There has been no shortage of chatter from marketing experts on the so-called decline in Facebook usage by teens. But no matter how many articles or blogs you read on the subject, the common theme is this: teens have given up on the social network. That seems to be the lesson marketing experts want hammered into our brains.
But there’s more to the story, so it seems, and it’s not all negative.
Forbes contributor Haydn Shaughnessy noted in a recent article that even though teen use of the social platform might be down, new research actually suggested teens weren’t ditching the platform all together, just using it differently. Instead of Facebook being the first place they go to share, they are using more mobile apps like Instagram and Snapchat, but research shows they are still actively logging into Facebook and making up the single biggest user group on the platform.
So while active users in the 16-24 age range showed a decline in use, every other age group on the social network was up. Shaughnessy also notes that from Q2 2012 to Q3 2013, the percentage of active users among the 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64 year old age groups were all up 6% each.
So what does this mean for your social media marketing strategy? First, keep this in mind: that predominantly older demographic on Facebook also happens to have more purchasing power. It also proves just how much more adaptable you have to be to the mobile market when targeting the teen demographic. Including content for Facebook and Twitter is key, yes, but don’t forget to make sure to include visual content for emerging channels, including videos for Vine and Instagram. This type of diversification can help keep your business out in front of that younger generation.
Not sure how to keep up with all the changes? Let the TBA social media team help you with your business! Contact us today.