June 21, 2007

How Consumers Use Social Networks

This is the first document in the "Social Networking" series.

by Charlene Li

with Josh Bernoff, Cynthia N. Pflaum, Sarah Glass

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have seen tremendous growth over the past two years, attracting a young and engaged audience. Frequent users of these social networking sites not only engage in more activities and have a more positive attitude about these sites, but they are also far more interested in profiles from their favorite companies. Marketers interested in reaching their audiences on social networking sites should: 1) dispense with traditional Web marketing tactics, 2) encourage "friending," and 3) regularly refresh content.