A few years ago most marketers thought social media was child’s play, and in many ways they were right. While 67% of those ages 18-29 were using social media in 2008, only 7% of those 65+ were engaged in similar activities (source: Pew Internet & American Life Project – Older Adults and Social Media). Fast forward to 2010 and the numbers have changed dramatically. Over 1/4 of all seniors now engage in social media, and almost 1/2 of those age 50-64 do the same. Penetration among the younger generation is almost fully saturated at 86% as of May of 2010.
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Grandma Tweets Too!
Twitter and status update use has also exploded among older users. Between 2009-2010 use of status updates has more than doubled among those ages 50-64, the fastest growing segment of all users.
Some other interesting facts from the recent PEW study.
- One in five (20%) online adults ages 50-64 say they use social networking sites on a typical day, up from 10% one year ago.
- Among adults ages 65 and older, 13% log on to social networking sites on a typical day, compared with just 4% who did so in 2009.
- Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88%–from 25% to 47%.
If your customers aren’t already using social media they soon will be. We can help you get you feet wet with guaranteed results by choosing one of our new Social Media Guarantee packages.