MySpace recently announced plans to completely overhaul the website and change the focus of the MeeySpace brand. Rather than being simply a social networking site like Facebook, MySpace wants to be a social entertainment destination for Gen Y. These means a new brand, a new website, and a new suite of products. The goal is to create a “rich, highly personalized experience for people to discover content and connect with other fans who share similar interests.”
As we talked about previously, the new direction puts the focus on connecting with others around similar interests rather than just connecting with people you might already know. With about 15 million African-American members, MySpace has become a hub for African-American youth and culture. As a result, Rap and Hip-Hop have been propelled to the top music genres on the website. In response, the new MySpace will allow you to:
- Discover and engage with Myspace’s broad array of programming, including originals, exclusives and content from around the Web.
- Express, collect and display their creations and interests on their profiles and through sharing tools.
- Connect to other fans with similar tastes.
“This marks the beginning of an exciting turning point for Myspace. Our new strategy expands on Myspace’s existing strengths – a deep understanding of social, a wealth of entertainment content and the ability to surface emerging cultural trends in real-time through our users.” -Mike Jones, CEO of Myspace
The design of the new beta site puts a focus on the content. From the ground up, each element makes it easier for people to find relevant content. The welcome page updates with fresh content from across the site in real-time. After you login, this information changes to become relevant to your individual interests. To cover all your screens, Myspace will soon release a mobile version of the beta site, accessible on any mobile browser, with new iPhone and Android apps coming later this year.
As we mentioned before, MySpace will be rewarding active users on the site. Specifically, the subset of users that help bring in quality content, which helps MySpace attract more users:
Myspace will also focus on promoting curators – a subset of its audience whose reputation and knowledge around particular entertainment topics and emerging cultural trends make them uniquely influential – by supporting them with the resources, tools and platform to expand their reach within the Myspace community.
New users get immediate access to the beta site. Current users should have access to the beta by the end of the month. Visit www.myspace.com/newmyspace for more details.