Why We're Still on Facebook
Social media in the age of misinformation
With only six weeks until the election, your social media feeds, like ours, are probably blanketed with political ads, news articles and your high school classmates' opinions on mail-in voting.
Social media platforms — and policymakers — are taking notice of this onslaught and the potential for users to abuse their platforms to spread misinformation. Every day, we read new headlines about these companies’ attempts to establish sound plans to address it.
Facebook is getting the brunt of the blame. This summer, brands and organizations large and small boycotted Facebook advertising altogether during July, demanding the company stop the spread of hate and misinformation in paid advertisements. More than 1,000 companies participated, but not enough to significantly impact the platform’s revenue.
Feeling the pressure, however, the network announced this month that it will freeze any new political ads in the week prior to election day in an attempt to quell fake news and voter suppression.
Brands and organizations we work with have legitimate concerns about what this means for them and their paid social strategy. Should they abandon Facebook advertising? Reallocate dollars from Facebook to another platform?
Our take? Don’t jump ship just yet.
In terms of sheer number of active users, Facebook is still king. Facebook advertising is a cost-effective way to reach new audiences with a modest budget — and we shouldn't retire it from our toolbox just yet. Facebook outpaces any other platform by a large margin, with Instagram and Twitter at second and third places, respectively. And, since Facebook owns Instagram, its platform delivers ads on both networks — giving you greater flexibility and placement options. Facebook not only has more users; its users also range in age, allowing you to reach an older audience, for instance, who may not be on TikTok or Snapchat.
Ad policies will continue to evolve in order to increase transparency, privacy and accuracy for all (we hope). In the meantime, let’s not let headlines discredit the value-add Facebook brings to organizations wishing to reach new audiences and spread meaningful messages.
We’re available to help you sort through these sticky decisions and develop a strategy to get you the biggest bang for your buck on social media. Contact Senior Vice President Jessica Smith at jessica_smith@jtpr.com to learn more.
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