Can Facebook Keep Up? Missing the Content Graph and Meta's Race to Stay Relevant
Meta is fighting against a rising tide and there is no (VR) lifeboat in sight
In recent years, there has been a notable shift in online activity from the Social Graph, where users connect and interact with their friends and family, to the Content Graph, which emphasizes the discovery and consumption of the latest and most engaging content.
This transition has changed how people use social media, with many users prioritizing content consumption over social interactions. The focus is now on viral videos, memes, and trending news from unknown sources. No longer do we spend our days reading the personal updates and activities of friends and acquaintances.
The Shift from Social Graph to Content Graph
This shift has led to the erosion of the very premise upon which Facebook was founded – the idea of creating and maintaining a network of friends and family with whom users can share their lives. Facebook's Social Graph, which once thrived on the connections and interactions between users, is now struggling to keep up with the changing demands of the online world.
As users increasingly prefer consuming content from people they don't know, Facebook's initial appeal of connecting with friends and family seems to be fading away. The platform has become a place where users discover the unsavory aspects of acquaintances, such as controversial political views or involvement in multilevel marketing schemes, which often leads to an uncomfortable and unfulfilling user experience.
The influence of platforms like TikTok and YouTube
The rise of platforms like TikTok and YouTube has played a significant role in the shift toward the Content Graph. These platforms have become the go-to destinations for users seeking the latest, catchiest content, often presented in easily digestible, short-form videos.
With algorithms that prioritize content discovery and personalization, users can easily find and consume content tailored to their interests, irrespective of their connection to the creators. As a result, platforms like TikTok and YouTube have set the standard for online engagement, forcing other social media platforms, including Facebook, to reevaluate their strategies to remain relevant in the fast-changing digital landscape.
The Decline of Facebook's Social Graph
According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of U.S. adults using Facebook has stagnated since 2016, remaining at around 69% in 2021. In contrast, platforms like YouTube and TikTok have seen significant growth in user engagement during the same period. A key factor behind this stagnation is the decreasing interest in friends' activities online.
A study by the American Press Institute found that only 41% of Facebook users consider the platform a good way to stay in touch with friends, while a mere 12% find it useful for making new friends. This decline in interest has been further fueled by the increasing prevalence of the Content Graph, as users prioritize content consumption over social interaction.
The awkwardness and irrelevance of historical connections
Another contributing factor to the decline of Facebook's Social Graph is the awkwardness and irrelevance of historical connections. As people's lives evolve, their social networks often become less relevant, leading to disinterest in the updates and activities of friends from the past.
A study conducted by Cornell University found that users tend to have a small number of "close" friends on Facebook, with the majority of their connections being "weak ties" – people they don't interact with regularly. These weak ties can lead to the awkwardness of encountering divergent political views or discovering unsavory aspects of acquaintances, which may further deter users from engaging with the Social Graph.
Facebook's struggle to adapt to the new online landscape
In response to the changing landscape, Facebook has attempted to adapt by prioritizing content discovery and consumption. However, the platform has struggled to make a seamless transition.
According to a report by eMarketer, the average time spent on Facebook by U.S. users fell from 41 minutes per day in 2017 to 38 minutes in 2019, while time spent on TikTok increased from 7 minutes per day in 2017 to 33 minutes in 2021. Facebook's efforts to incorporate trending content and short-form videos have been met with limited success, as users continue to flock to platforms like TikTok and YouTube for their content fix.
This struggle highlights the challenge Facebook faces in reinventing itself to cater to the Content Graph while preserving its original appeal as a social networking platform.
Content (Graph) is King
In an effort to adapt to the growing emphasis on the Content Graph, Twitter made a significant change to its platform by introducing algorithmic timelines in 2016. Instead of displaying tweets in reverse chronological order, the new timeline algorithm prioritizes content based on user interests and engagement.
This shift has led to an increase in content discovery, with users being exposed to more diverse sources of information and engaging with tweets beyond their immediate social circles. For instance, a study by Twitter reported a 25% increase in tweet impressions and a 14% increase in user engagement within two months of the algorithmic timeline's implementation. This example illustrates how platforms can adapt to the Content Graph to better serve their users and remain relevant in the digital landscape.
Twitter is hardly a poster child for a good algorithmic timeline, when it comes to content graphs a few familiar names have made out like bandits.
The success of platforms like TikTok and YouTube can be attributed, in large part, to their emphasis on content discovery over static friends lists.
TikTok's "For You" page, for example, uses an algorithm that analyzes user behavior and preferences to surface relevant content, regardless of the user's connection to the creator. This approach has resulted in TikTok becoming a hotbed of viral content, with users spending an average of 52 minutes per day on the app as of 2021, according to Business of Apps. Similarly, YouTube's recommendation system has driven 70% of the platform's total watch time, according to a report by the platform. By placing content discovery at the forefront, these platforms have successfully tapped into the growing demand for engaging content from diverse sources.
Facebook has tried to adapt, but their focus on the Metaverse is becoming a costly distraction
Facebook has tried to adapt through its subsidiary, Instagram, by focusing on content discovery and short-form video. Instagram introduced the Discovery page, which uses an algorithm to surface content tailored to users' interests, and Reels, a TikTok-like feature for creating and sharing short videos. While these features have seen some success, they have struggled to compete with the originality and engagement of platforms like TikTok. According to a report by The Verge, Instagram's Reels has not yet gained the same level of traction as TikTok, with users continuing to flock to the latter platform for their short-form video fix.
Good artists copy
In an effort to keep pace with competitors, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has openly called for the company to learn from and copy successful features from other platforms. This strategy has led to the introduction of various features inspired by competitors, such as Facebook Stories (modelled after Snapchat Stories) and Instagram's Reels (inspired by TikTok).
While this approach has sometimes resulted in moderate success, it has also led to criticism that Facebook lacks innovation and originality in its product development.
Great artists steal
By replicating features from other platforms, Facebook has struggled to establish a distinct identity in the realm of content discovery and short-form video. They’ve never managed to "steal” the content graph in a meaningful way.
Instead of fostering innovation and creating groundbreaking features that could set the platform apart, Facebook has relied on mimicking successful elements from competitors like TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat. This lack of originality has diminished the company's ability to attract and retain users who are drawn to platforms with unique value proposition. Facebook's derivative approach to the Content Graph has hindered its potential to truly thrive in this new era of online engagement.
This is the innovator’s dilemma
The innovator's dilemma refers to the challenge faced by established companies when they must disrupt their successful business models to adapt to new market trends or technologies. Companies must balance staying relevant in a rapidly changing market while maintaining their existing business success.
Facebook's struggle to adapt from the Social Graph to the Content Graph exemplifies the innovator's dilemma. As a social media giant, Facebook must disrupt its core business model to address evolving user preferences for content discovery and short-form video. However, its derivative approach has hindered its ability to establish a unique identity in this new landscape, further exacerbating the dilemma.
The Web has shifted from the Social Graph to the Content Graph, and platforms like TikTok and YouTube are leading the pack with content discovery and short-form videos. Facebook, on the other hand, has had a tough time keeping up with this change. They're stuck in the innovator's dilemma and have been struggling to come up with fresh and unique features to stay in the game.
Now, Facebook is trying out new strategies like the Metaverse and pushing product announcements to grab attention. But, at the end of the day, their success will depend on how well they can adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape and cater to what their users really want.
By looking at Facebook's journey, we can learn a lot about how businesses can tackle the challenges that come with changing trends and technologies.