Well, the facts don’t lie. This year, for the first time, less than half of US internet users ages 12 to 17 will use Facebook at least once per month. New users being added to Facebook are from older age groups. eMarketer estimates Facebook will lose 2 million users ages 24 and younger this year. Where are they going?
The move to Instagram by younger people seems the obvious answer but eMarketer said it expects Instagram to add only 1.6 million users under the age of 25 this year. Snapchat is expected to add 1.9 million users in the same demographic and by year’s end, it’s expected to be the leader in users in the 12 to 24 age group.
And for those older users who never quite got Snapchat, the platform is being redesigned for easier use. Of course, if older folks find Snapchat, younger users might move on like they did on Facebook.
Another issue that Facebook is facing is the backlash from advertisers threatening to pull ads from both Facebook if the platform continues to provide a space for hate, creating division or failing to protect children.
Staying cool is hard. And as always, marketers need to stay on top of these changes and experiment with new media to reach their audience.
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