There’s a narrative that’s taken place that takes as accepted fact that Facebook’s once ironclad grip on the fickle teen market has slipped, as evidenced by the surge of other apps like Instagram and Whatsapp, which Facebook paid a combined $20 billion to acquire.
It’s undeniable Instagram and Whatsapp, among others like Snapchat, which Facebook also reportedly offered to buy, are surging. But it turns out Facebook’s core service is doing just fine with teens. New data from Forrester bears this out, showing that Facebook is still the default social network with teenagers.
The researcher found that three quarters of teens said they used Facebook monthly, over twice that of Pinterest, Tumblr and Snapchat. Facebook use is more than Instagram and Whatsapp combined, according to Forrester.
Forrester surveyed over 4,500 teens for the survey.
The data is a bit of an about face to the marketer view of Facebook. After all, it was only in October that Facebook CFO David Ebersman admitted teens were using the service less frequently.
“The bottom line: The sky is not falling,” Forrester analyst Nate Elliott, who has been critical of Facebook in the past, wrote in a blog post. “Facebook does not have a problem attracting or retaining teen users.”
More in Marketing
Why TikTok’s loss might be Instagram’s gain as Reels grows in content and audience
Instagram Reels may be the closest experience to TikTok currently, but can it seize this opportunity to overtake its rival?
Hellmann’s post-Super Bowl playbook now includes shoppable CTV ads
Brands are changing the way they capitalize on the big game spotlight. In Hellmann’s case, that means adding shoppable ad units to its campaign.
Snap sees growth opportunity in SMBs
The SMB advertiser category provides a healthier revenue stream compared to larger advertisers.