A recent study by Princeton University predicts Facebook could die by 2017.
If the Facebook “infection” were to track the same course as a disease, the study states it would peak and users would lose interest.
Social Media Expert Kris Ruby, President of Social Media & PR Agency Ruby Media Group, weighs in on FOX Business Money with Melissa Francis. Watch the full segment here.
Kris Ruby, Ruby Media Group, Expert Opinion:
Facebook is here to stay, but the glam and glitz appeal of the Facebook platform has faded because it has lost its younger demographic following.
The appeal of the network has faded and its losing its younger demographic to rival platforms.
The most important part of this study for business owners to know is that whether Facebook comes or goes, social media is here to stay.
You still need to invest in content creation as part of your digital marketing strategy.
The only thing that will change is which network you post to.
We saw this with the decline of MySpace and will continue to see it with new trending social media networks as the industry evolves and matures.
Networks come and go; but marketing is a consistent process.
The tactics change, but the practice of obtaining visibility does not.
People will always look for new ways to get found and discovered on the Internet.
Facebook will need to evolve with rapid product innovation in order to grow market share or it will die out.
In business, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.
The same is true in social media marketing.
Has Facebook hit its peak of popularity?
Facebook hit peak popularity among a younger demographic.
Facebook’s chief financial officer David Ebersman admitted on an earnings call with analysts that Facebook had seen a decrease in daily users, specifically among younger teens.
Diseases stop spreading when they reach a saturation point, and Facebook has reached this point.
The growth metrics for the younger market are on the decline and if Facebook does not innovate and appeal to this market, there will be long term sustainability issues.
According to a study by istrategylabs, Facebook Lost Over 11 Million Young Users Since 2011.
However, this is not necessarily a bad thing for marketers targeting a different demographic.
The 55+ baby boomer audience is the fastest growing demographic on social media.
As a luxury-marketing agency, this is a positive for brands looking to reach this demographic.
This is the group marketers want to mass market to that has discretionary income to spend.
So yes, Facebook may have hit its peak of popularity with teens, but for marketers who want to reach an older demographic, this is a hyper-targeted way to do so.
Is Facebook going through a bubonic plague?
Like the bubonic plague, Facebook could die out as users become immune to its influence.
The same could be said for all social media in general, above and beyond Facebook.
You hear people say, “I’m hoping to get off Facebook,” when referring to its addictive nature.
However, regarding the study, it is important to keep in mind that it is based solely on Google search data.
“John Cannarella and Joshua Spechler, from the US university’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department, based their prediction on the number of times Facebook is typed into Google as a search term.”
A majority of users now access Facebook using mobile apps rather than through a browser, which may skew the data.
It is not peer-reviewed either, meaning other academics have not had the opportunity to challenge and critique the findings of the study before publication.
Are there certain trends that show Facebook is losing more than gaining more followers?
Yes, it has a major teen appeal problem.
What will the next Facebook be?
Where will all of those lost users go next?
In my opinion, lost users will migrate to Instagram.
Instagram is currently the world’s fastest-growing social network.
According to research by the GlobalWebIndex, Instagram is growing the fastest of all social media sites worldwide, increasing its active user base by 23% in the last six months.
As one user noted, Instagram is a place to post photos of the things that you like the most, not the things that you dislike.
It is also more visually stimulating.
To book Kris Ruby for an upcoming segment, contact kruby @ rubymediagroup.com
2023 UPDATE: Facebook is still rapidly growing and developing new products.
Since the initial date of publication, Facebook is now known as Meta.
KRIS RUBY is the CEO of Ruby Media Group, an award-winning public relations and media relations agency in Westchester County, New York. Kris Ruby has more than 15 years of experience in the Media industry. She is a sought-after media relations strategist, content creator and public relations consultant. Kris Ruby is also a national television commentator and political pundit and she has appeared on national TV programs over 200 times covering big tech bias, politics and social media. She is a trusted media source and frequent on-air commentator on social media, tech trends and crisis communications and frequently speaks on FOX News and other TV networks. She has been featured as a published author in OBSERVER, ADWEEK, and countless other industry publications. Her research on brand activism and cancel culture is widely distributed and referenced. She graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication with a major in public relations and is a founding member of The Young Entrepreneurs Council. She is also the host of The Kris Ruby Podcast Show, a show focusing on the politics of big tech and the social media industry. Kris is focused on PR for SEO and leveraging content marketing strategies to help clients get the most out of their media coverage.