This article was published on June 21, 2012

comScore: Facebook’s uniques in the United States are slipping


comScore: Facebook’s uniques in the United States are slipping

This can’t make Facebook investors feel too hot: According to comScore, Facebook is shedding monthly unique users in the United States. Users located in the States are more monetizable than users in other locales, making them more important on a 1:1 basis, from a revenue perspective.

According to comScore, as reported by Reuters, Facebook had some 158.01 million unique visitors in the US in May. That was a decline from April’s 158.69 million, and a further decline from March’s 158.93 million. That April to May slip is a percentage change of under 1%.

Now, that figure implies that roughly half the US population used the service last month, hardly something to scoff at. However, the fact remains that Facebook’s pricing in the public markets implies that investors are looking for the company to grow its revenues and profits at a rapid clip. Losing any momentum in one of its key market will make any such results harder to achieve.

The company has had a very rough time since its initial public offering, slipping in market value, with some calling its flotation scandalous for one reason or another. Facebook has been battered with negative opinion pieces in force since then. However, recently, the company found a new floor in the market, and is currently valued at roughly $68 billion.

Perhaps the largest threat to Facebook is if its users lose attraction with the site, heading elsewhere for their interactions. If that happens, Facebook will command fewer eyeballs, and thus, fewer dollars. If this slide int he US market continues, it will become a headache for the company.

Top Image Credit: Jason McELweenie Hat tip to @PDXMitch for sending this in.

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