This blog post is written by guest blogger Laura Harders
Since I’m a blogger & social media consultant, I really gleaned a lot from the social media geared sessions at the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit in Baltimore. Directly following lunch, I had the pleasure on sitting in on the session “Is Facebook Losing Its Cool” with Moderator Rob Pegoraro, and speakers: Mitch Arnowitz, Managing Director of Tuvel Communications; Geoff Livingston, author & marketing strategist; Cary Lawrence, VP of Business Development at Social Code; and Kari Mitchell, Director of Digital Marketing at HZDG.
My takeaways from the session included:
1. Facebook IS losing its cool (almost unanimous amongst the panel of speakers).
2. Facebook is still an important social network and place where the largest audience is.
Some of the “issues” with Facebook that were discussed deal with the privacy perception and continual changes. I know for many bloggers and marketers, the change in reach of your message has been frustrating. Just because you have fans, doesn’t mean they will see your content. You now have to “pay to play”, in other words, you need to pay for Facebook post promotion and advertising in order for your fans to see your content in their news feed.
Some other takeaways for me:
- Facebook usage has declined among young people.
- Facebook has become more “noisy.”
- Younger users are more likely to “like” a brand than older users.
- Older users are more likely to click thru ads than younger users.
- Facebook advertising is now an opportunity to amplify your message.
- Facebook’s Timeline feature allows ongoing conversations with a readable thread, unlike other social platforms.
- Out of all four panel members, only one “friends” their clients on Facebook. The majority of the speakers felt that their personal FB account was reserved for family & close friends, a smaller network.
- Key to Facebook marketing is to gain “shares” as social validation for your brand & message.
Is Facebook losing its cool? Yes it is– for both users & brands. And while it’s still one of the predominant social media platforms, the importance of targeting other niche networks is critical, as well as creating custom approaches & goals on a variety of social media platforms.
Now its your turn! Do you agree with the panel conclusion that Facebook’s loosing its mojo? Please let us know in the comments below.
Laura Harders is a blogger and social media consultant living in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Besides working with small businesses to develop their social media marketing strategy and content, she also runs a popular, local deal blog, Beltway Bargain Mom, and teaches Coupon Classes.