bebo increasing 3 times.
Facebook, which opened up to accept all Internet users in September 2006, has seen its share of visits soar, up 9-fold since September. Previously it had been limited to those with a college or high school email address and more recently to business addresses.
Social networks are derided by some as last years fad, however UK consumers are showing that demand continues to rise, commented Heather Hopkins, VP of Research for Hitwise UK. Social networks are increasingly part of the flow of internet traffic, highlighting the importance for brands and advertisers to build a presence in these communities.(news source net4now.com)
As the recent trends show, Social Networking is still rising and new niche social networks gain more popularity.
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