According to a report by market research firm YouGov, the use of Facebook in the UK has declined by nine per cent year-on-year.
This fall coincides with the social media site's advertising push, which has seen promotions jump over the same period.
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According to the poll, users are leaving social media sites in general due to irritation over the increased levels of advertising and concerns that their content may be handed over to third parties.
In more bad news for Facebook, the report shows that advertising on the site has low uptake among consumers, with only one in 20 Facebook users having clicked on an ad in the last year, and with less than 10 per cent of those polled feeling that targeted advertising on social media is relevant to them.
Overall, the report suggests that most social media users feel negatively towards the marketing strategies used by advertisers on these sites, finding them too intrusive. Thirty five per cent say that they often hide advertisers' updates if they are too frequent.
Against this trend, however, men aged 25-39 are significantly more likely than average to state that targeted advertising is relevant to them, with 21 per cent agreeing with the statement.
Commenting on the report, YouGov SixthSense research director James McCoy said: "This report shows that reaching potential customers through social media is rather different from doing so through traditional media channels. The proportion of Facebook users who are tuning out brands' marketing efforts clearly indicates that a savvier approach is needed. While there are significant challenges, this report identifies potential opportunities for marketeers to build on, such as the relatively high proportion of young men who respond positively to targeted ads on social media."
