The Facebook TV Ads in Australia really confirm something that I’ve said about Facebook for the last 5 or so years.
“Facebook is here to stay for a long time.”
I couldn’t find the TV Ad I wanted to talk about, which aired in Australia around June 2018, but here is the same kind of Ad that’s been played on TV in the United Kingdom. (If I remember, I’ll update this page with the Australian version one day).
Professional and realistic business owners and marketing pros alike, know that nothing lasts forever, and when something changes online, it changes overnight. Those who don’t adjust overnight with it, are the ones that are left saying “this internet thing doesn’t work!”
“Embrace change” is what you’ll hear the pros say.
And after that, they start debating how long Facebook will be around for.
My answer is more firm than most others, but the reason they ask this question is because they are ALL to familiar with overnight change.
I’m talking about $10,000 dollar a day businesses being wiped out over night, because of a change online. Be it a change from Google, or a Facebook algorithm change, or whatever.
Just talking about Facebook going belly up and every Facebook marketer needing to reinvent themselves overnight is a smart thing to do, and it’s only really talked about by people with real experience.
I’m talking about:
- Having email marketing accounts shut down with 250,000 subscribers on it. Who you can never get back or any access to.
- Having a marketing campaign that spits out $1,000 pure profit a day like clockwork on autopilot, suddenly start costing you $4,000 a day while you’re holidays overseas.
These things happen, believe me!
So when it comes to Facebook, the people who know what they are talking about will question how long it will be around for.
How Long Will Facebook Be Around?
Do you remember Myspace? It was the Facebook of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. They didn’t keep up with the times, and they crashed and burnt. Myspace was once valued at $12BILLION, but it most recently sold for $35million.
Now, I know both those sums sound like a lot of money, but if you were running Myspace at $12BILLION and it dropped to a valuation of $35million, you would lose your position. You would lose the company, thousands of staff, numerous office buildings and you’d have thousands of investors calling for your blood!
If my maths is right which is might not be so correct me in a comment below if it’s not.. but that is a 99.3% drop.
To put that in numbers that are easier to understand, a 99.3% drop from $1million dollars would leave you with JUST $7,000!
It’s easier to see the drop Myspace had now, isn’t it?
But that was Myspace.
With everything Facebook has done and is doing, it seems like they are always thinking 5, 10, and several more years ahead.
“If you ask me, Facebook is here to stay for a long time. Maybe it will change it’s skin, and move off our smartphones, but I believe the company will continue to operate for a long time to come.”
Here’s some examples of what I’m talking about:
- Facebooks quick move onto and to prioritise smartphones from laptops and desktops.
- When Instagram showed it wasn’t going away, Facebook bought it for a large amount (to ensure the owner said ‘yes’).
- Launch of Facebook TV/Video (not really launched in Australia yet but it will be – just imagine youtube combined with Facebook).
- Investment with Virtual Reality, which I think will take 10 years until they see fruit from that.
- Their response to bad advertisers and complications with Russia. Owning it, and working on fixing it.
- And recently the TV ads that you’ll see. These are very “feel good” adverts that are telling people:
- “don’t worry. we have your back”.
- “we’re all about giving you a safe and happy community”.
- “we don’t want bad news and scammers on our website either! So don’t worry“.
It’s very obvious to me that Facebook is putting their customers, and the long term growth of their company if not first, then equal with profits.
I also think that if you’re ignoring Facebook thinking that it too will blow over like so many others before it, than you’re throwing away one of the biggest opportunities for your business.
I’m not saying put 100% of your companies future into Facebook, and I’d never say that about anything. But I would suggest considering making it one of your biggest 4 points of focus for growing your small or large business.
Facebook is here to stay.
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