MySpace is a very popular website for young adults, teens and preteens. If you are marketing to that group, you have probably wondered how to use MySpace for business purposes.
Another group that spends time on MySpace is men. All demographics of men visit MySpace. Selling products to those men is a real possibility and if done right, can make you real profits.
The best thing about using MySpace for business is that it's free. All you have to do is set up a page, and start building a network. Social networking is a hotbed of marketing opportunity. Marketers online are constantly coming up with new and increasingly ingenious ways to communicate and get messages delivered between customers and businesses. The web has changed the way we think, talk, act, respond and live our lives every day.
With the internet increasing the amount of human contact that we are capable of, you may also discover that it's easier to use social networks to build relationships with people who are in other states or even other countries.
This page provides well researched advice on how to use MySpace for business. Keep reading to learn what you can do to make using MySpace a profitable use of your time.
Interview with MySpace CEO, Owen Van Natta
This video runs for just over one minute and features a brief interview with Owen Van Natta, a former CEO at MySpace. This video was shot when he was still running the company and attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He believes that it's important for MySpace to connect with people from all different industries and areas.
Step 1: Make Sure the MySpace Culture Fits Your Business
MySpace is a social network with a very unique culture. Before getting started, you'll want to do some research and truly make sure that the type of people and types of communities on MySpace are indeed the ones you'd like to target.
MySpace users are brand loyal, and this may be important in making a decision whether or not to do business on MySpace.
This social network can work for businesses that are teen friendly and sell products like clothing, music and gadgets that they like. If your business doesn't cater to the MySpace demographic, finding another social network to use it by far your best option. Not only could your efforts prove ineffective; you could also lose future customers who view your lack of targeting as spam.
Step 2: Sign Up to Begin Connecting
When you've determined that MySpace is a good fit for your brand as well as your products and services, the next step is to sign up and start building connections with others. Simply visit MySpace.com and click the small, white "Sign Up" link on the top, right corner of the page. In order to sign up, you'll need to enter your email address, the password you'd like to use, your date of birth and your gender. From here, check the box to verify that you consent to MySpace's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and then click the Sign Up button. Note that you don't yet have to select your MySpace username which will also determine your MySpace URL. Though you don't have to have one in order to begin using the service, this is still the time to start thinking about what you might like it to be. Also note that if you're a musician, comedian or filmmaker, there are separate sign up page links for you on the right column of the regular sign up page.
Step 3: Set up Your MySpace Page
MySpace layouts can be a bit bizarre, due to its young demographic. However, there are some sites that offer free MySpace layouts that are plain or tailored for business.http://designmyspace.org Be sure to use a layout that will be appealing to your targeted demographic. For example, if you are selling videos, there are layouts especially for videos.
It's also possible to customize your MySpace layout with elements that are suited to your business image. Since the majority of people you are dealing with on MySpace are under 30, you will need to take that into account, and not choose a layout that is too stodgy or too plain. If you are older, and do not really understand the MySpace culture, it would be wise to hire someone familiar with the site to design your page.
Optional Step: Buy Advertising
One way to get your name and brand out to your audience fast and without being accused of spamming is simply by advertising your company, products and services on MySpace. Fortunately, MySpace offers several different ways to help you target people most interested in your individual type of business. You can buy ad packages that consist of a pre-determined number of different types of ad space or have a custom package designed just for you. MySpace also offers high impact splash page takeovers that offer a more powerful form of page branding than simple banner ads or sidebar ads can provide.http://www.myspace.com/yourAudienceIsHere To get started, click the "Advertise" link at the bottom of the MySpace.com home page.
