Facebook A Decade & Counting: 4 Reasons Why It’s is Here to Stay
The dawn of 2014 marks a decade since Facebook emerged online. After almost 10 years, a new Pew Internet research report on social media use lists the social media giant as still being the dominant social networking platform, despite growth in use of other services like Pinterest and Instagram.
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In a day and age when people have short attention spans with technology and most social media sites have a short shelf life. Why is it that Facebook is still around? What gives the site staying power, and why it is so much more successful than other social start-ups?
1. Because it has a monopoly on memories:
In Facebook’s newly-released annual report, VP of Product Chris Cox said “We’re not ever going to be a media company. There’s not a great history of mediums becoming good at creating content.” Facebook has always been a platform that allows users to share content. That content–your content–compiled over time gives Facebook a monopoly on your past.
In Dec. 2011, Facebook launched their “Timeline” user interface. When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg first unveiled the drastically new timeline format, he likened it to a scrapbook of sorts. “Millions and millions of people have spent years curating the stories of their lives, and today there’s just no good way to share them,” Zuckerberg said.
No good way, that is, except through Facebook. Facebook still holds the highest levels of daily engagement (63% of Facebook users visit the site daily), and unlike other sites your activity doesn’t only show an instantaneous sliver of your life, but stores all your data to compile your life story. The fact that Facebook has grouped users’ Timelines by decade rather than by single years shows its intentions to stick around.
2. Because it’s mobile friendly:
Facebook has made great strides to improve their mobile offerings, and have committed to exploring new mobile-friendly options. Besides easy access on a Facebook mobile app, Facebook recently launched an update to their text-based Facebook Messenger app that allows users to access contacts Timelines and make free calls by clicking on a friend’s photo. The new app also allows users to see if their friends are online.
All of these changes show new appeal to the upcoming “mobile” generation, despite rumblings that Facebook doesn’t appeal to Generation Z.
3. Because it’s growing in popularity internationally:
Facebook is by far still the top social media site with 1.2 billion users, and the top choice for social media advertising by advertising agencies. Not only is Facebook the most widely used social networking site, but its use is growing: 71% of online adults used the website in 2013 versus 67% in 2012. New reports show that Facebook use is growing worldwide, particularly in Europe and the Middle East at rapid rates. As more users embrace Facebook as a medium, the company’s longevity increases.
4. Because of strategic partnerships:
Some may argue that Facebook is losing its “cool factor” due to recent Pew studies that show it isn’t as popular among teens as Twitter or Instagram. But through its partnership with (and ownership of) Instagram, Facebook shows it’s in touch with the latest trends. Research shows that Instagram is the only other site that currently receives daily visits, and now Facebook is receiving a large piece of that pie.
Facebook also allows for social discovery features on internet services like Spotify and Pinterest. Through these partnerships, it allows users to interact with other users without requiring a separate sign-in. As we become inundated with new social networks and applications, this simplicity will have long-term appeal in the future.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think about Facebook’s success and future?
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