Is Facebook really falling?

Every time we speak about social media, two sites are ubiquitously mentioned: Facebook and Twitter. The runner up is, hands down, Google Plus, but it is still way behind the first two. Every online marketing plan includes interaction on Facebook and Twitter, and it is not rare to see heads banging when Facebook makes a move and, say, changes the image sizes of the social network. Community managers usually growl for a while when that happens.

If you have worked at a digital agency for a while, you know it.

What would you say, however, if I told you that, based on a suggestion by George Aguayo, one of the SEO guys at InTechCenter, Facebook glorious days might be counted? Yes, I am serious. See for yourself.

Despite the fact the picture is from Google Trends, which is not an official web counter for Facebook, the giant social media site appears to be showing a decline in its use. As you know many users do not type www.facebook.com on their web browsers directly. They prefer to open up Google and search for Facebook so they can just click through to their site. The graph might not be too inaccurate.

Why is this happening? Thisarticle on Time gives some more light about the phenomenon and why it could be happening. The extremely short version, for those who won't click-through and read, is that Facebook is a fashion, and, like every fashion, it will eventually fade away.

Yet what affects users will eventually affect us, marketers, too. Have you asked yourself what would you do if suddenly Facebook stops being the social media vehicle you could use for marketing your site or business? If you haven't, then maybe it is time to start building your plan B.

Some companies and blogs seem to begin taking measures about this situation. LifeHackeris already on Diaspora*, for example. There is also an evident raise on the use of Google Plus company pages.

It is too soon to tell yet, but, as George commented, it could be a great idea to start diversifying your social media locomotives.