In late 2013, a barrage of reports made it clear that Facebook was dramatically losing relevance with teenagers. In fact, more than 11 millions teens have left Facebook since 2011. Till date, brands have relied primarily on Facebook and Twitter as tools to connect with teenagers and young adults who increasingly spend more and more time online and on social media. But what happens when our audiences aren’t paying attention to us anymore? What do we do when our markets are moving in droves to platforms where everything we know about “canned & planned” digital marketing is useless? It’s time to embrace a new approach to digital engagement. Gone are the days of disrupting people and shoving our products and services in their face. Instead, it’s time to become a part of their daily lives – even if this means sending them the occasional funny face on Snapchat.

1. Where are they going?
The future of digital community
@HamzaK
@BaileyParnell

2. Just when we got comfortable…

3. What’s going on?
Facebook usage:
2011: 82.2%
2012: 52.89%
2013: 43%

4. In the news…

5. But was any of this real?

6. What is the industry saying?

7. What are the numbers saying?
- Snapchat: 26 million users
- Vine: 40 million users
- Instagram: 200 million users
- WhatsApp: 450 million users
- Facebook: 1.23 billion users
- But while the rest increase…
- Facebook (2013-14):
- 13-17 y/o’s: 25.3% decline
- 18-24 y/o’s: 7.5% decline
-
Total 59% decline since 2011

8. Most importantly, what are the
teens saying?

9. There’s too much “drama”
“If you are on
Facebook, you
see a lot of
drama.”
“Yeah, that’s why we
go to Twitter and
Instagram [instead of
Facebook]. My mom
doesn’t have that.”
“OK, here’s something I
want to say. I think Facebook
can be fun, but also it’s
drama central. On Facebook,
people imply things and say
things, even just by a like,
that they wouldn’t say in real
life.”
It’s because [Facebook] it’s where
people post unnecessary pictures
and they say unnecessary things,
like saying he has a girlfriend, and a
girl will go and tag him in the picture
like, me and him in the sun having
fun. Why would you do that?”

10. They don’t feel free
“I have two
[Facebook] accounts.
One for my family,
one for my friends.”
“And so now I am basically dividing
things up. Instagram is mostly for
pictures. Twitter is mostly for just
sayin what you are thinking. Facebook
is both of them combined so you have
to give a little bit of each. But yes, so
Instagram, I posted more pictures on
Instagram than on Facebook. Twitter is
more natural.”
“I have a Facebook, a Tumblr, and
Twitter. I don’t use Facebook or
Twitter much. I rather use Tumble to
look for interesting stories. I like
Tumble because I don’t have to
present a specific or false image of
myself and I don’t have to interact
with people I don’t necessarily want
to talk to.”
“I don’t go on Facebook,
Twitter or Instagram, I prefer
like talking to people face-to-
face. Like I don’t – I honestly
think that – I probably like
only like talk to people that
I’m really close to…”

11. Instagram is “less social”
“I got mine [Facebook account]
around sixth grade. And I was
really obsessed with it for a while.
Then towards eighth grade, I kind
of just – once you get into Twitter,
if you make a Twitter and an
Instagram, then you’ll just kind of
forget about Facebook, is what I
did.”
“Yeah, some of the people
that follow me on Instagram
that I don’t know, they’re just
really nice to me, and they
always say nice things.”
“I feel like over Facebook, people can say
whatever they want to. They can message you.
And on Instagram you can delete the comment
really easily, and you don’t have to live with it,
kind of. Whereas Facebook, if they say
something mean, it hurts more. I don’t know
why it does. And also [Instagram] it’s not public,
so people tend to not come off so mean.
Because all they really want is for people [to]
like their photos.”
“I mean Instagram is
just basically like
letting everybody else
see what you’re
seeing”

12. “Friends convinced me to make a Twitter”
“A lot of friends
convinced me to make
a Twitter. Because
everyone’s saying
Facebook’s dead.”
“I’m on Twitter more
often, and it’s easier. I
mean Facebook is easy
since I know how to do it,
but Twitter is I think more
addictive.”
“Like, sometimes
you just like express
your feelings [on
Twitter]. Like you
feel like yourself.”
“Facebook doesn’t have a limit to
characters on it. So in Twitter,
there’s only so much you can
say. On Facebook, they say so
many details of things that you
don’t want to know. You’d be like,
are you serious? No one really
cares that much.”

13. Snapchat as a replacement for texting
“And it’s just kind of fun.
Because it’s like texting,
but you get to use your
face as the emoticon
instead of an actual
emoticon.”
“[Snapchat] it’s really great. I
have to admit, it’s better
because I could pick the most
embarrassing photo, and know
that they’ll [the recipient will]
see it for 10 seconds, and then
I’m done.”
“And [Snapchat] it’s
really fast like if you
sent it over a text it
takes like tow minutes
to load.”
“Well, because Facebook,
everyone sees what I’m doing. But
Snapchat is just to one person,
unless they’re a jerk and they
screenshot it and post it on
Facebook. But mostly it’s just the
person that you're ‘sending it to,
so it’s like a conversation.”

14. In sum…
Where are they going?

15. Instagram

16. The Idea
"Our goal is to not just be a
photo-sharing app, but to be the
way you share your life when
you're on the go”
Kevin Systrom
Founder, Instagram

17. Why & How
• Simple
Clean
• Daily
Real-time
• Narrative
Self-promotion
• Aesthetics
“Everyone’s a photographer”

18. Unwritten Rules
• Regram
#Regram @user is how you give credit to someone else’s post
• Latergram
#Latergram for photos posted next calendar day or after
• Medium
Specifying if the pic was taken with anything other than a mobile phone (i.e. #DSLR)

19. Traditions
• Throwbacks
Throwback Thursday #TBT
Flashback Friday #FBF
• Birthdays
For close friends and family
• Special Holidays
Mothers/Fathers Day
National Sibling Day
• Crushes
Woman Crush Wednesday #WCW
Man Crush Monday #MCM
• Others
#SundayFunday
#TransformationTuesday
#SorryNotSorry

20. Trends
• #NoMakeUpSelfie
Women with no make up in support of breast cancer
• #SelfieOlympics
The craziest possible selfies
• #100HappyDays
Something that makes you happy every day

21. Why People Leave & Unfollow
Text / QuotesAdvertisements

22. Winners
UFC StarbucksTopshop

23. Best Practices
3 Reasons for a Like
1. Caption is inspiring or funny
2. Beautiful “photography”
3. Relatable
Know Your Medium
• No print ads, text or too many videos
• Links don’t work on pictures
• Separate long hashtags with capitals
• Captions should compliment your picture, not repeat it
• Don’t use #nofilter

24. Vine

25. The Idea
"We felt that video was on the brink of
becoming this new medium that everyone
would use, in the same way that photos had
become that medium over the previous
fifteen years… We wanted to get big fast, we
wanted to get this out in the world and let
people connect in this way. I think it worked
out really well."
Colin Kroll
Founder, Vine

26. Why & How
•Immediate
Twitter with videos
•Comical
Can’t determine how people will use medium
•Addicting
Not wasting time

27. Unwritten Rules
Be funny or creative

28. Traditions
• Do it for the Vine
Really crazy or obnoxious things for good reception
• Collaboration
Working with other Viners as much as possible
• Vine Meet-Ups
Meet up in a location and help each other make Vines

29. Trends
Songs
• Let Me Take A Selfie – The Chainsmokers
• Don’t Drop That Thun Thun Thun - Finatticz
• Gas Pedal – Safe the Gemini
• What Does the Fox Say – Ylvis
• Do You Want to Build A Snowman – Frozen Soundtrack
• Thrift Shop - Macklemore
• A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carelton

30. Why Would You Leave?
Longer Videos
Blatant Advertising

31. Winners
Etsy Samsung Urban Outfitters

32. Best Practices
• Too Much Content
6 seconds
• Don’t Neglect Sound
AV for a reason
• Informative – Funny – Creative
At least 2

33. Snapchat

34. The Idea
“Snapchat is intended to counteract the
trend of users being compelled to
manage an idealized online identity of
themselves, which has taken all of the
fun out of communicating.”
Evan Spiegel
Founder, Snapchat

35. Why & How
• Now! Now! Now!
All about present
• Extremely Personal
Embarrassing or questionable content
• New Texting
Texting with pictures

36. Unwritten Rules
•Repetition
Once is enough
•Screenshots
Don’t

37. Traditions & Trends
None.

38. Why People Leave & Unfollow
•Advertising
•Lack of Immediacy
Previously taken photos

39. Best Practices
•Be Personal
•Be Human
•Use Features
•Unlearn Analytics

40. Winners
HBO Girls New Orleans Saints Taco Bell

41. Advice For All
• Be
• Be
• Be

42. In conclusion
Age of interruption is over
We are partially to blame

43. Don’t be “that” brand

44. “You can’t yell your
way to winning.”
Seth Godin

45. @HamzaK
@BaileyParnell