Are People Still Using Facebook?

Ever catch yourself wondering, “Are people still using Facebook?” For the average user, it might seem like the buzz around Facebook has died down and that it might not be the place to focus your marketing, especially with newer platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram gaining traction. But there’s a certain perspective that comes from using this quintessential social media platform day in and day out.

As a Social Media Strategist, I spend most of my day checking pages, writing content, and running contests on Facebook, so without a doubt I know the answer is yes, Facebook is still very much active. Let’s dig in and find out exactly who’s using Facebook, what times they’re using it, and how they’re interacting.

Who’s using Facebook?

Since being opened up to the public in 2006, Facebook has increased at a steady rate of 17% year over year (Zephoria Digital Marketing). For most of our clients, we see that more females than males are engaged on business Facebook pages. And this statistic holds true according to data from brandwatch: there are currently 1.71 billion monthly active users on Facebook, and of those users, more than 75% are female.

When Facebook first started operating back in 2004, it was only open to college students. But now users from all age groups and backgrounds are on the network, including businesses! In fact, there are currently 50 million active small business pages on Facebook.

What times are users on Facebook?

Most users log onto Facebook for an average of 20 minutes per day. The highest traffic occurs during the middle of the week in the early afternoon – meaning Facebook is the destination of choice for that mid-week, post lunchtime slump. Engagement is higher at the end of the week when users have more time to scroll through their news feeds and make posts themselves. Parents tend to be on Facebook the most at night, while young working adults tend to head to Facebook first thing in the morning.

How do users interact on Facebook?

Think people just use Facebook to make a post or comment on a friend’s photo? Facebook is actually a well-used platform for people to share positive and negative experiences and reviews, ask questions, and do research before making a purchase. Don’t miss out on these ways that users can interact with your business Facebook page:

• Entering a contest
• Writing a review
• Making a post to the page with a question, comment, or photo
• Leaving a comment on a post
• “Reacting” to a post
• Entering their contact information through a Facebook App
• “Liking” or following the page

Facebook has become a place for users of all ages to interact with their friends, family members, businesses they buy from, organizations they’re a part of, etc. all in real time! Regardless of what industry your business is in, Facebook can help you build your brand awareness with the appropriate audience. The key is to keep your target demographic in mind when posting and think about what times and ways they’re likely to interact with your page, depending on their lifestyle.

If you’re a small business looking to expand your audience on this super-popular social network, reach out to 2060 Digital for help on getting your social media management strategy started!