Dubai: 1.3 billion users and still going strong. Studies show that if you are below the age of 60 and have access to the internet, you most probably have a Facebook page.
According to a 2013 Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, 72 per cent of adult internet users are on social networking sites like Facebook.
Given the numbers, it is no surprise that what started as “an online directory that connects people” in a Harvard University dorm room and considered an invasion of privacy is today a key marketing tool for many organisations.
The platform with too much personal information is being mined by media houses to connect to its users. Earlier, you got a minute-by-minute update on what Mark’s cat ate for breakfast, today you’ll get Middle East breaking news and Lady Gaga’s musings.
Initially, Facebook worked more like a rumour mill with news from unverified sources. But, studies have shown that although people might not be ready to pay for a print or news website subscription, around 63 per cent of users prefer content produced by professionals. They want information that has been sourced, checked and is factually accurate.
The meeting point was Facebook, especially when it launched Connect in 2008 and in 2010 allowed companies to have fan pages.
Driving traffic
People want to be in the know. And journalism has used that in a highly effective manner, from breaking news to sharing news photographs and driving traffic to news websites.
A further impetus to social media’s role in journalism was the Arab Spring that started in 2010. In countries where official media channels were shut down or blocked, Facebook was a key access point to get the ground truth out to the world — uncensored, unfettered by political affiliations. And this was witnessed especially in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria.
On a hyper-local level, Facebook works for crowdsourcing of content, to find readers, resolve issues and drive discussions. Gulf News recently helped a reader find his lost son using the social media channel.
While news flourishes, the channel that began as a connect for college students is today a no-go for many below the age of 15 years — the initial converts. It is not cool when mummy sends you a ‘Friend Request’.
So, will this publicly listed social company survive the decade? With its $1 billion Instagram acquisition and newly launched Social Search, the Facebook evolution is not yet done.
