Social Media Users Are Getting Older

With the turn of the century, came today’s social media culture as we know it, thus creating a new way for the world to communicate and, more importantly, to advertisers, a new way to market their products.   With the discovery of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, marketers across the globe were finally able to reach the hard-to-reach demographic of 15-25 year olds.  However, now that it has been 10 years since “TheFacebook” was first launched, social’s demographics may be moving to a grayer area.

According to an article by AdWeek , a total of 179.7 million people are classified as social media users.  Not only will this number continue to grow, but the fastest growing demographic may be surprising to some.  Currently, those aged 65+ make up the smallest portion of social media users at 14.6 million, but that demographic is projected to increase to 16.6 million by the beginning of 2016, by far the largest increase across any age range.  Facebook in particular will be home to the largest group of 65+ users with a projected increase of 7.6% in 2016, while their share of millennials (ages 18-24) may show a decrease.

So what does this mean?

Facebook remains the leader of the pack, so-to-speak. Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest still take the 2nd, 3rd and 4th spots in number of users.  This shift in social demographics, however, creates a new way to advertise not only to millennials, but to an aging population, as well, giving those with an older target market an easier way to reach this audience.

With Facebook’s purchase of Instagram a few years ago, we’re seeing Facebook as the portal to reach Baby Boomers while the latter has a sharper focus on millennials.

Social Media is, and will continue to be, a key focus in any PR or  marketing campaign.  Thus, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of the market and not only where your target is, but where they are going, as well.

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