Facebook seems to be getting larger and larger and with growth comes many changes. First it was the look of your profile, then it was made mandatory. Although I have seen several with the ‘old look’, which is interesting. Then it was the change of the Facebook Pages and the restrictions placed upon us. Then the addition of sponsored ads and more. So, is Facebook getting so large that it is losing its appeal?
Let’s dig a bit deeper, shall we?
Focused on Advertisers
It seems that with all the changes, that Facebook is now focused more on the advertisers and less on the users. The ‘improvements’ that have been made and continue to show up seem to be more oriented towards revenue generation and not merely user retention and engagement. Now, don’t misunderstand, Facebook is still one of the most popular social media networks but is it as ‘cool’ as it used to be?
Is Growth Really Good?
With growth, obviously comes crowds. Just a few years ago it was easy to place an ad or shop and stand out amongst the crowd, today, not so much. Today there are millions of Facebook pages from companies and brands which is increasing the competition as well as challenging to navigate. If you are looking to stand out amongst the crowd, be prepared to spend much more time then in the earlier days and more money as well.
It’s Become Challenging
When I use the word ‘challenging’ I mean it is not as easy to navigate as it was before. In the past it was easier because you simply had your status updates, photos, links and likes. Fast forward to the present and Facebook now has places, timelines, highlighted posts, third party integrations and the list goes on and on. I understand that Facebook is trying to be the one-stop for all of social networking but that may actually create more confusion than ease. When you try to become everything to everyone – you become noting to no one.
Hmmm…which then brings me back to my original question – Is Facebook losing its appeal or is it enticing more and more people?
When it comes to marketing your business or product it’s important to look for a network that is appealing to your target. Just because everyone is using Facebook doesn’t mean it is the best for your product. Make sense? I encourage you to look into the various other networks as well; such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, and most importantly never stop sharing your information and building relationships. No matter how large a network becomes, building relationships will be essential to your success.
So my question to you is…
What do you think…is Facebook is losing it’s appeal?
About Author
I agree. I do think that many get frustrated with the constant changes but as you say, it’s too big of a marketplace to ignore. Disenfranchised isn’t the same as totally ignoring it right?
It may be loosing appeal to some people who started using it years ago but actually attracting new people and millions of pro-users.
Also all the new features may be confusing to new people but so many do like them actually and know how to get around even with tons of buttons and links screaming 'click here, click me' on every page.
I don’t think it’s going away for sure!
I don't think Facebook is losing its appeal. I do think, as you suggested, that marketers who want to do well there need to put more and more work into building relationships with their audience members. It is no longer enough for a company to merely have a page. Now, the administrators must build relationships with the people who like it.
Never really considerd that but truth is facebook is more adviertiser based so they are looking more towards profits, but I guess they have the numbers although I must say it pays in the long run to be more User friendly, the customer tends to stay around much longer. And yes I hated it when they asked us to move to the new look>
Yes, I agree, it is probably the most user friendly platform and only time will tell if people will migrate from it.
Not sure it’s going away by any means but many businesses, in particular, are getting upset about not being able to reach out to a fan base that they have worked hard to grow.
Oh I think Google+ is going to give ’em a run for their money. I don’t think they are going away by any means but I think marketers will drive much movement into Google+ in 2013.
I hear ya, Lisa! Totally frustrating for sure but Facebook is still a powerhouse and a great relationship builder location.