Today’s post is written by Clairemont intern, Emma Kirkpatrick.
We’ve all heard it – chatter that Facebook is slowly dying and is doomed to become the next MySpace. But before you go and break up with Facebook, consider this. Yes, more and more users, specifically young teenagers, are trading in their Facebook accounts for newer social media platforms, such as Instagram and WhatsApp. But let’s not forget who owns these apps—Facebook.
Social Media and the Changing Environment
And why did Facebook decide to buy these apps? With its steady user base and enormous funds, Facebook is changing and adapting to the new social media environment where it is not the only social network anymore. In more recent years, an average social media user navigates between multiple platforms, including Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Facebook Is Still Distinctive
But what makes Facebook different from these newer platforms? Channels like Snapchat allow users to post pictures that will disappear and be forgotten after a few seconds or hours. On the other hand, Facebook aims to allow users to post photos designed to be remembered, such as weddings, graduations and family reunions. Each platform’s goals and functionalities differ, helping to further distinguish them.
The Cool Factor
Teenagers might say that Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram are the “in” platforms and Facebook just isn’t cool anymore. But according to Business Insider’s article in 2013 when Facebook seemed to be diminishing, Mark Zuckerberg said, “People assume that we’re trying to be cool. It’s never been my goal. I’m the least cool person there is! We’re almost 10 years old so we’re definitely not a niche thing any more so that kind of angle for coolness is done for us.”
Instead of trying to be the trendy site that relies on the cool factor to attract users, Facebook is trying to build a lasting product to compete in the same market with platforms such as Google.
Trampling the Competition
Recent data shows that Facebook continues to squash the competition in social media traffic referrals. This may be because businesses and companies still rely heavily on Facebook for marketing strategies and endorsement activities.
So even though there are new channels, tools and platforms popping up daily, Facebook isn’t dying anytime soon.
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