14 de February de 2020
What does the future hold for the world’s leading social network?
Find out the trends and prospects for Zuckerberg’s empire that will shape the future of social media
It’s Facebook’s birthday, so let’s celebrate 16 years of innovation, scandals and expansion. In just over a decade and a half, the US company founded by Mark Zuckerberg has pushed the world of communications and the internet to levels that we never previously imagined. Despite the legal scandals and accusations of violations of privacy, Facebook remains the #1 social network, with over 2.3 billion users around the world. And that seems to be just the beginning! What does Facebook have in store for us in the future? Let’s mark its anniversary by looking at the trends that will shape the next few years for Zuckerberg’s empire!
Facebook is no longer merely a social network but rather, over the years, it has gradually become one of the most important ecommerce platforms of our times. Everything seems to suggest that this commercial trend will continue to grow and may even become the company’s primary revenue stream. Through Facebook Marketplace (a showcase for displaying, publicizing and selling products) and Facebook Dynamics Ads (a tool for boosting advertising and marketing campaigns) Zuckerberg’s empire has become one of the most important shopping malls on the internet. There is no doubt that this trend will continue evolving with the acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram.
Although some people doubt that the issue is being taken seriously, privacy appears to be another key trend within Facebook’s plans. In view of the large number of scandals, such as the Cambridge Analytica affair, Zuckerberg made it clear in an announcement published in early 2019 that Facebook plans to become a “platform focused on privacy”, underpinned by the following principles: private interaction, encryption, reduced message permanence, security, multiplatform use and data protection. Will they make this a reality? Only time will tell.
Moreover, as mentioned above, multiplatform connection seems to be another trend that will shape the future of both the social network and the company. With the acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram, Zuckerberg is planning to build some kind of network of networks in which users can enjoy the benefits of each of the platforms without needing to have them all at the same time. Some people see the project as yet another opportunity to exploit data. However, others believe that this network of networks could generate unimaginable benefits for both users and companies.
Another trend that will be a key feature of the Facebook of the future is streaming, particularly related to video games. For years now, Zuckerberg’s company has been investing to transform the platform into a games hub, where users can play simultaneously and even gamble. However, the acquisition of the company PlayGiga, which specializes in the distribution of video games via streaming, looks set to boost Facebook’s entertainment capacities, thereby enabling it to complete with other industry leaders, such as Twitch, Nonolive and YouTube.
Last but not least, we couldn’t finish the post without mentioning one of the most interesting and disruptive projects of Zuckerberg’s empire: Facebook Horizon. In 2014, Zuckerberg bought Oculus, a company specializing in the production of virtual reality glasses. Initially, practically nobody understood the plans that lay behind this takeover. However, a few years late, the company announced Facebook Horizon, which will consist of a virtual social network complete with its own universe in which users can play and perform multiple activities using an avatar and virtual reality glasses. Are you ready for it?
In just 16 years, Facebook has positioned itself as the most important social network in the world, and its dominance looks set to continue for a long time to come. As shown above, the Californian company certainly does not hold back when it comes to investing, nor exploring new trends.