Facebook reaches one billion users in a day

The world’s largest social network showed that its competitors have a great deal of catching up to do when it revealed that one billion people used Facebook in a single day

Facebook has reached a mighty milestone, revealing that in one day one billion people logged on to use the site. Industry experts anticipate the social media network will be focusing on Africa and Asia to grow the business even further

Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post that one billion users logged onto Facebook in a single day. The “important milestone” was reached on August 24, almost three years after the company announced the same visitor figures but in a month, and shows that the site’s popularity is gaining still – more than ten years on from its establishment. “On Monday, one in seven people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family,” wrote Zuckerberg on the site.

The milestone underlines Facebook’s credentials in the social media community

“When we talk about our financials, we use average numbers, but this is different. This was the first time we reached this milestone, and it’s just the beginning of connecting the whole world,” he continued. “A more open and connected world is a better world. It brings stronger relationships with those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities, and a stronger society that reflects all of our values.”

The milestone underlines Facebook’s credentials in the social media community, in that no other competitor comes close to its user numbers. More than that, the site is still a ways off its peak, as a string of projects – chief among them Internet.org – promise to connect a greater number of people in developing countries and peripheral communities to the service.

The site’s user base in the US, Europe and India in particular is nearing saturation point, although major growth opportunities remain still in Africa and Asia, where lack of connectivity means that many have been unable to sign up. The relatively low sign-up rate in Asia, Africa and, to a certain extent, Latin America gives some indication about where the company’s focus will lie in the near future.

Related topics: