WhatsIn AName:Social Network

Naming Conventions

David BerkowitzBlog: MarketersStudio.com

Twitter: @dberkowitzApril 2009

facebook

The Questions Answered

• Are there naming conventions for top social networks?

• How do those top networks share by share of traffic?

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Methodology

• The social network names and traffic are based on Compete Inc’s Top 25 Social Networks, January 2009, available at blog.compete.com

• This report and the author have no affiliation with Compete

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

The Four Naming Conventions of Social Networks

1. Compound Words: Two real words joined together to create a new word

– ex. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn

2. Real Words: Dictionary-certified words (source for report: Dictionary.com)

– ex. Twitter, Tagged, Classmates

3. Made-up Words: Not found in the dictionary– ex: Imeem, Ning, Bebo

4. Based on Real Words: Sound-alikes or ficticious components added to it

– ex. Flixster, Hi5, Yahoo 360 (based on 360-degrees),

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Types of Names of Social Networks

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Social Networks Naming Convention by Share of Unique Visitors

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Social Networks Naming Convention by Share of Traffic

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Share of Naming in ReviewNetwork Type Share of Names Share of Uniques Share of Traffic

Compound 36% 66% 88%

Real Word 28% 19% 10%

Made up Word 24% 10% 3%

Based on Real Word 12% 3% 3%

* Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Parting Thoughts

• Are there any compound word domains you can buy?

• Correlation does not imply causation; the name doesn’t cause the differences in traffic.

Source: David Berkowitz, MarketersStudio.com

Contact David Berkowitz

Blog: MarketersStudio.com

Twitter: @dberkowitz

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dberkowitz

Email: marketersstudio@gmail.com