Image via CrunchBase
It is widely accepted that Facebook has a limited lifespan but judging by the news this week the site may go the way of MySpace sooner than expected.
While some people may be surprised by this week’s news the trend was inevitable. Facebook appeared to peak a couple of years ago and since then the website has tried to continue to grow and satisfy its users.
Personally I would say only approximately 25% of users on my Facebook are actually active users, the others use it sparingly if at all.
I am still a daily user but my own enthusiasm is dropping. I am not ready to delete my account in the same way I removed my MySpace account but unless there is change over the next year I am not entirely sure my account will remain active.
The current power of social media is undeniable, back in December we watched as thousands of Facebook users changed their profile pictures to that of cartoon characters, many in the belief that they were supporting children’s charities.
Marketing on Facebook can also be effective as it does give the ability to target specific customer type. For example if you are a student or a fan of local nightclubs you will undoubtedly be attacked by hundreds of invites to local club events. This can be a cost effective way to spread news of your club night but users are also able to block invites and messages.
Facebook is also a great way to target potential student members of university societies. Not only is it able to raise awareness of the society it maintains the relationship with members by constantly updating and involving them in groups.
Many of the current comparisons are to MySpace’s decline which I previously wrote about. Facebook and MySpace were never identical, the latter being a popular site with teenagers and young adults and an effective way of sharing music, while Facebook ended up being used by a much wider category of users and therefore it may not be wise to try and make too many comparisons. Facebook has already proved its strengths where MySpace failed.
Is Twitter going to replace Facebook? I would say not. People who see Twitter as a replacement perhaps were not suited to the functions of Facebook. Twitter is a very different website and appears to be rising in popularity, however it is important for Twitter to be sure of how it develops. Users require a perfect combination of development and consistency in websites and it is perhaps difficult to predict the direction Twitter will take.
Watching the future of Facebook will be interesting, perhaps they will save the site, maybe there is no need to try and save it or maybe Facebook will just change. The truth is that Facebook does appear to be continuing to grow so maybe it is not yet time to say goodbye, but maybe the decline is beginning. What do you think?
