Future Ranking on Social Media Updates
A new report from Forrester Research, “The Broad Reach of Social Technologies,” has made it official—social media usage among Americans has reached epidemic proportions.
The report found that over 80 % of Americans use social media at some in every month.
Duh. We already knew that.
What is surprising about the results of the study, however, are the reported demographics of those that use social media today.
Social Media a Powerful Tool
Social Media a Powerful Tool
Those over 35 and those over 55 are the fastest growing segment of Americans who now engage in social media, says the report. Last year, participation in social networking among those in the 35 to 54-age bracket increased by 60 percent.
This is good news for your SEO marketing plans, says Forrester Research.
From the report:
“[N]ow more than half of adults ages 35 to 44 are in social networks. Adults ages 45 to 54 grew their Joiner behavior nearly as much, but still lag behind the 35- to 44-year-olds. 38% of those ages 45 to 54 use social network sites regularly. These consumers also increased their Creator activities to the point where one in five produce social content. With this age group including nearly 70% Spectators, marketers can now safely create social media marketing for people ages 35 or older.
This means that you can market your product to—and reach—a huge amount of baby boomers via social media outlets.
The folks at Forrester Research even give some suggestion on how to use social media to engage your potential baby boomer customers.
Tips for Marketing to Baby Boomers through Social Media
• Create content that relates to the life of baby boomers, says Forrester. This could be blogs or videos, as long as they address or reflect the lifestyle of baby boomers.
• Make it easy for baby boomers to comment on blogs. Don’t complicate the process by making them complete sign up forms. Instead, use low-effort techniques such as “star ratings” to encourage their participation.
You may not even have to try too hard to find your target group of baby boomers on social networks. Today, there seems to be a social networking site for every interest, profession, or demographic of society. Baby boomers are no different.
The social networking sites that many baby boomers prefer are AARP’s Online Community, Classmates Online, and TeeBeeDee. If your target market includes baby boomers, you should devote at least some of your marketing efforts to these—and other—social media sites that particularly draw baby boomers.
Because the baby boomers represent such a big segment of American society, you would be wise to market to them. If you don’t have a product that “suits’ baby boomers, create one or modify an existing product that can meet their needs.
On their website, Baby Boomer Headquarters made this comment, “we are amused when visitors write to ask us what effect the boomers are having on the economy. Folks, in 2009, the economy IS the boomers! We represent the vast majority of the workforce. There are 76 million of us; we ARE the economy.”
Posted By Luke Future Ranking
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