By Nicole Sims
Facebook is wasting no expense on trying to stay relevant… and they’re willing to spend 19 billion dollars to prove it.
It’s no secret that Facebook’s appeal to a younger audience has been on the decline. However, after adding Instagram and WhatsApp to the company’s empire, Facebook is proving that it can quite literally buy them back.
Although some are critical of the enormous amount Facebook was willing to spend, WhatsApp’s successful track record in appealing to an audience that’s mostly outside of U.S., the Facebook brand can reach all new heights. This means expansion to a greater number of people at a further distance, and the potential for this untapped market in developing countries is exactly what Facebook needs.
With over 450 million users, the purchase seems to be a smart move in further enhancing the company’s potential of future users. Mark Zuckerberg’s decision is helping to push the Facebook empire even further into a world dominating company that is a force to be reckoned with.
I must admit, Zuckerberg is a pretty smart guy. His decision to spend billions of dollars on getting companies like Instagram and WhatsApp tells me that despite the company making it to ten years, he’s still thinking about moving towards the future. This means making business decisions that will have long-term financial returns, even if does cost him a pretty penny.
I can admit that my use of Facebook has been on a serious decline, but I can recognize that my use of other technologies such as Instagram indirectly brings me back into the Facebook family.
Zuckerberg clearly has his eyes set on the prize, and even though his business decisions seem costly to those like me who couldn’t imagine spending that kind of money, the potential for the company’s growth probably helps cushion the blow.