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Ever since marketers began taking social media seriously, businesses that target senior-aged consumers have disregarded social networks
because their target simply wasn’t using them.
But recent statistics show that such a stance is officially “old-school”.
A new national poll released last Friday confirms that social networking use for those between 50 and 64 years grew by a staggering 88% between April of ‘09 and May of ‘10 (according to Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project).
Even more mind-blowing, usage for those over 65 grew 100% (from 13% to 26% in the same time frame). And while email is still their primary form of online communication, nearly half of those between 50 and 64 are participating in some form of social networking. Compared to the mere 13% growth rate for 18-29 year olds, these figures are even more eye-popping.
These numbers have been steadily climbing over the last few years. A Nielsen report from December of 2009 shows Facebook as the #3 online destination for people over 65 — an enormous jump from its #45 ranking just the year before.
With overall online time also doubling for this age group in the past year, it’s time for marketers to rethink their strategies where seniors are concerned. One thing is clear: this age group is no longer ignoring social media. Marketers shouldn’t either.
Tags: elderly / seniors / social media / nielsen / facebook