| According to a recent Nielsen/NetRatings survey, 46 | | | | celebrities are no exception. They can now |
| million people visited MySpace in July 2006, each | | | | communicate with their fans without having to give out |
| spending an average of two hours and 15 minutes on | | | | their personal information. Now when they meet their |
| the site. So what makes MySpace so popular? First it | | | | fans they can say "look me up on MySpace and send |
| lets users create their own free profile, including photos, | | | | me a message!"Larger-than-life celebrities use |
| videos, and music. Users can also completely | | | | MySpace to promote themselves. Madonna, for |
| customize the layout, colors, and text of their profiles | | | | instance, posts news about her latest album releases, |
| including blogs, event announcements, bulletin posts, | | | | song downloads, screen savers, and more on her |
| and more.Extremely popular with teens and young | | | | profile. Recently it linked to so fans could vote for her |
| adults, MySpace is part of a growing new trend on the | | | | in the five MTV Video Music Awards categories she |
| Internet of "social networking" sites. Although there are | | | | was nominated for. Celebrities like Madonna make no |
| multiple social networking sites online including | | | | qualms about using MySpace as a savvy marketing |
| Friendster, Facebook, and Xanga. MySpace is the | | | | and promotional tool. As of this article she had 71,752 |
| most popular. It also has the most celebrities as real | | | | friends linked to her profile and 19,214 comments! And |
| members. MySpace is so popular, in fact, that News | | | | that doesn't even count the hundreds if not thousands |
| Corp. bought it for $580 million.Celebrities know that | | | | of messages and new friend requests she probably |
| one of the benefits of being on MySpace is that when | | | | receives on a daily basis.However, many celebrities |
| they make a post to their MySpace blog talking about | | | | actually set up their profiles themselves, read their |
| something they're working on or announce an event | | | | messages, and respond to fans directly. Janice |
| such as a live appearance or autograph signing, their | | | | Dickinson, the former "love her or hate her" judge on |
| messages will be viewed directly by their fans without | | | | "America's Next Top Model" has her own profile. She |
| having to rely on email lists, spend a lot of money on | | | | used it to announce casting calls for her reality show |
| advertising, etc. that may or may not get their | | | | "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" on Oxygen, |
| message out in time.To being contacting celebrities | | | | and lists Jose Canseco as one of her top friends. |
| using MySpace, first set up your profile. Then you invite | | | | Adult star Jenna Jameson uses her profile to blog |
| your friends to link their profiles to yours - and that's | | | | about her life and show off photos of herself with |
| when the fun begins! Most of the people linking to you | | | | stars like Paris Hilton. And yes, Paris has her own |
| and to your friends will have the same interests, live in | | | | profile too (with sister Nikki Hilton as one of her friends, |
| the same town, etc. So it's a great way to keep in | | | | of course!).To set up your own MySpace profile, visit |
| touch with old friends and also make new ones, which | | | | and click on Sign Up in the top right-hand corner. From |
| is why MySpace is called a "social networking" site. | | | | there, fill out the information it asks for and follow the |
| Think of it like six degrees of separation (but in | | | | rest of the instructions. After you've set up your profile, |
| actuality it's more like three degrees online!).Although | | | | you can download profile templates from sites like |
| MySpace is currently used mostly by teens, more | | | | MyGen. Do a search on Google for "myspace profile |
| young adults and adults are signing up every day | | | | templates" to find other similar sites.After you've set up |
| (including celebrities). So despite what you may have | | | | your own MySpace profile, you can send private |
| heard about old men setting up profiles on MySpace | | | | messages to celebrities you find after you add them |
| to lure young children, most people use it to keep in | | | | as friends. Since most celebrities understand that when |
| touch with other people like themselves and to make | | | | you add them as friends to your profile they may gain |
| new friends. You can search for people by zip code, | | | | additional fans among your friends as well, they'll |
| city, high school, college, networking category | | | | usually approve your friend request even though they |
| (marketing, publishing, etc.), and more. This lets you find | | | | don't know you. You can also post a comment on their |
| other people you already know or would like to meet, | | | | page that includes your picture. In fact, a great way to |
| because they share either the same background or | | | | request a free autographed photo from the star is to |
| the same interests, career, or hobbies you | | | | send he or she a message. Simply ask for an |
| do.MySpace allows its users to share intimate details | | | | autographed photo, and be sure to include your name |
| about their life (sometimes a little too intimate!) that you | | | | and address!For a list of constantly updated celebrity |
| would perhaps never learn without it since most | | | | profiles on MySpace, visit our profile at MySpace.com |
| people put on airs in person. As society becomes | | | | contactanycelebrityJordan McAuley is the Founder and |
| more and more socially cut off with technological | | | | President of Contact Any Celebrity at a research firm |
| advances like caller id, email, and text messages, | | | | that provides accurate contact information for over |
| people are now looking for more and more ways to | | | | 54,000 celebrities and public figures to fans, nonprofits, |
| connect on a personal level while still utilizing "cool" | | | | authors, businesses, and the media. |
| technology. MySpace lets them do just that, and | | | | |