MySpace and the 80/20 Rule

Feb 26th, 2006 | By Joe Taylor Jr. | Category: Growing Your Audience

VayderX points us at an article from ABC that asks whether MySpace is really as popular as the media claim it is.

Of course not!

There’s a mathematic equation you might have heard called the “Pareto Principle.” It states that, in whatever we do, we get 80% of our results from 20% of our effort. And, in general, you can apply this 80/20 rule to all kinds of things.

So, when the folks ABC talked to state that less than 20% of MySpace’s “friends” are actual repeat visitors of the site, that strikes me about right.

What you have to ask, though, is whether the 20% of the folks on MySpace that are opinion leaders are the same 20% of YOUR audience that can make things happen for you.

If MySpace is your primary method of promoting your band, try this:

Find four other things you can do THIS WEEK to get the word out. Then spend equal amounts of time on each one. That way, if MySpace is really your best promotional tool, you’ll still get 80% of your results from 20% of your efforts. However, if one of the new things you try helps you expand your list or sell some CDs, you’ll discover how to rework your calendar to keep bringing those results in.

Track these topics: music+business, myspace