Younger users fleeing Facebook for Instagram and Snapchat
An eMarketer report increased its growth predictions for the mobile- and visual-focused platforms, so adjust your efforts accordingly.
Marketers targeting younger consumers should note the fledgling flock’s migration away from Facebook.
A recent eMarketer report revealed that Facebook use among people ages 12 to 17 will fall 3.4 percent from last year. The decline is nearly triple the percentage in 2016, when those user numbers fell 1.2 percent.
Where are these young people going? They’re opting for mobile- and visual-focused platforms, notably Snapchat and Instagram.
eMarketer predicts that Snapchat’s user numbers in the United States will grow 25.8 percent, touting 79.2 million monthly users by year-end. Though all but Snapchat’s oldest age group is expected to add to those numbers, the 18-to-24 cohort will see the biggest growth. eMarketer estimates that Snapchat’s user numbers will increase by 19.2 percent in that age group alone.
Instagram is also continuing to grow, with the report estimating a 23.8 percent increase, to 85.5 million users, by year-end. Of that increase, users under age 12 represent 19 percent of the platform’s growth, and users ages 12 to 17 will constitute 8.8 percent.
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