Just thinking out loud here, we all know engagement rate and reach for business pages on Facebook is dropping. As the engagement rate has fallen, their stock price has gone up, that’s not a coincidence as Facebook is basically forcing businesses to pay to reach their fans, even well done pages that are producing great content.

We all loved the fact that we could reach our customers and engage with them on a platform that was basically free, albeit for the costs of having someone spend the time on a Facebook strategy and execution.

But the free ride is over.

So is Facebook the new TV? Like TV Facebook has tremendous reach, in a recent Marketing Charts article, their research shows:

• Among 18-24-year-olds, Facebook (online and mobile) has greater reach (70%) than any single TV network (61% being the highest);
• Among 25-34-year-olds, there is more parity, with Facebook at 77% reach, compared to 71-75% reach among the networks;
• Among 35-54-year-olds, networks have greater reach (82-84% range) than Facebook (73%); and
• Among those aged 55 and up, networks sport far greater reach (86-91% range) than Facebook (52%).

As with any medium there are differences in the demographics, but this clearly illustrates the power of Facebook, power on par with TV.

So while it’s extremely frustrating to have engagement rates plummet (especially for pages that have PAID to drive likes), a  paid strategy for Facebook should not be ignored. Why? Their demographic, psycographic and geo-targeting tools, along with the relative ease of use, low cost and potential massive reach can still be an important tool as you try to engage your audience.

So, is Facebook the new TV? tremendous reach, but you’re gonna have to pay.