14 DAY TRIAL // While the demographic difference between MySpace and Facebook is 'apparent' to anyone who has used the two social networks even briefly, now we have the actual data to back up any empirical observations. According to Nielsen, Facebook is much more likely to be used by more affluent people while MySpace appeals more to the common man in the US. However, users of any social network do tend to be more affluent and urban than the average American.
“Nielsen’s online data shows that about half of the U.S. population visited a social networking website in the last year and that number grows every quarter,” Wils Corrigan, AVP of research and development for Nielsen Claritas, said. “The rising popularity of these sites and the deep engagement consumers have with them has advertisers and marketers asking for more and more detail as to which lifestyles should be targeted for their online advertising and promotions.”
Nielsen uses Claritas to provide stats for 66 different demographic and behavioral groups. The report shows that, on average, when it comes to affluence, Facebook owners are 25 percent more likely to be in the upper third of the lifestyle segments the research firm has created. At the same time MySpace users are 37 percent more likely to be in the bottom third segment, relating to wealth. Another interesting aspect is that Facebook users are also much more likely to use LikedIn, a social network geared at professionals and business uses, than MySpace ones.
When it comes to blogging and microblogging, there doesn't seem to be as much of a distinction relating to affluence but the users do tend to be more urban, i.e. from large cities like New York or San Francisco. There is also a correlation between bloggers and social networks as they are more likely to use Facebook and LikendIn than the rest of those surveyed.