Facebook Isn’t Cool, But Teens Don’t Care

As a professional social media company Surrey, Thunderbolt Digital know a lot about how to properly use and manage your business’ social media accounts for marketing purposes, and as such always endeavour to stay in the know about best practice and audience statistics, including age ranges. Many may doubt Facebook’s reach when it comes to teenagers, but is it really as simple as Facebook being too uncool for them?

There’s an interesting relationship between younger audiences and Facebook; with the social media giant now home to many adults, including parents, bosses, and even teachers, younger users are less inclined to see the site as ‘cool’, and are more likely to spend more time on apps like Instagram and Snapchat.

Is this to say that Facebook isn’t worthwhile when it comes to teens? Not at all. Despite facing fierce competition, two of Facebook’s competitors (Instagram and WhatsApp) are now its subsidiaries, and Snapchat (a long-time thorn in Zuckerberg’s side) is now starting to fall behind Instagram following last year’s introduction of the stories feature. And whilst Facebook doesn’t rate as a favourite app for teens, its subsidiaries do, and it must also be noted that an app not being a favourite doesn’t mean that teens won’t use it at all.

Consider the very fact that Facebook is still here and flourishing, even after so many apps have come and gone over the years, many claiming to be the next big thing that teens and young people will flock to. But what has become of the so-called “Facebook killers”? Not much, in fact: Peach may still be going, but it’s still a long way from mainstream and both Yik Yak and Meerkat have been shut down (in April 2017 and October 2016 respectively).

This isn’t to say that Facebook is infallible; after all, it has certainly had its fair share of flops, including Poke, Slingshot, and more recently, Lifestage, all of which have been some kind of an attempt to directly appeal to teens, or the ‘cool’ market.

Essentially, Facebook just isn’t cool, but it doesn’t need to be to retain users, even teenagers; Facebook allows young people to remain socially connected with friends in a different manner than Instagram or Snapchat – the very format and atmosphere allows for more long form and in-depth messages, as well as more ‘serious’ updates that may seem out of place elsewhere.

The team at Thunderbolt Digital work around the clock to provide the best service to clients who trust in us as a first class social media company Surrey and ensure that we deliver them the result they desire. With years of expertise at our fingertips, we’ll be able to help you boost your online presence and reach more people than you would have alone. Talk to us today to find out more about how we can help elevate your business online – all it takes is an email addressed to howdy@wearethunderbolt.com or a phone call to our office on 01252 413757.