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Facebook is SHRINKING!!

By Dada Mzinyathi Jun 30, 2011 0 0 comments

Recent media reports suggest that Facebook is losing users in the American, Canadian and British markets. While this makes little difference in a local context right now, it does pose the question: “What happens after Facebook?” Anelisa “Dada” Mzinyathi does some digging here.

Why is it that the youth would leave Facebook in the first place? According to leading youth mobile expert blog www.mobileyouth.org, teens are leaving Facebook because they no longer want to be friends with strangers. Friendship circles are getting smaller and more personal, and friending new people on Facebook will no longer be the norm. This inevitably poses a problem for marketers with strategies focused solely on Facebook.
However, a solution may be found by looking at where the conversations are heading – discreet networks consisting of invited members only.

What this translates to is that youth conversations between friends about brands or marketing campaigns are now going to be specifically aimed at brands that youths want to interact with. Existing solely on Facebook will no longer be enough to engage these youngsters. Closed conversations can take place online and offline and you need permission to get invited or even to participate in the conversation. Permission marketing is about to become extremely important.

Another way marketers can avoid being left out of the conversation is by building permission asset homes. Simply put, these are platforms for youths which they can use to interact with each other online, hosted or owned by a specific brand. Being seen as supporting youths, may earn your Rand the right to belong to and interact in the discreet network.

The lesson for local marketers is that we need to be weary of boxing in youth engagement solely to a single focus social media strategy. From the Student Village Youth Marketing Mobile Insights, Facebook is currently the top activity youths engage in on their mobile phones. Engaging them offline is still vitally important to the sustainability of this interaction.