The Decline of Facebook
If you ask any marketer, Facebook is a necessary evil. Use it right and you'll develop a sales pipeline. But that success is going to cost you in sanity, money, and grey hairs over their poor customer service. Facebook is losing popularity—and fast. Even before the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook usage dropped at a steady 5% for six months. Yet, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter users all increased. Phil Pallen has compiled his thoughts as to why Facebook isn’t speaking to users. He says:-
1. Facebook isn’t a rewarding visual experience. I’m going to say it: Facebook is ugly. It’s a weird mix of fonts and colours that doesn’t lend well to a feed full of personal and brand-developed content.
2. No one wants to read ads. Facebook is trying to cash in and it’s coming at the expense of user experience. Brands are being strong armed for views (and having to advertise as a result) and users are being inundated with ads.
3. Facebook isn’t consistent. This is a personal speculation, but I think Facebook has bitten off more than it can chew. From links with thumbnails to personal images to plain text updates to reactions to cover images to side rail ads to Facebook Live updates to feed ads to profile images to lists to designed text updates to gifs, there’s too much happening. Ultimately, Facebook is asking too much from its users, to the point where it's starting to feel more like Craigslist than any other social network. It doesn’t surprise me that people are flocking to Instagram—it’s a dependable experience that lets brands push boundaries within an expected format.
Main Picture: Phil Pallen is a brand strategist & celebrity brand expert, @AccessHollywood, @etnow, as well as a keynote speaker.
Phil visited MENTA at the University of Suffolk in 2017 - pictured with Alex Till, CEO of MENTA
Phil Pallen www.philpallen.co
https://twitter.com/philpallen
