Since its 2004 inception, Facebook has seen an annual increase in viewers. And that is in the U.S. and around the world. Just this year, we posted Great Tips to Better Use Facebook. But now, the United States sees Facebook trending down. It lost viewers in 2017. Is this the wave of the future? In this post, we look at the numbers and behind the numbers.
United States Sees Facebook Trending Down
Due to its importance and size, Facebook regularly receives media coverage. No matter what the topic. Thus, observers have jumped on the present viewership trend.
According to Recode — and its chart below:
“The company may have finally tapped out its most valuable market, the U.S. and Canada. Facebook’s daily active user base in the U.S. and Canada fell for the first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2017. Although it’s a very small decline, it’s in Facebook’s most valuable market. And any decline in usership — even a small one — isn’t a great sign.”
And as Zoe Henry notes for Inc.:
“Facebook is losing market share at an even faster than expected rate. Last year alone, the social network lost more than 1.4 million users in the 12 to 17-year old demographic, according to new report from research firm eMarketer. That represents a decline of nearly 10 percent, or roughly three times what analysts had predicted. Notably, 2017 was the first time that analysts expected the company to see a drop in usage for any age group. Overall, Facebook lost 2.8 million U.S. users under the age of 25, the data found.”
Take a look at this video clip on Facebook viewing.
Behind the Numbers
Despite the downturn in the U.S., we must be careful before coming to any conclusions.
The U.S. Is Not the World
Facebook continues to grow on a global basis. Therefore, as a social media platform, it is not in decline. But that does not mean that Facebook should not try to improve U.S. viewing. Take a look at the chart from TechCrunch.
Advertising Revenues Are Up
Facebook’s ad revenues are still growing. And that is in the United States too. As Recode reports: “Each user accounted for $26.76 worth of revenue for the company last quarter of 2017. And it went up by 35 percent over the same quarter last year.” The chart below shows how dominant the U.S. is in Facebook ad revenues.
Look at the chart and the video.
