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The "Exodus" Myth: Why Your Customers Are Still on Facebook (And How to Reach Them)

Our first podcast of 2026 addresses paid social posts and the idea that people are turning away from social media. If you have been listening to the noise online recently, you might believe that social media is crumbling. There’s a trend of people announcing a departure from platforms like Facebook. We all see the posts declaring "I’m done with social media" or "I’m deleting my account."

It paints a picture of a mass exodus. But when we looked at the numbers, we found a very different story. The narrative says everyone is leaving, but the reality is that they are still right here.

The Disconnect Between Words and Actions

The statistics tell the truth, even when users do not.

When we analysed the figures, the expected drop-off simply wasn’t there. The reduction in monthly average users on Facebook has been negligible. In fact, the user base is still hovering around the 3.1 billion mark.

This highlights a fundamental truth about human behaviour. We are fickle. We might complain about the noise or the algorithm, but the habit of scrolling is hard to break.

Bursting the Demographic Bubble

One of the biggest myths stopping businesses from advertising on Facebook is the idea that it is a “retirement home”, and that the audience is getting older or leaving.

It is easy to assume that because you and your friends aren’t using it, nobody is. But the data contradicts this. The largest age demographic on Facebook right now is actually 25 to 34-year-olds.

This is a crucial statistic. This isn’t just an audience; it is an audience with disposable income and a purchasing mindset. If you are ignoring Facebook because you think it is “uncool”, you are ignoring a massive chunk of the market that is actively looking to buy.

The Problem with “Boosting”

So, the people are there. How do you reach them?

This brings us to a common pitfall, the ‘Boost Post’ button. We like to call boosting the "lazy little sibling" of a proper ad campaign. It has its place for vanity metrics, but if you want real returns, you need to go deeper.

There is a distinct difference between an organic post and a paid ad. Organic content is for community, while paid advertising is interruption marketing. It needs to convince a stranger to stop scrolling and take action. You cannot simply take a post that did well organically, throw £10 at it, and expect sales.

The Architecture of a Campaign

If you are going to invest budget, you need to respect the architecture of the campaign. It comes down to five pillars:

Demographic: You can target by location, age, gender, and interests. However, do not get too hyper-focused. If you restrict the audience too much, you suffocate the algorithm's ability to find the best people. 

Goals: What do you actually want? If you want to sell a specific product, do not send the customer to your homepage and make them search for it. Make the journey easy.

Creative: Does the image stop the scroll? Remember that you are competing against everyone else for that user's eye-line.

Budget: Facebook works on an auction basis. A £5 budget will get you the "leftover" ad slots. A healthy budget puts you in prime time. We generally recommend around £20 a day to see real data.

Patience: This is where most businesses fail. When you launch a campaign, it enters the "Learning Phase". It needs about 50 conversions to truly optimise. If you panic and edit the ad on day two, you reset the clock.

The Verdict

Is social media dead? Absolutely not.

The 3.1 billion users on Facebook prove the crowd is still assembled. The "death of Facebook" is a myth. The reality is that the platform is full of opportunity for businesses brave enough to invest the time, money, and patience to use it properly.

And if you think your feed is full of rubbish? Well, the algorithm only serves you what you interact with. If you want a better feed, engage with better content.