By now you are probably aware that the baby boomers are online in droves. Women 55 and older are the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook. They are social networking, sharing photos, and even twittering in an effort to stay connected to their friends and loved ones.
For those marketers who may want a more nuanced portrait of boomers’ online habits, here are a few tidbits from Melissa Erickson’s piece, “Baby Boomers Flock to Social Networking Sites,” which may help inform your strategies in reaching this mammoth demographic:
Older Adults are Online and are Social Networking:
Seven out of 100 senior citizens age 65+ have an online profile on a social networking site, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project’s December 2008 survey.
Ten percent of online adults ages 55 to 64 have a profile on a social networking site and nearly 20 percent of adults 45 to 54 have a profile, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project’s December 2008 survey.
Nine in 10, or 89 percent, of adults use social networks primarily to connect with friends. Nearly 60 percent use social networks to make plans, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project’s December 2008 survey.
They Log in Often:
Fifty-eight percent of AARP members 50+ log in to their online community daily or several times a day, compared to 47 percent of members younger than 20, according to an AARP/Center for the Digital Future 2008 study.
Nearly 20 percent of users 50 and older said they go online daily or several times a day to play games, compared to 22 percent of users younger than 50, according to an AARP/Center for the Digital Future 2008 study.
The Boomer Social Activist Spirit Lives On:
Thirty-six percent of AARP members 50 and older said their social activism has increased since they began participating in online communities for social causes, compared to 29 percent of members younger than 20, according to an AARP/Center for the Digital Future 2008 study.
They Enjoy all Kinds of Social Media:
Two-thirds of younger boomers and over 60 percent of older boomers consume social media, including reading blogs, listening to podcasts, watching user-generated videos, reading forums, or reading customer ratings.
What’s Next? They Will Likely Be Going Mobile…Experts predict that the next big trend we’ll see in social networking is that it will go mobile. Japan is already at the forefront of mobile social networking, and the United States will likely follow suit. Mobile devices will be used to help us remember details of acquaintances, business connections and others who we know, but not very well. It won’t be uncommon for users to enter a business meeting and see the resume and photo of fellow attendees for example.
-Amanda Sobanet