In some opinions, we see that Facebook is going downhill, while in others, people say that it has only been improving. I myself had doubts about Facebook, thinking that with all of the other new networks with innovative designs and options, people would start to explore new social media. Due to its popularity and its shaky start in advertising, people have been keeping close watch on Facebook. People have been talking about Facebook’s marketing attributes, it’s fluctuating popularity, and it’s ever-growing options. One of these options is Facebook’s social login function. Allowing people to sign in using Facebook on multiple sites across the web has been a great success for Facebook, more so than any other website or network.
If you don’t believe me, there are numbers to prove it. Janrain has done a recent study analyzing social login and social sharing preferences in Q2, using their Janrain Engage. When it comes to social logins, Facebook leads the way with 48% saying they prefer logging in to sites using the network. Next, as expected, is Google with 30% of respondents preferring it. After that are Twitter with 9%, Yahoo with 8%, Windows at 3%, along with LinkedIn, Myspace, PayPal, and AOL in their own group at 3%. “Fueled by an expanding user base and the allure of broadcasting one’s online activities back to Facebook using social sharing and open graph technology, Facebook’s share of social logins has increased steadily during the past two years.” Regardless of Facebook’s constant growth, Google has stayed strong on its heals with an average of one-third of the social login market.
Janrain has taken their analyses using samples of sites from all industries and trends, measuring consumer login preferences. Therefore, the numbers are reasonably accurate. In their report of their research, they show results of studies in Music sites, Entertainment and Gaming sites, media sites, and retail sites as four basic categories for the many sites they researched. In each graph, Facebook’s arc remains generally the same, while the arcs of competitors alternate quite a bit. Although the arc may seem similar for Facebook, however, Janrain writes, “Its popularity is especially pronounced on music sites and entertainment and gaming sites. On eCommerce and retail websites, by contrast, a majority of shoppers prefer to register and/or checkout using an identity other than Facebook.” Regardless, over the two year span, Facebook’s social login market has only grown in each category.
So, for advertisers looking for a reliable platform for social login, it seems that Facebook is the obvious choice. Janrain comments that, “On mobile applications, Facebook and Google lead in popularity, followed by Twitter and Yahoo!. Not surprisingly, these trends closely mimic desktop web preferences, except for a proportionally increased share of users preferring Twitter as their portable identity of choice on mobile apps.” Social login research shows consumer loyalty, and Facebook’s lead shows just how popular the network still is. So, my previous thoughts on Facebook’s dropping popularity have been proven wrong on some level, and Janrain’s study provides valuable loyalty information for marketing and advertising professionals.
