Despite the multiple novel coronavirus-related headwinds impacting the market, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has held up remarkably well. At time of writing, FB stock is on the cusp of parity for the year. Moving forward, you should consider any significant dips as buying opportunities.

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First, the coronavirus has been a boon for social media companies, including Facebook rivals Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) and Snap (NYSE:SNAP). Essentially, the many stay-at-home orders that are just now being lifted in some places have given the platform a hostage audience. Obviously, before the crisis, these companies were already tremendously popular. But during the quarantines, they had an opportunity to market their other features and services.

For Facebook, that has meant disrupting the video conferencing space made popular by Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM). Because of the sudden nature of the pandemic, many organizations found themselves needing a broad communications channel ASAP. Millions have found Zoom’s interface both intuitive and practical.

However, one weakness has been the unfortunate phenomenon known as “zoombombing.” Recently, I’ve written about three reasons why this shouldn’t dissuade prospective buyers of ZM shares; namely, that the platform has proven wildly popular despite an (addressable) shortcoming. Nevertheless, this performance gap is an opportunity for Facebook to exploit with its own video chat called Messenger Rooms.

Given the different audiences that Facebook and Zoom are targeting, it’s likely that both can thrive in this space. And for the social media giant, this is just one cog among many that it can utilize for long-term growth. Beyond that, here are three other reasons why you should keep FB stock on your post-coronavirus radar.

FB Stock Benefits from Unrivaled Demographic Coverage

One of the brilliant foundational blocks of Facebook was that company designed the interface to be largely age-neutral. Of course, social media will always cater to the younger, hipper audience. But the overall platform design has always been clean and functional, giving it the widest appeal possible.

Not surprisingly, Facebook has an enviably balanced age distribution among its users. Again, to no surprise, Facebook attracts the young adult segment, with the most dominant category being the 25 to 34 year age group, followed by 18 to 24 and 35 to 44. However, the platform has a sizable market share among those ages 45 to 54. It’s also capturing a conspicuous portion of the over 65 crowd.

In sharp contrast, rival Snapchat overwhelmingly leans toward the youth audience. According to data compiled by Statista, nearly 55% of U.S. Snapchat users belong in the 10-to-29 year age bracket. While SNAP does an excellent job of marketing toward their key audience, this niche focus has the vulnerability of allowing Facebook to steal market share once their user base “ages out.”

Additionally, peak earning power tops out somewhere in a person’s 40s to 50s, depending on gender. Though tempting, social media firms can’t completely ignore the older demographic. Facebook does the competition one better by providing a platform that strongly appeals to them. Therefore, I see this balanced demographic coverage as an asset for FB stock in the years ahead.

Facebook Offers a Superior Advertising Proposition

If you watch or listen to any content irrespective of the medium, you’ll eventually come across a commonly played message: we’re all in this together. Of course, this is referring to the sacrifices that American families are making to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. But it’s also a subtle hint to the bullish thesis for FB stock.

As you know, the coronavirus doesn’t discriminate and neither did state governments which imposed stay-at-home orders. Unless you are an essential worker in impacted jurisdictions, you had to shelter in place until the okay was given. That left everyone – not just older folks or those with preexisting medical conditions – in the same boat.

For advertisers interested in social media, Facebook offered the biggest bang for the buck. With the aforementioned demographic balance, advertisers can reach a wider audience than is possible in other platforms.

Moreover, targeting a youthful audience during this crisis has become a rising concern. Primarily, the job losses that we’ve seen have disproportionately impacted young adults. Therefore, the businesses that are still advertising are likely levered toward broader, sustainable industries, which ultimately benefits FB stock.

That’s not to say that investors should outright sell Snap or Twitter. But for more conservative or risk-averse investors, Facebook provides relatively stable exposure to the social media space at this time.

A Great PR Opportunity

Despite the many positives of Facebook, recent controversies have significantly impacted its brand and reputation. From accusations of being a conduit for nefarious political agendas to online privacy concerns, the company has made many unfortunate missteps. Although FB stock has recovered from these less-than-stellar incidents, they’ve caused unnecessary headaches for stakeholders.

To this day, many people are leery about using the social media network. Ironically, though, one of the worst events in modern history has opened an opportunity for redemption.

Because of the forced quarantines, many people were suddenly left without their offline (as in real) social networks. Recently, the Washington Post detailed how the lockdowns have created a huge mental health crisis in America.

Fortunately, social media has offered a coping mechanism for millions of people worldwide. And since Facebook has significant pull among older demographics, this is a big plus in terms of positive PR.

Additionally, the company has enforced its community standards, removing bad actors that were advantaging the coronavirus for various reasons. While censorship is an incredibly controversial subject, Facebook also has a responsibility to remove patent distributors of false or malicious information.

Though a work in progress, the actions the company has taken have collectively improved its image. Over the long run, that could pay off with higher demand for FB stock.