Topographic Snapshot of Social Networking in 2010

Social Marketing Platform FlowTown have created a JR Tolkien ’Middle Earth’-like topographic map / infographic of the main Social Networking / Social Media Players in 2010.

The top 8 places below come from the FlowTown data, while numbers 9 and 10 come from Wikipedia. It is interesting to see that even though the placings of the top 10 are pretty much the same, both sources disagree over the exact figures.

There are also some nebulous networks like Windows Live Spaces (120m) and country specific networks Vkontakte (Russia - 82m) and QZone (China - 200m) which I am excluding as they’re not properly global platforms; that leaves the following:

1. Facebook - 500 million members
2. Habbo - 178 million members
3. MySpace - 125 million members
4. Bebo - 117 million members
5. Friendster - 115 million members
6. Twitter - 114 million members
7. Orkut - 100 million members
8. LinkedIn - 75 million members
9. Hi5 - 70 million members
10. Badoo - 69 million members

As most staff members at Comrz have multiple accounts with many of these networks, the figures can probably be extrapolated and adjusted by as much as -10% if not more.

There is only one real surprise here - Habbo (formerly Habbo Hotel) is the number 2 ranked Social Network in the world. Most of you may not be aware of it, which is just as well really, as it is targeted at teens.

There are a number of other interesting statistics to be had in terms of changing patterns of access, particularly with something like Twitter, where often both the author and audience post and view their ’Tweets’ through some kind of app or 3rd party aggregator. Several Social Networks will simply evolve into some kind of data or feeder hub, with the actual ’live’ interaction taking place on a different platform and via a different medium.

There are huge changes afoot as we engage in more and more social networking activities through our Smart Phones. Google TV will further revolutionise these formats by channelling Social Media and Social Networking through the family lounge television.

Facebook may be way out in the lead at the moment, but the race is far from over, and anything can still happen...