Photo credit: Michael Cannon
Almost two-thirds of adult Americans now use social networking sites, according to new research from Pew Research Center. The increase in social media use shouldn’t be surprising. What may probably be surprising is the extent of its use as well as type of people now networking online.
Over a third (35%) of those 65 and older use social media, more than three times as many as in 2010. Interest in social media among older Americans continues to grow, even while the overall number of social media users is leveling off.
Take home for marketers: Even brands targeting senior citizens can consider social media marketing as a viable and cost-efficient option. Seniors may be an undervalued market and one of the few remaining growth demographics for social media marketers.
Facebook Most Popular Among Seniors
Seniors generally favor Facebook. The percentage of online seniors on Facebook increased from 45% in 2013 to 56% in 2015, according to Pew.
Seniors are also active on other networks. Even Instagram, widely regarded as the realm of teens and 20-somethings, is used by 6% of seniors with an Internet connection.
Seniors are the “last Internet frontier,” says Jakob Nielsen, of the Nielsen Norman Group, because Internet use by younger people is already saturated. The situation is similar in other well-developed countries.
The business opportunities offered by elderly users are growing even faster than the demographics suggest because e-commerce purchases are lagging indicators. Many of the seniors who have gone online in recent years have not yet started spending money.
The Pew Research also provides other important insights into social media use. Social media users tend to be more affluent, better educated and slightly more urban or suburban.
Insights into Social Media Use
According to Pew, social media adoption rates now stand at:
- 90% for adults aged 18-29, compared with 12% in 2005.
- 77% for those 30-49, compared to 8% in 2005.
- 76% for those with college or graduate degrees, vs. 54% for those who have a high school diploma or less.
- 78% for households earning over $75,000 a year, vs. 56% for those earning less than $30,000.
- 58% of rural residents, vs. 68% for suburban residents and for 64% of urban residents
- 68% for women, compared with 62% for men. Although women initially used social media significantly more than men, gender differences have substantially narrowed.
The analysis is based on 27 surveys and about 47,000 interviews of adult internet users and about 62,000 interviews of all adults from March 2005 to July 2015.
Bottom Line: Comprehensive research into the explosive growth of social media and in-depth view demographics of social media users highlights the importance of social media marketing for brands. Even Americans over age 65 are embracing social media in large numbers.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
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