Facebook, the No. 2 social network Website, will soon announce that it will open up its virtual doors to anyone with an e-mail address. While the move will broaden its appeal for advertisers, Facebook will not threaten MySpace's dominance anytime soon.
Users will be able to join one of 500 worldwide regional networks that Facebook is creating. Previously, membership was limited to college students, high school students and employees of select businesses.
The move will help Facebook, which is a distant second to MySpace, the dominant player in the space. Facebook was visited by 14 million people in the US in July, while MySpace attracted more than 54 million, according to comScore Media Metrix.
But don't expect Facebook to experience a meteoric rise in new memberships. Facebook spokeswoman Melanie Deitch said members will be allowed to join only one regional network at a time. They don't have to live in that specific region, but they won't be able to join multiple regional networks. That may turn off some people accustomed to the openness of MySpace.
In addition, some people may also be turned off by the uproar over a recent move by Facebook that allows users to see, in real time, what their friends and even people they don't know are doing or posting on the site. Users rebelled, saying the move infringed on their privacy. Late last week, Facebook installed new privacy settings allowing people to limit who sees the information.
The site will appeal to people who previously couldn't join their friends on Facebook because they didn't have a college e-mail address, Ms. Deitch said. "We're not trying to be like other social networks, where it's like 'get every eyeball in town,'" she said during a briefing with eMarketer. No specific marketing initiatives are planned to boost membership, she added.
Broadening the membership base will give Facebook greater reach in the young adult demographic. That, combined with its recent deal giving Microsoft the right to sell all display advertising on the site, could boost Facebook's appeal with advertisers somewhat.
eMarketer projects that sites including Facebook, Friendster and Bebo will generate a combined $35 million in US ad revenue this year. MySpace is expected to generate $180 million.
Opening up the site to a broader audience was not part of the Microsoft negotiations, Ms. Deitch said.