Facebook was once the hippest thing on the internet. Everyone was creating a profile. Some businesses and management consultants were even recommending college students to optimize Facebook profiles to look good for prospective employees. In 2019, however, the hippest thing is deleting one’s Facebook account.

Popularity if Facebook has plunged in the most recent years. That’s not just popular opinion; it’s even reflected in the company’s share prices. Facebook has come under regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and the E.U. as well. As Facebook’s once-vaunted popularity fades, businesses should ask—is the social media platform still worth doing brand promotion on?

Facebook—To Ditch or Not to Ditch

Facebook has faced problems before, but not in the scale as it did in late 2016 and onward. The company was entangled in a political mess in the U.S. following the presidential election. Facebook faced suspicions, allegations, and criticism from many over its handling of fake news promoted on the site.

Misinformation campaigns, it turned out, was not limited to its U.S. audience. Facebook was central to fake news and hate speech campaigns carried out elsewhere in the world as well, particularly in Asia. The public backlash was swift, especially in the U.S., when even prominent personalities began attacking the company. Jim Carrey dumped his Facebook stock and encouraged others to do so as well. Plenty was clamoring for everyone to delete Facebook accounts.

While the future for Facebook seems grim in the court of public opinion, companies should pay attention to all the calls to “quit Facebook” has actually played out in reality. While people may feel like they want to delete their profiles, how many actually do? Facebook is still the largest social media network in the world. Despite the tragedies and media faux pas the company has been involved in, it doesn’t look like millions would quit Facebook anytime soon.

Brands thinking about quitting Facebook should pay attention to this information. Pull up your target audience research data, and see how many consumers still use Facebook, advises Shout Agency Melbourne, a leading digital marketing company in Australia. If your target audience is still on Facebook, then quitting now would be unwise. Potential consumers may rail against Facebook, but what business must look at the actual usage numbers. If the usage is still high, Facebook would be the best platform to engage with customers.

Facebook Marketing in the Age of Fake News

Most businesses would find themselves needing to stick with Facebook, regardless of the opinion. B2C companies simply don’t have a better option. Even Instagram campaigns are better conducted with a corresponding Facebook one.

It should be noted, though, that brands may need to employ new tactics in an era where customers are fed up with Facebook. Asking wearing customers to engage with Facebook-based tools more, probably won’t win your brand popularity points.

Businesses with thriving Facebook campaigns don’t need to take action. However, if you feel as if your Facebook strategy is lagging, then it may require some tweaking. Because of the data breach scandals and the fake news fiasco, even ardent users may look to limit their Facebook usage. Companies should brace themselves for this possibility and find solutions for the best ways to reach out to customers through the platform.

What Brands Can Do to Improve Facebook Strategy

Social media plans can always be improved, especially with changing technology, and in the case of Facebook, popularity. The biggest problems facing the social media giant right now is misinformation and privacy. Brands should proceed with caution accordingly.

Namely, companies should be extra careful with the type of third-party links and posts shared on Facebook. Aim to promote only highly credible and authoritative content.

Additionally, go through the follower’s lists of your profile. It’s highly recommended to get rid of any accounts you may suspect as being bots. Businesses that may have paid for Facebook likes and followers may want to rethink that strategy. Keep in mind that Facebook is actively purging bot accounts and profiles with misinformation. Your brand probably doesn’t want to find itself one day without thousands of missing followers.

It’s best to focus your Facebook strategy on consumer engagement, rather than promoting products. Leave the latter to Instagram, which is better designed for product promotion anyway. Use Facebook to drive customer engagement with tools such as contests, polls, and Messenger-based customer service.

All in all, don’t expect Facebook to go away soon, even if its popularity wanes. (Remember Twitter? Despite growth and popularity issues in the past, the platform is still powerful.) The social network remains as relevant as ever. Rather, think about improving your company’s Facebook strategy to meet the new reality.

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