Facebook is floundering. But is it floundering as much as we think there is? Is there an easy fix to this sinking ship or should you get on a lifeboat? We explore here.
Is the younger audience there?
If actions speak louder than words, then we would have to say no. Not only has Facebook openly admitted this over the past few years with quarterly review after quarterly review, but their attempts to appeal to this younger demographic are so plain it’s a little cringeworthy. The biggest one is clearly VR and the Metaverse, which Zuckerberg seems to think is his golden ticket to attracting younger users. That’s arguable. What’s reported of the admittedly new Metaverse isn’t impressing anyone, no matter the demographic, but it’s hard to see why a population that is famously glued to their phones would want to upgrade to a headset. Can you see teenagers walking around town with a headset on?
But the attempts to attract younger audiences are also seen on a smaller scale, mainly in replicating features from other platforms. TikTok. They copy TikTok. Reels, most recently branded reels, is the most blatant attempt at this.
Is the influencer there?
Well, unfortunately, in the social media ecosystem, one feed into the other. If there are no young people on the site, there isn’t likely to be many influencers. Listening to influencers elsewhere (YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) when they mention Facebook, you’re likely to hear the phrase “I have it but I don’t really use it”. That’s because neither does their audience.
Meta is clearly trying to change that too. They introduced a creator fund that was met with a resounding “Okay”. Good for those that were there, but in comparison, Twitch announced a revenue split change and it made mainstream news (and was the talk of the entire streaming and commentary community on Twitch and YouTube) for at least a week. Since then, the branded reels launched lately has been another attempt that has had most of us asking “Who would use that?”
Well, there is in fact one answer. Facebook is the pioneer of one concept that has since been adopted by the likes of Reddit and TikTok: communities. A place where people can find their people. This has helped give rise to the micro-influencer: a smaller influencer with a dedicated audience behind them. They are usually the leader of a dedicated niche, like hobbies, lifestyles, identifiers, etc. and there’s a wealth of them on Facebook because Facebook Groups are well designed and specific.
Who is Facebook made for?
Well, in its current state, ignoring Meta’s repeated attempts to attract younger audiences and bigger influencers, there is a demographic on Facebook. It tends to be older, but that could suit you. There are in fact brands that don’t suit aiming for the younger demographic, like insurance, banking, cleaning supplies, childcare, betting, etc.
Facebook might not be the place for influencers, but you can bet that it’s the place for brands. There is an audience there, even if the influencer aspect isn’t catering to them. On the other hand, the big three for brands has always been, and still remains, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And it’s likely to stay that way due to the fact that they get results, perhaps with TikTok squeezing its way onto that list.
In terms of an audience, again, despite attempts to change this, Facebook is for family. You go to Instagram to chat to your friends, you go to Facebook to check in on the family, and you go to Twitter and TikTok for the wider world. Facebook is the family platform. This means a lot of people looking to keep in touch with the grandkids, lots of parents trying to contact teenagers in college, lots of young professionals trying to convince employers that they have never had a drink in their life, and lots of new mothers on community pages. Those are the demographics that brands are looking to hit. And there is room for expansion in there. Cars, finance, alcohol, travel, nights out, etc. are all things that the younger demographic can’t even think about until they start moving into adulthood.
Don’t want to get off this ship?
So, say you are one of these brands who could benefit from a piece of that more mature demographic, how do you appeal to them?
- User generated content: There is a massive influx on Facebook to essentially be your own influencer. People create and comment with their own content, which you can then promote on your branded Facebook page to a wider audience.
- Micro influencers: if you can infiltrate a Group on Facebook with a micro influencer, you’re very likely to see positive changes in your results from a dedicated audience.
- Short form video content: Facebook keep copying TikTok, so you should too. If you have any content that was made for the sake of short-form video content platforms like TikTok, just post it on Facebook for an easy piece of content and another audience to tap into.
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