You might have read the widely circulated Mashable article, I’m 13 and None of My Friends Use Facebook, with insight from a middle schooler about her social media usage—primarily Twitter and Tumblr—and her lack of interest in Facebook.
As the middle school contributor puts it, “We want what’s trending, and if Facebook isn’t ‘trending,’ teens won’t care.” She isn’t the only teen dropping Facebook. It has been reported that Facebook’s numbers are declining among younger users, as they move on to Snapchat, Vine, Instagram (owned by Facebook) and Tumblr. What does this mean for marketers?
First, knowing where your audience currently spends time is critical. For a b-to-c brand trying to connect with teenagers, Tumblr and Instagram might be the most important channels but they shouldn’t eliminate Facebook either. Instead, these companies should continue to track analytics closely and, if necessary, expand their horizons by adding more tools to their social media arsenal.
Many of our clients fall into the b-to-b technology industry where Twitter is often the preferred social media platform for customer engagement. However, some have a healthy presence on Facebook and LinkedIn as well. Based on the business, social media strategies need to be tailored and continually refreshed to successfully reach and connect with key audiences.
Most importantly, companies need to be fluid with social media, especially as user adoption and the sites themselves change frequently. While it can be productive to have a social media plan in place, it is imperative to be flexible in modifying that plan as consumer engagement fluctuates.
While Facebook’s audiences are massive, it is important for marketers to diversify their social media approach. Social media will continue to transform, but focusing on building relationships, engaging with connections on various platforms and adapting quickly to change will help businesses follow the crowd, whether that be teens or Fortune 500 enterprises.