• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, July 22, 2015

Publishers love to bash Facebook, its unpredictable algorithm changes, and what they perceive to be its disregard for their distribution strategies. But -- as some admitted at OMMA Los Angeles, on Wednesday -- they also just love Facebook. “Facebook is a huge, huge traffic driver,” said Charlie Echeverry, CRO at Latino-focus tech media startup mitú. “Huge,” agreed Jeff Browning, Senior Vice-President of Sales for Endemol Beyond USA.

Facebook’s command over audiences has become so great that some publishers question the rationale for running their own Websites. “What do I even need an [owned and operated Web site] for anymore,” Echeverry said was the question on many a publisher’s mind.

What’s more, other social networks can’t compete with Facebook in terms of “shares” -- when users share a piece of content with their entire social networks, or a single “friend” -- said Kirbie Johnson, a Reporter/Producer at PopSugar. Facebook’s share rates and higher the Twitter, she said, while, “Instagram’s not that great for sharing.”