Top 20 Social Media Sites

Social Media sites are some of the most popular on the web. Everyone has now figured out the benefits to being a part of Social Media sites. But what Social Media sites are worth taking the time to use? This list of the Top 20 Social Media Sites should help you figure out which Social Media platforms will help expose your business to the masses rather than waste your time.

1. Facebook

Visits: 38.89%

Facebook has emerged as the number one Social Media site on the web in a very short time. The ability to have a sophisticated profile with advanced networking techniques is what sets Facebook apart from the pack. From day-to-day communication and posting to advertising and marketing, FB is the center of many internet users online experience. Facebook has implemented smart advertising techniques that gear products and services to users interests. As many of the other start-ups and Social Media platforms struggle to monetize their applications the ability to make money will keep Facebook in forefront of Social Networking sites.

Website: Facebook.com

2. MySpace

Visits: 23.85%

MySpace is a Social Networking site that is now owned by Fox Interactive Media. MySpace formerly lead the Social Media sites in unique visits but was passed by Facebook in April 2008. There are over 100 million user accounts added to MySpace. The websites Music section has become a starting ground for many up and coming musicians and sets MySpace apart from it's competitors.

Website: MySpace.com

3. YouTube

Visits: 13.68%

YouTube is a video sharing site owned by Google. Registered users can upload and share their videos for the general public to view. YouTube has allowed some average Joes to become very famous through their videos (see: Afro Ninja, Charlie Bit My Finger). YouTube has come under fire in recent years for the amount of copywritten material posted to it's site. Since it is up to the user to determine whether or not the video they are posting is acceptable under copyright laws YouTube has been forced to put in place methods to discourage the publishing of copywritten video.  To this date no standard or punishment has been handed down on either YouTube or it's users.

Website: YouTube.com

4. Tagged

Visits: 1.57%

Tagged is a Social Networking site founded in 2004. The website initially targeted high school students but is now open to anyone 13 years and older. The sites users build and customize profiles, send messages, leave comments, post bulletins, post their status, browse photos, watch videos, play games, give gifts, give tags, chat and make friends.

Website: Tagged.com

5. Twitter

Visits: 1.42%

Twitter is a Social Networking and Micro-Blogging application that allows users to post and read "tweets". Tweets can only be 140 characters or less and may only be written in text format. The main difference between Twitter and other Social Media applications is the one-way friending system used. Unlike Facebook and MySpace two people cannot be "friends", instead you may "Follow" another user and they may or may not "Follow" you back. When you choose to follow another user their Tweets will show up on your page. Many users use SMS or third-party application to post their tweets.

Website: Twitter.com

6. Yahoo! Answers

Visits: 1.24%

Yahoo! Answers is a community driven website that allows users to post question that are open to the public to answer. The website was launched in 2005 and has given members a chance to earn points by asking and answering questions. As of Dec. 2006 there were 65 million answers posted to the website. Yahoo! Answers is a continuation of the previous Ask Yahoo! project.

Website: Anwers.Yahoo.com

7. myYearbook

Visits: 0.82%

myYearbook is a free Social Networking site mostly popular in the United States of America. Over 90% of it's user base resides in the USA. It's popularity around the world is growing as new memberships from the USA count for 75% while the rest of the world counts for the remaining 25% of new member sign ups. myYearbook allows you to use many features of the website without being a member.

Website: myYearbook.com

8. Yahoo! Groups

Visits: 0.57%

Yahoo! Groups is a community driven online communication tool. Groups is somewhat of a mixture of E-Mail and an online Forum. Group messages can be posted or read through E-Mail clients or on the website itself. Members can sign up and join a group in which they can post and read content posted by other members of the same group. This allows users with the same interests to collaborate on a subject and to get information from other users they may not have otherwise met. Yahoo! Groups is the most popular of the three groups application with Google Groups and Windows Live Groups being far less popular.

Website: Yahoo! Groups

9. Yahoo! Profiles

Visits: 0.56%

Yahoo! Profiles allow users to do anything within the network of Yahoo! sites. Users must first make a Yahoo! Profile before joining Groups or participating in the Answers application. There are a whole suite of Yahoo! websites, email, and applications that can be accessed with a Yahoo! Profile.

Website: Yahoo! Profiles

10. Windows Live Home

Visits: 0.45%

Windows Live Home is a web-portal that is part of the Microsoft Windows Live services. Much like Yahoo! Profiles and Google Accounts, anything within the Windows Live suite of services, including the popular E-Mail service Hotmail, can be accessed with a Windows Live account.

Website: Windows Live

11. Classmates

Visits: 0.41%

Classmates is one of the longest running Social Networking sites on the web. Since it's inception in 1995 Classmates.com has amassed over 40 million users in the USA and Canada. This Social Media platform allows users to find and contact friends from different networks such as kindergarten, primary school, high school, college, work, or the United States military. Classmates also owns the Names Database.

Website: Classmates.com

12. Mylife

Visits: 0.36%

MyLife is a Social Networking service founded as Reunion.com in 2002. Founder Jeffery Tinsley met his wife at his high school reunion and promptly bought out highschoolalumni.com and PlanetAlumni.com to begin his web application encouraging others to keep in touch with relatives, friends, and lost loves.

Website: MyLife.com

13. MocoSpace

Visits: 0.34%

MocoSpace is a Mobile Social Network which allows users to interact with mobile devices. The sites features are similar to other Social Networking sites but incorporates the use of SMS and other mobile technologies. Included in the sites features are mobile chat, instant messaging, photo and video sharing, as well as forums. MocoSpace is now the biggest Mobile Social Network in the USA with over 6 million active users.

Website: MocoSpace.com

14. MySpaceTV

Visits: 0.31%

MySpace launched MySpaceTV in early 2007 to compete with the Google owned YouTube. Aspirations include an actual standard television channel shown on television.

Website: Vids.MySpace.com

15. Meebo

Visits: 0.29%

Meebo is an in-browser instant messaging program which runs on Ajax. Meebo supports many IM services like Yahoo! Messenger, .NET Messenger Service, AIM, ICQ, MySpaceIM, Facebook Chat, and Jabber. The project is based on a free and open source library called libpurple. Meebo created a version for iPhone and an application for Android phones.

Website: Meebo.com

16. BlackPlanet.com

Visits: 0.26%

Black Planet is an online Social Networking site geared towards the African American community. Black Planet was launched in 1999 and as of June 2007 the website had 16.5 million members. In April of 2008 Black Planet and it's parent company were purchased for 38 million dollars.

Website: BlackPlanet.com

17. Club Penguin

Visits: 0.26%

Club Penguin is an online virtual world that includes a range of online games and activities. Cartoon Penguins are used as avatars and players can waddle around, chat, play minigames, and participate in activities with each other. Club Penguin's success was the determining factor in the Walt Disney Company's 350 million dollar purchase of New Horizon. The online game is designed for children between the ages of 6 and 14.

Website: ClubPenguin.com

18. LinkedIn

Visits: 0.25%

LinkedIn is a social networking site that is mainly used for professional networking. Users can post job and professional information as well as resumes and portfolios using different application available. Users maintain a list of contacts called Connections. As of July, 2009 LinkedIn had more than 43 million registered users.

Website: LinkedIn.com

19. Gaiaonline.com

Visits: 0.24%

Gaia Online is an online hangout that includes social networking, forums, and a virtual world. The site is anime-themed and was founded in 2003. In July 2007, Gaia released Gaia Cash that can be bought at stores such as Wal-Mart and 711 or directly from Gaia itself. Members use gold acquired through games, forums, or bonuses to purchase items for their customizable avatar and virtual home. Over a million posts are made daily on the forums and the website gets over 7 million unique visitors monthly.

Website: GaiaOnline.com

20. Bebo

Visits: 0.23%

Bebo is an acronym for "Blog early, Blog often". The website is a Social Networking platform founded in early 2005. AOL purchased Bebo for 850 million dollars in March of 2008. Bebo profiles and features are very similar to those of other Social Netowrking websites.

Website: Bebo.com

** All of the stats on this page have been taken from Hitwise.com for the week ending 08/15/2009.