Orkut Counter-Attacking Facebook?

It was only 3 to 4 years back when Orkut was the dominating social networking site in Brazil and India. No doubt, it still maintains the lead in these two regions, however the growing popularity of Facebook has forced it to put the thinking cap on to maintain its leader’s position. Not surprisingly, Google-owned Orkut has decided to refurbish its interface and design, which would be rolled out in few days. 

Users switching to Facebook from Orkut permanently would now have a reason to stay back due to the latest developments planned by the site. To start with, the new site has fewer pages and quicker browsing to help people connect with each other through multiple activities like chatting, watching videos, browsing and searching within full friends and communities lists on the same page. Secondly, it has reorganized the most important activities on the site for easier navigation and usage with a clean, simple interface.

One Year Enough for Facebook to Triple its US Market Share

They say change is the only thing that is constant. While year 2009 has been fabulous for Facebook as it became the leading social network worldwide, MySpace has struggled to sustain its strong position that it enjoyed last year. The US market has embraced Facebook and distanced from MySpace ever since the former gained acceptance and adulation from the global social networking audience.

The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company grabbed a 59% market share in US according to online research firm Hitwise. On the contrary, MySpace managed to grab only 30% of the visits in September this year. If you still think that 30% is not bad, you are bound to get shocked after comparing MySpace’s performance during the same period last year.

Bollywood Celebs Become a Victim of Twitter

Businesses, average citizens, Hollywood superstars, sportsmen, and now Bollywood celebrities; the Twitter phenomenon is experiencing rapid growth amongst the top-notch personalities across the world. It has just been over a month, and Priyanka Chopra – a prominent celebrity from the Indian film industry – has become the latest sensation on Twitter.

With over 22,000 followers already, Priyanka Chopra has managed to use the micro-bogging site effectively to stay connected to her fans and friends, which include Mallika Sherawat and Gul Panag (also famous actresses from the Indian film industry).

How Users Tried to Popularize Jeff Hardy on Twitter

Twitter is considered as one of the most important social media sites today. Its use has been different for different user categories like individuals, businesses, celebrities, etc. Moreover, what has been surprising is the manner in which Twitter is used for promotional purposes.

For those who use Twitter, you would have come across ‘Trending Topics’ section at the right hand side of the site once you log in to your account. This section displays the most popular topics discussed by the ‘Twitterers’. The benefit of this is that the topic appears in front of millions of Twitteres all across the world. One such topic that was intentionally trying to be pushed lately was WWE star ‘Jeff Hardy’.

Twitter can be Dangerous to your Brand … Sometimes

Twitter has become a very important site for businesses today. As companies realize the power of Twitter in helping them connect with their present and potential customers, the micro-blogging service has created a strategic business position across the globe. There are already thousands of brands leveraging it as part of their social media activity, along with several others keen to use it for the first time.

However, like every coin has two sides, so does Twitter. Though it is beneficial in nature, it can also prove to be dangerous if not monitored and used effectively.

Twitter Records Fastest Growth in the UK

According to the latest figures released by Internet statistics firm Hitwise, Twitter has recorded a phenomenal growth in the UK. The micro-blogging site has popularized amongst the UK masses to such an extent that it attracted traffic 22-fold in just a year, being the fastest amongst all other sites.

With an increasing number of celebrities and top-notch personalities becoming members of Twitter since the last year, the site has gained tremendous media exposure. This exposure has helped it amass a number of new users and jump from its 969th position in 2008 to 38th in the UK today for generating traffic. In terms of popularity, Twitter grabbed the 5th position, as against 84th last year.

Twitter – Broadcast Yourself?

After reading this title, you are probably wondering that YouTube shed off its tagline and passed it on to Twitter, aren’t you? However, this is not the case. YouTube, the media-sharing site, is the most popular broadcasting mediums in the social media world today. But the rapidly growing micro-blogging site Twitter can also be an example of a broadcasting medium for people who use it in that way, instead of using it as a social networking site.

The population at Twitter can be segregated into different categories:

Social Networking Up 83% in a Year, Facebook Leads the Race

Nielsen Online released latest figures of the social networking industry, stating that the time spent on these sites jumped 83% from previous year in the U.S. While this may seem to be exciting news, the report also warns that the behavior of social networking users is erratic and can turn the tables for any popular social networking site.

Not surprisingly, Facebook led the race with about 700% increase in total time spent on the site by users. The mammoth year-on-year increase from 1.7 billion minutes in April 2008 to 13.9 billion in April 2009 made it the top performing social networking site in the category. Long term competitor MySpace slipped back 31%, while Twitter recorded a growth of over 3700%, as it can be seen from the table below.

Microsoft Integrates Twitter and Facebook with Xbox Live

Software giant Microsoft Inc. announced recently that social networking superstars Twitter and Facebook, together with Internet radio Last.fm are coming to the Xbox 360 gaming console. The announcements were made on the eve of a major Electronic Entertainment Expo trade gathering in Los Angeles, U.S.

Social networking and Xbox Live enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate as they will be able to access their Facebook and Twitter accounts through consoles. This means, users would have another medium to stay connected with their friends; besides desktops, notebooks, and smart phones.

MySpace is Popular, But Are Your Friends Out There?

One of the major reasons why MySpace is losing competition to Facebook is its inability to win the hearts of the overseas audience. No doubt it is still the leading social networking site in the US today, but when it comes to the global market share, it is Facebook that enjoys a dominant position. Moreover, the latter is also getting closer and closer to MySpace and can overtake it anytime now to achieve the first position in the US market.

According to comScore, it is Facebook that ranks as the top social networking site in the majority of European countries, where a massive chunk of the online social networking audience exists.