FB Chart 1/30/14
Facebook’s stock is up 14% today and at an all time high of $61 dollars a share. This is quite remarkable considering how much uncertainty there was during the IPO phase. FB began trading at a price of $30+ dollars in during its May 2012 IPO and then shares tumbled to less than $20 back in Aug of 2012. Come a year and half later and you have yourself a 3 bagger. There was always a question of how Facebook was going to make money and mobile advertising is the phrase of the decade.
[pullquote align=”right”]”They know more about their users than any company has ever known about a population.” [/pullquote]
Facebook & Mobile
Recent reports show that 77% of Facebook’s 1.23 billion person user base browse through their mobile device. 53% of Facebook’s 2.43 billion dollar advertising revenue was gained through mobile. These are remarkable numbers for a platform that I’ve made claim is outdated and losing followers.
My thinking was that a mature Facebook was being introduced to an older market and that teens would lose interest and Facebook would become unpopular. This is still primarily true as teens are finding Apps like Snapchat and Whatsapp as preferred methods of communication to Facebook. However, 757 million people are logging in daily to Facebook which is astronomical. Even if they are losing teens, they are gaining every other demographic. What I missed in my predictions is how vast the network of Facebook is on mobile devices. This passed me because I don’t use it on my mobile. I’m more of an old school desktop guy and I have to succumb that times are changing.
A desktop is where I prefer to work for reasons such as typing, organization, and efficiency. The keyboard is essential to me being able to accomplish tasks. On dual monitors I can keep multiple tabs open and it takes me less time to do everything. On a mobile device, there is no work, it’s just play. Considering the majority of the world plays, it’s not surprising that mobile is where to target in terms of advertising revenue. I’m surprised how many people use Facebook from their mobile device. I’m probably just a dinosaur but a tablet with never replace a desktop for me unless it has a keyboard and a big screen. FB’s mobile numbers shock me but what comes as an even greater shock is the title of this post.
WHO THE FUCK CLICKS ON FACEBOOK’S ADS?
They are so obviously ads and why people want spam ads popping up I don’t understand. What click happy monkeys are sustaining these amazing ad numbers? You have to be full blown retard to click on Facebook’s ads. Here’s what my Facebook screen looks like.
This is insane and there are 10,000 likes on the Zoosk post! I don’t want to be bombarded by ads but obviously other people do. This is why I think Twitter will have future dominance. You don’t see celebrities on TV saying interact with me on my Facebook page. Twitter delivers news in real time and from certified accounts. Tweets are witty, funny, and personalize the social media experience. People of interest actually can respond to you. Once they nail the advertising game, Facebook will be left in the dust. I get the feeling that Facebook is for the masses and the masses are slow to react to everything. Maybe I’m wrong and people will continue to love Facebook on their mobile devices, but I can’t back something with such little substance.
Agree on all counts (though I still check facebook countless times a day). I see Facebook hanging out around but losing momentum in the future. Twitter can do things that Facebook can’t, and vice versa, but Twitter’s instant information is much more accessible than Facebook notifications. Those who aren’t on board with Twitter should get on board.