Is Facebook Fatigue for Real, or Just Tiresome Talk?

Linc Wonham — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Maybe the fallout over the whole Facebook privacy issue was bigger than we first thought. After recording monster gains for the month of May — attracting nearly eight million new users while the controversy was at its peak — the second most visited website in the world had a comparatively miserable month of June.

“Only” 320,000 new U.S. users joined Facebook last month, according to the site’s own data. The network actually lost active users in the coveted 18-25, 26-34 and 35-44 demographics while the gains came from younger and older age groups.

So, has the much-discussed Facebook Fatigue finally arrived? Or did the privacy debacle in May fuel a large-scale user outrage that wasn’t apparent until June’s numbers came in? Or was it simply a slow month, or perhaps even a reporting glitch?

Regardless of the answer, the one thing we know for sure is that Facebook hasn’t lost its importance to the digital business landscape, and it isn’t about to anytime soon.

Only Google — which is rumored to be starting a Facebook-like social network of its own, by the way — gets more traffic, and Facebook is currently valued at about $15 billion. Annual revenues are estimated to be close to $1 billion, and, most importantly for marketers and advertisers, there are nearly half a billion active users. And that number continues to grow, if not by exorbitant figures last month.

But we will be watching, and we'll let you know if and when Facebook Fatigue is a real concern for marketers.

'Net Features : Facebook Fatigue

Is Facebook Fatigue for Real, or Just Tiresome Talk?