# Are social networking sites the next vehicle for advertisers? By Greg Ponesse | Published 2006-04-14 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/are-social-networking-sites-the-next-vehicle-for-advertisers References: [nypost](http://www.nypost.com/business/66870.htm) [MySpace](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/noplace-app), [Facebook](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-facebook-metaverse) and other [social-networking sites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-networking-platform) are all the rage, but they're having to hustle to get advertisers on board. These sites, which let users create home pages, blog and message friends online, are attractive to advertisers because of their rapid growth and young audience. The leaders, MySpace and Facebook, attract more than 5 million new users a month. (MySpace is owned by News Corp., which also owns The Post.) But advertisers and analysts also question whether social networks can move beyond the hype and into mainstream marketing. The trick seems to be coming up with less formal and invasive forms of advertising that will appeal to young, tech-savvy users. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 69% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Internet](https://www.trendhunter.com/internet) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Less Invasive Advertising:** The challenge for advertisers is to create less formal and invasive forms of advertising that will appeal to young, tech-savvy users. - **Targeted Advertising:** Social networking sites offer an opportunity for targeted advertising, given their user data and demographic information. - **Influencer Marketing:** Social networking sites may be an effective platform for influencer marketing and collaboration with social media influencers. ### Where This Applies - **Marketing and Advertising:** Social networking sites present a new opportunity for marketing and advertising firms to develop more effective, less intrusive advertising strategies. - **Social Media:** Social media platforms, such as MySpace and Facebook, continue to grow and offer new ways for users to connect and engage with one another and with brands. - **Technology:** Advanced marketing and advertising technologies will be needed to help advertisers leverage social networking sites and create effective ads for young, tech-savvy users. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Location-Based Social Media Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spotselfie.md) - [Dynamic Metaverse Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metaverse-billboard.md) - [New Streaming Service Formats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/streaming-services1.md) - [Social Networking Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/internet-social-caf.md) - [College-Focused Social Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiktoks-campus-verification.md) - [Youth Metaverse Advertising Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roblox-pubmatic.md) - [Metaverse Advertising Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nft-plazas.md) - [Promotional Link-Sharing Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superlink.md) - [Interest-Based Social Networking](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/phnk.md)