MySpace And Facebook Need Money… Look For Stupid People… Find Them

MySpace and Facebook have built giant franchises in the wake of the dotcom crash, and have done so mainly by understanding the web in a way that early busters didn’t. A lot of companies tried to take the internet by storm with products and services that might be useful to people and so on, but none of them had marketing strategies that included, “post drunk pictures of yourself where all the world can see them.” In retrospect, you can hardly imagine what they were thinking.

But, the two big names in online self-promotion started out with business models that only got as far as getting millions of page views a day. That done, they need to get some money in the mix. They obviously take in advertising revenue, but there’s got to be more money out there.

MySpace has teamed up with WB.com, and it’s a potentially good move for both companies. MySpace has untold thousands of people stupid enough… well, to be MySpace members, and the WB makes a lot of really stupid shows that millions of people watch. The partnership is going to involve “channels” on MySpace for shows like One Tree Hill, and oddly enough the no longer on the air OC, among others. But, the real whopper here is the made-for-online-broadcast-only new series Sorority Forever.

Here’s the tantalizing pitch from WB.com-

“Phi Chi Kappa is the hottest sorority on campus. For every freshmen girl, getting in seems like a dream come true, but there are mysteries around every corner of the Phi Chi House. Behind the sex, the drama, and the beautiful people lies a terrifying secret.”

You’re in love already, aren’t you? I was going to include a trailer for the show here, but I’m just going to put the first episode in. It’s only a minute longer than the trailer anyway. Seriously. This new show airs weekdays at 9:00am, shows released at the MySpace page, and the “episodes” are about 2 minutes long. I admit to watching the first two episodes, only because I have this great excuse. Not only is it a sorority show with one rambunctious, blonde hottie who is so not at all into being in the stupid sorority in the first place, but there is apparently something nasty in the basement. It looks AWESOME!!!

Sorority Forever: Episode 2 “Terrible Mistake”

Meanwhile, over at Facebook they aren’t quite leveraging themselves with TV studios… yet. Why bother? It’s a little hard to pin down an exact number, but according to recent reports (and an investment companies blog) Facebook is selling about $35 million a year in $1 “virtual gifts” to its members. For the minuscule sum of 1 US dollar, you can send your friends a little picture.

Take a look at what you can get for your money. Now, don’t let the limited editions run out on you either.

Now, okay, I admit I’m on Facebook. Or, as I think I’m supposed to say… I Facebook. But, it’s only because I have my own country, and I have something like $18 billion dollars, depending on which goofy app I’m looking at today. I used to have a cool orc buddy, but no one would join my freakin’ clan. But, just listen for a second… 35… million… dollars.

But…

Go buy Spore.

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