How Do Users Spend Time Online? A Pew Study [HINT: Don’t Ditch Your MySpace Page]
(UPDATED) Cleaning up email lists and updating MySpace pages are still important for musicians and marketers, according to a new Pew study of U.S. internet users which showed that Email and search remain the top two activities. The May 2011 Pew Internet survey found that 92% of online adults use search engines to find information on the Web, including 59% who do so on a typical day. This places search at the top of the list of most popular online activities among U.S. adults. But it is not alone at the top. Among online adults, 92% use email, with 61% using it on an average day. MORE plus CHARTS:
So while Facebook, Twitter and social media have broaden artist to fan communications, email is still the best way to reach out to many fans. Why MySpace? Traffic is down, but MySpace still shows up near the top of most artist search results. If potential new fans click on that link and the band's page hasn't been updated for months… Also read Clyde's great post: Even Überhip Pitchfork Acts Still Use MySpace.
Take a look at the Pew stats:
Okay, so a MySpace shows up at the top of an artist’s search results? More reason to delete your MySpace page. Have your actual website be at the top of the search results.. I don’t know anyone who still uses MySpace. It’s gone. People have moved on to other better social networks and you should go where the fans are.
It’s sad that artists generally don’t send any replies anymore to messages written to them on myspace.
When you don’t want your friends to know you secretly like one artist’s music, facebook is not the way to contact them and ask questions about their new album.