Cambridge Analytica, privacy concerns, housing discrimination, misinformation, the list goes on for Facebook’s problems over the past few years. These issues have scared off users and even some marketers, and have limited the platform’s data capabilities. But $5 billion in possible fines or being dragged in front of Congress doesn’t mean Facebook should be off the table for your marketing strategy. We’ve got compelling reasons to include Facebook spend in your marketing budget, and may even inspire you to try a few new tactics.
It gets bigger everyday – and it’s already huge.
We can complain about our privacy or Facebook’s shady deals all we want, but it hasn’t stopped most people from using the platform. It has 2.38 billion monthly active users worldwide, up 8% from last year – more than any other social media platform. No matter what your business or industry is, your audience is on Facebook.
Facebook’s growth is starting to plateau, but not Instagram’s.
68% of Americans use Facebook. And while only 35% of them use Instagram, it is the fastest growing social platform. Facebook owns Instagram, so every marketing tactic you want to try, test, or contemplate, you can do it on either or both platforms. Instagram is becoming the social destination for users, especially younger demos, so don’t miss the opportunity to reach them.
Facebook isn’t going away.
While the social media landscape has been changing over the past few years – older users becoming louder on Facebook, the growth of Instagram, etc – Facebook’s main demo is still 25-34 year olds (30%). And that is one engaged demo you can capitalize on. One-in-five page views in the United States occurs on Facebook, and 74% of users visit Facebook every day.
Don’t think Facebook has your audience? Unlikely, and you can still learn from it.
For some B2B companies, utilizing LinkedIn ads or other platforms is the most practical option. But Facebook is the optimal social media platform to test concepts, ideas, positioning, product market fit, and more hands down. While Ads Manager can be overwhelming and occasionally buggy (as can all ad platforms), it allows for testing in ways other platforms fall short. You may think your audience is a 25-to-34-year-old female with an MBA that works in finance in downtown LA, but without data, you’re just making an educated guess. Facebook has the largest and most diverse base for testing, and you can use your ad spend to both promote your business and collect data to inform future business decisions.
Facebook’s future may seem uncertain, but what doesn’t these days? As one of the largest platforms in the world, the benefits you can reap from it far outweigh any risks or unpredictability. Marketing on social media is a must, no matter your business, so don’t let one of the biggest avenues slip by.
Sources:
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/