Facebook popularity dips as advertising roils users

Facebook's popularity in the UK was on the downswing with users increasingly growing advertising weary, according to a YouGov survey.

In a report that studied social media use among web-savvy Brits, the market research firm found that usage had dropped 9 per cent since April 2012.

Around 23 per cent of the people who had quit Facebook said they had done so as they were "fed up with social marketing promotions." The social networking site had lost around 18 per cent users in April 2012.

Exactly a fifth quit the social network on concerns their personal info would be handed over to third parties.

According to the report, advertising on the social media was also not very successful, with only one in 20 users clicking on an ad. Ten per cent were adamant that the corporate messages propagated by Zuckerberg's social advertising network were not relevant to them.

According to YouGov research director James McCoy, the report showed that reaching potential customers through social media was rather different from doing so through traditional media channels. The proportion of Facebook users who were giving the thumbs down to the brand's marketing efforts clearly indicated that a savvier approach was needed.

Meanwhile, the European launch of the "Facebook phone" had been delayed due to disappointing US sales and negative feedback.

The HTC handset runs Facebook's enhanced Home software, designed for greater integration into the smart phone than a normal app.

In a confirmation of the delay, UK mobile operator EE said "following customer feedback" the Europe launch had been stalled.

The development comes following the exit of several high-profile employees from HTC.

Recent months had seen chief product officer Kouji Koudera, Asian chief executive Lennard Hoornik and the firm's director of global communications Jason Gordon depart in addition to five other senior figures.

Signs that not all was well played out in public when Eric Lin, an ex-HTC product strategy manager, tweeted: "To all my friends still @HTC - just quit. Leave now.

"It's tough to do, but you'll be so much happier, I swear."

Lin quit HTC in February to join Microsoft-owned Skype.

Despite being a top industry player several years ago, the smart phone maker has seen its market share fall sharply with its income down to the lowest level in eight years towards the end of 2012.