Snapchat isn't dead yet - Kids are still leaving Facebook - Social Media Marketing Tips

Snapchat isn't dead yet - Kids are still leaving Facebook - Social Media Marketing Tips

Facebook currently has over 2 billion users and continuously gains new users every month and to be more exact Facebook grows every month with at a rate of 2.4%. That is a huge number of new users every month, but this is an overall statistic, in the 12-17 age category Facebook is actually losing users at a rate of 4% every month. 

This tells me a lot about the younger generation and how Instagram and Snapchat mean more to them than Facebook. Of course, I don't think Facebook is going anywhere too soon but when it comes to social media we must watch out for trends! 
When Facebook bought Instagram nobody expected to become so popular but it was the right move to make and now Facebook essentially has a safety net when it comes to the younger generations, a social media that appeals to them. 

Facebook's main rival is Snapchat which seems that isn't going away anytime too soon and at least for the US market, Snapchat projects an increase of 8% in users overall and a 21% percent increase for young adults between 18 and 24 years of age. 

In my opinion, online marketers should be prepared for these new changes, it seems to be that having a Facebook profile will become in the future a step of growing up and many young adults will join Facebook, not because they want to but because they need to.

Either way here is a list of heads-up in terms of social media marketing and appealing to a younger audience:

1. Don't forget that kids don't have the money yet. They'll just ask the parents for whatever they want to buy and you may consider including the parents in your marketing strategies since they are the ones with the money as well as the final decision. 

2. Test your marketing campaigns on other platforms outside Facebook, like Instagram and Snapchat. Get an idea of how everything works and how it can actually help your brand. Test and don't risk much, figure out what works best for you and ride the wave if you catch one. 

3. Snapchat is mostly a place where young adults can be themselves, away from Facebook and away from their parents. This doesn't mean they are receptive to business type campaigns, you can't really go on Snapchat and sell legal services any other grown-up serious service/product. 

4. Don't abandon Facebook just yet even if you are having good results on Snapchat and Instagram. Facebook still is the biggest social media the world has ever seen. 

5. Snapchat isn't dead and when a newer social network comes along there will be people out there that will claim Snapchat is dead and buried. If you are still making a profit by using these networks, keep doing it, no point in a panic every time you read an article that claims this or that social network is going to die. The reality is it takes a long time to a social network as big as Snapchat is going to die and even more time for a social network the size of Facebook, if ever. 

What do you think about young people abandoning Facebook or not joining Facebook at all? To tell you the truth I would probably do the same thing, why the hell should I join a place where both my parents have an account? 
Teens want to stay away from their parents and I don't think Instagram will be enough, this is why I believe new arrivals like Snapchat will always have a place among the big boys if they can attract the teens.