The numbers have dropped a little, and Facebook users aren’t so much into sharing anymore as they used to be.
- Sharing photos rates have dropped to 37%, from 59%
- Updating status rates have dropped to 34%, from 50%
- 65% of users check in daily, but fewer actually post
- More users are likely to just ‘like’ or scroll through their News Feed than actually post or update
It’s perhaps expected for some that the social media network will not have such an engaged user base as it once had. There are several online outlets out there and multiple options lead to more spread out activity. Facebook is no longer the sole provider of great services, and some are slowly stepping on its toes.
According to a survey conducted by GlobalWebIndex, users are less likely to post or upload photos than they were before. Reportedly, the numbers have dropped for sharing photos from 59% to 37% in comparison to how it was in 2014 around the same period. Less, and less people are putting up new pictures. This could be due to other social media outlets.
The study also showed that less people update their status, going down from 50% to 34%. Activity is slowly waning, and while it’s still not a problem as of now, it could be in the future.
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2010, 14% of users updated their status daily, and 61% once every few weeks. By 2013 though, those rates dropped to 10% and 47% respectively.
Facebook is still the ruler of social media, and a reported number of 65% of its total users check in daily.
However, if activity will keep slowing down, that could be cause for concern. They’re most likely to just ‘like’ posts or idly scroll through the News Feed. Facebook boasts a number of nearly 1.5 billion users, and its strongest pillars are the content all of them provide. It’s mostly based on user posts, so it could be trouble if those numbers continue dropping.
The social media network has clearly been working on providing multiple services. It’s no longer a platform of sharing posts, but also extending into messaging, videos, events, and several others. Whatever could be offered, Facebook likely has it. This also probably stems in the variety of their competition.
There are more options out there, such as Instagram for photos, Twitter for live announcements, and Snapchat for videos. In 2012, Facebook users were on an average of 2.5 social media platforms at the same time. Today, that number has grown to 4.3, which means people are spreading their attention among them.
It’s not worrying for Facebook though. Considering they own Instagram, with 400 million users, it cannot be considered true competition. The issue will only become worthy of urgent change if the numbers continue to drop. After all, users are those who provide content. Their activity is paramount.
Image source: livemint.com
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