Reports Media & Marketing

Facebook’s Instagram Problem Building Media Strategy In A Fragmented Audience World

Report by Mark Mulligan
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The 20,000 Foot View: In December 2016 Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was embarking on a path to become a media company, but a media company unlike any other. More than one year on, Facebook’s metrics are revealing just how important this strategy is going to be for the company’s outlook. In            2017 Facebook reported a slight drop in daily active users (DAUs) in the US and Canada. Although Facebook constructed a compelling narrative for how this was a byproduct of it cleaning up the user experience, the underlying factor is more profound: Facebook’s messaging apps are stealing Facebook’s core audience.

Key Findings

  • In            2017            daily active users (DAUs) fell            some key markets, with a            decline of            compared to            in            US and Canada
  • There were            monthly active users (MAUs) of            apps globally at the end            2017, up from            billion in            and            billion in 2015
  • Facebook has                       market share in the global            messaging app space
  •            of Facebook’s user base is using at least one Facebook messaging app
  • Facebook DAUs            a percentage of MAUs fell            from            2017 to           
  •            of Facebook’s user base in these markets is aged            and older, while just            are aged under                       of Messenger users are aged            while just            are under 
  • Facebook’s policy            increasing content relevance will drive            value, while messaging app features            double down on personal connections
  • Facebook’s video            will likely include schedules and            guides with messaging apps used            audience acquisition funnels
  • Games video            at super-mainstream gamers and music            and could be a product            to a full premium video           
  • Nearer term,            will be used to add            expression to messaging content and           

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, WhatsApp, YouTube

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