As Facebook’s user count declines, consumers seem to be migrating to Instagram, despite the fact that the platform is owned by Facebook.

Dropping User Count On Facebook As Site Loses Engagement

Facebook has roughly 15 million fewer users in the U.S. now than it did in 2017, according to Mashable.

While the global user count sits tall at 2.32 billion, only 61% of U.S. individuals over 12 years old are using the platform this year, down from 67% in 2017. Plus, of Facebook’s crucial 12- to 34-year-old demographic, only 62% are on Facebook this year, though 79% of them were on Facebook in 2017.

And of those users who are lingering on the Facebook platform, eMarketer has reduced the estimates for U.S. users’ time spent on the app. In 2017, the average time spent on the Facebook app was 41 minutes. Last year, it dropped to 38 minutes, and it’s expected to fall to 37 minutes by 2020.

Users Shift To Instagram And Grow Consumer Base

As consumers shy away from Facebook, it seems they’re migrating to Instagram. In 2017, Instagram had only 92.6 million users in the U.S. This year, the social media platform is expected to reach 113.3 million users.

Instagram consistently launches new features, like IGTV and shopping options, to successfully hold consumer attention and improve user experience as it grows.

The Importance Of Being Where Your Audience Is

Being present on social media is crucial for brands, but brands should be engaging on the platforms their audiences are on.

When crafting your social media strategies, be sure to analyze the demographics and other details of the most prominent audiences on each social platform. For example, if a brand is aiming to connect with a younger demographic, it may have more success on Instagram than on Facebook due to recent shifts in social platform use.

But don’t assume you know where your audience is, and don’t rely solely on published social media demographics to figure it out. Instead, be sure to track your user engagement and ROI for all relevant social media campaigns. Every brand is different, and every brand’s social engagement strategy should be different too. Make your social strategy work by following your numbers and not the published analytics of the masses.

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